Friday Frivolity: What’s the song about?
Tag: Jesus
Jesus Never Existed? Bart Ehrman Responds
Several times over the last few weeks I’ve had conversations where friends have have seriously cast doubt over the very existence of Jesus of Nazareth, claiming that there’s no evidence that He’s even a real, historical figure.
You tend to hear stuff like this a lot on the Internet, but such claims are noticeably absent in respected academic scholarship. When I say “academic scholarship”, I’m not just referring to conservative Christian scholars either. I’m including liberal scholars, atheists, agnostics and those of other faiths. To demonstrate this, here’s an interview with Bart Erhman, who is an agnostic, former Christian, and a well-known figure in the area of Biblical criticism:
(I’ve moved the video start time past the pejorative preamble)
Catholic Answers recently produced an article in response in response to a recent article on Salon.com also on this subject.
Quick Apology: You can’t pray to dead people
Continuing in my series of brief apologetic responses, today I would like to look at the subject of Saintly intercession. As I mentioned last time, these will not be thorough, nuanced rebuttals, but simply how I typically would reply when I only have a brief window of opportunity to respond to objections to my Faith.
Objection
I often see on internet forums the following common objection to Saintly intercession:
“You can’t pray to dead people”
Response
In response to this objection I point out that the Saints are not dead:
“…have you not read what was said to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” – Matthew 22:32
If Jesus says that the Saints (“Abraham…Isaac….Jacob”) are alive and well, then I think it’s pretty safe to assume that they are indeed alive. Last week we had the Feast of the Transfiguration when Jesus speaks with Moses…a “dead” man (Matthew 17:1-4). Therefore, it is incorrect to call those Christians who have passed away “dead”. They are more alive in God than they have ever been!
Fully Human
Jesus is God’s idea of what it is to be fully human
– The Divine Embrace
“Here is your mother”
Mary, the interfering mother? (4)
Continuing my response to Monica’s comments concerning Mary, today I would like to continue providing a Catholic response to her objections, which today will chiefly focus around the subject of mediation.
Music Monday: Our God Reigns Here
I thought today’s Music Monday should be an upbeat number from John Waller, “Our God Reigns Here”…
Spirit of doubt you have no place here
I command you to leave in Jesus’ name
Spirit of fear you have no place here
I command you to leave in Jesus’ name
You’re not welcome here so go, just go
Spirit of doubt you have no place here
I command you to leave in Jesus’ name
Envy and jealousy you have no place here
I command you to leave in Jesus’ name
Go back from whence you came
‘Cause our God reigns here, our God reigns here
We claim this ground in Jesus’ name
‘Cause our God reigns x2
Anger and rage, guilt and shame
I command you to leave in Jesus’ name
Depression, anxiety, addiction, infirmity
I command you to leave in Jesus’ name
Oh, go back from whence you came
Our God reigns here, our God reigns here
The battle’s won, have no fear
The battle’s won, have no fear
The battle’s won, have no fear
‘Cause God reigns here