Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 228

Did Religion Motivate the Boston Bombers?

Here is my latest article for the Washington Post. It analyzes the push that it was religion which motivated the Boston bombers…

Fathers Know Best

One of the recurrent themes in the conversion stories of former Protestant ministers is their discovery of the Apostolic Fathers. Ever since Bl. John Henry Newman found his way Home to Rome by reading the early church writings, waves of converts have also read the theologians and historians in the generations just after the apostles [...]

The Vicar on Mrs Thatcher

Guest blogger, The Rev’d Humphrey Blytherington is Vicar of St Hilda’s, Little Snoring with All Saints, Great Snoring. He is a graduate of Plymouth University. He completed his studies for the ministry at Latimer Hall, Durham. He is married to Daphne and enjoys home brewing, model railroading and is an avid member of the Great [...]

Jesus and the End of the World

One of the problems with the supernatural aspect of the Christian faith is that dull rationalists keep picking it apart complaining that there are inconsistencies, illogical statements impossibilities and just plain stupid stuff in the Bible. Explaining the Biblical and religious language is not easy when the person is unschooled and inexperienced in a religious [...]

A Roller Coaster Ride Through the Catechism

OK, so maybe you don’t like the blog getting cluttered up with too many book reviews, but you really ought to take the time to click over here to read my review of John Zmirak’s Bad Catholics Guide to the Catechism. John is probably one of the best and wittiest writers on Catholicism who is tapping [...]

Real Religion and Nazi Zombies

What is the difference between real religion and Nazi zombies? It’s the difference between faith and an ideology. Here’s a clue: in The Imitation of Christ Thomas a Kempis wrote, “Why do you wish to change the world when you cannot change yourself?” An ideology tries to change the world. Real religion tries to change a person. [...]

I Love My Volvo

I drive a six year old Volvo. It’s a nice car. The headline says I love it, but really I just like it a lot. I also like my ten year old motorcycle, my house in the suburbs and the other stuff that fills the house. Is that okay? I mean, I’m a Catholic priest. [...]

Women are Not Equal

A post to amuse and infuriate… Somehow or other a combox critic has assumed that because I have asserted that men and women are different that I do not believe in equality for women. This is because in the past the superiority of men has been assumed and women have been downtrodden. What troubles me [...]

Old Monk on Love of God

Novice: Should I love God or fear God?  Old Monk: You should fear the Love of God.

Doubts, Difficulties and Disobedience

Blessed John Henry Newman wrote, “Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.” What he means is that there is a difference between a doubt and a difficulty. When we start to think through our Catholic faith we would be negligent or stupid not to have some problems. After all, the things we propose as [...]