A “New Sexual Frontier”? Christianity Today recently posted a report on the shifting views of polyamory.* After explaining a situation in which a “Christian couple” was encouraged by a “Christian counselor” to engage in polyamory in their marriage, the article asks the question: How can pastors and leaders prepare to address questions related to polyamory? Not…
Introduction An article appeared recently at Ancient Origins concerning the James Ossuary – an artifact thought to be the bone box of St. James the Just.* It contains an inscription (“James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus”) that makes it the earliest non-scriptural archeological evidence for Jesus Christ. The article explained that the Ossuary has…
Introduction Indulgences do not take up a lot of space in Catholic theology. (The Catechism, for example, devotes only 8 of its 2,865 sections to discussing them – a total of about one standard, typed page). However, due to their abuses in the 16th Century (which were acknowledged and dealt with in the same century),…
Introduction Conversations between Catholics and Protestants often produce more heat than light. The struggle is real, and is not made easier by inappropriate tactics and strategies that can turn friendly dialogue into an occasion for division. Seeing religious conversion in terms of a “paradigm shift” can be of great value to those seeking to give…
Introduction The Church has created a massive library of texts over her 2,000 year lifespan, and it can be overwhelming to even contemplate attaining (much less reading) them all. The good news is that among the millions of volumes of writing the Church has produced, many of them are summaries or collections of previous writings. While…
Introduction Some time ago, one of the guests on a friend’s podcast was asked for his thoughts on the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation (that the bread and wine used in Mass communion actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ). The guest’s reply was brief (86:30 – 90:00), but in that time he managed to make several…
Introduction St. Paul commands people to “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5). As a Protestant, I always thought that the test for faithfulness was how much I agreed with whatever doctrines I was taught – that faithfulness came in degrees, so to speak. I figured if I was…
Introduction State recognition of homosexual civil unions (“gay marriages”) is now the law of the land, and the ongoing discussion has revealed that the views of various Christians on the issue are themselves varied. What I wish to look at here is not which one is correct (that has been, and is being, done ad nauseum), but rather…
Introduction It’s rough gift hunting for Catholic dudes – especially those entering the Church who are still not used to Catholic Holy Hardware. Of course a rosary is a standard choice, but while there are lots of girlie-girl rosaries to choose from out there, few are manly enough for most guys to carry (much less use) without embarrassment. I think men have enough trouble…
Introduction It is not unusual to hear the complaint from Protestants that Catholics cannot prove their beliefs from Scripture. While it is admitted that Catholics do OK with the Trinity, deity of Christ, and obvious stuff like that, when it comes to Catholicism’s distinctive doctrines (e.g.,baptism, the Eucharist, Mary, the Pope, prayers to the saints,…
Douglas Beaumont 