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In an essay entitled The Ecclesiology of Vatican II, Joseph Ratzinger (as of 2011, the current pope) explains a Catholic view of what constitutes a church: No one can make a Church by himself. A group cannot simply get together, read the New Testament and declare: “At present we are the Church because the Lord [...] Colin asks: I had a question. In verses 5 & 6, as part of the command to not worship false gods, God says “…for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but [...] Does God intend Christians to be healthy and wealthy? Is the prosperity gospel on target? I say no. Here’s an explanation. The argument I most often hear for the prosperity gospel is that God loves his people and knows how to give them good gifts. Thus, he gives them prosperity and health. I agree that [...] Aren’t the early stories in Genesis repetitions of the stories from earlier cultures? We read similar stories from older sources elsewhere. Perhaps they are. Let’s consider. If significant event events in human history happened before the time of the Israelites, wouldn’t one expect there might be echoes of these events in the stories of many [...] Sitha suggested that I discuss the difference between joy and happiness. When I think of happiness I think of a surface-level emotion associated with outward circumstances. Things that make one happy: winning a game in sports, doing well on a test, receiving a compliment, eating good food, etc. Happiness can be fleeting; when circumstances change, [...] Esther asked: “What is hope? What does it mean to have hope? How does one come to have hope?” I really like the way the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament defines the Old Testament idea of hope. Hope is expecting something good. It is related to trust and yearning, but is very different from [...] Esther asked: “Is there an appropriate way/time to approach fasting? What was it traditionally for? What is it for in the modern day?” Nine days. That’s how long it takes me to think of what I’d like to say in response to Esther’s excellent questions. I found myself starting by thinking to myself what fasting [...] |
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