Daylight Atheism » Roman Catholicism

The Duty of External Obedience

Ebonmuse — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:51:38 +0000

While I was doing research for "The Ordinary and Universal Magisterium", I came across some amazing passages in the New Advent Catholic encyclopedia's article on infallibility. Since it can be safely assumed that these still represent the Catholic church's viewpoint, I thought it was worth calling some wider attention to them.

The article ... [visit site to read more]

The Ordinary and Universal Magisterium

Ebonmuse — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:55:10 +0000

Although many sects of Christianity consider their own beliefs to be infallible, Catholicism has a formal, bureaucratic process for adding new inerrant teachings to its canon. When the pope speaks "ex cathedra", officially defining a new dogma, it's becomes something that all Catholics are required to profess. (I like to think he has a special ... [visit site to read more]

Weekly Link Roundup

Ebonmuse — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 05:59:42 +0000

The storm may rage and the winds may howl, but I'm still here! (So far.) Here's a couple of interesting stories I didn't have time to write more about this week:

• Following Rick Perry's urgent prayers for rain in his drought-stricken state, Tropical Storm Don formed in the Gulf, headed toward Texas, and then dissipated ... [visit site to read more]

Photo Sunday: Barcelona

Ebonmuse — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:46:40 +0000

To see the pictures, click to continue:

The last stop on our tour of Spain was Barcelona, and it was a fitting way to wind up the trip. One of the first sights we saw in the city was the Sagrada Familia, a famous church designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi and a major tourist destination. We were all a bit tired of churches by this point, but the Sagrada Familia is, at least, a little more unique and interesting than the predictably similar cathedrals we saw elsewhere in Spain. We ... [visit site to read more]

Photo Sunday: Valencia

Ebonmuse — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 19:32:56 +0000

We saw a lot of churches and cathedrals in Spain, but the Cathedral of Valencia could claim one mark of distinction that some of the much larger and more impressive ones couldn't. Namely, it's the final resting place of that most precious Christian relic, the Holy Grail itself. To see that and more, click to continue...

... [visit site to read more]

Pro-Family Christians Support Child Kidnapping, Continued

Ebonmuse — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:43:25 +0000

I never thought I'd say this, but I think the Catholic church is actually relieved to be dealing with a scandal that, for once, doesn't involve priests raping children with the protection of their higher-ups. How else to explain their abject contrition over the discovery that, in Australia, they abducted tens of thousands of children born to unwed mothers in ... [visit site to read more]

Ireland Versus the Vatican, Continued

Ebonmuse — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:00:59 +0000

I've mentioned in the past that Ireland, which gave the Catholic church more privileges and greater deference than almost any other country in Europe, was rewarded for its devotion with one of the highest per-capita rates of child rape by priests than any other nation else in the world. That scandal continues to unspool, and today there's another big update.

In 1996, in response to public outcry, a ... [visit site to read more]

From the Mailbag: Shedding the Burden of Suffering

Ebonmuse — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 23:24:02 +0000

Earlier this week, I got a lengthy letter whose author gave me permission to share it with you:

Dear Ebonmusings:

I gave a glimpse to your musing about the carrot and the stick - I didn't expect it to talk about morality, mainly because I realized that the latest part of my life as a christian was about pursuing a carrot and a stick.*

Allow me to share my story. Sorry if it's a bit depressing, but I can ... [visit site to read more]

Photo Sunday: Seville

Ebonmuse — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:24:05 +0000

To see the pictures, click the link to continue:

... [visit site to read more]

To Win, We Just Have to Show Up

Ebonmuse — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:55:28 +0000

In the wake of marriage equality's victory in New York State last Friday, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler posted the following to Twitter:

Now, fully 1 in 9 Americans will live in a state with legalized same-sex marriage. Our mission field is getting more complicated.