Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 78

Why the Episcopalians Voted for Gay Marriage

Christians who are unfamiliar with the Anglican worldview will likely be scratching their head over the vote yesterday by the Episcopal Church’s general convention to formally permit homosexual “marriage” to take place. “How could such a thing happen in a Christian church?” you might ask. The Episcopal Church of the USA is, of course, the American [Read More...]

We Are Ruled by the Unelected Elite

Thomas D. Williams reports here on Justice Scalia’s sharp observations about the recent Supreme Court decision. Scalia wonders how “nine lawyers” can presume to make such historic decisions not only for the United States, but for humanity. Scalia noted that “the Federal Judiciary is hardly a cross-section of America.” “Take, for example, this Court,” he [Read More...]

Episcopalians Vote to Allow Gay Weddings

The AP reports here from the Episcopal Church’s General Convention  that the Episcopal Church of the USA is now formally permitting same sex weddings.  Episcopalians voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to allow religious weddings for same-sex couples, solidifying the church’s embrace of gay rights that began more than a decade ago with the pioneering election of the [Read More...]

We’re Catholics. Everything’s Connected.

I heard about this Methodist minister who  had decided to make his church more liturgical so on Ash Wednesday he got some ashes from the fireplace and added some water and smeared the mess on the heads of his people. Thinking he could do better he trotted off to the Catholic priest and asked, “Where [Read More...]

Satan Hates Marriage

A priestly correspondent has reminded me of the diabolical dimension to the present destruction of marriage and family in our society. The reason Satan hates marriage is because in the ideal of marriage man and woman are restored to harmony and pro creative union. When the marriage is Christian he hates it even more. When the [Read More...]

The (Roman) Empire Strikes Back

After my most recent visit to Rome I’ve been reading more about the history of Rome, and the parallels with twenty first America are fascinating. Many people know about the fall of the Roman Empire and follow the usual narrative that Rome collapsed from within because of moral decadence. Of course, the story is more [Read More...]

The Swamp of Subjective Sentimentality

A friend commented about the same sex controversy saying that he has family members who are gay and they are furious with the Catholic church saying, “Who are they to define marriage?” In discussing the problem we observed that most Americans are now so enswamped by subjective sentimentalism that they cannot conceive of someone having [Read More...]

The Marriage Mess and the Room of Tears

Fr Barron writes brilliantly here on the threats posed to Christians in America today. He recognizes that, despite the reassuring words of Justice Kennedy that religious objections will be respected and recognized, that there is no logic to that position: Since same-sex marriage is now recognized as a fundamental human right guaranteed by the Constitution, those [Read More...]

The Rainbow Flag or the Confederate Flag?

Reactions to two flags in America sum up the nation’s mood. The Rainbow Flag has come to stand for the gay liberation movement. It has triumphed at the Supreme Court on Friday, and almost like the timing was planned,  the weekend saw Gay Pride parades across the world in which the rainbow flag was omnipresent. [Read More...]

Going for Baroque

  My article for Imaginative Conservative website this week is a critique and grudging admiration for the baroque style of church architecture. Am I the only one to be so unenthusiastic about the baroque period? Do others share my distaste for the plaster pilasters, the too clever painted ceilings and the faux architectural tricks or [Read More...]