Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 173

Fred Phelps – Who Am I to Judge?

Fiery fundamentalist Fred Phelps has gone to his reward as this article in the WaPo reports. Phelps was an outspoken and crude critic of homosexuality. Known for picketing funerals with the family members of his church, he had his rights upheld by the Supreme Court who upheld freedom of speech. Chief Justice Roberts wrote, “Such speech [Read More...]

Belle Knox and the Beast

Here is my first article for The Catholic Thing website. It’s my comment on Duke University co-ed Miriam Weeks, who is selling her body and soul making porn. Beauty and the Beast is, of course, the story of a beautiful young maiden who enchants a beastly bloke and turns him into the noble prince he [Read More...]

Read, Mark and Learn – Day 12

In chapter five suddenly we are given longer, more detailed stories about Jesus. Having established who Jesus is, Mark now show his continued work in the world. Remember if you are just joining us, that you can catch up and read earlier Read, Mark, Learn entries by using the “Categories” tool in the right sidebar [Read More...]

FaithWorks! 21 – Third Sunday in Lent

Here is the link to my free weekly newsletter. FaithWorks! focuses on the practical practice of the Catholic faith with articles on prayer, mercy, points to ponder and links to Lenten resources. The newsletter also features a Catholic work of art which usually connects with the Sunday readings for the following Sunday. So in one [Read More...]

First Aid Kit Confession

My boys have this video game where they are soldiers fighting in war. They have to shoot the bad guys and they sometimes get shot too. At the bottom of the screen is a bar which shows how much strength they have left. If it is all the way to the right and is green [Read More...]

Read, Mark and Learn – Day 11

Welcome to Day 11 of our Blobble Study of Mark’s gospel. I am very much enjoying my re-reading of Marks’ gospel and hope you appreciate the comments and reflections. Just a short passage for today since there is so much in it. Sorry I forgot to post the link to reflections yesterday. In fact, I [Read More...]

Read, Mark and Learn- Day 10

Yesterday’s post explained why Jesus taught in parables. Today’s reading goes on to recount three of Our Lord’s simple parables, which help to further explain why Jesus uses parables to teach. The parables also reveal the mystery of Christ and his teaching and why so many do not respond. They need God’s grace to see [Read More...]

The Snakes of St Patrick

The other day I saw a snarky comment about the legend of St Patrick casting all the snakes out of Ireland: “Thing is” said snarker “Ireland never had any snakes anyway. The climate is too damp and cold. Duh.” Duh indeed. The legend was never about snakes anyway. It was about serpents–meaning Satan and the [Read More...]

Read, Mark and Learn – Day 9

Today’s reading contains one of the most mysterious and difficult to understand passages in all of Scripture. I hope you are enjoying the Blobble Study so far and that you are being drawn to a closer experience of Christ the Lord during this Lent. The Parable of the Sower .1 On another occasion he began to teach [Read More...]

The Anglo American Eliot

Here is my latest article for The Imaginative Conservative website. In it I explore my own sojourn in England and the pull the Anglo-American poet T.S.Eliot had on me. There are moments in childhood when a window in the mind seems to open and the future is glimpsed. So it was as I lay on [Read More...]