Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 65

Brother Augustine of Norcia (and South Carolina)

My former student Philip Wilmeth is now Brother Augustine. He made his simple profession as a Benedictine monk with the newly re-established community at Norcia last week. The picture to the right shows me with Brother Augustine when we visited last June. He won the beard competition… The monks have started what is turning out [Read More...]

Cults, Cliques and Common Sense

One of the creepiest things about religion is the tendency for those involved to drift into cult-like behaviors. That doesn’t mean the devotees are all following the leader like zombie Moonies. Religious groups can drift into cult like behaviors without becoming full blown cults. How can you tell if a religious group is operating like [Read More...]

Can There Be a Catholic Schism?

Some of my blog posts are going to start appearing over at the National Catholic Register website. You can follow them through links here. My first blog post for NCR is a comment on progressive theologian Daniel Maguire’s suggestion that the Catholic Church will split into three wings like Judaism–Reformed, Conservative and Orthodox. I agree [Read More...]

How Protestants Are Destroying Christianity

Right up front I should say that there are plenty of terrific Protestant Christians. They love the Lord. They live their faith. They reach out to the needy. They engage in mission work. They give generously. They are joyful and radiate their Christian commitment more strongly than many Catholics. I don’t dispute the holiness and [Read More...]

Selling Baby Parts: “This is Really A Good Idea”

The latest video from Center for Medical Progress is the clearest proof yet that Planned Parenthood are not only selling baby parts, but they are doing so intentionally and that they know it is illegal and they know it would be a public relations disaster if the news gets out. View the video and share [Read More...]

Ten Reasons Why Abortion is Worse Than Murder

I had an interesting conversation with a non-Catholic Christian today who asked about the Pope’s recent extension of mercy to those who committee abortion. “Is this something new? Weren’t Catholics forgiven for abortion before?” I explained that Catholic were always able to be forgiven for abortion, but because of the extra seriousness of the crime, [Read More...]

The Donald We Deserve

It’s been said before: we get the leaders we deserve. Take a look at Donald Trump and take a look in the mirror. This is you America: Like Donald you are a strutting, bloated, obscenely rich egomaniac. Like Donald you are an immoral twice divorced, thrice married unrepentant lothario Like Donald your fake tan, fake [Read More...]

We’re Catholic: Crucifixes R Us

When an aggressive Evangelical challenges me for having a crucifix in church, one of my favorite apologetic one liners is to say, “We believe the Bible. Don’t you know 1 Corinthians 1:23 where Paul says, ‘We preach Christ and him crucified?’” As a convert one of the stunning eye openers was when I stopped to realize [Read More...]

Pro Life Answer to Prayer

Here in upstate South Carolina our pro life prayer warriors launched a campaign called “Close the Mill” During the summer they began a special, focussed prayer crusade that the local abortion clinic, and the others in South Carolina would be closed. After the horrific Planned Parenthood videos this summer South Carolina governor Nikki Haley ordered [Read More...]

Bad News Overload and Living Locally

The other day a parishioner was stressed out because of all the bad news in the world. Muslim immigration-invasion of Europe Demographic Winter Abortion World Poverty Pollution Government Corruption Disintegration of Marriage and Family Gross Immorality Increasing Godlessness Violence and Murder I know how it feels. We read all the bad news every day and [Read More...]