Al Mohler Comes Around

Woah, Nellie! Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, just gave a radio interview in which he said:

"We are clearly at a very important turning point, but you have to go back to the early twentieth century when sexual revolutionaries largely funded an effort to separate sex and procreation, and that was birth control," Dr. Mohler said.
Most Christians seem to think today that birth control was just something that came along as something of a scientific or medical development," Mohler said. "They fail to see that it was driven by moral revolutionaries who knew that you couldn’t have a moral revolution, you especially couldn’t have a sexual revolution, unless you could separate sex and babies."

Here's what he says about Evangelicals & divorce: 

Dr. Mohler, who released the new book We Cannot be Silent in October, said the second major development that undermined the family was the no-fault divorce "revolution."
In the six year period between 1977 and 1983, 39 states passed laws allowing either party to end a marriage for any reason, or no reason.
"That was massive," he said. "Evangelical Christians just didn't recognize it for what it was."
"You can't have anything like same-sex 'marriage' until you redefine marriage, eliminating it as a lifelong covenant," he said.

Yup. This is simple logic, not theology. Still, careful, Dr. Mohler! People who start noticing the Catholic Church was right all along on such questions generally end up "poping." 

What Does the Koran Say About Jesus?

A former Indian imam tells us how he became Christian by taking to heart what the Koran says about Jesus.


Very worthwhile listening to his entire conversion story, too.

Meanwhile, in Egypt & Turkey

Turkey allows a new Christian church to be built.

And the President of Egypt has a Regensburg moment with the Mullahs.

"I am referring here to the religious clerics. … It's inconceivable that the thinking that we hold most sacred should cause the entire umma (Islamic world) to be a source of anxiety, danger, killing and destruction for the rest of the world. Impossible!

"That thinking — I am not saying 'religion' but 'thinking' — that corpus of texts and ideas that we have sacralized over the centuries, to the point that departing from them has become almost impossible, is antagonizing the entire world. It's antagonizing the entire world! ... All this that I am telling you, you cannot feel it if you remain trapped within this mindset. You need to step outside of yourselves to be able to observe it and reflect on it from a more enlightened perspective.

"I say and repeat again that we are in need of a religious revolution. You, imams, are responsible before Allah. The entire world, I say it again, the entire world is waiting for your next move … because this umma is being torn, it is being destroyed, it is being lost — and it is being lost by our own hands."

  And goes to Coptic Mass. 

Francis In Turkey

Some people eat turkey for Thanksgiving; the Roman pontiff GOES to Turkey. Not all his addresses are translated yet, but he got off to a nice start w/ this brief address greeting the Turkish prime minister and Diyanet, a religious council engaged in "dialogue" with the Vatican.

I was just reading an account of his press conference on the flight home, in which the Pope emphasized his insistence that there be more public Muslim opposition to terrorist barbarism, which suggests that was a strong note throughout the trip, since he also opened with it:

As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations against human dignity and human rights. Human life, a gift of God the Creator, possesses a sacred character. As such, any violence which seeks religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation because the Omnipotent is the God of life and peace. The world expects those who claim to adore God to be men and women of peace who are capable of living as brothers and sisters, regardless of ethnic, religious, cultural or ideological differences.

A Far Cry from Baghdad Bob

Just because I find this touching.

Off to a Good Start

Pope Francis is in the Holy Land, starting off in Amman, Jordan. I think this simple text greeting the authorities in Jordan gets off to a great start. 

He thanks Jordan for accepting refugees and for its moderation, and I like the careful way he phrased this (my emphasis): 

I take this opportunity to reiterate my profound respect and esteem for the Muslim community and my appreciation for the leadership of His Majesty the King in promoting a better understanding of the virtues taught by Islam and a climate of serene coexistence between the faithful of the different religions.

That strikes just the right note, it seems to me. It avoids religious indifferentism (hey, we're all great religions!)  but it would be dishonest and ungenerous not to acknowledge and admire certain virtues in moderate Islam. (Just as an aside...do Mohammed & Nietzsche basically share the objection to Christianity? Namely that it makes men weak? Do Islam and the will to power share an intellectual starting point? Just tossing that out there as an aside...), 

The main point, however, is religious liberty. I expect to hear this note sounded repeatedly throughout the trip. Great that these are the first substantive words out of his mouth. 

Religious freedom is in fact a fundamental human right and I cannot fail to express my hope that it will be upheld throughout the Middle East and the entire world. The right to religious freedom “includes on the individual and collective levels the freedom to follow one’s conscience in religious matters and, at the same time, freedom of worship… [it also includes] the freedom to choose the religion which one judges to be true and to manifest one’s beliefs in public” (Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, 26). Christians consider themselves, and indeed are, full citizens, and as such they seek, together with their Muslim fellow citizens, to make their own particular contribution to the society in which they live.

Hammer it home, Holy Father -- and Lord, protect him.

Scratch A Priest, Find A Soldier

(Photo credit needed. Help?)

Not pretending to fully understand the situation in Ukraine, but any blow to Putin's effort to rebuild the Soviet Union seems like a good thing, so the flight of Yanukov and release of Yulia Tymoshenko seems positive. (Though when Reuters describes the Ukraine turning from Russia and towards the EU, I'm less certain of that. One is a wicked entity determined to stamp out individual cultures and crush institutions and thoughts it disapproves of and the other is run by Vladimir Putin).

What's been impressive in the midst of these protests is the Orthodox priests standing in the breech between the crowds and the government forces. They remind me of my old Prof. Fritz Wilhelmsen's frequent remark: "When you scratch a priest, you should find a soldier." This guy looks like he's straight out of 300, only he's not animation-enhanced. Here's a gallery of such photos --priests with the wounded, priests with the protestors, priests with the cops. Moving.

Kenneth Copeland Prays for the Pope

An extended prayer for the Pope and for Christian Unity at a Kenneth Copeland ministry meeting? Yep, it happened. The Holy Father sent a private message to a gathering of Kenneth Copeland ministries at the behest of his friend, Bishop Tony Palmer of the CEEC (about which I know nothing except: Anglican of some stripe). In a homey, spontaneous video shot by Palmer, the Pope spoke about Christian unity and asked for their prayers. I didn't watch the whole thing, just picked up at around minute 31 for the Pope's message and the prayer and response.



Transcript here. It's pretty decent, except I deny the Pope suggested any "spiritual hugs," as it's being translated. I would render it, "Let's embrace each other, spiritually, and allow the Lord to complete the work in us which He has begun...."

Great Moments in Inter-religious Dialogue

The conversation at a party this evening was about exotic cuisines in the homes of various neighbors --goat head stew probably winning the gold medal. One gal told of her first experience in a home where people keep kosher. She was enjoying the meal, but really knew nothing of the kosher laws, so when her hosts started talking about even stricter observances to be "kosher for Passover," she blurted out: "Wow, Jews have as many rules about food as Catholics have about sex."

To which her friend rejoined, "Honey, for Jews, food IS sex."

Remi Brague: Atheism Has Failed

See, I toldja!


This is difficult to hear: not the greatest sound quality, strong accent, and he's soft-spoken. But this lecture will repay careful listening.

I Think I Like Egyptian Summer Better Than Arab Spring

Shamelessly pinched from here, where you should go to see more.

Eldest Weed was asking me this afternoon if the Egyptian protests are a good thing. I told him I didn't know for sure, but was hopeful that the Egyptians are throwing off Islamism and not just trading it in for another brand. I have no insight unless you count a conversation with an Egyptian woman on a plane who said within Egypt people hate the Muslim Brotherhood. "We used not to care who was Christian and who was Muslim. Now there are many killings and you should not travel there. Very dangerous." 

Eldest Weed quipped that we'd quickly know whether the new government is good based on whether or not Obama supports it. (If he does, it isn't.) 

We'll see. But do go look at the pictures. Interesting!

Update: Mark Steyn says all optimism is misplaced. Of course, that's his theme on all political topics, but it's still a good piece -- and probably right. Curtsy to ninme.

Local Fortnight for Freedom Events

• Friday, June 21, National Kick-off Mass: 7 pm, Basilica of the Assumption, Baltimore.
• Daily: Archdiocese of  Baltimore has a special mass at local parishes each day of the Fortnight for Freedom. Here's the schedule.
• Saturday, June 22nd, KoC sponsored prayer vigil at US Capitol:  7 pm mass at St. Joseph's on the Hill, followed by prayer vigil on the Capitol Grounds. And that's followed by an ice cream social at St. Peter's on the Hill. Check it out! 
• Thursday, June 27th, 7:30 pm: Diocese of Arlington is sponsoring an ecumenical prayer service for religious liberty at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Groups in attendance:

Buddhism (SE and NE Asian), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Hinduism, Islam and Roman Catholicism, among others.

• Any time before July 20th  FaithQuest pilgrimage: your schedule, but collect 8 or more passport stamps by July 20th and get invited to a party at Franciscan Monastery. Details and registration here.

During the Fortnight for Freedom consider making our Faith Quest Pilgrimage that brings alive the importance of laws protecting religious liberty for the life and ministry of the church. Did you know that anti-popery laws in 1704 made it illegal for Catholics to practice their faith openly. At St. Francis Xavier and St. Ignatius, Chapel Point, the Jesuits had to abandon their work for a period of time because of the threat of persecution. The experience of the first missionaries and these early parishes teach us the history and importance of the of religious liberty laws in the U.S Constitution. Follow the Faith Quest pilgrimage through Southern Maryland and learn the history of  the early Church in America.

• Thursday, July 4, 9:00 am, Mass w/ Bishop Malooly, Cathedral of St. Peter, 6th & West Sts. Wilmington, DE. (If you happen to be at the beach for the 4th, no excuse!)
• Official Closing Mass of the Fortnight noon, Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC

Bishop Jeffords-Schori: Demonic Posession Is A Spiritual Gift

In case you missed it, the woman America's Episcopalians elected their primate went down to Venezuela and preached an interesting sermon -- one in which she rebukes St. Paul for his masculine presumption in stealing a possessed girl's "spiritual awareness" from her.

Paul is annoyed, perhaps for being put in his place, and he responds by depriving her of her gift of spiritual awareness.  Paul can’t abide something he won’t see as beautiful or holy, so he tries to destroy it.  It gets him thrown in prison.  That’s pretty much where he’s put himself by his own refusal to recognize that she, too, shares in God’s nature, just as much as he does – maybe more so!

Just to be clear, the passage from Acts 16 describes Paul casting a demon out of a slave girl whose masters are using her possession to make moolah. The possessed girl is holier than St. Paul, according to the chief bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States.

I wonder if she is also holier than Jesus, who was known to cast out a few demons himself? Is he too guilty of not being able to recognize "beauty" which is "different"?

As Simcha Fisher says, please, Episcopalians,

get out now.  Your church is bonkers.
I'm not even kidding.  If you read your bishop's sermon and a cold horror came creeping over your mind, please remember:  the Catholic Church is here.  We will always be here.  We will always be waiting.  We have a couple of insane bishops, too, but they hardly ever get interviewed by the New York Times, and many of them are actually decent scholars, and faithful and courageous guys.

Indeed. This is what Benedict XVI made the Anglican Ordinariate for. 

My Worlds Collide!

Theater, politics, religion....if only he'd worked in a tomato reference:  David Mamet's "note to a stiff-necked people."

To those Jews planning to vote for Obama:
Are you prepared to explain to your children not the principles upon which your vote is cast, but its probable effects upon them?

RTWT

Real Reason Dems Put Jerusalem Back in the Platform

Iran: Jews make Gays.

An article in an Iranian state-controlled newspaper has claimed that the Jews are spreading gays. According to Mashregh News the ‘Zionist regime’ (with the help of the US and UK) is deliberately spreading homosexuality to pursue Zionism’s real goal of world domination.

Closing Mass of the Fortnight for Freedom

Bringing an official close to two weeks of prayer, sacrifice, education and public demonstrations in defense of religious liberty, Cardinal Wuerl will celebrate Mass at noon at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception for Independence Day. Chaput the Great will be the homilist.

P.S. Eric Metaxas says all y'all Protestants should come too.

The End of the Reformation, Cont'd

Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says Evangelicals need to re-think contraception. He doesn't get everything **just** according to my Catholic liking, but wow.

When Pope Paul VI released his famous encyclical outlawing artificial birth control, Humanae Vitae, most evangelicals responded with disregard — perhaps thankful that evangelicals had no pope who could hand down a similar edict. Evangelical couples became devoted users of birth control technologies ranging from the Pill to barrier methods and Intrauterine Devices [IUDs]. That is all changing, and a new generation of evangelical couples is asking new questions.
A growing number of evangelicals are rethinking the issue of birth control–and facing the hard questions posed by reproductive technologies. Several developments contributed to this reconsideration, but the most important of these is the abortion revolution. The early evangelical response to legalized abortion was woefully inadequate. Some of the largest evangelical denominations at first accepted at least some version of abortion on demand.
The evangelical conscience was awakened in the late 1970s, when the murderous reality of abortion could not be denied. A massive realignment of evangelical conviction was evident by the 1980 presidential election, when abortion functioned as the fuse for a political explosion. Conservative Protestants emerged as major players in the pro-life movement, standing side-by-side with Catholics in the defense of the unborn.
The reality of abortion forced a reconsideration of other issues in turn. 

That's in accord with Benedict XVI's long-held view that the true common ground to be found among serious Christians with serious doctrinal disputes is in work in common for socio-political goals such as the defense of life and defense of marriage.

Among three reasons he gives for evangelicals to look again is the obvious prophetic nature of Paul VI's encyclical on contraception.

we should look closely at the Catholic moral argument as found in Humanae Vitae. Evangelicals will find themselves in surprising agreement with much of the encyclical’s argument. As the Pope warned, widespread use of the Pill has led to “serious consequences” including marital infidelity and rampant sexual immorality. In reality, the Pill allowed a near-total abandonment of Christian sexual morality in the larger culture. Once the sex act was severed from the likelihood of childbearing, the traditional structure of sexual morality collapsed.

The part I don't agree with comes at the end where he suggests the natural law is good as far as it goes but Christians must rely on the Bible....as is the Bible ever contradicts natural law or vice versa. Truth is Truth or it's not the truth. And then he caricatures Church teaching to say something it emphatically doesn't say (you must bear as many children as you can). But I'll take it. You cannot take a question to prayer with a genuinely open heart and not end up at the door St. Peter's.

What's fascinating is that many Catholics are unwilling to read or engage a papal encyclical and many Protestants increasingly are. That's because the papacy is given the Church -- the entire Church-- as a gift, and the pope is the pope of all Christians, even those who don't acknowledge him as such. It's also an indication as Isaiah says, that God's word does not return to him void. It will always find a hearing and a resting place... just not always in the hearts we expect, or the ones with greatest obligation.

A Tale of Two Yesterdays

 Shamelessly pinched from Thomas Peters at CatholicVote.org

There were rallies for religious liberty in 146 cities across the country yesterday.

We joined 1300 folks outside the HHS building in DC (and got a sunburn! It was 80F!) to protest the shriveling of the right to free exercise of religion to a mere freedom of worship, such that govt decides what is and isn't a religious institution and which of its own doctrines a religious institution may follow.

• Thomas Peters has pix from packed crowds in Chicago, New York, Houston and various other places.
• K-Lo documents the majority of women in the crowd, with bonus pictures from other city's protests.
• On EWTN's facebook page, find shots viewers sent in from protests all over the country.
• A slideshow from Lifesite news.

My favorite shot is this one:

 by Tom Crowe, from the Pittsburgh rally, shamelessly pinched from Josh Mercer.

You owe it to the truth to look through those photo collections since the press is either not covering the story of nationwide protest, or covering it in the smarmy style of WaPo, where there's nothing interesting at stake, just some quaint people riding their hobby horse, and Jerry Falwell, who's been dead for years, is to blame. (Really? Falwell?)

More later.
Update: It's later. Star Parker gave the keynote address at the DC protest.

She was excellent, but even better was the address given by Fr. Marcel Guarnizo: a closely-reasoned, eloquent defense against the HHS mandate on constitutional and "Declaration-al" grounds. It was Lincolnian (just about my highest compliment). Surprisingly moving was an address from a Korean pastor who flew from Seoul for the event. At first I thought his inclusion was odd. This is an American political fight, after all. But when he spoke about how America (as the regime of freedom) had to be preserved because it has been Korea's greatest blessing and a blessing to all who love freedom everywhere? Tears! I was surprised how many non-Catholics were present. There's no way to tell by looking, of course, but at the close of the demonstration we prayed the Our Father together, and half the crowd added, "for Thine is the kingdom...." The MC for the event was Patrick Mahoney, a Presbyterian minister, who amused us by saying that though he was Protestant, "Catholics rock!" He claims he took down his Beatles poster and put up one of Cardinal Dolan. That may have been facetious, but it struck me once again that nothing does more for the union of Christians and genuine ecumenism than joint efforts to prevent religious faith from being driven out of the public square.

Spengler to Joooos: Don't Be Naive. We're Next.

David Daniel Goldman:  Memo to Jews: After They Come for Catholics They Will Come for Us.

Today it is contraception and the morning-after pill. Tomorrow it will be kosher slaughter, or matrilineal descent, or circumcision, or other matters of existential importance to Jewish observance. If the Obama administration gets away with forcing Catholic institutions to step across lines of life and death in the name of “health,” the federal government will have a precedent to legislate Judaism out of existence — as several other countries have already tried to do.

I appreciate his solidarity, but go to page 2. Did you know this stuff? That a high court in England has ruled that matrilineal descent (which is how one knows who is Jewish) is racist? And that several European countries have banned Kosher slaughter?

What the hell? 

On this issue, there can be no compromise. Agudath Israel is right: Jews should stand by the right of the Catholic Church to determine what is acceptable by its standards, just as we one day will ask the Catholic Church to stand by our right to determine what is acceptable by our standards. To its credit, Britain’s Catholic Church stood by us in 2009 when the English courts shamefully and wrongly ruled that our most basic religious criteria were “racist.” Shamefully and wrongfully, some Jews have failed to stand by the Church under the Obama administration’s persecution. I appeal to these Jews: Don’t be naive. We’re next.

RTWT. Curtsy to First Things (print version)

The One

The Orthodox Church stands with the Catholics.  And so do the Lutherans.

Obama is healing schism faster than the Pope.