Are tattoos taboo? If so why? Maybe because they lead to vanity and marring the image of God in which we are created. My essay for Imaginative Conservative this week ponders the issue with reference to Flannery O'Connor's story Parker's Back. O.E. Parker is one of Flannery O’Connor’s crazy misfits. A tough dropout who was captivated by [...]
My latest article for National Catholic Register ponders the sort of Catholic Church Pope Francis will find. I was born and raised in the U.S., but I was never an American Catholic. Brought up in an evangelical-Protestant, fundamentalist home, I went to England after college and became an Anglican priest. Eventually, we were received into full [...]
My article for Aleteia this week disses secular media's obsession with viewing everything as a right wing-left wing conflict. They loved to portray Pope Benedict as a stern right wing arch conservative neo Nazi. Now they love to portray Pope Francis as a kind, loving and gentle socialist. Both are crazy wrong The simple fact of [...]
Virtually all commentators have declared Carly Fiorina the winner of last night's debate between Republican candidates. The lady is poised, articulate, passionate and well informed. Her high points were her fiery denunciation of Planned Parenthood in which she called out Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama--daring them to watch the videos published by the Center for Medical [...]
Brother Augustine WIlmeth OSB My former student Philip Wilmeth is now Brother Augustine. He made his simple profession as a Benedictine monk with the newly re-established community at Norcia last week. The picture to the right shows me with Brother Augustine when we visited last June. He won the beard competition... The monks have [...]
Some of my blog posts are going to start appearing over at the National Catholic Register website. You can follow them through links here. My first blog post for NCR is a comment on progressive theologian Daniel Maguire's suggestion that the Catholic Church will split into three wings like Judaism--Reformed, Conservative and Orthodox. I agree with [...]
Right up front I should say that there are plenty of terrific Protestant Christians. They love the Lord. They live their faith. They reach out to the needy. They engage in mission work. They give generously. They are joyful and radiate their Christian commitment more strongly than many Catholics. I don't dispute the holiness and courageous [...]
The latest video from Center for Medical Progress is the clearest proof yet that Planned Parenthood are not only selling baby parts, but they are doing so intentionally and that they know it is illegal and they know it would be a public relations disaster if the news gets out. [youtube]https://youtu.be/c9EU_02c5bM[/youtube] View the video and share [...]
I had an interesting conversation with a non-Catholic Christian today who asked about the Pope's recent extension of mercy to those who committee abortion. "Is this something new? Weren't Catholics forgiven for abortion before?" I explained that Catholic were always able to be forgiven for abortion, but because of the extra seriousness of the crime, forgiveness [...]
It's been said before: we get the leaders we deserve. Take a look at Donald Trump and take a look in the mirror. This is you America: Like Donald you are a strutting, bloated, obscenely rich egomaniac. Like Donald you are an immoral twice divorced, thrice married unrepentant lothario Like Donald your fake tan, fake hair [...]