Owner: phatcatholic apologetics URL:http://phatcatholic.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:13:44 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: "phatcatholic apologetics" is a blog devoted to defending the Catholic faith via Q&A's, debates, tracts, papers, and an extensive collection of links to the best Catholic resources on the internet. Site statistics:Click here
What's Wrong with Contraception? 2007-07-05 13:57:00 "JARZJR" asked the following question in the HCR forum:Whats wrong with contraception? As long as it's purely contaception and non abortifacient then it's not taking a human life. Are your objections to it the "spilling seed" argument or the "be fruitful and multiply" argument?What's wrong with contraception?!?! I'm shocked and dismayed that there are Christians in the world who still have to ask such questions. Do you realize that until the 1930's, all of Christendom was against contraception? That's one-thousand, nine-hundred and thirty years of consistent Christian witness......but wait, it looks like we've been wrong all these years [sarcasm]. It's a good thing God finally revealed to us lucky Christians in the 20th century the real truth of the matter [sarcasm again].Contraception is wrong on many levels, my friend. The relationship of Adam and Eve before the fall should be seen as our model b/c it shows us how God intended man and woman to interact. There, we see that man Read more:Wrong
"Just Men Made Perfect": White as Snow, or Snow-Covered Dung? 2007-07-05 12:09:00 "Lady Mo," from the HCR forum asked me the following question:Could you explain infused righteousness and how you may or may not believe it is supported biblically? and what is your interpretation of imputed righteousness and how you may or may not believe it is biblical?This is a difficult question to answer because it requires that several terms be defined (such as justification, sanctification, salvation, regeneration, righteousness, infused, imputed, etc.) and because different Protestants understand "imputed righteousness" in different ways. I will try to be as faithful to the Protestant doctrine as possible, but I'm sure that despite this someone out there will feel that I've misrepresented their position. I am sorry about that. Also, this is my first time really digging into this debate, so please forgive my rookie mistakes.First off, here is the Catholic definition of the various terms in question (as I understand them): Justification: Act of being put in right relationship w Read more:Covered
, Perfect
, White
Okay, Let's Start Over 2007-07-04 12:26:00 So, I realized today that when I changed the poll options I also changed what people had originally voted for. So, the poll is all jacked up now. Let's just start over. If you voted before, please vote again. Next time, I'll try to get this right to begin with. I never know how to do these stupid time ranges....Pax Christi,phatcatholic Read more:Start
Updated Poll Options 2007-07-03 22:37:00 I added some more options to the poll. Hopefully that will work better for everyone. REMEMBER: If you choose "Other" there is a space right below "Other" where you type in your answer. Please type in your answer.Pax Christi,phatcatholic Read more:Options
RSV-CE Is Now Online 2007-07-03 14:05:00 I apologize if I'm "Johnny-come-lately" on this one, but I just found the RSV-CE online, which is pretty cool. I've always wanted to be able to use this version in my blog posts and in my conversations and debates with Protestants, but have had to resort to the RSV instead (which is still a lot better than most other bible translations). I don't know if it's legal or not to publish the RSV-CE online, so it may not stay up for very long.Enjoy it while it lasts!Pax Christi,phatcatholic
Poll-Release Monday #22: Updated 2007-07-02 14:54:00 Here is the new poll for this week: How long as it been since you went to Eucharistic adoration?Less than 1 week1 week2 weeks1 month6 months1 yearMore than 1 yearMy intention with this question, like last week's question, is to get a better understanding of the spiritual life of my readers, and perhaps to emphasize the importance of Confession and Eucharistic adoration to those among you who do not regularly avail themselves of these fountains of grace in the Church.Eucharistic adoration is very important. "Public and private devotion to the Holy Eucharist outside Mass also is highly recommended: for the presence of Christ, who is adored by the faithful in the Sacrament, derives from the sacrifice and is directed towards sacramental and spiritual Communion" (Inaestimabile Donum, no. 20). Jesus' question to Peter is one posed to all of us: "Could you not watch with me one hour?" (Mt 26:40). Jesus stands, in the consecrated Bread, poised to reveal himself to us. We need only to approac Read more:Monday
, Release
Check Out My New "Cuf"-links 2007-07-02 14:17:00 Catholics United for the Faith (CUF) has just released a new blog, appropriately titled "Catholics United for the Faith." Check
it out.I have always been a fan of CUF, particularly because of their Faith Tracts, which have been very helpful in my own learning and as ammunition for the Catholic Defense Directory and for my own apologetical endeavors with protestants. Their Lay Witness magazine is pretty dope too. CUF is entirely faithful to the Magisterium and everything I've ever seen from them is well-done and theologically sound.Their headquarters is here in Steubenville, so I've always thought it was pretty cool that I could literally just walk in their front door if I ever had a question about Catholic doctrine. You can also call them if you have any questions. For more from and about CUF, go here or check out their blog. Today's post about seatbelts and abortion was particularly good.Pax Christi,phatcatholic Read more:links
Out to Lunch 2007-07-08 12:22:00 ....for a week (what can I say, I'm hungry). I'll be MIA until next Monday. I'm in Hilton Head Island, vacationing with my family. I may post again, but I doubt it. It's time for me to take a break from the internet.Pax Christi,phatcatholic Read more:Lunch
Free Stuff Is Pretty Cool 2007-07-18 19:10:00 Just a couple weeks ago I received 50 Periucundum est Catholicum esse wristbands. Now, today I found out that in a couple of days I will be receiving a free copy of Light in the Dark Ages: The Friendship of Francis and Clare of Assisi. Anyone heard of this book or know anything about it? It's written by Jon M. Sweeney. For some reason his name sounds familiar, but I'm not sure why. Anyway, I'm always down for a free book and it will be cool to see if it's any good or not. I'll keep you posted.Pax Christi,phatcatholic Read more:Pretty
, Free Stuff
The Church at the End of Time 2007-07-18 10:10:00 "WhyMe" asked the following question in the HCR forum:What is the general eschatology position in Catholicism?The Catholic position is amillennial, post-trib, and no "rapture" (at least as most fundamentalist protestants understand it). In other words, the "millennium" of Rev 20 is actually the current age of the Church
. We are living in the last days, which Jesus inaugurated with his coming into the world. All Christians will suffer a tribulation, after which Jesus will come again. The "rapture" is not the wisking away of the faithful so as to avoid the tribulation. Instead, it is the Last (or "General") Judgment, when all the bodies of the dead will rise and the justice and mercy of God's Judgment upon every human being will be vindicated.For more on the Church's eschatological position, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 668-682 and 1020-1050.Pax Christi,phatcatholic
Why Is the Pope So Special? 2007-07-18 10:07:00 "Crossover" asked the following question in the HCR forum:I guess I shouldnt say this because its a question and andwer thread, but elders are very biblical. but what you said does bring up a question, what makes you think the pope is holy (manifestly perfect)...or are you just using that in the context as in we are all made holy to God?"Holy Father" and "Your Holiness" are formal greetings for the pope. These are the traditional ways of referring to him. Granted, not every pope in the history of the Church has lived up to the title, but the vast majority of them have, and our present pope definitely has. Regardless, the greeting is used not so much because the pope deserves it but because he holds a position in the Church that demands respect. Just like we respect the position of a judge in our judicial system by greeting him as "Your Honor," we greet the pope by saying "Holy Father" or "Your Holiness."The pope in particular, in virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders he has received, Read more:Special
Back in the Saddle Again 2007-07-18 07:46:00 Well, I'm finally back and able to post again. Hilton Head was......bitter sweet. It's tough to see my grandmother's struggle with Multiple Sclerosis, and in a vacation destination, the custody of the eyes that one has to maintain every second of the day can be tiring. But, the pool, the ocean, and the jacuzzi were all very relaxing. Food was great. Beer was great. Plenty of cool little outlet malls and places to walk and just chill. It was good to hang out with my dad and my grandfather. And, of course, it was really nice to have Amy there to share it all with.Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures. Oddly enough, no one had a camera. Kinda sad, but what can you do. I did manage to scan a caricature of myself that one of the local artists drew for me:I think it was pretty dope. Amy was really happy with it. I like how the artist emphasized certain features while still making it look like me. It's kinda funny too, haha.Of course, everything happens while I'm away. In case you'v Read more:Saddle
, Again
This and That 2007-07-20 11:04:00 Just a few quick notes: Fr. Tom Euteneuer of HLI will be celebrating the televised Masses for EWTN every day this coming week, from Sunday the 22nd of July through and including Saturday the 28th. I look forward to his sermon on the 25th, which is the 39th anniversary of the Humanae Vitae. Also, the day before that, Tuesday, July 24th, he will celebrate his 19-year anniversary of his ordination and will be preaching on the Holy Priesthood.Looks like I get another free book in the mail: Unborn Jesus Our Hope by George A. Peate. It turns out that his wife is a big fan of my blog :D I'm really looking forward to this one.I threw down 20 chucks and upgraded my cbox (see the messenger in my sidebar), so now you don't have to worry about those stupid ads anymore. I have also gained some more functionality, such as the ability to register your username so that no one else uses it. Just click the "Profile" link in the bottom, right-hand corner of the cbox.My car currently makes the loudest g
Defending the Immaculate Heart 2007-07-20 09:01:00 "The_Expositor" (from the HCR forum) asked a question about consecration to the ImmaculateHeart
of Mary, which initiated the following short exchange: Can one of the Catholic forum members please explain this to me?: A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of MaryMost Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of Your Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to You, all the people of our country and all the world.Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as You wish to accomplish Your designs in the world.O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the
Thank You for a Wonderful Year 2007-07-19 19:11:00 (The pope is here to celebrate, hehe)Today is the one-year anniversary of phatcatholic apologetics. I'm really happy to finally reach this milestone. For a long time I didn't want to do a blog. I didn't think I really had anything new to offer. But, I finally went for it because I thought it would be cool to have in one place all the substantial posts I've written at Phatmass and other Protestant message boards in defense of the faith.Of course, once I set my mind to something I tend to obsess over it, and this blog is no different. Since I finally started blogging regularly in August, I have spent every day trying to make this one of the best Catholic blogs in the blogosphere. I'm not content to have my own little hole somewhere where I can set up a shrine to myself and blab on and on about every little thought and feeling that I have. I want to change people with this blog. I went to set people free with the Truth. I want to ignite within others the same fire that was enkindled Read more:Thank
, Wonderful
Latin Lovers Unite 2007-07-19 15:30:00 Thanks to the Summorum Pontificum Contact Database, people who want the Latin
Mass in their parish can connect with each other and priests can connect with these people in order to determine how many people want the Latin Mass in his parish.It's an awesome idea because sometimes you never really know how many people feel the same way you do about the extraordinary form of the Mass. This database is also helpful because trying to organize a petition or a list of people who want the Latin Mass can be difficult to organize, especially if your particular pastor is hostile to the Latin Mass. With the database, you can connect with your fellow Latin Lovers
anonymously and you can send each other messages through the database.A wider celebration of the extraordinary form of the Mass is not going to happen over night. But, this database is a step in the right direction. Sign up. Search for people in your area. Spread the word.Pax Christi,phatcatholic
FOCUS on a Friend 2007-07-19 07:23:00 I want to pass along an email I received from a good friend of mine who recently graduated from FUS: Hi, my name is Travis Todd and I am a campus missionary with FOCUS, the Fellowship Of Catholic Univeristy Students. FOCUS is an organization that takes college graduates like us--trains us, and puts us right back onto campus where we help bring students closer to Christ and the Catholic Church. We do this primarily through evangelization and holy friendships, Catholic Bible Studies, and one-on-one peer mentorship, which we call discipleship. For more information about FOCUS, check out our website at http://www.focusonline.org/.The Lord has blessed me with an opportunity to serve at the University of Illinois in Urbana/Champaign with my wife-to-be and six other missionaries. As my fiancee and I prepare to receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on August 4th, we also have the responsibility of raising our salaries by asking people to partner with us in our mission by their prayers and fi
Poll-Release Monday #23 2007-07-23 19:06:00 To make up for a week-long haitus, I have two polls for this week: How often do you go to the Latin Mass?Every SundayOnce a MonthOnce a YearI've never been to the Latin MassOtherWhat was your reaction to the motu proprio?"WOOHOO!! PRAISE GOD!! FINALLY!!""Hey, that's pretty cool""Ehh" [shrugs shoulders]"Why was THAT necessary?""Way to turn back Vatican II"With the recent release of the motu proprio I was curious to see how acquainted my readers are with the "extraordinary form" of the Mass and what their reaction was to the Apostolic Letter that allowed for even wider use. I regret that I wasn't home, in front of my computer, waiting for the clock to strike midnight so I could celebrate with everyone else. I also regret that I've been so out of the loop when it comes to the reaction from the blogosphere and the media regarding the release.When I heard about the motu proprio, I was pretty excited. My actual acquaintance with the extraordinary form of the Mass is minimal (I've gone t Read more:Release
, Monday
The "Gourmet Next Door" Becomes a Star 2007-07-23 12:37:00 Anyone watch the Food Network last night? For some reason, I've been obsessed with finding out who the Next Food Network Star is going to be. I can't explain it really, I just know that I like the competitive nature of it. I like seeing what they're going to make. I like seeing who does good and who screws up. I like picking my favorite and then rooting for them through the whole competition. It's kind of like March Madness for stay-at-home moms :DAnyway, guess who won..................Amy Finley! You should have heard me "hoopin-n-hollerin." I was pretty psyched about it, since my girlfriend and I have been rooting for her from the beginning. On the second to the last episode, it looked like she had lost (I was fixin too disown the Food Network), but they brought her back because "Jag" is a moron (praise God). So, to see her win was pretty sweet.She has a myspace profile if you want to add her as a friend. You can also watch videos of her here and here. Catch up on past episodes h
The Epiphany of Dave Armstrong 2007-07-23 08:06:00 As mentioned on his blog, Dave will be coming to Steubenville for the Defending the Faith Conference this weekend and I am honored to have him as my guest. Actually, I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty psyched about it. For one, it gives me a reason to finally clean my apartment. But, more importantly, it gives me the opportunity to speak in person with the man who was integral to my own conversion of faith in and love for the Church. Of course, James White may consider a visit by Dave to be a curse of epic proportions, but I am very happy to welcome him to my humble abode. Dave's dope, I don't care who you are.I set up a countdown in my sidebar so that we can all anticipate his arrival together :DPax Christi,phatcatholicps: Polldaddy is blocked at my work, so I'll post the new poll for this week when I get home tonight. Read more:Armstrong
For the Feast of St. James the Greater 2007-07-25 13:51:00 Learn more about St. James
on this, his feast day:Catholic Culture: Feast
of St. James, ApostleColorful Multitudes Flock to Santiago De CompostelaPilgrimage to the StarsCycling through time on the Camino de SantiagoWikipedia: Santiago de CompostelaVirtual Tour of Santiago de CompostelaThe Camino to Santiago de CompostelaNew Advent: St. James the GreaterJames the Apostle, Jacobus de Voragine, "The Golden Legend"Divine Liturgy of St. JamesPope Benedict XVI: James the GreaterNew Advent: Epistle of St. JamesPatron Saints Index: James the GreaterThe Epistle of JamesNAB: Introduction to JamesFeast of St. James the GreaterSaint of the Day: St. James the GreaterIntroduction and Homily on the Feast of St. JamesPax Christi,phatcatholic
Sin, Ghosts, and Mary 2007-07-25 07:44:00 Pretty interesting title, huh? Hehe, anyway, what follows are two short and unrelated Q&A's, followed by an update on an old tract that I wrote.Because we cannot judge culpability and knowledge, are we guilty of omission for not saying anything to those who have committed sins that would otherwise be mortal but still receive the Eucharist?We should take every precaution to ensure that the Eucharist is not received unworthily. Even the suspicion that someone is receiving the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin or without belief in the Real Presence is enough to warrant saying something to that individual. Of course, this responsibility to our brothers and sisters in Christ goes beyond the sin of receiving unworthily. Anytime we suspect that a person is sinning in any way, it is our responsibility to correct them with humility and charity. "Whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (Jas 5:20).I was talking to
Saving Your Brother: Part 3 2007-07-31 07:09:00 As usual, Bro. Thomas, OP does not disappoint. Here is his comment on Part 2 of our discussion on fraternal correction. I think he says in a much better way what I was trying to say about this. The virtue of prudence is what's needed. Prudence is the cultivated ability of knowing and doing the appropriate action at the right time in the right way.This particular virtue is cultivated alongside the other virtues, but needs extra attention. It requires, for example, a certain amount of past experience. In this case, past experience of offering fraternal correction. Some of those experiences may have ended well while others may have made things worse. Being able to evaluate past action--what worked and what went wrong--is key to the virtue.This is why, incidentally, we generally offer respect to our elders who, presumably, have much more experience than we do ourselves. We learn from their success and their mistakes, and we esteem the ones we find to be the most prudent and the most wise. Read more:Saving
, Brother
Saving Your Brother: Part 2 2007-07-30 15:49:00 Cain and Abel -->As a follow-up to my short answer about keeping our fellow brothers from sin, "the dude" asked the following question: I understand the obligation to correct others when necessary, but do I have an obligation to do it right away or can I wait for a good opportunity (even if it means the person continues in a sinful behavior in the meantime)? I am also wondering how far we have to go in correcting others. I know we don't have to go around preventing evil everywhere but where is the line drawn?A lot of this is a judgment call. I don't know if there are necessarily hard and fast rules regarding this sort of thing. I don't think anyone is asking you to be a super-hero. I think you just combat evil whenever you come across it: at school, work, home, anytime or place where you are interacting with people.If you're in a conversation with a friend and he reveals to you that he likes to steal candy bars from the store down the street, then you tell him (in a way that will c Read more:Saving
, Brother
"phatcatholic" meets "Super Dave" 2007-07-30 12:55:00 This weekend was bitter sweet. I stayed up late Thursday night cleaning up the apartment in preparation for Friday, the day I meet THE David Amrstrong. I went to bed that night expecting everything to go according to plan. I would go to work, as usual, and then come home and meet Dave on campus. Well, Friday morning brought a rude awakening.When I opened my eyes, I turned my head to the left and the entire room started spinning. I mean, the ENTIRE room. I couldn't believe it! I put my hand over my eyes and thought to myself, "What the hell is going on?" I opened my eyes and tried again. Same result. I decided to sleep an extra 15 minutes and try a third time. Same result. Once that happened, work was totally out of the question. I fumbled around (I'm surprised a didn't puke) and managed to find the right phone number and call in sick.I went back to bed and decided to sleep for a couple of hours, praying to God that all would be well when I opened my eyes again. Same result. Eventual Read more:Super
Poll-Release Monday #24 2007-07-30 11:43:00 Here is this week's poll question:What does the recent CDF document on the Church actually say about Her?"Only visible members of the Catholic Church can go to heaven""Protestants aren't Christians""The Church of Christ is the Catholic Church""Truth is only found in the Catholic Church""The Second Vatican Council changed the Catholic doctrine on the Church""Christian communities born out of the Reformation cannot be called 'Churches'"This is more a trivia question than an opinion poll. I want to know how many of you are able to tell a lie from the truth regarding this document. Even though discussion about it has largely died down, someone asked me a question about it just last Thursday. This CDF document has made an impression on people, and a lot of Protestants still don't understand it fully. As Catholics, it is imperative that we understand what the CDF is teaching us in this document and to be able to explain this to people. If you haven't read it yet, READ IT! (well, vote f Read more:Release
, Monday
The Truth of Religion?: Part 2 2007-07-30 11:18:00 As I suspected, the video I reviewed in my last post had some astrological errors along with the errors in logic that I already pointed out. Christina left a great comment addressing these errors, and it was just to good to leave in the combox: The Astronomy isn't terribly bad (at least not as bad as most of these "religion is all star based" claims). Sirius does lines up with those three stars every day of the year, which I've heard called "The Three Kings" once - and not by someone in astronomy. Orion and Sirius are early Fall constellations, which means on December 25 they are setting as the sun is rising. However it is true that if you look at the stars at their rising and follow the line from those three stars through Sirius, you get a specific point on the horizon and 12 hours after these stars pointed to that point on the horizon, the sun will rise at that point.He does misrepresent a point later, about the sun being "in the vicinity of the southern cross" on December 25 when Read more:Truth
, Religion
The Truth about Religion? 2007-07-29 21:35:00 Angela left a comment on my previous post asking me how I would respond to this YouTube video:To review, this video is basically about the Egyptian sun-god Horus and how his life (and the lives of many other pagan and mythological deities) parallels the life of Christ. The claim is that, like these many deities, the story of Jesus Christ is simply a contrived personification of the placement and movement of various stars, particularly the sun.It's interesting (funny?) how the narrator takes his time introducing the pagan gods, but when he gets to the life of Jesus he rushes through it. You can tell by the tone of his voice that he is practically bored by it. "He raised the sick, walked on water, blah blah blah." I imagine he's thinking to himself, "Let's hurry up and get this stupid Jesus story over with so I can debunk it with my my immense knowledge of astrology." Whatever.It's obvious here that "religion" broadly speaking is not the target, but specifically the Christian religio Read more:Truth
, Religion
The Work of His Hands 2007-08-02 21:37:00 "Ah Lord GOD! It is thou who hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thy outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for thee."-- Jer 32:17 Source: Daily Mail Read more:Hands
Symbolism in Jn 6 2007-08-02 15:23:00 Before I go on to address the symbolism in Jn 6, I want to first say, "I'm sorry" to Justin, who emailed me the questions that you will see below. He has been struggling with this chapter in John's gospel for a long time, and I'm afraid that I could have allayed his anxiety if only I would have addressed his questions sooner. "Better late than never," as they always say. I hope that this post will finally set your heart at ease.Now, to the issue at hand.I've been blessed with a challenge to the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Sacrament in my New Testament class (in the English dept. of my very secular school). We're studying the gospel of John right now and my professor was pretty insistent on his view that Jesus's Bread of Life discourse is symbolic. Even after some mild objects on my part he seemed to stick to his guns and nobody else seemed to challenge it, as usual. It definitely showed my true colors as a weak coward in apologetics, unlike my namesake St. Justin!First of al
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