Can Catholics be good legislators in a pluralistic democracy?

As a result of the discussion on Catholic Social Doctrine, one of the readers of this blog brought up a question that has been asked before in the history this nation. Can a Roman Catholic be a member of a government in a pluralistic democracy? Actually, it really brings up the broader question of whether a Christian can be a member of government. Why did this question come up? Well, let’s look... [Read more]

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George Weigel on Catholic Social Doctrine

After my blog post on Mattingly and Catholic Social Doctrine, a friend sent a link to an article by George Weigel that was distributed by the Denver Catholic Register, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Denver. It is an extremely good article. Below are some quotes from the article, though I urge you to follow the link above and read the article for yourself. The 2012 election seems likely... [Read more]

C.S. Lewis on theosis

By now regular readers know that I am a fan of C.S. Lewis, and I was a fan of him before becoming Orthodox. In fact, I consider him one of the influences that led me to Orthodoxy, though I would not have thought of it that way before I became Orthodox. You see, it was not until I became Orthodox that I realized just how much of C.S. Lewis’  thinking reflected a more “Eastern” viewpoint,... [Read more]

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Prophetic voice and confession – Keith Green

One of the things that has impressed me as I have been remembering Keith Green in a couple of the lasts posts, was the remarkable humility that the man had. You can see it in a song like, “Create In Me a Clean Heart.” The lyrics are: Create in me a clean heart Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me (2x) Cast me not away from thy presence, O Lord And take not thy Holy Spirit from... [Read more]

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Paedophilia, the Roman Catholic Church, and justice

I sympathize a lot with victim’s groups. Each and every one of us has someone that has hurt us badly sometime in our life. That is, sadly, part of the human condition since the Fall. And, when we are hurt, we want the other person to hurt every bit as badly as we do. Actually, if we are honest, we all too often want the other person to hurt worse than we hurt. Since the Fall, revenge is a sin... [Read more]

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Paedophilia, the Roman Catholic Church, and forgiveness

Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI issued the latest apology from the Roman Catholic Church for multiple cases of pædophilia (yes, I prefer the British spelling) in yet another country. This time it was Ireland. So far, the Roman Church has had to apologize for major scandals in the USA, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Austria. The apology went farther than previous apologies.... [Read more]

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Never Ceese and Augustinian Original Sin

So, you do not know why the book, Never Ceese, fits the worldview of Roman Catholic Christianity? Well, let Father Orthoduck tell you. But, let Father Orthoduck warn you that there is some heavy theology ahead. OK, here is the theology. All Christians agree that the Fall has damaged humanity, but they do not agree on what it all means.  Both the East and the West agree that Free Will has been damaged,... [Read more]

Vampires and power in the blood

Everything that moves, everything that is alive, is yours for food. Earlier I gave you the green plants, but now I give you everything for food. But you must not eat meat that still has blood in it, because blood gives life. — Genesis 9:3-4 I will be against any citizen of Israel or foreigner living with you who eats blood. I will cut off that person from the people. This is because the life... [Read more]

The furry universe and vampire chick-lit

Well, I did not think yesterday that my vampire chick-lit post would lead to another one, but it does give me the opportunity to promote a Christian writer who is working in the area of Furry Science Fiction or the Furry Universe. His name is Ken Pick and he has been published in a Christian science fiction anthology about which I have talked about before, Infinite Space, Infinite God. He has now had... [Read more]

Vampire teen chick-lit

Do you know what chick-lit is? Chick lit is genre fiction within women’s fiction which addresses issues of modern women often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre sells well, with chick lit titles topping bestseller lists and the creation of imprints devoted entirely to chick lit. Although sometimes it includes romantic elements, women’s fiction (including chick lit) is generally... [Read more]

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