Sailing the Last Voyage with Newton and Pascal
In the present "lovefest" climate that's surrounding Barack Obama's inauguration, it's good to remember that there's more to finding peace and happiness than racial unity and "equality:" I have already said, in previous Books, that God had two purposes in deriving all men from one man. His first purpose was to give unity to the …
Continue reading "The Two Cities: The Really Important Source of Division in Our World"
Something just hit me about this topic. During my first visit to the UK, I went to Westminster Cathedral (the central cathedral for the Roman Catholic Church in the UK.)Â I think it was there I read the lists of the main archbishops who presided over the "holy Catholic and Apostolic Church" in England, at …
Continue reading "A Thought on Episcopal and Anglican Churches Leaving"
Kevin Walker had an excellent post on The Language of Salvation, which dealt with a passage from N.T. Wright. His response to my comments was as follows: Thanks for commenting Don. I just started reading N.T. Wright, and I'm enjoying his work. My only beef is, like you said in your comment, that he almost …
Continue reading "Reply to Kevin Walker on Salvation, the Nature of the Church and N.T. Wright"
It seems that this time of year, far from being the joyful time of Christmas coming into the anticipation of a New Year, has become (for me at least) one of tragedy. That's spilled over into this blog, from reflections of my mother's own Christmastime death (Delayed for My Appointment) to the tragic suicide of …
One of the really nice albums I've posted is The Kairosingers' Of One Accord. I recently received an interesting response from Charlie Balsam (now Director of the Jason's Deli Leadership Institute): I am from Houston, but went to Lamar University, where I got involved with campus ministry. That is where the group met each other....the …
Continue reading "The Kairosingers: Some Background From One of the Performers"
In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organised brigandage? For, what are bands of brigands but petty kingdoms?  They also are groups of men, under the rule of a leader, bound together by a common agreement, dividing their booty according to settled principle. If this band of criminals, by recruiting more criminals, acquires …
Continue reading "St. Augustine: When Government and Brigands are Hard to Tell Apart"
An interesting thought, from Sherry Weddell at the Catherine of Siena Institute: In 1970, only 16% of non Catholic, non-Orthodox Christians qualified as renewalists. By 2000, 60% of Reformation heritage Christians in the world were renewalists. And a significant percentage of the remaining 40%, who would not formally qualify as renewalists, have nonetheless absorbed some …
This week's podcast--appropriately enough, since today is Thanksgiving in the U.S.--is Of One Accord, the title track from the Kairosingers' album. The title doesn't sound like a Thanksgiving song, but it is. This album came from Port Arthur, Texas, which was hit hard by Hurricane Ike. One organisation that made a big difference in Southeast …
Continue reading "A Thanksgiving Song–And a Special Reason for Me to be Thankful"
From Pope Benedict XVI: "The first attitude [for Christians]," he said, "is the certainty that Jesus has risen, is with the Father, and because of that, is with us forever. […] Because of this, we are secure and free of fear. This was an essential effect of Christian preaching. Fear of spirits and gods was …
Continue reading "The Hope for the Christian in the Life to Come"
For this week's contribution to Mass Confusion, I'm going back to the Lamb of God from an old favourite: Roger Smith, Michael Howell and the New Commitment's Who Shall Spread the Good News? The rest of this album is here, as it has been for the last five years.
Positive Infinity 