Skip to main content
5 Random, Disconnected Thoughts for Today


5. I wonder if she likes fruit smoothies; she's not Econ Girl, but she's nice* enough.


4. Good job, Wainwright, and good job Brad Penny last night.


3. Nathan Hall should know that he owns the prize still, for the funniest thing ever written on my blog. It's been 7 years; congratulations.


2. Go Royals?!?



1. I cannot stand in judgment of revealed truth; if being a creedal Christian (read: explicitly, intentionally creedal) is better than non-creedal, the creeds cannot be assented to because they agree with my interpretation of Scripture, for two obvious reasons: 1. I, you, and most other normal people* [Sidebar: We shall call the abnormally qualified exegetes the Collins/Wenham/Feingold Exception] are not good enough to interpret Scripture by themselves, thus making most claims subjecting creeds to Scripture preposterous. And 2. they would have no real authority, hence my realization, "Derivative authority is a sham." I congratulate the heretical solo scripturists for seeing the fig-leaf for what it is, but their position is far worse. Let's see: Do I want to be either 1) hyper-preterist, 2) obscenely separatist, and 3) naively positivist? I detect the faint smell of incense! [How faint?--ed.] Well, it doesn't say 'Catholic' blog, does it? [Resistance is futile.--ed.] I would remind that the Borg lost; bad analogy. [Sidebar: The Orthodox have no chance of sucking me in, no matter how much I would want to be married and a presbyter. It's the filioque clause; it's just true. Isn't this in Scripture plainly, in John 15:26? Am I missing something? Even if Ratzinger orders the sacking of St. Louis, I still agree with "who proceeds from the Father and the Son." Ahem.] [Sidebar #2: If conscience and evidence provoke the need to choose between being a presbyter and being a husband, presbyter is going to lose.] Can I live with the fig leaf? Does anyone have an answer to the charge of schism against us? Will I ever willingly assent to an infalliable Church with an infalliable (visible) shepherd?* Stay tuned.

*Note: Yes, I am aware of the eleventy billion qualifications to the Pope's alleged infalliability. Yes, it's exactly eleventy billion. St. Christopher told me.

Side-Rant of Questionable Relevance: You often hear young men ask, "Is she hot?" It's something of a crude, lusty question, but when I get this question (since I'm usually 'in like' with what, 8 women?) I answer, "Enough." And what I mean is, "Yes, I know models, actresses, etc. that might be objectively more appealing to more people, but she's beautiful to me." Once you find that one and she finds you, objective physical beauty, the rankings of all the beautiful people don't matter much. I think it's a sliding scale; if she avoids being evil/stupid/annoying for all the time of knowing each other, and she crosses the "enough" threshold, you're good to go. That's what "nice" means above. Not that I would know; I've never dated, per se. And I really suck at it. But there you go.

Comments

The fillioque, however true it is (and, I am a Presbyterian after all, so I'll keep my chips in the Western camp -- mixed metaphors as that may be), still puts the act of schism on the side of those of us in the Western Church (not to mention that it is the Western Church which excommunicated the East for doing what it had always done and then offered a thorough sacking of the Eastern patriachate's seat as a consolation prize).

Second, do we really want to say that Scripture is so unclear that normal people cannot interpret it and see if it coheres with the confession?

Third, your side-rant is interesting.

Popular posts from this blog

We Don't Need No Magisterium: (Jason's Version) (But Actually, We Do)

Hilarious Com-Box Quote of The Day: "I was caught immediately because it is the Acts of the Apostles, not the Acts of the Holy Spirit Acting Erratically."--Donald Todd, reacting to the inartful opposition of the Holy Spirit and the Magisterium. Mark Galli, an editor at Christianity Today, had suggested that today's "confusion" in evangelicalism replicates a confusion on the day of Pentecost. Mr. Todd commented after this reply , and the original article is here. My thoughts: By what means was this Church-less "consensus" formed? If the Council did not possess the authority to adjudicate such questions, who does? If the Council Fathers did not intend to be the arbiters, why do they say that they do? At the risk of being rude, I would define evangelicalism as, "Whatever I want or need to believe at any particular time." Ecclesial authority to settle a particular question is a step forward, but only as long as, "God alone is Lord of the con...

Who Is Out Here Having Sex And Children With People They Don’t Like?

 And look, I’m not married. I’ve never been married. I have no children. I didn’t choose that; things just worked out that way. If you must know, I haven’t had sexual intercourse either. I probably should say “coitus,” so I am not arguing with some progressive activist about what “sexual intercourse” means. But I figured out from influencer videos or something what a “dead bedroom” was. Unless a couple mutually agrees that they don’t want to have sex/coitus anymore (hopefully to pray and serve) this is usually bad. I’ve known enough couples that it’s probably an indicator of trouble, especially for couples who are still able to have children. Is it really that wild to at least hope that Mr. and Mrs. Vance love each other? That a fourth child yet born at least might indicate that they enjoy each other?  Children are definitely not responsible for their parents’ happiness. That’s absolutely true. But wouldn’t any child hope their parents were happy, when they came into being? As...

What I Should Have Said

 I was functionally fired from my teaching job in November, 2024, after an unjust administrative "process" initiated by HR , and triggered by false accusations the content of which I was never told. My "defense" therefore could have no reasonable basis or direction. I won't say the name of the Local Education Agency, but the town where I lived and worked was Cheraw, South Carolina. I think that once I was on administrative leave, they could use nearly any indiscretion of mine as the final straw to remove me. I did connect with students on social media in protest, and I did express hope that I would quickly be returned to the classroom. The principal of the high school where I worked--a true lackey of the bureaucracy, and fully committed to educational ideas, methods, and solutions that don't work--also allowed his personal dislike of me to take the form of a belief that I was a substandard teacher. He gave me an unsatisfactory review on October 12, and we ha...