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21 You have heard, that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who murders will have to face trial. 22 But now, I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister is liable, to be brought before the...

I wondered if I ought to write this post in the technology section rather than in the theology section but on reflection the topic is more theological than it is technological. With the progress we're seeing in computer simulated intelligence and the possibility of genuine artificial...

Baptism appears to be a perennial interest on discussion boards where Protestants mix so I thought that a word from the Catholic Church might be of interest even if only because many Protestants will object to what Catholics teach on baptism. So Here is what the Compendium of the Catechism of...

Israel came out of Egypt after God worked ten miracle plagues to persuade the Pharaoh to "let my people go". Most Christians know the story. Cecil B DeMille made a film about it and it is still shown occasionally on television. A big scale event. Huge production. like many old testament...

The priest from my parish moved recently to another parish about 40 Km away. He and I are good friends so I decided to visit him in his new parish. It was a good visit. I attended mass and there were two baptisms. He preached a homily on baptism rather than a homily on the gospel reading of the...

In keeping with my personal tradition (most people would call it a habit) 2018 sees me reading the bible in another translation. This year it is The New Community Bible It has rather a lot of footnotes and explanatory notes. Mostly I ignore such things but with this translation I may have a look...

What did the post apostolic church believe?

Following the pejorative term "papist", attested in English since 1534, the terms "Popish Catholic" and "Romish Catholic" came into use during the Protestant Reformation. During the 17th century, "Roman Catholic Church" was often used as a synonym for the Catholic Church, especially where...

Acts chapter eleven says that believers were first called Christians in Antioch in Syria some time around 45 AD. The question was raised in another thread (What do Lutherans believe?) when Catholics started using "Christians" as their self-description. My answer is around the time that the name...

Suppose that God asks you "Why should I let you into my heaven?" How do you reply?

The concept of the Advent wreath originated among German Lutherans in the 16th Century. If your church has an advent wreath what explanation is given for the four candles?

Advent season starts on Sunday 3rd-December-2017. What do you do in your church during the season?

The end of the book of Job contains what looks like the longest speech by God in the holy scriptures. What do you make of it? Then out of the storm the LORD spoke to Job. Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words? Now stand up straight and answer the questions I ask...

The other day I was chatting with an atheist acquaintance on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and while we were chatting he mentioned that religion and political atheism make people say and do things they ought to be ashamed of. I agreed because my most fundamental maxim with regard to religion is that...

Matthew 7:15-20 "Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. [16] You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs. [17] A healthy tree bears good...

I own a book called The Sadness of Christ written by saint Thomas More. It is not long. I think it is unfinished. He was beheaded before he finished writing it. Henry VIII had him beheaded for treason because he would not say that Anne Boleyn was lawfully married to the king. “In darkness be...

John 3:5 RSV Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Cambridge Bible Commentary John 3:5 of water and of the Spirit] Christ leaves the foolish question of Nicodemus to answer itself: He goes on to explain...

Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, Cambridge Bible Commentary Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness] The exact grammatical form is rendered by not by virtue...

Ephesians 5:26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, [Cambridge] Ephesians 5:26 sanctify and cleanse it] Better, again, her. And the pronoun is slightly emphatic by position; as if to say, It was in her interest that He did this, and so in the...

There's a lot said about protestantism and reform. A good amount of it is myth. Some is just pure fabrication. And some is factually correct. This fifteen minute video gives a fairly entertaining and fairly accurate summary of the main events of the period.