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The Trouble With Calvin – Pt. 3 In my last two blog posts, we examined the first two of the “five points” of Calvinism popularly known by the acronym, TULIP, which represents 1. Total Depravity 2. Unconditional Election 3. Limited Atonement 4. Irresistible Grace 5. Perseverance of the Saints (“once saved, always saved”). In this post, we will tackle the third point:Limited AtonementNo Christian that I know of would deny that some doctrines are more or less clear than others in Scripture. When it comes to the atonement of Christ, the Scriptures are most clear: Jesus Christ died on the...

One hundred years ago this week, Christian Europe commenced the horrific Great War that spread globally, raged from August 1914 to November 1918, and was responsible for the death of more than 15-million soldiers and civilians.In The World Crisis, Winston Churchill’s six-volume account of the struggle, he observed that the warriors employed “Every outrage against humanity or international law.” And when it was over, “torture and cannibalism were the only two expedients that the civilized, scientific, Christian states had been able to deny themselves: they were of doubtful utility.”The conflict’s catalyst? On June 28, 1914, the Roman Catholic heir to...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/national/pope-franciss-10-secrets-to-happiness/2014/08/01/ed283448-1996-11e4-88f7-96ed767bb747_video.html From this video it is apparent to me that he is talking to all people, even those who might have Sunday jobs. Words printed out the site.

Shown below are two parts of the same item found 25 years apart.  The front part (on the right) was found 25 years ago, while the back (left) was recently found by the crew of the Booty.  Treasure Coast Finds. Photo source: Video from Orlando Sentinel link below. A truly great discovery was made this summer by a Treasure Coast salvage crew.  In fact a lot of discoveries were made, but the one I want to focus on today isn't a gold coin or even a bunch of gold coins, but something more important. 25 years ago a very intricate...

Featured Term (selected at random:CENOBITE  A monk or nun living as a member in a religious group or community. Cenobitical life was instituted in the East by St. Pachomius (290-346) and modified by St. Basil (329-79). The greatest development, fitting it to Western needs, came through St. Benedict's Rule. (Etym. Latin coenobium, monastery; from koinos, common + bios, life.) See Also: HERMIT

Featured Term (selected at random:LEGATUS NATUS Holder of a certain office that conferred a legatine status ex officio, e.g., before the Reformation the Archbishop of Canterbury, who performed some of the functions now carried out by a papal nuncio. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

The Book of Abraham Papyri and Joseph Smith by Matt Slick There are many proofs that Joseph Smith was a false prophet, but Mormons typically will not accept them. From the biblical evidence that contradicts Mormon theology to the contradictions within its own history and doctrine, proofs abound. But Mormons, completely dedicated to their religion and their testimony, cannot and will not see the evidence. They rely not on biblical evidence--not on historical evidence but rather trust a 'testimony' that Mormonism is the restored church and Joseph Smith its true prophet. One of the tests of whether or not a...

Featured Term (selected at random:SUPERNATURAL CONTEMPLATION Evelation of mind to God and divine things, joined with a loving intuition of what is seen. It is the mind resting upon God and tasting the joys of his beatitude. although still in the realm of faith and not heavenly vision, it is an intuition of Divine Truth terminating in affection and love, excluding long reasonings and a multiplicity of words as found in affective prayer. St. Teresa speaks of it as God acting on the human mind in a special way. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern...

Featured Term (selected at random:POVERTY EVANGELICAL A Christian counsel by which a person voluntarily renounces all or part of his right to the ownership of material things. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

SWINDON, England, July 28, 2014 /Standard Newswire/ -- 100 years ago, on 28 July 1914, the first shots of World War I were fired. Over the following four years, 16 million lives were lost as 65 million men from 32 countries were drawn into the conflict. The book that was read and cherished by people on both sides of the conflict was the Bible. To commemorate the First World War centenary, Bible Society in England and Wales has been looking back at its records to trace the extent and impact of its Scripture distribution during the war years. What they...

G-d's word is amazing. 3500 years ago He shows his sense of humor by giving the ancient Hebrews a word for "violence"....."HAMAS"! Ancient Hebrew word for violence

Featured Term (selected at random:JEHOVAH-YAHWEH Jehovah is God, the English name for the Hebrew Yahweh. When the latter promised Moses that he would feed Moses' people, he concluded by saying, "Then you will learn that I, Yahweh, am your God" (Exodus 16:12). Jehovah developed into the form used most commonly when he was communicating with the Israelites, whereas God was used where Gentiles were concerned. The admonition "You shall not utter the name of Yahweh your God to misuse it" (Exodus 20:7) ultimately induced the Israelites not to pronounce his name at all but to substitute for it the title...

Cheikh Malek el-Khazen is heir to the House of Khazen, of the Lebanese nobility. He is also the founder of the Khazen Foundation and Khazen.org. He was kind enough to grant me an interview. Could you tell us a little bit about your family's history?The Khazen can trace back their lineage to the 9th century, when they were mainly located in the Levant. They started acquiring lands from the Muslim Shi'a Tribes in Mount Lebanon during the 1400s and mainly focused their exodus in the Keserwan district. This caused the Chi'a to leave Keserwan and migrate to the South of...

FULL TITLE - "An Appeal for the Christians of the Middle East" French elected officials lead the way: will those elsewhere follow suit, or remain silent? As in Turkey in 1915, a Christian Genocide is happening once again. One week after the terrorists of the so-called "Islamic State" expelled all Christians from Mosul, no statement on the matter has been made by the heads of state or government of any major nation -- no permament member of the Security Council, no major world power... The only relevant exception was Prime-Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, for which he is to be thanked...

Featured Term (selected at random:HOLY WELL St. Winifride's Well in North Wales. A place of pilgrimage throughout the year but especially on November 3, the saint's feast day. The legend of St. Winifride, virgin and martyr, is authenticated by two twelfth-century documents. A daughter of a Welsh chieftain, she lived in the seventh century. When St. Beuno came to her father's house, he was hospitably received and instructed Winifride in the Christian faith. So impressed was she that she determined to become a religious. Then followed a series of extraordinary events: Winifride was beheaded, miraculously restored to life, and a...

The Saint of the First Red Cross St. Camillus of Lellis By: Louise PerrottaIf you’ve ever been tempted to think that you’re not cut out for sanctity, consider the case of Camillus of Lellis. Here is a saint—the patron of hospitals, health care workers, and the sick— whose burning love for God effected a widespread reform of patient care.“I’ll never forget the sight,” wrote one person who saw six-foot-six Camillus in action. “When he was attending a sick person, he looked like a hen with her chicks or like a mother at her child’s bedside.”And yet for the first...

Featured Term (selected at random:QUIRINAL PALACE Before 1870, a papal residence where conclaves were held. Also used as a summer home. built by Pope Gregory in 1574, it was taken over by the Italian Government at the time of the confiscation of the Papal States. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Our Lord Jesus Christ: "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet." St. Matthew 12:39 And He repeats: "A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet." St. Matthew 16:4 The Tomb of Saint Jonah the Prophet in Nineveh (Mosul) VIDEOOnce an Assyrian Church, converted into a mosque after the Muslim invasions, the tomb of the famous Old Testament Prophet who made the Ninevites do penance and recognize the...

"One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic." (Friendly Friday Post, by David Ozab) May 13, 2011 By Kurt Willems I am excited to have a post here by David Ozab. He is a writer and recently converted to Roman Catholicism. While I do not share his convictions, certainly it is beneficial to hear from others outside of our own sphere of experience. I am pleased to have his guest contribution on the blog…—————————————photo © 2005 Jo N | more info (via: Wylio) There was once a guy who was stranded on a deserted island. After many years, a passing ship found him....

The Infant of Prague Fr. William Saunders Q: My grandmother has always had a statue of Jesus as a child dressed up like a little king with a crown. She even has different outfits for him which are very elaborate. Can you tell me anything about this?From the description given in the question, the statue is one of the Infant of Prague. Devotion to the Holy Child Jesus is a long-standing tradition in our Catholic spirituality. The early Church Fathers, like St. Athanasius and St. Jerome, had a special devotion to the Holy Child Jesus. Some of the later great...