Safe Haven

5 Thoughts For Today 5. The Braves made a huge mistake, trading Martin Prado to the Diamondbacks for Justin Upton. The Upton brothers are not that good, and you're just doubling the disappointment. 4. At the risk of sounding like the Church Lady again, I don't think Danica Patrick realizes or cares that she's still married in the eyes of God. And fornication is still a sin, even if she wasn't. [Maybe she's not, you know...--ed.] Fat chance. I do suppose all these "remarried" Protestants will eventually pose a problem, a conundrum, if you will. [Well, you can't stop divorced Catholics from "remarrying" and having sex.--ed.] Touche. Lord, have mercy! 3. I think Love moves in small ways. God is like a father beckoning us to get in the pool. He won't let us drown. How stupid is it to run the other way? [You hate water.--ed.] Just go with the metaphor, OK? 2. Hey young evangelicals: If you're so 'prophetic' into this politi...

I called Anne Lamott a "decadent snob," and I didn't feel bad about it. Well, I sort of do. I don't know Anne Lamott. I've only read parts of several of her books. I had to stop "A Severe Mercy," because it seemed...gratuitous. Calvinism has this weird influence on everything; we give each other spiritual points for being more messed up. It's supposed to make God seem greater. After all, he did say, "He who has been forgiven little loves little, but he who has been forgiven much, loves much." On the other hand, isn't God glorified by our obedience and our transformation into Him? The people who blather on publicly about how "broken" they are [Warning: I'm about to generalize, probably unfairly.] have either A) figured out that it gains them some currency to do it; or B) are burned out from trying so hard. The first group is presumptuous, and the second is proud. The whole cursed thing is Pelagian. And that's ironic. ...

In one sense, I love the song. It's a song written by a real guy living a real life. Like the Incarnation itself, it's as if the spiritual sensibilities of the song quietly invade a very broken life. What good is redemption if we don't the see the depth of our need? Moreover, we're not going to win any prizes pretending to be spiritual when we're not, or at least pretending to be better than we are. Cohen doesn't waste any time attempting to convince he's the pope. And there is some mysterious relation between sex and God that deserves exploration, not sweeping under a rug. The reason Billy Joel says, "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints/The sinners are much more fun" is that it's kinda true. It's not actual saints that are boring, it's that we all have the fear that loving God will be quite a boring affair, and the things of this world have an allure. If they didn't, they wouldn't be good. The ...

I keep having the same dream. A dream about reconciliation. [You mean Reconciliation?--ed.] No. Besides, that's an ever-present reality. I dream that one day, a wound will be healed. It must be a powerful desire, because this is the sixth time I've had the dream. As if by some divine comedic coincidence, the theme for this day is reconciliation and reunification. I pray that it will occur. Though I cannot say for certain that I feel ready, and filled with enough grace to facilitate it, I pray for this, also. That Barrett guy is at it again. We were colleagues at seminary for a brief time, and I've become a friend of the family. I envy him, the clear way that he thinks and the dispassionate way he makes an argument. You can get under my skin. I think less clearly when I'm angry or upset. Turner? Good luck. He's like a Vulcan or something. What I find most insidious about the prevailing flavor of the Protestant hermeneutical paradigm (HP) is that there are no ...

5 Thoughts For Today 5. Write a song. 4. Pray a prayer. 3. Listen to Beethoven for 3 hours just to be hardcore. 2. Eat spaghetti with sauce, and some with only butter, in case someone says you shouldn't. 1. Stop killing your children.

I'm announcing it, in case there was a doubt. Andrew Preslar has given me some things to think about via Ed Feser. I'll keep it basic, because I have a basic brain. Not everything the state does is theft. Indeed, the very notion of constitutionally-limited government presupposes that within those limits is the government's legitimate function. To what end? The common good. And what is that? It is at least the conditions necessary for each person to attain his end, first natural, then supernatural. I realized what was happening in my thinking over these past years when I thought of the welfare state itself, how it began as a great spasm of compassion for the less fortunate, how its very existence is the measure of self-worth for the progressive. And the great insight, the great truth that emerges from its creation and reflection upon this creation is that the government exists for the people. Yet we are individuals; we are self-aware as individuals; something of those inal...

Sports is and always has been fertile ground for exaggeration and ill-considered sentiment, but we have hit a wall. Last night, Ray Lewis said when asked about the Baltimore Ravens' shocking victory over the Borg Collective also known as the New England Patriots, "No weapon formed against this team shall prosper." Later he exclaimed, "God is amazing!" I agree. But would he be less amazing if they had lost? Please tell us how your team winning is obviously fundamental to the saving purposes of God in Jesus Christ. What should the losing teams say? Are they forsaken? You know, what's truly insidious about our culture and our nation is that we're very spiritual after a fashion, but it bears no relation to reality. Religosity is an affectation, like a piece of jewlery. The reason I don't want to fight in the War On Christmas is that I don't want God any further domesticated than he is, or rather, I don't want to participate in our feeble attemp...

You probably have heard that Stan has gone to his rest now. You can look up his dizzying statistics if it suits you; there is no need for me to do that here. The chase is this: Musial is one of the 5 best to ever play the game of baseball. But I want to tell you about the time I met Stan. I was 12 years old. He came to a park near my house. Of course the autographs were free. He smiled at me, shook my hand, and signed my ball in blue pen. Being a baseball fan is a lot like being Catholic; there's a great Tradition that you become aware of, names you speak in reverence, and a whole host of other things. But if someone else gave it to you, you take it for granted. I took that day for granted. Wherever that ball is, it reminds me to slow down, to understand, to live the moments again. So many things become greater upon reflection. I never will erase that smile from my memory. Everything that has been said about him as a man must be true, because the smile lingers in my head. You d...

Performance-enhancing drugs are a crisis in sports. The American 7-time consecutive champion of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong, has admitted doping, and the Tour had previously stripped him of the honors. His fall has been spectacular, considering that he is a cancer survivor. And there has been an entire career of lying, intimidation, and legal action against those who spoke out against him. He will not be forgiven for this. One of the targets of his wrath was American cycling legend Greg LeMond, who legitimately won the Tour in 1986, '89, and '90. Armstrong said that LeMond was jealous of his dominance. For a time, the fans of the sport believed this story. But now we can say that LeMond is (again) the greatest American cyclist of all time. Some people may be bothered by my absolutist stance, and to pretend that 1999-2005 did not happen. But the greatness of sports is precisely this: that men and women, on the fields of play, within the rules fight to see who is the be...

Loss Of Dogma, And A Smile On The Way Down, Exhibit A : Isn't he pretty much admitting that it comes down to personal preference? Is this what we're left with? Why does "appreciation" entail, "Accepts your doctrinal distinctives without a fuss"? No one sees a problem here? More questions: Does he know that Kung is a heretic, and that, at the least, von Balthasar, Rahner, and Kasper are wrong in what they teach? Does he care? I hate to break it to you: If you're not Catholic, you are not in the Church. That was the whole point of Trent: to say that the Reformers needed to repent of their errors, and return. That's what heresy means. It does not mean you are an inhuman beast who has no value. It means you are intentionally and persistently at a variance with Catholic doctrine. The penalty of excommunication is meant to produce repentance, not defiance and badges of honor. This makes people really mad. It upsets them. It makes them think the Catho...

It took me 10+ years to get here, but here we are! A few rants, articles, and lists later, it's 1000. I want to thank all of you who read me, and I'd like to thank the Academy, and James Cameron for such a well-written script... [James Cameron has never written a script well.--ed.] It's Day 1 of the Week Of Christian Unity. [I want no unity with papists.--ed.] Well, too bad. We have much in common with our brethren. On the other hand, too many Protestants think that saying nice things about us alters what the Church has always believed: this is Christ's Church, that he founded. We appreciate the appreciation, but unless you change the assumptions underlying your ecclesiology, nice words aside, you're still saying, "We're too Protestant to be Catholic," and that's no different than what the Reformers said. I'm looking in your irrational, emotive direction, Peter Leithart. Still others of you haven't come to terms with the fact that Sol...

Yesterday, I read Colossians in preparation for an assignment I know I'll have this semester. Today, I'm gonna read Hebrews. You know, because it's Scripture. And it's there. I want to thank you all for praying for my stepdad and us. Keep it up. There may be hard things ahead. I was just reflecting on the fact that we're surrounded by liars, if I may digress. Lance Armstrong is a liar. He cheated, and based on his lies, reaped millions of dollars. He even found a way to ruin 'Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.' Thanks, jerk. Manti T'eo's "girlfriend" didn't die, nor was who she who she says. You can think of many more, I'm sure. Isn't it funny? They say of us Christians that we pretend to be better than we are, or in fact, perfect. And I suppose sometimes we do. But I think that a huge part of living before God and others is not digging in deeper, because the truth is too hard to face. In these sports examples, the estimation...

My stepdad Bill is awake, and it looks like he'll be OK! There may be a hard road ahead, but we knew that. I only know that it has happened this way for something we don't yet see. He should have died. End of discussion. And the damage should be worse. I don't even think it was a mercy to us, though it was. I sense something more. Every moment is in the hand of God. The mystery of Divine Providence and the interweaving of human freedom is beyond my understanding. But the lesson is surely this: If you get another chance, don't waste it. O God, Fount of Mercy, thank you for these gifts. I don't want to forget that each moment is a gift from You. Thank you for my life, for Bill's life, and for the chance to start again. I pray this through Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever, Amen.

As the latest struggle has come upon us, I had a few thoughts. My stepdad is in a coma, and he may never wake up. If he does, he most likely will never be the same. It took me a few hours to feel anything. But then watching my sister in her grief took me apart. As I laid there later in my bed thinking that I couldn't possibly cry more than this, I realized something: I will gladly cry every second of every day, as long as it means that I'm alive, and that there is Good. My sorrow is the proof. This is not a senseless world. The people who say this don't know what they mean. We're supposed to feel this way when horrible things happen. Wouldn't you worry more if you didn't? Our trouble is when we try to make a meaning out of this thing, as if the most fragile creatures we are could begin to guess. I only know that I was thankful for each breath. If one lonely life nearly ended could shatter the lives of thirty-odd people and who knows how many more, how speci...

5 Thoughts For Today 5. It looks like Matt Ryan won't choke it away. 4. JJ Abrams's Star Trek on FX, and Star Trek: Insurrection on SyFy. 3. I admit it, I like the Patriots. [You always root for the favorites.--ed.] Not true. [Or the old guys.--ed.] Guilty. 2. We hadn't seen the Manning Face for awhile. I am pleased. 1. After the Holy Spirit and the Father's affirmation, it makes sense why Jesus didn't feel the need to prove anything. Happy Feast of the Baptism of the Lord!

I was observing the special exhibit of the Renaissance master Barocci, and I happened to be in the room with the painting commemorating the Lord's burial. It's very quiet in art galleries; if someone speaks, everyone notices. A kid who must've been all of 3 years old exclaimed, "Why is He naked?" I imagine his dad answered with, "Well, because He died." I didn't hear that part. But the next thing the boy said is a question to shake up the world: "Why did He die?" It's almost better to ask this and answer it before affirming that Jesus did die, and rise again on the third day. Because there's only one right answer, and it's bigger than all the no doubt significant debates we could have about the nature of the Atonement: Because He loves us. Frankly, if you don't start and end here, it doesn't matter what else you say. I pray the man answered well, and that whatever I do, I learn to answer most questions about fait...

This is not some elusive quest for certitude. And your desire for historical and theological continuity is admirable, and shared by all. In fact, the Reformed are surprised to learn that Lutherans appreciate the Church fathers more than they do. [Yes. Pfft, I'm not impressed.--ed.] The question is not whether threads of continuity can be identified from one's own confessional position; they surely can. The question is, "What is the means by which continuity was established, and identified going forward?" The Church fathers themselves are not a norm in themselves; as you and countless have pointed out, they are all over the place, depending on what thing is under discussion. But they are useful, for this very purpose: they tell us how to find the Church. We can talk about what that Church believed, and who among us is the true continuation of that faith only after we identify how the Church marked herself out. This is what Stellman meant when he said (echoing Cross) t...

As important as the truths of faith are, and vital as it may be to try to reclaim our culture such as it is, sometimes we are reminded that people just don't know much. Even if they darken the conscience by sin, people often need friendship and acceptance as a basis for coming to terms with their need before God. On the other hand, some people have used this as a substitute for preaching the gospel, or they believe the two things are synonymous. They are not. Still others value comity so highly that they fail to hold anything at all in the end. They don't know any truth more important than the warm feelings they cherish. They are indeed pleasant. Yet I don't think the yet to be redeemed would say, "Feel free to smile and hold my hand on the way to Hell." Things to think about. But that reality in the extreme is why I appreciate the work being done at Called to Communion so much. They are not sheep-stealers or Catholic triumphalists; they are actually fighti...

5 Thoughts Partially Inspired By The Idiocy Of Our Pop Culture 5. No, it's not better to get divorced. Whoever came up with that is as dumb as they look. Looking in your fictional direction, Dr. Owen Hunt. 4. No matter how many times you tell us it's OK, homosexual practice is not OK. Sorry. 3. Ordinary people, even those far less spiritual than me, don't have sex that much. 2. If you commit adultery, you're still guilty after your wife dies. And no, dementia is not a free pass. 1. It's still a baby, and you're still a murderer. It's not a political question; it's a moral one. (This post inspired by the TV drama, 'Grey's Anatomy,' which I still love.)

The self-proclaimed "#1 career blog" was basically telling women to stay away from ENFP men, because we're too flighty, and won't make any money. Well, frankly, when you're 40, angry, and childless because you used the feminist lies as an excuse to be a jerk...I'll say a prayer for you. The proprietor is married somehow. Well, she looked attractive. You can get away with a lot if you're attractive. Personally, I like myself. As a public service, I thought I would offer a few thoughts on what I know about men, and how they think. (Warning: Some of this might be brutal.) 1. You are not as beautiful as you think you are. Catching his eye doesn't mean squat, in the end. You have to have something else about you that he likes. Otherwise, you're just a hot chick who thinks too much of herself, most likely. Ladies, be nice to the beautiful girls; it really is a curse. 2. Talk less, and listen more. There is no greater mistake than this. If a man sen...