Virtus In Medio Stat

The power of understanding compels me Laurence Gonzaga Very rarely do I have conversations on a truly theological or philosophical nature. I think in the last several years I can probably count on one hand how many times I have found myself in an intensely challenging discussion on some of the most troubling beliefs that I hold dear to my heart. One was with an agnostic, the other was with a former Protestant convert to Catholicism, and the third was just a few hours ago with an old friend whom I seldom converse with anymore. The predominant topics which I have engaged with them on are predictable, the existence of God and its implications, the theologically compelling superiority of the Catholic tradition over and above the Protestant tradition, and lastly how God accomplishes his plan throughout history. For my agnostic friend, and even though we have really only had a handful of real conversations, I consider him a true friend. He was in fact the first person to con...

Some months ago I was directed to a viral video making its way through the social networking universes, titled Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus ( http://youtu.be/1IAhDGYlpqY ). It was a Christian attack on “religion”, or at least, how the author portrays religion. I have to say, what makes his message so appealing, is the means by which it is packaged. Like it or not, we live in the modern world. Like it or not, the folks that need the Gospel message the most are not those who are already “well”, that is, those who already know Jesus and His message, but those that don’t, and perhaps don’t even want to hear it (Luke 5:31-32). I think this guy speaks a language or dialect if you wish that most Christians probably can’t or refuse to speak. It is in a similar sense that I think the Holy Ghost gave the apostles gifts of tongues to be able to preach the Gospel to others in their own languages (Acts 2:6). Some may argue it is “dumbing” it down; some will say it is taking sacred thing...

Today (Oct 5, 2010), I was listening to Air 1, a non-denominational Christian radio station, on my way back home from San Francisco. I am not exactly too keen on the music, but it's better than most secular music. In between some songs there are inspirational messages. One of them was from a band telling the story of a girl who was about to commit suicide. She heard one of their songs on the radio, and stopped by the Best Buy store to pick up their album. She didn't end up commiting suicide, turned her life around and lives for God now.   Now, I am not a relativist, an indifferentist, a universalist, or a modernist (my trad friends may beg to defer). However, I have found there has been much said against our Protestant brethren in the Christian faith. I know, much of it was from my own mouth. Granted, their ecclesial communities  lack in many ways, the full Christian faith. But, in our bitter sentiments towards their continued rejection of Catholic-Christianity, mi...