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Apostasy Caused the Sexual Abuse Scandal

(This article previously was published in OnePeterFive.) The horrifying news from France last fall that some 3,000 priests sexually abused 330,000 children over 70 years points to another scandal within the Church: too many priests who have little fear of God and scant regard for core Catholic teachings. The perpetrators’ behavior is not typical of those who believe in the Catholic doctrines of hell, purgatory, and justice. Many of them may not believe in God at all (or … [More...]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EAOZeyiqfc&feature=youtu.be What if you found out that all of those things associated with God are actually true: the existence of God, of the soul, of heaven, hell, angels, and devils; the authenticity of the Gospels and resurrection of the Christ; that He established a Church 2,000 years ago – the Catholic Church. Well, it turns out they’re all true. All are real. Life is short, and eternity is forever. Prepare wisely for it. Granted, you need evidence of the above claims. You need to be convinced that: 1) God exists; 2) the Gospels are authentic and Jesus is divine; and 3) the … [More...]

Godly Guardrails Keep Kids on the Academic Track

(This article previously was published on the Institute for Family Studies website.) It is commonly thought that devoutly religious people are less educated. If that were the case in decades past, it is not so anymore, and certainly not among the younger generation. Very religious youth are more likely to get better grades … [More...]

Adam and Eve’s Existence Is Not Incompatible with Science

Many people think that Adam and Eve are mythological figures, being under the impression that evidence of humans going back hundreds of thousands or even millions of years rules out the possibility of the first humans being created some 6,000 years ago. But in fact, the paleontological record does not rule out Adam and … [More...]

On Campus, Secularism Breeds Suicide

(This previously was published in American Thinker.) It’s no coincidence that mental illness among America’s younger generation is at all-time highs, while their religious practice is at all-time lows. In October 2021, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill cancelled classes for a day for its 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students, who were urged to consider it a “wellness day” … [More...]

Two Takeaways from a Medical Miracle

What happens when prayer-induced miracles happen in one of the most atheistic countries in the world? For witnesses of the miracle, there’s astonishment and bewilderment – hopefully enough of it to prompt a hard look at returning to faith. The setting: Amsterdam University Medical Center, the Netherlands. The incident: a 50-year-old patient with advanced-stage, rapidly progressive Parkinson's … [More...]

Treat Drug and Alcohol Abuse with Church

Two recent studies confirm what many previous studies have found: praying in the pews helps reduce alcohol and drug abuse. Researchers from Columbia University and other academic institutions analyzed the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III, covering more than 36,000 people. Included in the survey were questions about drug and alcohol use, as well as how often … [More...]

Covid Pain and Suffering Boosted Faith

So many people deny the existence of God because they think a loving God would never allow pain and suffering in the world. First of all, physical pain serves a medically beneficial need. Without it, your health would go to pot. Think of the times you twisted your ankle, cut your finger, or fractured your arm. You experienced pain. Would you have preferred that there was no pain? Were that the … [More...]

He Who Attacks the Old Testament Attacks Judaism

Many criticize Christianity because of the harsh laws of the Old Testament, specifically the 613 laws of Moses found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. For example, there's the precept to stone adulterers to death, as well as laws about slavery. That's ironic, because Christians are not bound by those laws, which are part of the Old Covenant. Christians are bound by … [More...]

Complicity in the Colossal Sin of Genocide

(A previous version of this article appeared in Crisis magazine.) Abortion is an intrinsic moral evil. It involves carrying out or arranging to carry out the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. An intrinsic evil is an action that is always gravely sinful regardless of the circumstances. There are no exceptions, no grey areas. The U.S. federal government is guilty of and complicit … [More...]

When Churches Close, Hold Mass Outdoors, As During the Spanish Flu Pandemic

During the past several years, I recall reading pronouncements by Catholic mystics who said it was important to celebrate Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion as often as possible, because there would come a time when churches will be closed and we will be unable to celebrate Mass or receive Holy Communion. At the time I was skeptical, thinking something like could only occur in some sort of … [More...]

The Amazon Synod and Myth of Pre-Christian Peace

(A previous version of this article appeared in Crisis.) “These liberation theologians are promoting the idea that the Indians who still live in a primitive way are very happy, living in paradise,” said Macuxi tribal chief Jonas Marcolino Macuxí, referring to bishops at the Pan-Amazon Synod, a conference held in Rome in October of 2019. “But that’s not true.” He’s right. The myth that … [More...]

The Covington Catholic Boys Should Forgive the Washington Post

The Catholic Church teaches about several sins that fall under the Eighth Commandment - thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Those since include rash judgement, calumny, and slander. They were on full display with the Covington Catholic incident, in which boys from Covington Catholic High School were falsely accused in the traditional media and on social media of racial … [More...]

America Dystopia

Imagine a relatively clean, orderly and educated society where people go about their lives working, studying, and playing, and who on the whole are generally polite to each other. But the society has a dark secret: some 2,500 murders are carried out each and every day. These aren't gangland-style murders on the street involving guns and knives. These are systematic murders of children, taking … [More...]

Euthanasia: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

What's wrong with euthanasia? A lot. The rise of euthanasia - a.k.a. physician-assisted suicide, mercy killing, or so-called "death with dignity" - is a reflection of our increasingly secular society. It used to be that the taking of a life - whether it be one's own or someone else's, even if assisted by a doctor - was considered to be a violation of the Fifth Commandment that Thou Shalt Not … [More...]

Computer Code in Nature Points to an Ultimate Programmer

What if scientists found computer code embedded in our natural world? Not only that, but what if that computer code was identical to code found in, of all places, Internet browsers? Surely you would have to conclude that an intelligent mind had a hand in designing our natural world, and that it did not arise by chance. Because after all, there's no way computer code - whether it be in Internet … [More...]

Catholic Church Pioneered Hospitals and Large-Scale Charity

Many people blame Christianity for wars and other calamities in human history. Little do they realize how much more common wars and barbarity were in the pagan world, before Christianity came along. Evil wasn't eliminated under Christianity - there always are going to be villains, even among those who call themselves Christians. But Christianity and more specifically the Catholic Church (which … [More...]

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