Mark P. Shea's Blog, page 110

Scripture on “Thoughts and Prayers” as Hypocritical Prophylactic Against Obedience

Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the […]

Bishop Robert Barron on Mother!

It sounds frustratingly terrible: If the first part of the story allegorizes the Old Testament, this second part allegorizes the New. The husband emerges here as a sort of Christ-figure, and his devotees are exhibiting all of the fanaticism, conflict, and violence that have sometimes dogged Christianity across the ages. Then things get truly weird. […]

On the Air at 9 AM on Sacred Heart Radio

…for their Fall Pledge Drive.  If you live in their broadcast area, I’m offering a free talk to your parish, conference or organization if you give them a donation.  I don’t work for them and I get none of the money, I just support Catholic radio and this is how I can help.  Give them […]

“The real problem is creeping godlessness” argument

The problem with this argument, much like the lie told by Satan to Jesus in which he quotes Scripture, is that it is a truth told in order to lie, because Satan knows that fish do not bite bare hooks. If you are going to lie you always mix it with truth to make the […]

My dear friend, clear your mind of cant. – Samuel Johnson

Yesterday, we were instructed “It’s too soon!  Don’t politicize this tragedy and insult the dead by trying to prevent the next tragedy that will create more dead” by the people who then instantly took advantage of the silence of decent people to bray, as Bill O’Reilly did, that mass murder is the “price of freedom“. […]

Please Help a Sweet Young Catholic Lady

…who happens to be my god-daughter. Her mom writes: My daughter, Sarah Hughes, was in an accident on Saturday in Helena. She’s back at her dorm and okay, but has some injuries from the airbag, with a possible fracture to her sinus cavity with lots of swelling and some cuts around her lower jaw and lips.  […]

Grief

For Las Vegas and for our demented nation of violence that keeps making sure this happens over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! ¶ […]

Matthew 10:28

Do not fear him who can kill the body. Fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. “This is a pretty long list of what we might rightly call “sexual indiscretions” or “perversities.” So you can imagine all the eyebrow-raising I did while reading post after post lambasting Hefner written by people […]

GOP Lucy and Prolife Charlie Brown

Nine million kids–a population larger than NYC–lose their CHIP health insurance tomorrow thanks to GOP cruelty and negligence–and the *avid* support of “prolife” Christians. In return for that passionate “prolife” support for cruelty and neglect of poor kids, the GOP will keep funding Planned Parenthood in its new tax package. But Mexico City! Yeah. Personally, […]

On the death of Hugh Hefner

I hate the speculations about whether Hefner is in hell. Such speculations are, I believe, always wicked. More than that, they are telling. When a famous person dies and American Christians feel a compulsion to wonder if they are damned, such speculations always seem to be directed toward the destinies of fleshly sinners, but never […]