Restoring Love: One Man’s Antidote to Pornography

I’ve been cautiously encouraged by some recent posts on GirlsAskGuys (I’ve mentioned them before).  In the last few weeks, I’ve seen an upsurge in posts about pornography.  Two were from male users asking how to stop.  One even identified himself as an atheist. It’s not enough to simply point out the harm that porn can […]

A Confession Reflection for the Season that is Lenten

I spoke in my previous entry about Pope Francis’ enthusiasm for the Sacrament of Confession.  According to Catholic Radio, he decided to pursue his vocation to the priesthood while attending Confession. The majority of Catholics rarely, if ever attend Confession, a sacrament about which I am very passionate.  In a shared objection with non-Catholics, many disagree […]

Pope Francis: Year in Review

In a time when the Catholic Church is under seemingly constant attack from a secular world that denounces her as irrelevant and out of touch and that also seems to suffer from internal disconnect, I can think of few people more vital today than Pope Francis. Where credit is due We needed Popes John Paul […]

Shrovetide and The International Pancake Day Race!

The day before Ash Wednesday has many different names and traditions, to include Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras.  However, there is one fairly recent pre-Ash Wednesday tradition that actually takes place right here in Kansas.  It began in England with the observation of Shrove Tuesday.  This tradition is what we know today as the International Pancake […]

Marxism? No. Liberalism? No. Christianity? Yes!

Compare and contrast… Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh recently accused Pope Francis of teaching “pure Marxism”, but I don’t think he understands what Marxism really is.  Karl Marx, namesake of the ideology in question, denounced religious faith as “…the opium of the people”.  He argued that religion blinds people to their true sufferings… “The abolition of religion as […]

Avoiding The Truth In The Abortion Debate

This title is not so much in reference to direct dishonesty, but more an observation of avoiding, or better yet, not seeking the truth. President Obama’s track record During his first campaign, he made the infamous promise to Planned Parenthood that if elected, the first thing he would do would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act […]

When Is It Okay To “Draw The Line”?

This post began with a friend of mine who has recently cut ties with somebody who has caused her pain for her entire life.  Her “VERY Christian mother” has called her “cold-hearted” and “evil” for this.  She also revealed that her mother continuously helps people who have repeatedly hurt their family, knowing that this will be the result.  She is “absolutely miserable” doing […]

“Hallowed Be Thy Name”: Reverence and Respect for God’s Name

I’ll establish some light-hearted context by noting a few of my pet peeves with grammar and punctuation.  1) I can’t stand when people mix “your” and “you’re” up.  2) If you want to make something plural, even if it’s an acronym, you DON’T put an apostrophe, i.e., you wouldn’t write “We should go get a few beer’s tonight.”  […]

Something’s Got To Give: Sexual Freedom As A National Security Concern

After looking at modern American culture, I most likely won’t stay in the military any longer than my current contract requires.  There are far greater conflicts at hand than those in Iraq and Afghanistan (and depending on how things go, possibly Syria, Pakistan, North Korea, or Iran).  Though often cited as the most trusted institution […]

Staring Into History: Finding the Beauty of Catholic Teachings in The Stars

In my fifth grade science class, we learned about “light pollution.”  It didn’t make sense until seven years later when I left for college.  I visited home one weekend and went to a friend’s house and finally understood the “light pollution” that my science teacher had talked about years earlier.  I’d become so used to […]