Posts About Catholic
The Prophet Jeremiah
If the theology of Rev. Wright leads him to curse the United States, that is his constitutionally protected right for the free practice of his religion. The prophets in the Bible, notably his namesake Jeremiah, were the most vocal of history in cursing Israel.
Trust God, not Clergy
As a Catholic, I find it strange that some commentators presume that the people listening to a sermon are supposed to agree with everything the preacher says
Leader of the Movement, not the Party
Were the historical Jesus in our midst, he would oppose the notion that running within the system would produce a president to change the system.
What’s Missing from the Unsurprising Pew Study
In the PARAL Study we found that the religion of the mother is more likely to dominate in a family where only one faith is chosen for the children.
Religious or Spiritual?
Obama may have changed the meaning of “faith and politics” into “spirituality and politics” for a long time to come.
Jesuits and Shariah
In high school, the Jesuits taught me that to find a principled answer to any question, it had to be stood on its head. So, before responding about Islamic law, we ought to ask first if U.S. law should make room for Christian teachings?
Getting Secularism Right Leads to the Left
Atheists like to take credit for having invented secularism; they did – in Europe. Secularism in the U.S., on the other hand, is derivative of a high tolerance for all organized religion and a preference for no particular one.
One Incarnation is Enough to Save the World
Jesus died once and for all: no second life is necessary. If, as Dostoevsky mused, much has gone awry since the first Ascension Thursday, it is the fault of we who follow him.
Structural Sin
The exaltation of greed constitutes the structural acceptance of one of the Seven Deadly Sins. It goes against the teachings of my religion, if not also most religions, to reward the rich and punish the poor.
Jewish Identity and Popular Religiosity
The Jewish faith is not burdened with the Christian notion that “Outside the Church there is no salvation;” or that only baptized Christians go to heaven.
Presidential Spirituality, not Religion – Please!!
I put less stock in formal religious profession than I do in spirituality (or the lack of it) when I evaluate a presidential candidate.
Holiday or Holy Day?
Popular culture has so wounded the original sacred celebration that no amount of tinkering can restore its Christian meaning in the public square.
Romney’s Bit Will Bite Back
More worrisome was Romney’s characterization of religious extremism only as “jihad,” squarely making this abuse Islamic alone.
Forget Sin: Pay Attention to Relationships
What should concern a voting public is not the acted-on sexual urge of prominent citizens but the proclivity to betray a spouse or lie about an escapade.
An Earth Religion Thanksgiving Day
The meaning of the day no longer rests upon the dominance of one religion, such as that of the Pilgrims, which conquered the other one belonging to the Native Americans.
And Who is My Neighbor?
In finding a way to protect themselves, religions wind up teaching the world how to tolerate others. What the world needs now is more religions.
Sherlock Holmes and the Spirits
Some years ago, I awoke suddenly from my sleep at the sound of my dead father’s voice, ringing in my ears.
Atheist's or Believer's Delight?
At issue is not the religious preference of the voter, but the religious practice of the candidate.
Fair and Balanced Hitchens
Certainly, one can appreciate that Chris has made known the fitting targets of his moral indignation: Mother Theresa but not Vice President Cheney. Perhaps for Chris, the former is the threat to the world; the latter, only to duck hunters.
Using Personality Cults and Being Used
It is not the presence of strong leaders that matters, but rather how that gift is used.
Religious Utopias Gone Amuck
The best tool against distorted religious teaching is virtuous religious practice. Faith matters when it is put into practice by good works.
Belief is Harder than Disbelief
Teresa continued to work within religion despite her doubts of God’s presence. That makes her a saint.
Mary's Magnificent Magnificat
I pray every day to the Blessed Mother to help me live my life in the spirit of her Magnificat.
All the Deities vs. No God At All
Notice that the Pledge of Allegiance is about “one NATION under God” not “a nation under ONE GOD.”
Cards on the Table
The Pope rejects relativism that would have us believe that in substance all religions are equal. This ought not to be confused with the equal right of everyone to believe as they choose.
Counseling Chaplains and Earth Ritual Enactments
Are these modern day shamans up to the professionalism required of today’s chaplains?
Spirits are Everywhere, not in Heaven or Hell
Heaven and Hell are not places, but forms of virtual reality.
Wearing Faith and Works on the Sleeve
Clinton struck just the right note for the Democratic Party by saying she did not wear her religion on her sleeve.
More Religion Means More Peace
What concerns me about war is not my faith in God, but the role of institutionalized religion in letting itself be used to legitimize violence
Bridging the Hitchens’ Gap
Christopher Hitchens is an author with a masterful domination of language who writes about only one thing: Christopher Hitchens.
The Wolsey Moment
Falwell gave religion a bad name among most of the people in the United States who do not believe in theocracy.
Will the Pope Really Listen or Just Talk?
I hope and believe that Pope Benedict will acknowledge and express contrition for the church’s moral failings regarding the sexual abuse tragedy in the American church.
Not Standing By His Man
As a public servant Obama should have distanced himself long ago from views of his pastor that he clearly does not share, but likely never anticipated the current uproar.
We are Seekers and Shoppers
We are a mobile society not only in where we live, work, and travel our travel; we are also religiously mobile.
No Need for Separate Legal Systems
Muslims in the United States should be allowed to follow sharia provided that it does not transgress civil law.
God's Standards Cannot be Changed
We cannot change God’s standards, as Huckabee suggests Americans are doing. God’s standards are God’s standards.
Happy Holidays? Which One?
We are the most multifaith culture in history. Shouldn’t we be increasing the visibility of the religious holidays of all traditions, rather than eliminating all reference to Christianity?
You are Criminals, Not Martyrs
God does not bless your actions; God despises them. You are not martyrs; you are criminals
A Distinguished List of Doubters
Being faithful does not mean being uncritical, or mindless, or unwilling to question even our most deeply held convictions of faith.
Give Me that Really Old Time Religion
If we are going to give religion a place in public life, then it should not just be one religion. We are a nation of many religions.
Verbum Sapienti Satis
Latin, while old, is not religion. It is neither sacred nor better than the current vernacular language.
Not "Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing"
Is it likely that some of the most morally corrupt individuals in history are in hell? If there is a hell, it is likely.
The Power of Poetry
For most of us the sound of spoken Latin may be so alien that the poetry in it is difficult to hear.
My Three Catholic Wishes
If the Catholic Church continues to ignore the way that adolescence in the west has changed with lightning speed because of technology, the sexual revolution, and the women’s movement (among other issues), then the Catholic Church will soon have to face an even greater drop in membership as this generation’s Catholics.
Young Adults Already Know
Catholic youth, especially, are alienated from a faith tradition and hierarchy that they see as “out of touch” and frankly, rather disinterested in what they deal with in reality on an everyday basis—especially when it comes to sex, romance, and dating.
Strong on Inspiration, Soft on Faith
Yes, Obama inspires revival-style fervor. Can we call it religious, though? I don’t think so. Will he challenge us to push each other beyond silence, sameness, and apathy, or enable us to tread water happily under the banner of hope?
The Need for Honest God-Talk
The real question is whether we, as citizens, can come to terms with the fact that secularism is a theory, not a practical reality.
The Real Sex Scandal: Youth Leading the Youth
Why do we spend so much time and energy, and pay so much lip service, to a few "sex scandals," in place of attending the needs of our youth?
Fundamentally Missing the Point
His approach doesn’t add up, given the good people I know who find in faith a beautiful, intellectual, satisfying, and giving life.
Why I Love the Latin Mass but Wonder About the Pope's Motives
The Latin Mass began to speak to me not as something old-fashioned and oppressive but instead of things wonderful and awesome.
Salam Alaykum, Pope Benedict
He is not my spiritual leader, but I welcome the sacred gifts this Pope brings.
Fifth Day: The Spirituality of Kissing Elvis
A former movie star uses her talents in art to draw people closer to God.
Fourth Day: Good News
As a counterbalance to the assault of hate in the news, several websites now serve as portals to positive news stories.
A Partridge In an Airport
I used to furiously pray Hail Marys when I traveled. Now I put my trust in God - not to protect me, but to simply be with me.
Our Model, Who Lived on Earth...
Some would be satisfied to spiritually exile questioners, agitators, sinners. I prefer Jesus’ way.
Dear Paris Hilton
Dear Paris Hilton, You are one lucky woman. I am glad you are alive today to complain about your jail sentence. Many others who drove under the influence perished or killed others by their one bad decision. You are one lucky woman. You are long legged and lovely, though not demure. Your taste in handbags is impeccable. Your skin is always perfectly toned, moisturized and powdered. You did a bad thing....
Science, the (Sometimes Unruly) Child of Biblical Faith
"Inherit the Wind" has thoroughly confused our understanding of the relationship between biblical faith and the emergence of modern science.
A Difference That Matters
Other world religions conceive God, and our relationship to God, very differently.
The Problem Isn't Generic "Religious Extremism"
We ought to pray for the conversion of the hearts and minds of our jihadist enemies. I've heard very few such prayers these past six years.
Old News, Ancient Experiences
There is no contradiction between faith and questioning, or between faith and a sense of spiritual aridness.
One Body, Imperfect Parts
To those for whom religious "preference" is of no more consequence than any other lifestyle choice -- something like Saab or Volvo, Nationals or Orioles, medium-rare or rare, chardonnay or chablis -- the recent document from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, clarifying once again the self-understanding of the Catholic Church vis-a-vis other Christian communities as that self-understanding was expressed at the Second Vatican Council, can only sound strange, even offensive. To those who take seriously Christ's promise that he would preserve his Church in truth through the power of the Holy Spirit, the CDF clarification (approved...
In Latin America, Social Justice Central to Faith
The politics of Jesus are the divine politics of truth and service, of a “reign” that transforms social relations as well as souls.
Pope Looked Outward, but Not Inward
While the Pope looked outward and made several very accurate structural criticisms of society, he never looked inward and made similar criticisms of his own hierarchy.
Time for Third Vatican Council
The Pope should convene the Third Vatican Council so that the hierarchy can solemnly return the gift of infallibility, and beg instead for the gift of accuracy, and maybe also for the gifts of transparency, honesty, and integrity?
Why Not Confront Putin, Jesus?
Sergei Torop may be a sincere prophet or even a devout messiah (as distinct from a fraud and a charlatan) but, to coin a phrase: "Vissarion, you're no Jesus Christ."
Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Care
“Sexual preferences” is simply contemporary code for lesbianism and homosexuality. The question is not asking, for example, about the “sexual preferences” of clergy who choose or are chosen for celibacy which is, after all, a “sexual preference” or, better, a “non-sexual preference.”...
Primacy and Insecurity
The papacy and hierarchy of Roman Catholicism have failed by refusing their sacramental vocation to lead by serving from below rather than by ruling from above
Back to Greek or, Better, Aramaic?
If a religion changes, it may go wrong; if it does not, it must go wrong.
'Just War' or Just War?
President Bush, who sees himself as a devout Christian, has waged a war that the majority of mainstream religious leaders see as a violation of Just War doctrine.
Jesus Broke Barriers; Pope Builds Them
Pope Benedict XVI and his predecessor John Paul II have consistently put themselves on the side of the aristocracy, the landowners and the well-to-do in Latin America.
Religious Leaders Should Assail Hypocritical Views on Environment
In religions which profess faith in God the Creator there should be special concern by "co-Creators," earthlings, to be good "stewards" of creation.
Prejudice Can Be Unlearned
It still seems improbable to me that people can vent hatred about someone else’s religious differences in a pluralistic society like ours.
America: How Long The Road, How Far We've Come
Franklin and Madison and Jefferson would have positive things to say about how far we’ve come in religious liberty
On the Third Day He rose again...
Did Jesus literally rise from the dead?
How Would Jesus Vote?
Under today's circumstances, Jesus might speak of peace or poverty or the sacred duty to protect human life. But he would not offer a concrete political program.
Losing My Religion, American Style
So much switching also reveals a restlessness and un-rootedness that is more weakness than vibrant freedom of choice.
Obama Taps Into Spiritual Hunger
Yet people want more than a parsing of policy. They want to be inspired.
Christ Forgave and So Should We
The perplexing question is how? You realize how difficult it is to forgive when you come up against the anger of the families of victims crying out for vengeance.
Torture is Always Wrong
What brought torture back into vogue (and into the Inquisition) was the growing influence of Roman law after the 11th Century.
We Preach Christ Crucified
Does what Benedict wrote about love express the message of Judaism and Islam, of Buddhists and Hindus? I don’t think so.
Character Matters More than Religiosity
I do hope that religion, and the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, inform his words and actions.
We Need God
Without God we can neither save the world nor save ourselves.
Finding God in Peace and War
The question implies that when a society is plunged into the chaos and evil of war, faith becomes especially difficult to hold on to. This is undoubtedly true, but many religious writers would say that it is far easier to maintain faith in wartime than in peace. C.S. Lewis devotes at least one chapter of The Screwtape Letters to this point, and his Mere Christianity, perhaps the best-selling religious book after the Bible, first appeared as radio broadcasts on BBC during the Battle of Britain. In war human securities and consolations are blown to smithereens and people are moved to...
Jeremiah Wright & Guilt by Association
Some of the things that Jeremiah Wright said to his congregation were obnoxious and untrue even when seen in context.
Pope Benedict, Muslims and Mutual Respect
There is no question that Pope Benedict has a great respect for religious faith of Muslims. In fact, he wishes European Catholics were as devout as Muslims.
Spitzer Scandal About Crime, Not Sex
Many in the media have accused the Catholic Church of being obsessed with sex, but the media frenzy surrounding the Spitzer scandal makes one wonder who is really obsessed.
Missing Catholics
Catholic clergy had been spoiled with monopolistic influence over a captive audience. Today, it is a whole new ball game. People no longer come to church or stick with their religion out of a fear of damnation.
Obama and the Catholic Vote
The slow move away from Clinton gives us another theory: perhaps Catholics are just slower to switch their loyalties than other Americans. After all, they stick with the church through thick and thin.
Living Shari`a in the West
He did not favor having criminals judged and punished under Islamic law. He did not favor having two parallel judicial systems, one for Muslims and the other for everyone else. He did not favor denying rights to Muslim women that they enjoy under British law.
By Their Fruits You Will Know Them
In examining private visions and revelations, the church asks a series of questions: Is it consistent with the Scriptures and church teaching? Does it lead people to true devotion and love? Does it unite people or is it divisive?
Jesus Christ with an MBA
In a media-driven world, we are tempted to focus on the charismatic and popular, but in the long run the leader who empowers others may be the best. But ultimately Christians have to remember that we are saved by Jesus Christ not by any human leader.
A Smarter Path for Pro-Lifers
In order for the pro-lifers to win, they need to go beyond religious arguments to philosophical arguments. In other words, they have to convince people that, at some point, the fetus is a human person with rights. Abortion has to be argued as a human rights issue not a religious issue.
Global Sin
As bad as all these things are, it may be gluttony and greed that will do us in as a species.
Is Jesus Invited to His Birthday Party?
Saying “Merry Christmas” is not an acknowledgment of Jesus as your Lord and Savior. As a theological statement, it has no content.
Important, but Too Political
Romney’s speech shows the importance of having a national conversation on religion in public life but it also shows the dangers of having that discussion led by politicians during a political campaign.
Believers Must Value Truth and Facts
Religion inspires believers to be concerned for their neighbors whom they see as children of the same God.
The Ethics of Golf and Marriage
Would you make a business deal with someone who cheats at golf? My guess is that many men are less judgmental of sexual infidelity than of cheating at sports.
Surprised by Goodness
It is the Christian vocation to work to overcome these disasters, to feed the hungry, work for peace and justice.
Working at Being Family
Part of the problem is that we have very high expectations of our families. They are supposed to be perfect, and when we are hurt by a family member we feel especially betrayed.
WWJD? Forgive
As Christians, we must love the sinner, but we must also protect society from the sinner.
Dirty Harry for President
It would be ironic and perverse for Christians, who worship a man who was tortured and killed, to use torture themselves.
Sick Kids Have a Right to Health Care
Medicare is available for the elderly. If kids could vote maybe they would have health care.
From Christian Feast to $5 Billion Business
What makes Halloween scary for parents this year is not the ghosts and devils but the costumes that are being sold to pre-teen girls.
Partners not Antagonists
The strong stance that Pope Benedict and other church leaders are taking on environmental issues is causing environmentalists to see the church as a potential ally.
Happy Endings
Without life after death, life is not a romance it is a sick tragedy, a cosmic joke.
Neither Minister nor Saint
I don’t care what religion they profess but I do care about what public policies and programs they support.
Not Even Saints are Perfect
The problem with putting people like Mother Teresa on a pedestal is that it lets us off the hook.
A Faith Journey
No single passage can sum up God or our relation to him.
Compassion and Conscience
A professional’s obligations are not simply to the client/patient. There are obligations also to society at large and the common good.
Bad Manners and Unchristian
As Christians and Americans we have an obligation to respect the beliefs and religious practices of others.
The Professor Pope
In order to understand Pope Benedict, you must remember that in his heart he is a German academic.
Ita Missa Est
The real issue is the power of local bishop to decide whether the pre-Vatican II mass will be said in his diocese.
Vote for Cicero
I am less interested in whether a candidate agrees with me on theology than whether he or she agrees with me on public policy.
My Father's House
Do only Christians go to heaven? No, anyone who loves can go to heaven.
What Do We Owe the Iraqi People?
The U.S. has a moral responsibility to the Iraqi people, I do not think that this obligation can be effectively fulfilled by the U.S. military.
Sophie’s Choice
Being forced to choose between “being saved” or “doing good works” is presenting a false dichotomy.
Ecumenical Democrats
America has embraced ecumenism not relativism.
No Atheists in Fox Holes
The horror of war can be challenging to ones faith unless one believes that God does not want war.
Revolutionary Love
The Jesus revolution was powered by love not by force.
An Assault on the Common Good
The fact that so many children in this country have no health insurance is, in my view, an assault on the common good.
God With Us?
She struggled with a different question: does God exist right here with me at this time?
Re-Connecting Man to God
So religion is man-made to the extent that the God man redeemed us and established a Church.
Living Generously in the Service of Others
I believe that the good life--the really good life--is a live lived generously in the service of others.
Revolution of the Heart
In advancing this revolutionary objective, therefore, Jesus began with a call to personal conversion.
I Don't Want the State Propping up My Religion
Religious leaders often become giant projections screens for everyone’s anxieties and fantasies. That proved to be true last week when Rowan Williams waded into the multi-faith cauldron that is currently boiling in England.
