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As an active Protestant in my mid-twenties I began to feel that I might have a vocation to become a minister. The trouble was that while I had quite definite convictions about the things that most Christians have traditionally held in common—the sort of thing C.S. Lewis termed "mere Christianity."I had had some firsthand experience with several denominations (Presbyterian, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist) and was far from certain as to which of them (if any) had an overall advantage over the others. So I began to think, study, search, and pray. Was there a true Church? If so, how was one...

Appearing only briefly in both the Old and New Testaments is a mysterious figure named Melchizedek. The identity of this first priest mentioned in the bible is as strange as his name. Yet his importance, particularly as emphasized by the writer of Hebrews, warrants our attention, especially if we’re trying to understand the true meaning of Christ’s words, "This is my body … this is my blood of the new covenant."Before we examine the texts in Hebrews, however, I would like to call your attention to some words from the first Eucharistic Prayer, the Roman Canon. The priest with hands...

If you happened to be in a crowded room at The Beacon Drive-In one Wednesday in late August, you would have heard a man in a suit reference Genesis Chapter 50, the book of Isaiah, and using two fish and five loaves of bread to feed thousands of people. It wasn't a sermon. It was former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a 2008 presidential contender, during a stump speech in front of a room full of Republicans. Using biblical references on the campaign trail isn't unusual, especially in the conservative core of South Carolina. Often, they can be heard when candidates...

Papal Authority / Apostolic Succession / Peter as First PopeThe basis for papal authority lies in the Roman Catholic Church's interpretation of Matthew 16:18-19 -- 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed[d] in heaven. Catholics believe that Jesus was addressing Peter only in His...

Papal Authority / Apostolic Succession / Peter as First Pope The basis for papal authority lies in the Roman Catholic Church's interpretation of Matthew 16:18-19 -- 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed[d] in heaven. Catholics believe that Jesus was addressing Peter only in...

"Hold fast to the traditions you received" (2 Thess. 2:15).Why do you Catholics add all those traditions to the Bible? Jesus told the Pharisees, "You nullify the word of God in favor of your traditions that you have handed on" (Mark 7:13). This is a typical question posed to Catholics by Protestants. When a Protestant objects to a Catholic teaching, such as purgatory, the Eucharist, or infant baptism, the typical question he asks the Catholic is, "Where is that taught in the Bible?" Tragically, many Catholics leave the Church as a result of questions like these from well meaning...

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all in these days hath spoken to us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the world."  (Hebrews 1:1) What is the Bible?    A collection of writings which were inspired by God. "All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, that the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work."    (2 Timothy 3:16-17) What does "inspired...

Lesson 1: Religion What is the purpose of these lessons?    To fill in what is missing in the lives of so many people - the knowledge and practice of true religion.     "The heart of the wise seeketh instruction:  and the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness."    (Proverbs 15:14). Why is religion the most important study?    Because God expects you to know what He has taught and what He wants you to do in this life.     "Let no man deceive himself:   if any man among you seem to be wise in this world, let him become a...

The parable of the Good Samaritan is, of course, one of the most well known. As with all the parables, however, it is not enough to know the story; we must also know the context. Our Lord gives the parable in response to "a scholar of the law who stood up to test him" (Lk 10:25), who "wished to justify himself" (Lk 10:29). He speaks to a lawyer who has no real interest in the truth, who wants to spar over legal texts for his own purposes. The man's questions are self-serving, not sincere. This explains why our Lord deals...

Do you take the Biblical account of creation literally or figuratively? Two local ministers take firm stances on the book of Genesis account in the Old Testament. "I am of the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis are not optional, but they in fact establish the foundation for all we believe as Christians," said Brady Cooper, pastor of New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. "If Genesis 1-3 doesn't tell us the truth, why should we believe anything else in the Bible?" Without a right understanding of our origin, Cooper said, we have no way to understand anything about our...

How many religious leaders have you heard address the topic of immigrant rights? How many sermons have you heard on immigration reform? If there were a scripture-to-sermon ratio test, one would expect to hear about 50 sermons on immigrants for every one sermon on homosexuality. That's roughly the ratio of biblical utterances on the two topics. The overall theme of the Bible's teaching is summed up in Exodus 22:21, "You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt." Reminding the people of biblical Israel that they had been slaves in Egypt,...

I once knew a Baptist who was sleeping with her boyfriend. She knew this was wrong, but consoled herself that she was “bringing her boyfriend to Christ.” She told me, “If I can just get him to salvation” (meaning “saying the Sinner’s Prayer, and asking Jesus into his heart as his personal Lord and Savior”) then he can’t lose it.” She believed in “eternal security.” After the prayer, they’d be free to pursue unfettered fornication.Serious Catholics roll their eyes at this. We know “having said a prayer once” guarantees nothing. We recognize (at least when non-Catholics do stuff like this)...

Many modern people have the notion that the principal mission of the Catholic Church is to impose belief on unbelievers. The reality is that most of its time is spent trying to restrain belief in everything from spoon-bending to the aliens who allegedly speak to us through a cat in Poughkeepsie.The riptides and cross-currents of religious enthusiasm in American culture are kaleidoscopic and dizzying. Cradle Catholics can be forgiven for just ignoring the whole thing and many of them do. But it’s still worth taking into account because some religious trends can have decided real-world effects.Some of the effects of...

It is often objected that the Gospels contain variations, that every variation is a “contradiction,” and that such “contradictions” mean the Gospels are historically worthless. Some people even say Jesus never existed.Here’s the thing: Eyewitnesses of extraordinary events tend to give varying accounts of those events. When not engaged in the special project of trying to disprove the Gospel, we recognize this as both true and unremarkable. Did the Titanic pop its rivets or tear a hole in her side? Did she split in two at the surface as some witnesses said or did it happen just as she sank?...

BOSTON - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is defending his opposition to gay marriage by citing the Scriptures. The former Massachusetts governor, who in his 1994 Senate bid pledged to be a more effective champion for gay causes than his Democratic rival, discussed gay marriage in an interview set to air Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes." "This isn't just some temporary convenience here on Earth, but we're people that are designed to live together as male and female and we're gonna have families," he tells interviewer Mike Wallace, according to an excerpt CBS released Friday. "And that, there's a great...

Interview With Father Jean-Baptiste Edart ROME, MARCH 16, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Church is faithful to the Bible in recognizing that homosexual acts cannot be good for the human person, says an exegete from the John Paul II Institute in Rome. Father Jean-Baptiste Edart, is co-author of Clarifications sur l'Homosexualité dans la Bible" (Clarifications on Homosexuality in the Bible), published by Editions du Cerf. Part 1 of this interview with Father Edart of the Emmanuel Community appeared Thursday. Q: There are those who say that there are examples of homosexual relationships in the Old Testament. Some say David and Jonathan, for...

ROME, MARCH 15, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Bible clearly teaches that homosexual practices are wrong, says an exegete from the John Paul II Institute in Rome. Father Jean-Baptiste Edart, is co-author of "Clarifications sur l'Homosexualité dans la Bible" (Clarifications on Homosexuality in the Bible), published by Editions du Cerf. ZENIT interviewed the authors in February. In this follow-up interview, Father Edart of the Emmanuel Community, discusses more in-depth the biblical teachings on homosexuality. Part 2 of this interview will appear Friday. Q: What are the references to homosexuality in the Bible? Father Edart: This subject is given very little coverage in...

A Brief Scriptural and Ecclesial Justification Why Catholic Priests Should Not Marry; Rather They Must Remain Celibate   " If someone who wishes to become a priest cannot even make the sacrifice of celibacy, giving up wife and children, how will he hold up when it comes to other sacrifices? Can he give his life for his flock? If the priest is not willing to give up wife and children, just how serious is he about his vocation? How will he be the best possible servant he can be if he is not willing to dedicate his life wholly to God?"...

A Full Quiver A Growing Movement for Growing Families for God By TED GERSTEIN and JOHN BERMAN January 3, 2007 - In the Carpenter family's nicely decorated living room outside Nashville, Tenn., the "Nightline" team stared at a couch that couldn't possibly fit another human being. The eight kids squished together began shouting out their names, "PEYTON! COLE! OWEN!" The eight Carpenter children at home. Their parents are followers of the "Quiverfull Movement," which opposes birth control and family planning. (ABCNews) Ken and Devon Carpenter are the parents of eight kids, aged 1 to 15. It might sound like...

<p>Jesus Christ chose to inject Himself from His place inhabiting eternity, into created our reality. The Holy Spirit overshadowed a virgin Jewish girl named Mary who lived in Nazareth over 2000 years ago, to become God in the flesh, in the person of the Son. He lowered Himself in unfathomable ways, by laying aside His eternal attributes in order to demonstrate, by example to all mankind, how to perfectly relate to the Father. Emmanuel, God with us.</p>