How Google Chrome Is Not Like Other Browsers

The Notre Dame commencement is history, but the Catholic identity battle continues

Colleen Carroll Campbell does a superb job of outlining some key implications of the recent Notre Dame scandal and what we should be watching for in its aftermath:

The brouhaha over President Barack Obama's appearance at the University of 
Notre Dame culminated Sunday with apparent defeat for pro-life Catholics. The 
university's hotly contested plan to bestow an honorary degree on Obama, a 
staunch supporter of legalized abortion and embryonic stem cell research, went 
off without a hitch. 

The president entered the university's Joyce Center arena to robust applause 
and enjoyed several standing ovations in the course of the commencement 
ceremony. Reporters contrasted Obama's well-received plea for transcending 
differences on abortion and embryonic research with the demonstrations of a few 
anti-Obama hecklers in the arena and several hundred vocal protesters on the 
edge of campus. Scant press was given to the much larger, more decorous 
gathering of Notre Dame students and faculty and other Catholics who filled the 
campus' main quad that day for an open-air pro-life Mass and peaceful protest 
rally, or to the coalition of pro-life students who gathered the evening before 
for an all-night campus prayer vigil. 

The dominant story line that emerged from South Bend on Sunday was that of a 
short-lived struggle that came to a swift, tidy resolution. A moderate 
president and enlightened university administrators took on a small band of 
anti-abortion extremists. And the forces of progress prevailed. 

Comforting as that story line may be to Notre Dame administrators and the 
Catholics who supported their decision to honor Obama, it ignores the true 
novelty of this controversy, which has been in national headlines for months.

That novelty has nothing to do with Notre Dame's willingness to fete a 
politician who publicly opposes fundamental moral teachings of the Catholic 
Church. That's par for the course at a university that long ago opted to put 
secular prestige before fidelity to Catholic doctrine, and for the many other 
Catholic universities that have followed suit.

Nor was there anything original about Obama's answer to America's abortion 
debate — let's agree to disagree — and the fact that it was applauded by a 
crowd of Catholics more wedded to the post-modern doctrine of moral relativism 
than to Catholic teaching about the sanctity of unborn human life. Cafeteria 
Catholicism is old news in America. So is the idea that endless dialogue 
constitutes a morally sufficient response to the systematic denial of basic 
human rights to an entire class of human beings. Slaveholders and segregation 
supporters spent centuries making the same claim. 

What was unusual about the Notre Dame controversy was that it sparked . . . (continue reading)

Mark Shea Perfectly Describes the Kind of Protestant Spam I Also Receive

Behold the Spam of God!

Almost every other day it seems, I will (like thousands of other Catholics) open my email and get something like this specimen (culled from my “delete” file):

Dear Mark, just came from your Website and have some questions. It sounds like you were a “Protestant” before becoming a Catholic? I don’t know which church you were in but I have to question whether you were ever taught the Word of God there? If you had been in a church which taught the truth concerning Baptism according to the Word of GOD and not the “traditions of men” you would have learned that not only does baptism NOT save nor “grant justification” but it is ONLY for those who ARE BORN-AGAIN by the SPIRIT of GOD by placing their faith in the LORD JESUS CHRIST! It is to be symbolic of the new birth ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED by GOD as Romans 6 clearly teaches! PLEASE READ the Gospel of John and pray asking GOD to show you HIS TRUTH - HE LOVES THE WORLD and DESIRES TO SAVE the LOST - which we all are apart from the New Birth which IS FREELY offered to ALL ! Please read and be saved! I will be praying for you in JESUS Name. Carolyn

You have to wonder what is going through the minds of people who write such stuff. What do they think they are accomplishing?

One is terribly tempted to reply:

The Word of God? What’s that? Never heard of such a thing. Is that, like, the Bible? We used to read something called a “Bible”, I think, at our old Church. But that was an awfully long time ago.

Boy, thanks for setting me straight. I have never ever ever heard before that Jesus Christ loves me and desires to save the lost with his free gift of grace! I always thought that I had to perform magical rituals to make God love me. But now that you have so thoughtfully set me straight, I see clearly that when that big black book we used to read in my old church-that-never-taught-me-the-Bible says “Baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21) what it means is “Baptism does not save you.”

And thanks also for explaining that when Romans 6 says, “All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” and “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” this absolutely has nothing whatever to do with Baptism. I really appreciate you setting me straight on that as well.

And finally, thanks for making me see that all that stuff in John 3 about being born again of water and the Spirit really means water and the Spirit are complete opposites.

Golly. It is so good to finally —after all these years—have somebody who really teaches the Word of God clue me in. Who would have thought that all those years of studying…. what’s that big black book called again? Ah! Yes! “The Bible”.

Anyway, who would have thought that all those years of studying the Bible could have left me so totally ignorant of what Scripture really means? Thanks ever so for enlightening me.

Do these people who write Evangelical converts to the Catholic faith honestly believe that they are the first people in the universe to ever suggest reading the Bible? If not, then what are they thinking?

I wonder this even more when I get Godspam from people who assure me they are “writing in Christian love” and then proceed to send me a farrago of raving nonsense and/or documentable lies about what the Church teaches. When you write them back and refer them to biblical and catechetical sources which show a) the fact that Catholic teaching comports with biblical teaching and b) their lies about Catholic teaching (”Mary worship!” “The Pope is sinless!” “The Mass re-sacrifices Jesus!”) are bunk, they write you back with that gooey smile of condescending “Christian love” and inform you (and I quote) “I am not interested in discussing truth issues with Catholic apologists.”

The sheer hermetically-sealed Pride is both astonishing and (as is the doom of Pride) hilariously funny. And the pride is very widespread in the ranks of anti-Catholic types who write in “Christian love”. I discovered this when I posted “Carolyn’s” note. One Catholic reader commented with his tongue firmly planted in cheek:

When I converted to Catholicism, it was the statue worship that appealed to me the most, but banner worship has its appeal as well. Historians have been able to show that pagans also worshipped primitive banners so either one has authentic Catholic-pagan connections.

I also liked that I didn’t have to read the Bible any more and that I would have to earn my way to Heaven. Besides that, I really appreciated the fact that I could check my brain at the door and blindly follow the leaders.

A really cool part of Catholicism is that now I can commit all of my favorite sins and then go to Confession right before I go out and do them again!! Actually, while I was Protestant, I guess I did that too, but without the Confession part. But sitting in that little room just feels so holy, especially with the statues nearby.

The cannibalism aspect, I have to admit, grosses me out a little, but I comfort myself by knowing that it is a false doctrine anyway and so it is only really bread. . . . (continue reading)

Why Mormons Don't Like the Cross

Ever since I began engaging in apologetics with Mormons, back in the 1980s, their skittishness about and rejection of the cross, as a symbol of Christ and His atoning sacrifice, has always seemed odd to me.  After all, St. Paul himself proclaimed to scoffers, "We preach Christ crucified" and "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 1:23, 2:2).

The rationale I've heard from many Mormons for their aversion to the cross as a Christian symbol has included rejoinders such as, "We don't use them because that's a Catholic thing," and, "Why would I want to see a reminder of the thing that killed Jesus? That's morbid!" The fomer president of the Mormon Church, Gordon B. Hinkley, had this to say: For us [Mormons], the cross is the symbol of the dying Christ, while our message is a declaration of the Living Christ.”

One Mormon missionary who, along with several LDS confreres, attended one of my parish seminars on Mormonism some years ago, told me in all earnestness, "We don't use crosses because Jesus died on a cross. If your brother were murdered with a knife, you wouldn't hang a little knife on chain around your neck, would you?" I told him that this was precisely the point. "What happened on the cross is, in itself, the reason we Catholics display the cross," I said. "The most important event in history took place on the wood of the cross at Golgotha, upon which Christ suffered and died for our salvation."

I could see from the look on his face that that Mormon missionary didn't accept my reasoning.

In a future post on this blog, I'll supply a précis of the Catholic reasons for venerating the cross, whether it be a crucifix (i.e., with the corpus of the Lord affixed) or an empty cross. But for the moment, I think the primary reason, at least from the explanations given by Mormons I've discussed this subject with over the years, is that the cross of Christ is inextricably identified in their minds with the Catholic Church. Until recently, the Mormon Church has been up front in its opinion that the Catholic Church is nothing other than the "counterfeit" church which, Mormons say, arose out of the maelstrom of syncretism, corruption, and heresy which occurred when Christ allegedly withdrew the "keys of authority" from the Church He had established, thus  (c.f., Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1979 ed.], 42-46, 172-174, 712, James E. Talmage, The Great Apostasy [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1968], 130 ff.; and Hugh Nibley, Mormonism and Early Christianity [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1987], 282-288).

In any case, in light of the above, here's an interesting blog piece about Mormons and the cross and why they eschew it. 

Terrorist Threat: "Guaranteed to kill 330,000 Americans within a single hour!"

Lord, I thank You for Your many blessings, especially that the 80s are over

New poll shows most Americans have high regard for Pope Benedict XVI

Well, what do you know. This Catholic survey's findings run directly contrary to what the secular mainstream media would have you believe. MSMS has of late been unrelenting in its negative coverage of Pope Benedict XVI, which in itself is nothing surprising,  since the Pope is unrelenting in his proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world — a message that the world simply does not want to hear. No matter. The pope will continue speaking the Truth, and the MSM will continue doing what it can to obscure, spin, ridicule, and obfuscate his message. And in the meantime, at least if this poll is an accurrate indicator, most Americans still have an openeness to the Pope — at least for now.

Americans overall and American Catholics in particular hold Pope Benedict XVI in high regard, according to a Marist College poll conducted in partnership with the Knights of Columbus.

Sixty percent of Americans reported they have either a favorable or very favorable impression of the pontiff while 76 percent of Catholics hold the same view, the telephone poll of 2,078 people found.

At the same time, 20 percent of Americans and 11 percent of Catholics told interviewers they have an unfavorable or very unfavorable view of Pope Benedict. (continue reading)

Pat's Top Ten Things That Sound Sinful But Really Aren't

In hopes that this will help alleviate any anxiety of conscience, be assured that, under normal circumstances, you will likely never have to go to confession for having been involved with any of these activities . . .


10. Perambulation

9. Thespianism

8. Tax withholding

7. Homogenization

6. Depilation

5. Getting high on life

4. Infarctions (alone or with others)

3. Eating dead chickens

2. Artificial breath control

1. Failing to renew your subscription to Envoy Magazine (actually, this one's borderline)

Watching Last Night's Season Finale of "24" Made This Even Funnier

(With thanks to Mark Shea for finding this jewel.)

The Naked Truth About Anti-Theft Deterrents

Big News In the World of Darwinian Evolution

The media is hailing the recent discovery of a Lemur monkey fossil that some scientists are saying is a transitional form (i.e., an animal that was "in between" one species and another during what Darwin claimed is the evolution of species) that "proves" Darwinian evolution to be true. We'll see.

If nothing else, someone should get the popcorn and maybe grab some earplugs, too, because I think this news is going to provoke a whole new level of raucous debate on evolution.

Scientists have unveiled a 47-million-year-old fossilised skeleton of a monkey hailed as the missing link in human evolution.

The search for a direct connection between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom has taken 200 years - but it was presented to the world today at a special news conference in New York.

The discovery of the 95%-complete 'lemur monkey' - dubbed Ida - is described by experts as the "eighth wonder of the world".

They say its impact on the world of palaeontology will be "somewhat like an asteroid falling down to Earth".

Researchers say proof of this transitional species finally confirmsCharles Darwin's theory of evolution, and the then radical, outlandish ideas he came up with during his time aboard the Beagle.

Sir David Attenborough said Darwin "would have been thrilled" to have seen the fossil - and says it tells us who we are and where we came from. . . . (continue reading)

Mormonism Goes Airborne

Most likely, this new radio initiative has been planned by the Mormon Church for a long time — they are known to be meticulous planners, after all — but the announcement from LDS Church headquarters in Salt Lake City about its imminent launch of a 24/7 religious radio station comes at an interesting time.

Just last week, the rapidly expanding Immaculate Heart Radio Network of Catholic stations (22 and counting) announced that it has just closed the sale of a new 50,000-watt AM radio station that will blanket all of Utah with 24/7 Catholic programming. It is scheduled to commence broadcasting by mid-summer.

Logistically, the most significant difference between the Mormon and Catholic stations would seem to be, at least for now, that the former can be heard only via the Internet and on select High-Definition radio stations, while the latter, Immaculate Heart Radio, will be booming out across Mormon Country 365 days a year on a powerful AM signal that anyone can hear via radio practically anywhere in the state, plus it will also be streamed on the Internet and made available in podcast form.

The Mormons send us their missionaries on bikes. We send them Father Corapi, Bishop Fulton Sheen, and Catholic Answers on their radios. Sounds like a good arrangement to me.

SALT LAKE CITY 18 May 2009 Mormon Channel, a new radio service of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, launches 18 May and can be accessed via the Internet or HD radio affiliates. The newly created 24-hour, 7-days a-week format is available live online at http://radio.lds.org, but content may also be downloaded.

Broadcasts originate at Temple Square in Salt Lake City and feature a vast and varied array of programming, according to Chris Twitty, director of digital media for the Church.

“We have the responsibility to extend the messages of the Church in yet another way with the new station,” Twitty added. “We have access to all the resources of the Church in creating program content. Though it seems a daunting task to fill the airtime, we have a wealth of information that will be of interest to listeners — much of it new and never before heard or seen.”

Personal interviews with Church leaders are included in a program titled Conversations . In the initial episode, Deseret Book head, Sheri Dew, interviews Elder David A. Bednar and his wife, Susan.

Other program content includes informational packages about the ministry and teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrines, history and news of the Church. Several planned segments focus directly on young children and teenagers.

A unique program, Into All the World , spotlights the lives of Church members in many parts of the world. “The first interview, for example, invited the stake president in Rome, Italy, to profile the members of his stake and to document their responses to the announcement that a temple will be constructed in their city,”

Additional content includes Music and the Spoken Word, the weekly radio broadcast featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as well as other choir concerts and events. Further input comes from Brigham Young University, LDS Business College, the University of Utah institute of religion, the Deseret News and Bonneville Productions.

“We’re deeply pleased,” said Bob Johnson, Bonneville International executive vice president and Salt Lake market manager, “to offer Bonneville’s broadcasting resources and industry reputation to further extend the reach and impact of Mormon Channel, a high-quality, values-oriented new product. Through our 29 radio stations in eight major markets coast to coast, we look forward to utilizing the unequalled qualities and capabilities inherent in HD radio technology to share the unique Mormon Channel content with our ever-expanding listening audiences." (Source)

Fiat Voluntas Tua

Catholic Is Not Enough

Just when you thought it was safe to call yourself "Catholic," an illustrious convert to the Catholic Church from Evangelical Protestantism explains what kinds of "Catholic" you should not be.

Catholic Is Not Enough

By Thomas Howard, Ph.D.
Envoy Magazine

A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, I wrote a book (which was not a bestseller) under the title, Evangelical Is Not Enough. The editor of Envoy Magazine has asked me now to write this article with the title which appears at the top.

What a malcontent this man must be, readers may be pardoned for murmuring. What an ecclesiastical dyspeptic. Will nothing satisfy him? Is anything enough? Come.

On the surface of things, such would indeed appear to be a just reaction on the part of a reader. On the other hand, there is a certain point which perhaps may legitimately be made without ones taking on the guilt of merely carping.

What, then, can possibly be meant by ones saying that Catholic is not enough?

Clearly we must begin with a demurral, or perhaps even a slightly sheepish admission of artfulness: The title is an editorial eye-catcher, of course. Readers of Envoy Magazine expect this journal to be squarely behind the assertion that Catholic is enough. Hence, when they see this title (or, so hope the editors and the author), they will snap up the magazine with, Oh-ho! What have we here? Envoy gone soft, eh?

On the other hand, unhappily enough, there is a sense in which the assertion that Catholic is not enough is very widely true. To be rigorously just, however, we would need to insert some modifiers: This sort of Catholic is not enough, or, what you hear being taught over there in that RCIA program is not enough.

But clearly, to venture such remarks is to sail very near the wind of arrogance. Well! I see we have a self-appointed inquisitor here, pronouncing on everyone's faith, and handing out obiter dicta hither and thither as to the quality of that faith. And all unsolicited in the bargain.

Such an accusation might well hit home, and to tackle an assertion such as we have in the title of this article, one must venture along hesitantly and tentatively, frequently testing ones own attitudes with the litmus test of Charity.

We might canvass several situations in which we find ourselves encountering a Catholic outlook which is not enough.

For example, here is Mr. O'Brian, or Mr. Przybyzewski, or Miss Spiridigliozzi, or Mrs. de la Rocha or Mrs. Garcia who, if asked about their faith, might pass off the question with some reference to the Old Country from which their family emigrated to America and leave it at that. Obviously, that won't quite suffice when it comes to the Divine Tribunal.

There is neither Jew nor Greek (nor Englishman, Irishman or Mexican) in Christ. Your country of origin won't save you. A highly ethnically-conscious Catholicism can be a genuinely robust thing, most heartening to behold (besides being perhaps enormously curious to someone strange to that background). The pluck, fidelity and loyalty which often accompany such an ethnic faith can well turn out to be the stuff of which martyrs are made.
On the other hand, as we know, such a stance can . . . (continue reading) 

Proverbs 18:7 in Action!

Click the pic.

See also here.  And don't forget, this same fellow also said: 

“It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. . . . remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

“I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate. And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you — not financially to help him — we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.”

[...] “This president, the next president, is gonna be left with the most significant task. It’s like cleaning the Augean stables, man. . . . There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, ‘Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don’t know about that decision.’”