tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57074418081725557532024-03-12T17:35:39.017-07:00The Catholic Letter BlogEric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-29071522589919647082009-08-05T10:30:00.001-07:002009-08-05T10:30:43.810-07:00Facebook Was Not Criticized By Archbishop Vincent Nichols<span xmlns=''><p>I'm seeing attack after attack on Archbishop Vincent Nichols for his comments about FaceBook and other network community sites. It was amusing at first (seeing everyone criticizing without quoting) but now it's just boring. The first report of his comments that I could find were here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8180115.stm'>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8180115.stm</a><br /> </p><p>I didn't really see him directly criticize social network sites. I did see him say, "<span style='color:#464646; font-family:Verdana; font-size:10pt'>Facebook and MySpace might contribute towards communities, but I'm wary about it." That's about as close to an attack as the BBC could report—that he is wary of such sites.<br /></span></p><p><span style='color:#464646; font-family:Verdana; font-size:10pt'>His wariness is well founded. For years, social experts have been saying that these transient relationships are bad for society. This is nothing new. Teenage addiction to such pastimes as texting, IMing, and other forms of electronic communication were pointed out long ago, and very few experts have disagreed with the fact that the new social networking fad (it's well beyond the 'fad' stage now) had an isolating effect on people. Studies have even pointed out that networking activities are anti-social by nature.<br /></span></p><p><span style='color:#464646; font-family:Verdana; font-size:10pt'>But no one will talk about that. Instead, they'll point to this one bishop, who is justified in his opinions, and say that the Church is, once again, behind the times. I wonder how we've survived these 2000 years, being so slow to "get with it."</span></p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-40368193575801261452009-07-28T08:23:00.001-07:002009-07-28T08:37:22.388-07:00Medjugorje Apparitions Lose More Credibility - Father Tomislav Vlasic Silenced<span xmlns=""><p>It looks like another priest who had been the spiritual director of the children in Medjugorje has been given "silence orders" by the Vatican. He had been acting against previous orders when he continued to promote the vision. He is also being investigated for fathering a child with a nun.<br /></p><p>Personally, I was always a little skeptical of the apparition. I won't say that this is in any way a nail on the coffin. As a matter of fact, each apparition (and the mystics themselves) have had to go through such trials. The church and the secular world has always tried to silence mystics, and by some grace of God, they have always overcome the doubts.<br /></p><p>But I will point out that obedience is one of the true marks of mystics (and their spiritual directors). To me, the legitimacy seems more unlikely when those close to it won't obey the Church. But then again, who's to say that the allegations of disobedience (or those of sexual misconduct) are true.<br /></p><p>I guess time will tell. That's another mark of these sort of apparitions. It often isn't until years after the mystics have died that they are approved.<br /></p><p>Here's where I first saw the story:<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0804522.htm">http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0804522.htm</a></p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-74132637750717228962009-06-20T10:03:00.001-07:002009-06-20T10:03:46.395-07:00Catholic Bishops Asked To Re-Think Their Stance On ProLife Issues<span xmlns=''><p>In a small story in the Inside Higher Ed, Richard A. Yanikoski, president of the association of Catholic colleges, has asked the US bishops to review their stance on allowing schools to honor politicians who believe in murdering children. Here's the link:<br /></p><p><a href='http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/19/qt/catholic_colleges_want_review_of_2004_bishops_statement'>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/19/qt/catholic_colleges_want_review_of_2004_bishops_statement</a><br /> </p><p>I don't understand why these people can't get it. <br /></p><p>The bishops could revisit their recommendations a thousand times, but they'd always end up with the same conclusion. We're talking about the Church here, not some human institution that can fall prey to every hair brained agenda that some idiot in higher education wants to promote. <br /></p><p>Every now and then, I get this flash in my head, and I really start to grasp just how BAD abortion really is. I find myself living in a world where the most abominable sin is being called a right, and it makes me feel like I'm in some sort of surreal fantasy world. <br /></p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-66044955352007438502009-06-18T05:48:00.001-07:002009-06-18T05:48:22.594-07:00Anti-Semitic Bishops Get Warning<span xmlns=''><p>One of the points I made several months ago, when our pope lifted the excommunication of the anti-Semitic bishop, was that he HAD NOT given that bishop any power. All he had done was allow the bishop to be a part of the church again.<br /></p><p>The press couldn't quite see that. They wanted to crucify Pope Benedict for his actions—not considering the fact that the pope was just trying to find a way to help thousands of people come back into the church. People who, we should remember, really WANTED to be in communion with Rome. If you know any traditionalists, then you know how torn they are on the subject.<br /></p><p>Now the pope has issued a warning to the bishops not to ordain priests. Here's the story from Reuters:<br /></p><p><a href='http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE55G3CD20090617'>http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE55G3CD20090617</a><br /> </p><p>Let's see if the press has the same type of orgasm it had when the pope lifted the excommunication.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-51642531440064233002009-05-12T18:54:00.001-07:002009-05-12T18:55:32.692-07:00Another Fight For Married Priests<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLktt2cYMdbwcs8gXqGBLwKKWqUXfgmdakhNy25qeLvcMJqj90dbHvWFYtKTBVSAK8MthikxI5HZ_jVNnwYIeRuzXAiKcejuhWOObnUMjvV377PXxNQSGL9pf3hKA6vYNqeRX4h-rWKRTR/s1600-h/priest.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 127px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLktt2cYMdbwcs8gXqGBLwKKWqUXfgmdakhNy25qeLvcMJqj90dbHvWFYtKTBVSAK8MthikxI5HZ_jVNnwYIeRuzXAiKcejuhWOObnUMjvV377PXxNQSGL9pf3hKA6vYNqeRX4h-rWKRTR/s200/priest.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335121289276243794" /></a><br /><span xmlns=""><p>We have another round of news stories hoping to change the fact that priests cannot marry. This time, it was all started by the story of Father Alberto Cutié, who was caught with a woman. No real big story here—there was just some priest who got had a weakness for the ladies (I would say most do—it's just that he let it get the better of him).<br /></p><p>Anyway, reporters are trying to find some scandal in this incident. But to criticize men for being with women seems a little below them. Instead, they're attacking the celibacy rule. I can't count how many headlines I've seen on the subject. For example, US News & World Report ran a poll to see if Catholics thought their priests should be allowed to marry.<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.usnews.com/blogs/god-and-country/2009/05/11/poll-should-the-catholic-church-lift-celibacy-requirements-for-priests.html">http://www.usnews.com/blogs/god-and-country/2009/05/11/poll-should-the-catholic-church-lift-celibacy-requirements-for-priests.html</a><br /> </p><p>Dan Gilgoff had the good sense to get some Catholic expertise to weigh in on the subject. Ha ha—a Notre Dame professor of theology. That's good. Especially right before their scandal hits (Obama is speaking there this Sunday).<br /></p><p>What I really want to figure out, is what their objective is. Normally, I'd say they just want to show everyone how the Church is wrong, and they're right. But I'm really starting to wonder… could they have the audacity to think they're going to rock the Church? I mean after all the wining they did over the condoms comment from Pope Benedict, I realized that they actually thought some doctrine was going to change. Maybe now, they're trying to settle for some of the less concrete traditions of the Church.<br /></p><p>These people—when they gonna' learn?</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-24643811258903434792009-04-27T09:43:00.001-07:002009-04-27T09:43:24.866-07:002 New Women Priests<span xmlns=''><p>Patricia Fresen, a self proclaimed Catholic bishop, ordained two women in Roxborough, Philadelphia as priests in the Holy Catholic Church. In other news, I'm looking for someone to take over my position here as Mayor of Cleves Village, so that I can be sworn in as president of Australia. My good friend, John Smith, will be presiding over the Australian ceremony.<br /></p><p>Really folks… get a clue.<br /></p><p>At least the reporter, David O'Reilly, somewhat looked into the real Catholic stance on this issue. I found the story here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090426_Risking_heresy_to_serve_as_priests.html'>http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090426_Risking_heresy_to_serve_as_priests.html</a><br /> </p><p>Of course, the real problem was in his title. These women are not RISKING heresy. They are heretics.<br /></p><p>Oh well. BTW – I'm also going to be sworn in as American Vice President two months from now, so I'll let you all know how that turns out.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-68281120056310560322009-04-27T06:21:00.001-07:002009-04-27T06:23:37.089-07:00Obama Crowned With Thorns<span xmlns=''><p>There's a lot happening this week. Apparently, Obama is named the new messiah, as a painting to be unveiled on the 29<sup>th</sup> this month will depict him with outstretched arms wearing a crown of thorns. You can read the whole story here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96138'>http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96138</a><br /> </p><p>I don't think I even have to point out the sacrilegious idea being portrayed here. But I did want to talk about something I've been putting off.<br /></p><p>A lot of my friends, family, and fellow bloggers have begun to think that maybe Obama is the antichrist. With a story like this, it's not too hard to believe.<br /></p><p>But I just don't think the antichrist will be like this. I haven't heard too many speeches by the man (I try to avoid listening to him). I have read quotes, often ones from news casters who are salivating at his feet. I really don't hear him saying anything profound. I mean he's not the kind of person I'd describe as 'inspiring'.<br /></p><p>Obama is part of a fad. He's a sensation. But it's not he himself that is sensational. He represents a movement towards liberal ideas, but by himself he is nothing. I don't think that's what the antichrist will be like. I think the antichrist will tempt even great Christians to follow him… because he himself will evoke a sort of inspiration and pride.<br /></p><p>Obama—no, he's just a guy who was in the right place at the right time. The kind of anti-religious pictures mentioned in the story above (this is only one of many) are created by anti-religious artists. He's not turning people away from religion, he's gathering the people who are already against religion. Including the millions of people who identify themselves as Catholics but aren't really Catholic at all.<br /></p><p>I would repeat something I said in an earlier post: <strong>Lines Are Being Drawn</strong>!<br /></p><p>We're not really preparing for battle. Maybe we will soon. But for now we're making it clear who is on whose side. The Church is beginning to awaken from the long sleep. The shepherd is calling the flock. Are you a lamb or a wolf?<span style='color:black; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:13pt'><br /> </span></p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-85179600578812907962009-04-24T10:18:00.001-07:002009-04-24T22:19:04.561-07:00Fighting Amongst Catholics<span xmlns=""><p>An article in the Washington Independent by David Weigel today described the outcry against Obama as little more than bickering between conservative and liberal Catholics. And I guess he's right… in a sense. Here's the article:<br /></p><p><a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/40303/few-conservative-catholic-groups-fuel-obama-notre-dame-scandal">http://washingtonindependent.com/40303/few-conservative-catholic-groups-fuel-obama-notre-dame-scandal</a><br /> </p><p>But like most outsiders (and quite a few insiders) he misses the bigger point.<br /></p><p>While it might be the conservatives and liberals fighting back and forth, the conservative side (at least, those labeled as conservative) have knowledge of something that the liberals will never quite understand: There is no room in the Catholic Church for certain beliefs.<br /></p><p>I might believe priests should be able to marry. There's room for that. I might believe that charismatic Christians are great and that the hooping and hollering is uplifting. There's room for that. But I CANNOT believe that ANYTHING justifies killing an innocent child. <br /></p><p>You see, abortion is one of the beliefs that must split us. Not because it will create healthy debate, but because it will show us where the cancer is in the church. Let's face it, the Catholic Church will not get better unless one of two things happen—we either cut the infected sections from the body of the church (meaning we strip certain people and institutions from their right to call themselves Catholic) or God, by some miracle, makes them Catholic again.<br /></p><p>Lines are being drawn. Not for war, but for us to know who is who. I don't know what will happen next, but I think the line is important no matter what. It's like when Moses told the Israelites to choose sides. "Who is for God and who is against Him?" The abortion issue is one of those deciding views. Who is Christian, and who is not?</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-47261791042961699832009-04-21T07:57:00.001-07:002009-04-21T07:58:20.968-07:00Another Catholic Priest Sex Abuse Scandal<span xmlns=''><p>This one dates back to 1979. According to the victim (Ben Rodriguez), he was invited to watch pornography by the priest (Father Gordon Pillon) as a 15-year-old boy. I didn't see any specifics on what happened after that, except that the priest molested him for the next several years. Rodriguez then became a priest himself. He served a parish in Peoria, Illinois for 16 years, he says, before they forced him out when he began talking about his past experiences.<br /></p><p>You can read the story from Associated Press here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilg-XpU7rvtWx3qbEwd152oTmBiwD97MFRC01'>http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilg-XpU7rvtWx3qbEwd152oTmBiwD97MFRC01</a><br /> </p><p>I'm not going to pretend to know if any of this is true. But I would point out how excited the media will get now that they have yet another scandal to talk about.<br /></p><p>Well, we know this stuff will keep happening. The seminaries are in a sad state of decay, drawing the wrong sort of people to the priesthood. Those people end up being bishops, and the corruption only gets worse. The Catholic universities in America is just an extension of that problem. We can see it now at Notre Dame and at the university in Georgetown where they covered up the crosses so that they could get Obama to speak there.<br /></p><p>This won't get any better without breaking some eggs. If the American Church would let a few more priests go (including many of the bishops who made bad decisions) and try to rebuild with priests who embrace the teachings of Christ, we might eventually see some real changes. Until then, we have to keep praying.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-80178600454339118062009-04-16T11:14:00.001-07:002009-04-16T11:14:20.870-07:00Vatican Looking Into Homosexual Nuns<span xmlns=''><p>There's a big problem in Catholic America, and very few people have addressed it. A lot of our convents are teaching false doctrine concerning homosexuality and other teachings. Seeing how the number of nuns have dramatically declined in the US, the Vatican is finally taking notice.<br /></p><p>You can read the story from Press TV here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=91583&sectionid=3510212'>http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=91583&sectionid=3510212</a><br /> </p><p>A bigger problem is that it's not just the convents slipping in doctrine—our seminaries are as well, and we've known it for quite some time. I would think it's about time the Vatican started a war to save our religious orders.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-58104451225011590802009-04-15T08:12:00.001-07:002009-04-15T08:12:06.418-07:00New York Archbishop Dolan Seems Promising<span xmlns=''><p>SEWELL CHAN from the New York Times gives a fairly comprehensive report of Archbishop Donlan's first press conference. Here's the blog passage:<br /></p><p><a href='http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/archbishop-dolans-first-news-conference/?hp'>http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/archbishop-dolans-first-news-conference/?hp</a><br /> </p><p>All I can say is, "He sounds like the kind of guy the Church needs right now." Someone who won't back down, someone who isn't afraid of truth.<br /></p><p>We'll see how this plays out. According to my sources, he's friendly to the Traditional Mass. I wish he was here in Cincinnati. Our bishop had all kinds of rules and red tape for any parish wanting a Latin Mass. As a matter of fact, there's still only one place you attend a Tridendtine Mass in Cinci.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-73468738276779132062009-04-12T07:46:00.001-07:002009-04-12T08:03:35.168-07:0012 Year Old Martyr On YouTube<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcggoycTOzIiT7hxA1prSVrPAtKzWDCsRQuThxKPj4AlBxx-t7gbxF2a6fLS3Nz_wPIEORIVeDMne7pvp7HSOPXm88eNHl17BqPOQtLjhN5ltDcX60bZFs_4hDEQlEUPoFX7t1vf27R3p/s1600-h/youtube.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcggoycTOzIiT7hxA1prSVrPAtKzWDCsRQuThxKPj4AlBxx-t7gbxF2a6fLS3Nz_wPIEORIVeDMne7pvp7HSOPXm88eNHl17BqPOQtLjhN5ltDcX60bZFs_4hDEQlEUPoFX7t1vf27R3p/s200/youtube.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323820739545685474" /></a><br /><span xmlns=""><p>Sometimes the most beautiful parts of Christianity come out in the form of ugliness. Take, for example the videos of ChristianU2uber, who posted some views about same sex marriage. He was verbally crucified.<br /></p><p>Here we see the true nature of the godless. And we see the prophetic words of Christ come to life—"If they hated me, they will hate you."<br /></p><p>You can see him here:<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUdFsRgd7f4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUdFsRgd7f4</a><br /> </p><p>A year or so ago, I was engaged in a debate about evolution on a popular marketer's forum. Over and over again, I simply asked the question, "What has the theory of evolution produced for the scientific community? How is it of any use?" I condemned no one, I simply asked the question.<br /></p><p>I was amazed at how many people hated me for asking the question, and I was even more amazed at how open they were with this hatred. The thread ended up being the single longest thread in the history of the forum.<br /></p><p>Throughout the discussion, many people guessed at my reasons for being a Christian. I'm stupid. I'm brainwashed. You know, the usual.<br /></p><p>I wouldn't engage in those kinds of arguments. I wanted to debate about my main point—that evolution is a useless theory. Among other things, I wanted to illustrate how hateful their side was. And I accomplished that.<br /></p><p>Once they had made it blatantly obvious (by their classic insult tactics) that there's a distinct line between Christians and non-Christians, I finally posted a letter telling them why I was a Christian.<br /></p><p>The forum has since then been removed, along with all of the discussions. But I do have a copy of my final response (the final one that mattered, anyway), which I'm posting below.<br /></p><p></p><blockquote></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p>Ok, it looks like my argument about the uselessness of evolution study is over. I can't see why everyone was so unwilling to really address it, but whatever. </p><p>Over and over again, some of you have eluded to my reasons for being a creationist...sometimes about my reason for being a Christian. I'm brainwashed, I'm emotional instead of logical (tell that one to my wife--according to her, charcoal has a fuller range of emotions than me), I've been indoctrinated, I'm scared of the truth, I'm living a dream, etc.,<br /></p><p>Well, I thought I'd make one statement here to set that record straight. Until now, I've avoided it, because I didn't want to make it part of my argument. After all, it really isn't an argument. It's a personal choice I've made, just as many of you have chosen not to be Christian.<br /></p><p>Now whatever your response is going to be- believe me, I've heard it all before. Save your fingers. It might make you feel better to poke fun, but it sure ain't gonna change my mind, and it won't change the mind of any other Christian.<br /></p><p>Every other Christian on this board will know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Not a single non-Christian will have any clue. It's not the kind of thing you can grasp unless you've experienced it.<br /></p><p>To me, Christianity (and everything involved) is a love story. Not the kind of sappy romance stories you see now-a-days. It's a perfect love story. One that has a happy beginning, a happy (but difficult) middle, and a happy ending.<br /></p><p>It's the kind where a guy meets a woman that is so perfect, so far above him, that he knows he'll NEVER be worthy of her love. Yet instead of settling for something less, he spends his entire life trying to make himself worthy.<br /></p><p>And despite all his flaws, she loves him back.<br /></p><p>It only makes sense for him to reject everything that rejects her.<br /></p><p>That's the plain and simple. There's nothing more to it. I reject evolution because the only time I hear it put to use, is when someone is trying to disprove creation...even when the two do not contradict each other.<br /></p><p>Now you might point to all the obvious reasons that my God is not perfect (as in my love story), and that He only makes my life harder, and doesn't lift a finger to solve the world's problems. But in answer to that, I'll tell you another love story. A true one.<br /></p><p>Jan and John fall in love just before entering into college. They know they're not financially ready for marriage, but they decide to tie the knot anyway, and go through college as a married couple.<br /></p><p>John has to have some shots before he can go to the school he wants. He has a bad reaction to them. <br /></p><p>Fastworward a few months. John is bedridden. As a matter of fact, he is very nearly a paraplegic. He cannot work, he cannot do anything around the house, he is in complete misery (very severe physical pain ALL the time). And it doesn't look like it will EVER change. His life as an active young man ended at the age of 20.<br /></p><p>Now in present time. Jan didn't run. She had a 4 month honeymoon, and then she had to quit school and work full time at two jobs so that she could support the both of them. When she gets home every night, she thanks whichever relative had been there all day to take care of John, and then begins the tiring work of keeping house. He can talk, he can feel, he can think, he can tell her he loves her and how sorry he is for all of this...that's about it.<br /></p><p>Some people will say she got a raw deal. Some people would look at it as bad luck for both of them.<br /></p><p>But here's the way I see it: Damn, that's some powerful love! She's about the strongest woman I've ever known. She's on the top of my list of "saints who haven't died yet". And as hard as her love is, the one thing you CAN say about it is that it's true love. It's the one real example of true love in a modern, loveless world.. It's love when everything else falls apart.<br /></p><p>That's the kind of love I strive for, whether I end up as a Jan or a John. And that's the kind of love that is exactly the opposite of what I've been accused of over and over again:<br /></p><p>I'm not emotional about it.<br /></p><p>Love is not an emotion. Rather, it is an overcoming of emotions. It is a choice to sometimes ignore the emotions. If we rely on emotions to carry us through a marriage, it will end in divorce every time. But when we rely on love, we're able to see past the emotion, and experience something much deeper.<br /></p><p>Without love, a simple debate over religion quickly turns to hateful (or playful) insult. Something clearly demonstrated over and over again in this thread. But not by the Christians.<br /></p><p>I chose to love Christ. I try not to waver on it. It's that simple.<br /></p><p>I haven't been brainwashed.<br /></p><p>Have you ever tried to talk a man out of an idea that was programmed into him by a cult? He won't argue against you on it. For example, when a Jehovah Witness tells you that "our God is not a God of confusion", look up the passage and put it in context. Show him where he's wrong. He won't argue with your response, he'll change the subject or repeat what he said the first time.<br /></p><p>I HAVE stuck to one point. But I've directly answered every point against mine (except the mind-numbing, same-old-same-old, 'you're being emotional' accusations).<br /></p><p>I haven't been indoctrinated.<br /></p><p>My parents raised me Catholic. But they were more into teaching than indoctrination. I've had access to a lot more kinds of books as a kid than most people will ever have as adults. Not just the new-age feel good stuff--everything. Solid philosophers like Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, and Chesterton. Not many people will have read a third of the Summa by the time they are 15. Nor the entire works of Shakespeare by the time they were 18. And I always had stuff like Stephen King just for fun. The fact is, I've had access to more diverse knowledge and literature than most people do even now that the Internet is offered to them. And I used it.<br /></p><p>I know a lot of you can't quite grasp this concept, but to me truth always starts with love. It's the one truth that doesn't change. It's the one thing in life that doesn't need a test to prove itself, but ALWAYS IS tested. <br /></p><p>In fact, I'll go for love before I ever put my faith in any science. <br /></p><p>And when the two collide (as they do in the theory of common descent), my instinct is always to stick with what I know. And every time I do this, I'm glad. Because all the 'evidence' I've found for common descent is just as 'untestable' as creation. In fact, it completely relies on its own theories to hold itself up. It has ZERO solid evidence (that I've seen).<br /></p><p>No, I'm not going to read all the books on evolution that have been suggested here. I no longer read books just to prove myself right. I already know I'm right.<br /></p><p>It's like when I was very young and reading apologetic books on Christianity and Catholicism. I wanted the complete picture--an answer to every rebuttal. But I've found that it's easy to miss the trees in the forest when you think this way.<br /></p><p>For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about and think I'm a nut job, don't worry. At some point in your life, you're going to feel a little tug. A nag in your gut that says "Hey, maybe there really is a God, and maybe I should find out how I can serve Him." You'll have a choice then: do you fall in love and become a nut job like me, or do you run the other way?<br /></p><p>Chesterton (my favorite author, who once had a public debate with and totally creamed the guy who first tried to make the teaching of ID in American schools illegal) said there are 3 steps to conversion:</p><p>question<br />listen<br />run like hell</p><p>If you don't ever get to step 2, then it's your fault. There are none so deaf as those who refuse to hear. If you've entered step 3, then don't worry. You'll find the way. As hard as you try to resist, love has a way of conquering. The question you have to ask yourself is, do you want to be a Jan who lovesfreely, or a Jon who can no longer run and has no choice but to love.</p></blockquote><p></p><p></p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-53829358530469757242009-04-10T10:09:00.001-07:002009-04-10T10:11:23.215-07:00NY Daily News Gets It Right – American Catholics Have Identity Crisis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oR2OxMkP5Y6xSZRzEK1v-OvhuO93QQ70dx3CMAvp_N80hLx-4_ogY9546miCjJHS-wKOwL0OP8zXq8bpvletypqU9n-zODuv9lZB3nx9YvAT-0AejBMEqcXk5Tul4U0EBK4HQS3XFv8S/s1600-h/identity.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oR2OxMkP5Y6xSZRzEK1v-OvhuO93QQ70dx3CMAvp_N80hLx-4_ogY9546miCjJHS-wKOwL0OP8zXq8bpvletypqU9n-zODuv9lZB3nx9YvAT-0AejBMEqcXk5Tul4U0EBK4HQS3XFv8S/s200/identity.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323111438376596610" /></a><span xmlns=""><p>I know a lot of people think I search and search for news items on Catholics that completely miss the real points, but you can believe me when I say, "I'm thrilled when a reporter 'gets it.'"<br /></p><p>Today, NY Daily's S. E. Cupp reported that the criticism of Notre Dame for inviting the president to speak is a little "too little, too late" considering the fact that it was Catholics who put Obama in office. And he's 100% right. You can read the column here:<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/04/08/2009-04-08_the_catholic_identity_crisis.html?page=0">http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/04/08/2009-04-08_the_catholic_identity_crisis.html?page=0</a><br /> </p><p>I don't want to ignore the bishops and priests who spoke out against Obama from the start. They might be thinking all their efforts were fruitless, but we must remember that God judges our will, not our results. Their will was to testify to the truth, and they did it beautifully.<br /></p><p>But at the same time, a lot more could have spoken up, and there could have been a lot more public teaching and preaching going on. The problem is that half of our bishops and priests are in the same identity crisis. </p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-16412223831917613642009-04-04T10:03:00.001-07:002009-04-04T10:07:57.244-07:00Obama Speaking At Notre Dame<span xmlns=''><p>Every Catholic out there has weighed in on this subject while I've been avoiding it. It's not that I think it's not a big deal, and it's not that I think we shouldn't show some kind of public disapproval (although, I think MOST of it ought to be handled by Notre Dame alumni, students, and the Church itself). But I think the whole subject is being handled wrong.<br /></p><p>To me, this is like a patient coming in to a doctor and complaining about a terrible headache… when he was just there last week and diagnosed with a brain tumor. The cancer eating the Catholic universities in America might be causing the pains and aches. But it's doing far more than that. As a matter of fact, I'd say it's too late to find a cure for this. The pro-death president speaking and receiving honors at a Catholic university is nothing but a noticeable sign (one of MANY) that Notre Dame has lost its right to be called Catholic.<br /></p><p>Raising a stink over it, to me, is like trying to heal a patient of headaches long after the patient has died. I've seen the question of authority come up again and again, and it looks like the Church doesn't really have any. If the Church has no authority over this college, then why is it a Catholic college?<br /></p><p>I would say to the bishops and those in charge of all the orders who have any part at Notre Dame, "Pull your guys out, and start a Catholic college. Quit pretending."<br /></p><p>That's really all I can think of to say about it.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-57830524951036465572009-03-31T09:35:00.001-07:002009-04-15T08:25:15.787-07:00The Pope, Condoms, and Recycled News<span xmlns=""><p>Here we go again. I really thought the issue had died. My brother had commented to me that it was still alive, but I thought it was just in tiny little local papers… not the BIG NEWS. Apparently, I was wrong.<br /></p><p>Because here it is again, right in the Washington Post:<br /></p><p><a href="http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/georgetown/2009/03/wrong_message_from_the_pope.html">http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/georgetown/2009/03/wrong_message_from_the_pope.html</a><br /> </p><p>This specific article criticizes the <em>way</em> Pope Benedict talked about condoms. He was too blunt I guess. Didn't show any sympathy. Maybe he should have introduced the Church's teaching in small mouthfuls. You know—he could start off by saying people should poke holes in the condoms before using them, and then gradually build to not using them at all. Finally, he could give them the old birds and the bees talk. "Stick to marriage, and you won't have to worry about it."<br /></p><p>It never really bothered me that they're all criticizing our pope or the Church in general over this teaching. Some people can't think with anything other than their genitals. The reporters can't seem to think with anything other than other people's genitals. But what bothers me is why they're choosing this specific episode to launch their attack.<br /></p><p>There haven't been any changes. They could have picked up a Catechism at any time (the rules in America are the same as they are in Africa) and said all the same stuff. Why is it now, when he commented on it, that they are so filled with malice?<br /></p><p>I'll tell you why.<br /></p><p>Because they sincerely thought the Catholic Church was going to change. They really thought that our 2000 years of tradition was going to be abandoned. And they're pissed now that it isn't turning out that way.<br /></p><p>Oh well. Maybe they'll figure it out now. I say to them, "Our doctrines are spelled out very plainly, and they're never going to change. Forget it. Get it out of your head. Eventually, you'll be able to move on with your lives, and find some news to report."</p><p>Incidentally, if you are looking for the teachings of the Catholic Church on condoms, birth control, and other questions about sex, you can read the <a href="http://thecatholicletter.com/birth-control-abortion-article-subjects-40/100-the-catholic-birth-control-a-sex-faq">Catholic Birth Control & Sex FAQ</a>.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-83877689466732948372009-03-28T09:47:00.001-07:002009-03-28T09:47:55.939-07:00Catholics In Vietnam Get Light Sentence For Fighting For Church<span xmlns=''><p>Some Catholics did a little damage during a demonstration in Vietnam. They knocked down a wall and set up a shrine to Our Lady. They were convicted, given a light sentence, appealed the decision, and lost the appeal.<br /></p><p>While this might seem like bad news, I think it's a good thing that the government there has come such a long way towards tolerance of Catholics. <br /></p><p>The full story from the AP is here: <br /></p><p><a href='http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hFaNWDuuQ4A1hcYeEtbf3GoGu5AwD9768QFO0'>http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hFaNWDuuQ4A1hcYeEtbf3GoGu5AwD9768QFO0</a><br /> </p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-72731492270853426222009-03-20T06:24:00.001-07:002009-03-20T06:25:02.714-07:00Short Video About Abortion<span xmlns=""><p>This video is short, sweet, and really get's to the heart of the matter. Pass it on.</p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre; "><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ql_7jnp--UE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ql_7jnp--UE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></span><br /></p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-54590579996224304542009-03-19T11:27:00.001-07:002009-03-19T11:27:59.657-07:00Pope Continues To Uphold Catholic Teaching on Condoms in Africa<span xmlns=''><p><strong>And the Libs (especially the gay ones) Are Ticked Off!<br /></strong></p><p>I saw several videos, along with a story in the Dallas Morning News reporting all kinds of outrage when the Pope upheld our Catholic belief that condom use is evil.<br /></p><p>I'm not really upset about their whining, as I am surprised. It's as if they expected him to visit Africa and say, "Oh…I'm sorry. All those years of Catholic theology were wrong. You can go ahead and use condoms now."<br /></p><p>The story from Dallas is here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/03/gay-catholics-call-popes-condo.html'>http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/03/gay-catholics-call-popes-condo.html</a><br /> </p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-80684550464937295652009-03-17T06:50:00.001-07:002009-03-17T06:50:24.049-07:00New Mass Being Said In Africa<span xmlns=''><p>We've all heard that they're going to give us a new wording for the Mass. It's supposed to be closer to the Traditional Latin Mass in its word for word translation. <br /></p><p>As for me, I've always felt that an English translation from the Latin would be great. I love the Latin Mass because of the wording, and I think that a direct translation would give me a nice mixture of comprehension (I don't speak Latin) and beauty (say what you want, but I think the Novus Ordo lacks poetic expression of God's Word).<br /></p><p>But by the way it was reported in the Associated Press by MICHELLE FAUL, you'd think there was a storm of controversy over it. She had to get quotes from people like Thomas J Reese, who is just about a heretic as far as I'm concerned.<br /></p><p>Apparently, some of the African churches received mistakes when they got their copies of the new version. They put the new wording into practice right away. And the only thing the press can do is try to dig up some controversy over it. I wonder how long it took them to find one priest (who was pressured into resigning from his position as an editor because of his unorthodox views, and isn't even in Africa) and one parishioner.<br /></p><p>You can see the AP's full story here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5izGBXjejSklazOAV28OEwt9ELS2AD96VLU5G0'>http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5izGBXjejSklazOAV28OEwt9ELS2AD96VLU5G0</a></p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-88983837615343564402009-03-16T06:58:00.001-07:002009-03-16T06:59:46.734-07:00Brazilian Abortionist Gets Help From AP<span xmlns=""><p>In an Associated Press story this weekend, they report that a prelate from the Vatican is sympathetic to the 9 year old who received an abortion in Brazil. The girl was raped by her father and pregnant with a set of twins. The doctors say that the pregnancy was putting her life in danger.<br /></p><p>Per canon law, the doctors who performed the abortion and those who helped the girl get the abortion were excommunicated.<br /></p><p>Now from the quotes offered from the AP, it would seem that the Vatican official thinks we need to show sympathy for the girl. And the way the story is written, people would think that the Church is being unsympathetic.<br /></p><p>I remember when this first hit the news, and the original story (about those who were excommunicated) had the same irresponsible style that's shown here in this article. This one is written by FRANCES D'EMILIO. I can't remember who wrote the first one I had read.<br /></p><p>All of the stories seem to miss out on (or purposely avoid) one important element: The girl was not excommunicated… or even chastised in any way.<br /></p><p>This is a typical story meant to entice outrage for the Church.</p><p>You can see the whole thing here:</p><p><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jQjAIPlGEFkMsL4LzVbOmz8Q1UfgD96UKG600">http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jQjAIPlGEFkMsL4LzVbOmz8Q1UfgD96UKG600</a><br /></p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-75461928364357442092009-03-13T09:00:00.001-07:002009-03-13T09:05:59.250-07:00Clinton Glad We’re Only Using Unfertilized Embryos<span xmlns=""><p>You might think Clinton was the worst president we've ever had. But maybe he was just the stupidest…<br /></p><p>In an interview on CNN, he said that he fully supports the destruction of unfertilized embryos. So you see, his incompetence might just have been purely out of ignorance, and not nearly as 'evil' as I had always thought.<br /></p><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zmh9p1rlkQk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zmh9p1rlkQk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><p>The World Net Daily reports on this here:<br /></p><p><a href="http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91521">http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91521</a><br /> </p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-29449025985485554822009-03-12T09:23:00.001-07:002009-03-12T09:23:18.650-07:00North Carolina Homeschoolers Beware<span xmlns=''><p>Reported by the World Net Daily, a judge in North Carolina has ordered a mother to return her children to the public school system, despite the fact that they had all tested above average in test scores.<br /></p><p>The full story is here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91397'>http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91397</a><br /> </p><p>You can see the mother's website here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://www.hsinjustice.com/'>http://www.hsinjustice.com/</a><br /> </p><p>The most irritating thing about this is the pigheadedness of people. It doesn't matter how well the children are treated, it doesn't matter how well they score against other children, it doesn't matter how well they do in the outside world. In simple, ignorant, institutional logic, the government can do a better job schooling our kids than we can. End of story.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-47719430504064549132009-03-09T09:11:00.001-07:002009-03-09T09:11:30.583-07:00USA Today Reports Americans Losing Religion<span xmlns=''><p>The Official report from USA Today says that member percentages of organized religions have decreased drastically with the new generation.<br /></p><p>The report comes from the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS). The not-surprising results show that most religions have declined in numbers.<br /></p><p>The full story is here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-american-religion-ARIS_N.htm'>http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-american-religion-ARIS_N.htm</a><br /> </p><p>None of this should surprise Catholic at all. We've known for a long time that the Church in America is in trouble. And I think it's precisely because "people are just making up their own stories of who they are" as Barry Kosmin, survey co-author, claims. <br /></p><p>It's funny how easy it is to just make up a story of who you are. But I'm, thinking this kind of thing could spread to new dimensions. Instead of just making up the story of who I am, why not make up a story of who my wife is… maybe even my kids. Next, I'll go to work on a story for my parents and siblings. Eventually, I will have made up the story on the whole world… and I will be king.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-67073934817070615412009-03-05T06:27:00.001-08:002009-03-05T07:16:16.573-08:00Child Selection Process Getting More Freaky<span xmlns=""><p>If you haven't seen the movie Gattaca yet, then go do so now. Go on, I'll wait for you.<br /></p><p>EWTN reports a company giving people a way to screen babies for desirable traits, before choosing and implanting one. The ones that didn't get the part are culled out (killed).<br /></p><p>Here's the url:</p><p><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=94070">http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=94070</a><br /></p><p>Pretty darn scary.<br /></p><p>If you happen to own the Gattaca DVD (like any decent home would be without it) then take some time and watch the deleted scenes. The mother in the movie asks about what will happen to the remaining "fertilized eggs". On the whole, the movie has a nice message to it, but it looks like the writer also wanted to put that prolife message in there too. It's a shame that scene was culled.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707441808172555753.post-1565749970227831652009-03-04T06:49:00.001-08:002009-03-04T06:49:07.125-08:00Another Idiotic Report On Williamson<span xmlns=''><p>We see yet another columnist trying to tell us something they know nothing about.<br /></p><p>The Pope allows someone reentry into the church after being excommunicated for creating a "schism". The Pope Benedict XVI gets criticized for this because the excommunicate is also a holocaust denier. USA Today thinks it was still inexcusable because Pope Benedict XVI should have just looked on Google to find out more about the man. The full story is here:<br /></p><p><a href='http://content.usatoday.com/communities/religion/post/2009/03/63602473/1'>http://content.usatoday.com/communities/religion/post/2009/03/63602473/1</a><br /> </p><p>Or maybe this isn't such an irresponsible column. Perhaps the writer really believes that someone who would commit such a heinous crime as to deny the holocaust (not who took part in it, or who ever supported it, but someone who denies the accuracy of history reports) ought to be barred from the Church. Ought to be kept from their only link with Christ. Ought to have a damning brand on their soul—one they can never shake.<br /></p><p>The only thing that bothers me is how much these folks are in support of the Muslims who hate the Jewish people more than Williamson ever could.</p></span>Eric Engelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07379120402340188498noreply@blogger.com0