Josiah Concept Ministries

Defending the Faith Against Its Detractors

Archive for November, 2006

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Pope Benedict XVI

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 28, 2006

Pope Benedict XVI will be publishing a book in March. It is a scholarly and spiritual work on the life of Jesus, and it is written in defense of the Jesus presented in Scripture.

In the preface, signed “Joseph Ratzinger — Benedict XVI,” the pope wrote that for decades he had noticed a growing scholarly distinction between the “historical Jesus” and the “Christ of faith,” a distinction that many Christians now accept as accurate.But, he wrote, if the human Jesus was totally different from the Jesus depicted in the Gospels and proclaimed by the church, what does it mean to have faith in him?

“I trust the gospels,” the pope wrote.

I think this is great. I hoped for some time that someone would publish a book along these lines that had the name recoginition factor going for him. Although regular readers know that I seldom defend Roman Catholic practices and doctrine, I am certainly looking forward to an English translation of this book and I will likely purchase a copy. Or ask for one for Christmas.

I trust the gospels, too. The fact that Christians accept a difference between Jesus of history and Jesus of Scripture is evidence to me that Satan has one foot in the door of the church already. The Bible is inerrant in all its details–including historical ones. When we start thinking that the Bible is inaccurate in history, the seed is planted to create doubt in other areas, too. Soon, we’re left with no basis for our faith, and that is bad news.

What I think is even greater about the book is that the Pope invites critique and discussion. This man holds the power to publish this book as an encyclical or define its elements as a doctrine of Catholic faith through papal infallibility. However, he chooses not to do that.

In a Nov. 21 statement, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, said, “The pope says clearly, with his usual simplicity and humility, that this is not a ‘magisterial act,’ but a fruit of his personal research and, as such, can be freely discussed and critiqued.

Kudos to you, Pope Benedict. I will pray for you as you journey to Turkey today. A journey into a primarily Islamic country after the remarks in September could be very dangerous.

Get the story on Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration here.

Posted in Papacy, Roman Catholicism | Leave a Comment »

New Article

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 27, 2006

Yes, a new addition to the articles page is up and running.  I am going to start an ongoing series of responses to a website that offers 50 “proofs” that God doesn’t exist.  I have no idea how long a complete answer will take me.  It will depend on how much time I have over the course of the holidays.

Check out the main page here and the first article here.

Posted in Apologetics, Prayers, Site News | Leave a Comment »

If Jack Chick and Stan Lee Teamed Up

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 26, 2006

I promise that I will get back to serious apologetics next week. In the meantime, here is another amusing graphic, this one posits the unlikely teaming of Marvel’s Stan Lee with the campy tract illustrator Jack Chick:

Posted in Humor | Leave a Comment »

We are Good!

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 24, 2006

Since Blogger Beta wasn’t supported by WordPress’s Import tool, I had to do it the looooong way.  Unfortunately, this means that I couldn’t import Comments, but that’s okay since I didn’t have very many to begin with.

This means that I will be able to delete my old account at Blogspot after I give sufficient warning, assuming I had any “fans” over there.  I don’t think so, but sometimes God works when I’m not watching.

Posted in Site News | Leave a Comment »

In the Interest of Fairness…

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 24, 2006

I posted the picture of The Potter’s Hatred, a satirical book cover designed by Ergun Caner and a parody of The Potter’s Freedom, an actual book by James White.  To be fair, I should post the picture of the Ergun Caner Talking Doll, a humorous advertisement posted by White’s supporters and a parody of Dr. Caner’s debate style.  Of the doll, White says this:

The Ergun Caner doll was humorous because it parodies the truth. You [Dr. Caner] repeat certain montras with such force and passion, but, like a wind-up doll, you don’t hear the replies and refutations, and just keep saying the same things over and over again. That’s why it was funny. Your book cover idea isn’t funny because it only shows you don’t understand the issues at hand. See, when the truth element of the parody/caricature is lost, the humor goes with it.

I find this more humorous than The Potters Hatred.  I found it even funnier when I noted on Dr. Caner’s blog, immediately after bringing this mock ad up, he used one of the doll’s statements.  Apparently, he didn’t realize that, as White points out, satire is only funny when it is true.

Of course, we are God’s creations.  As such, He is eternally free to do with us as He elects, “God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden” (Rom 9:18).  You can’t read “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I hated” and forget Jacob I have loved, as Dr. Caner is doing in his parody.

I’m not a proper Calvinist, but I think I may be getting closer.  I no longer believe that Christianity, on earth now and eternally in heaven, is a choice.  I now believe that it is a calling, and that it is not based upon our actions or choices.  But, our free will does play a role, what role I am not clear on.  Yet.

Predestination is crap–Esau made his own bed.  God didn’t choose it for him.

Posted in Calvinism, Humor, Theology | 2 Comments »

I Love Double Standards!

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 24, 2006

Recently, there was a news story about six Muslim imams removed from a flight. The group began to recite evening prayers prior to take off, and that (understandably) made many people on the flight very nervous. So the imams were asked to stop, but they refused. So they were asked to step off the plane. They also refused. So the flight crew and air marshals were forced to evacuate the plane and re-screen everyone on board, thus delaying take-off by three hours.

Jimmy Akin already responded here. I agree with his view, but I wanted to highlight this statement in particular:

If I were in Saudi Arabia and made open displays of my Catholicism–behavior that would be entirely normal here in America–I would get a much, much worse reaction than what you guys got on the plane–and Saudi Arabia hasn’t even been attacked by Americans. On the contrary, it’s been defended by them.

Jimmy understates their reaction, of course. Jimmy would likely face prison or death if he was openly Catholic in their country. Now the “poor” imams are crying that they’ve been victimized here (never mind their behavior delayed a sizeable group of a people for three hours), when they would have been the first to order a Christian’s death in their country of origin for doing the exact same thing.

What a double standard!

Posted in Roman Catholicism | Leave a Comment »

Disturbing!

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 22, 2006

Apologetics is, by and large, the most interesting branch of the faith that my fellow Christians and I share and love. At least it is to me.  I realize not everyone is blessed with the same set of likes and dislikes.  God has blessed me with a very logical mind and a burden to serve and to reach other logical minds. I believe that means apologetics is my calling, and I know that my loving wife Jody supports me in this endeavor.

Jody wants for this to be our ministry, not my ministry. I want that, too. But apologetics requires a strong stomach, as the apologist tends to encounter some of the worst heresies, doctrinal dishonesties, and even direct attacks against God. Jody doesn’t stand up to that stuff very well, sometimes.  I pray for Jody, that she will be able to stand up in faith against those things and not let them bother her. I value her input, and I honestly want her opinion on the things I blog on.

But I need prayer as well. While I laugh at sightings of the Virgin Mary in gold, choclate, fence posts, hospital windows, church walls, freeway structures, and fire-damaged walls; dotrinal dishonesties, such as prosperity theology, Kingdom Now theology, and many parts of Catholicism itself simply amaze me–how can people with access to the Bible not notice these things contradict the clear teaching of Scripture?

Every once in a while, however, I encounter something in my studies that outright disturbs me. Something that I have to step back, take a deep breath, and look at again because I’m not sure that I saw it correctly. I wonder, “How can people not use the common sense God gave them to see that this is wrong?” One recent example is a very popular video at YouTube entitled “The Halloween Mass.” It depicts a Catholic Mass from California where parishoners were encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. You know, for the kids.

The result, as seen in the video, is a homily that makes light of demons, a witch singing the responsorial psalm, a woman in a devil costume handing out Communion, among other things. Watch for yourself, but remember that it may disturb you:

Click here to watch. WordPress doesn’t let me embed the object directly into the page the way I can at Xanga. Oh well.

You may not have been as disturbed as I was, as some readers may be lacking in a full understanding of what the Catholic Mass symbolizes. Count yourselves lucky.  You don’t have to be Catholic (or former Catholic) to be affected by this video, but if you have some appreciation of the faith you will be just a little bit more bothered by it. This video attracted the attention of some knowledgeable folks: Jimmy Akin posted a response here; and Roman Catholic Blog analyzed Fr. Fred’s apology letter here.

It bothers me how lightly some people take God. Hasn’t anyone fully appreciated what the message of Hebrews conveys? We are in the presense of the Creator of the Universe!!! He wants our attention, our prayers, our devotion. And He wants us to come to Him on our level, not His! He wants a real relationship with us, not for us to follow a hollow set of inconvienant rules. Doesn’t that amaze anyone else? Apparently, it doesn’t amaze, astound, or even impact any of the people in that video. Church is just another appointment in their busy schedules, not a special time to relate to God. How sad is that?

Posted in Apologetics, Father, Prayers, Roman Catholicism, Theology | Leave a Comment »

Romans 9

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 22, 2006

This image is very amusing to me. Regular readers should know that I follow James White, a Reformed Christian apologist and director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, on a regular basis. He had a scheduled debate with Ergun Caner, President of Liberty Theological Seminary, regarding the validity of Calvinism (specifically, weather Limited Atonement is Biblical). It was cancelled at the last minute, and neither side seems to be able to agree on who cancelled the debate and why.

That isn’t what I’m here to discuss.

What I am here to say is that I am finally feeling the irresistable leading of the Lord to discern the truth behind the passage that was the subject of this now defunct debate: Romans 9. The portion that fueled this debate reads thus:

What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? (Rom 9:22-24)

The Calvinists say this teaches predestination. The opposition, according to White, largely ignores this text, or uses a “divide and conquer” scheme for all of Romans 9. Both methods remove, ignore, or otherwise downplay God’s sovereignty in regard to salvation.

I have described myself as 4-point Calvinist, since I don’t believe that the Bible teaches a limited atonement. I do not hold to predestination, either. Nor do I believe that we are following a script God wrote before the foundation of the world; that even as I type these words, I am only echoing what He desired that I type at this moment many millenia ago.

But, if Calvinism is what God intended the Bible to teach and the way the world works, then I want to know that, too. I may not like it, but I desire what any Christian should: that God be glorified in all things. If this is how He is best glorified, then that is how it will be.

Over the next week or two, I will study Romans 9 in detail, and I will blog on my discoveries. Weather this leads to an acceptance of Calvinism or a rejection of it, that is my decision alone and I pray that God will be glorified by it.

Comments, suggestions, or links to study aids from both sides are encouraged. I am trying to approach this study as neutrally as possible. Admittedly, however, I am hoping that I will discover enough evidence to overturn predestination. The clear evidence from Scripture, however, is what will ultimately turn me from one side to the other, or keep me firmly rooted in the non-Calvinist camp.

I’m kind of excited about this, as I have been putting it off for a while. I will get started tomorrow; as I am very tired tonight.

Posted in Bible Thoughts, Calvinism, Theology | 1 Comment »

An Open Letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on Freeing Celibacy

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 20, 2006

This is the letter that Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo sent to Pope Benedict, the letter that prompted the recent meeting on priestly celibacy. The meeting that, predictably, resulted in maintaining the status quo.

November 4, 2006

 

Your Holiness,

 

The Archbishops, Bishops and Priests of the Married Priests Now! Prelature send their cordial greetings to you and to the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops of the Church.

 

As you know, the Church throughout the world is in dire straits because of the shortage of priests. Churches are closing, priests are serving two and three parishes, the Mass and the Eucharist is not available to hundreds of thousands of Catholics. Lay men and women are being appointed as canonical pastors of parishes. The Church-at-Large has become a Mission Territory .

 

In the face of this crisis, there are 150,000 married priests who are ready and willing to serve. And there are married men who have prepared themselves for ordination who can also be called to the priesthood. Some of them are currently married deacons but others have never been ordained at all.

 

The Married Priests Now! Prelature with its archbishops, bishops and priests considers itself to be a Roman Catholic Personal Prelature in Communion with your Holiness and is part of the Roman Catholic Church. We are Roman Catholic bishops and do not want to fracture the Communion of the Church. Our cause is great because it is for the survival of the Church. We are mature adults, not children, so threats, penalties and punishments are out of place in our conversation and will not work. What will work is an honest discussion about the married priesthood of the New Testament and of the primitive Church. The faithful are already reaching out daily to married priests for weddings, baptisms and funerals on a continuing basis. It is time to free the priesthood from the obligation of celibacy.

 

This is what needs to be done without delay:

 

1. Married priests and married bishops need to be immediately but gradually reinstated into the fabric of our Church. A vicariate or prelature can be established for married priests (and there was a precedent for this in progress under John Paul II) or they can be recalled through our Married Priests Now! Prelature, or recalled by the local bishops. All penalties need to be waived.

 

2. Married deacons who are trained in theology and ministry ought to be ordained to the priesthood within a year or two.

 

3. Married men who are not ordained need to be welcomed into the seminaries or other training programs for the priesthood within the year.

 

4. Married priests should be able to serve in full time positions with salary, health care plans and pensions or in part time positions. Credit towards pensions should be given for past service to the Church.

 

5. Marriage is a sacrament of the Church. It cannot be said that celibacy is higher or greater than the sacrament of marriage. Marriage is the higher calling and is more difficult than celibacy because it is naturally centered on the spouse and children. Marriage creates great holiness in the husband and wife and in the family. Married Priests families are a model of the Christian family for the other families in the parish.

 

Marriage does not diminish the priest’s dedication to Christ but enhances it.

 

6. We wish to keep the avenues of communication and contact with you open, Your Holiness, and with the other bishops for our Married Priests Now! Prelature.

 

The priests and bishops of the Married Priests Now! Prelature stand ready and willing to work with you. The Faithful of the Church are now already reaching out to married priests in an enormous way. A new Catholic Church is forming with or without your blessing. There is great urgency in this matter. If you sanction this approach to reinstating married priests and bishops, you will be preserving the unity of the church. The right time is now.

 

We ask your cordial blessing on all married priests and bishops.

 

With filial love and devotion,

 

Emmanuel Milingo

Peter Paul Brennan

Joseph J. Gouthro

Patrick E. Trujillo

George Augustus Stallings

 

Roman Catholic Archbishops

The Married Priests Now! Prelature

 

I agree with most of what the Archbishop had to say, especially the part about marriage being a higher calling than celibacy. Perhaps that is because I am married, a duty which I take very seriously (a fact to which I hope my wife would readily attest).

Posted in Papacy, Roman Catholicism, Theology | 1 Comment »

Not Surprising…

Posted by Cory Tucholski on November 19, 2006

I just wanted to take a moment before I begin my rant to thank God, not just for creating me and tapping me to do the work of the web apologist, but for introducing me to the fine website of Religion News Blog.  I am never out of rants where that site is concerned.  Whenever I have nothing to blog about, I just log on and browse the new articles, and I always find something that raises my ire or that I feel needs some space.

Tonight, it was this article that got me going.  I have no idea what I was really expecting.  The issue of priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church needs some serious reflection on the part of the Vatican.  Yet they are afraid to break with their precious traditions for the sake of a diplomatic solution to a very serious problem.  Excommunicated Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo is only the tip of the iceberg–an iceberg that has caused more priests to leave the Catholic Church than any other issue.  I have no statistics to back that up; I really am just guessing on that last point.

I understand that the primary reasoning for the Vatican’s celibacy requirement comes from 1 Corinthians 7:1, 8, 17, 20:

Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. . . .  [T]o the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. . . . [E]ach one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.  Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.

This isn’t bad advice.  The apostle Paul generally gives very good advice.  The whole of this chapter is one of the best chapters for new Christians to read, as it gives tremendous insight into to the life that one now must lead once called by God to be a Christian.  It also shows the new way in which one must relate to the non-Christians in life; especially close ones, such as parents or spouses.

I can even understand why the Catholic Church uses passages like this in favor of a celibate preisthood.  But a celibate preisthood is not biblical.  I have nothing specific on it at this site, at least not yet.  Most of my past Roman Catholic blog posts can be read here.  What I do fail to understand is why the Vatican won’t ease their restrictions on this issue when there are clearly many Catholics–both lay and clergy–in favor of it.

It just seems like the right thing to do.

Posted in Roman Catholicism, Theology | 1 Comment »

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