Category Archives: Polemics
Polemics
Archbishop Fulton Sheen once wrote an excellent article called “The Decline of Controversy.” He gave the Center permission to publish it in From the Housetops magazine. His major point was that false ecumenism and religious indifference were undermining the art of religious disputation. The good old days of vibrant argumentation were being replaced by soulless dialogue. The more controversy declines the more truth becomes relative.
Polemics can be called the art of disputation. It is more than debate; it is animated debate. By its very nature polemics is meant to be a stimulating exercise, which fortifies the mind by establishing the reasons that support the truths we believe in. And one way to do that is by exposing the fallacies of the arguments used to support false doctrine. With liberals and Protestants, polemics employs arguments based on the authority of scripture and tradition. But the polemicist may also utilize contrast in exposing doctrinal or moral fallacies. Whatever tools are used, charity is the balm that softens the opponents hearts so that they may listen to or read arguments rather than ad hominems.
ADL’s Foxman: Christ the King ‘unAmerican’
Abraham Foxman, the pro-abortion, head of the ADL, recently proclaimed Our Lord Jesus Christ the King to be unAmerican. Religion, specifically Rick Santorum’s Catholic religion, has no place in American politics, according to Mr. Foxman. In a confused statement, the ADL proclaimed that “Senator Santorum’s remark comparing himself to a ‘Jesus candidate’ was inappropriate and exclusionary.”
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Fr. Thomas Keating on NPR: Heresy as Mysticism
Saturday, December 24. I went to Keene, N.H. to run errands. On the way, I said a chaplet of the Rosary. While carrying out my errands and on the trip back, I clicked on the local NPR affiliate to see if there was any news worth hearing. It would have been better had I prayed more chaplets of the Rosary.
Martin Luther: ‘A True Heretic’
The words are not mine, but the Pope’s. In his bull condemning the errors of Martin Luther, Exurge Domine, Pope Leo X described his subject as “one whose faith is notoriously suspect and in fact a true heretic.” Yet Catholics are not ashamed to speak well of this heresiarch who wrought such havoc in Christendom. Those interested in Catholic-Lutheran exchanges can read a little back-and-forth … More →
A Sermon against Evolution
[This is an actual sermon, by an actual priest. He graciously allowed us to publish it on our web site. Please keep in mind that it was written to be communicated orally, not in print. The standards of citation reflect that. The priest who gave the sermon is especially indebted to Fr. Philip Wolfe, FSSP1] By the authority invested in my own mind, I am … More →
Anti-Mexican Race Pride: An Insult to Our Lady
On the web site Taki’s Magazine, Charles Coulombe has a brief, thoughtful essay on the immigration question. In it, he summarizes the thinking of Archbishop José Gomez — his own Ordinary, since Coulombe resides in the L.A. Archdiocese. After touching on various points of view in the immigration debate, Charles favorably cites the Archbishop’s, then goes on to consider certain demographic facts that have been … More →
The Ideology of Homosexuality
What follows is excerpted from Sandro Magister’s The Inconvenient Memoirs of Cardinal Biffi, which, in turn, excerpted from the recently updated version of the Cardinal’s book. If I might add a word to those of His Eminence, I will limit myself to this one: Amen. Regarding the problem of homosexuality that is emerging today, the Christian conception tells us that one must always distinguish the … More →
Posted in Columns, Current Issues in the Church, Holy Scripture, Morals, Polemics 2 Comments
Psychology and Salvation
In New Ideas on the Church and Salvation, I addressed the positions taken by Dr. Jeffrey Mirus in his piece, Salvation for Non-Catholics: Not a New Idea. Here, I will make some observations concerning the first of his two follow-ups: Sound Off! Comments on Salvation for Non-Catholics. Dr. Mirus proffers the opinion that, to be damned for their unbelief, not only do people need to … More →
The Southern Poverty Law Center, A Danger To America
Americans for Legal Immigration have compared the Southern Poverty Law Center to Hitler and Stalin. While the SPLC’s modus operandi appears to be more … let’s call it “capitalist” … than their German and Russian counterparts, those who have dealt with the brownshirts from Montgomery, Alabama might be inclined to agree with ALIPAC’s assessment.
Conversation Without Conversion
Why, yes, I’m a Catholic. I thought you knew.
Gerald Warner on Dawkins’ Gaffe: Benedict XVI is ‘stupid, ignorant or dim’
The Telegraph’s Gerald Warner gives Richard Dawkins, that dyspeptic dynamo of Darwinian dogmatism, a very well deserved smack. Dawkins is not interested in empirical, scientific evidence when he is kicking religion. If the Pope favoured condoms Dawkins would probably be against them — on sound scientific grounds. Atheism is the new superstition and nobody illustrates it better than a scientist who rejects scientific method in … More →
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