Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 94

Zayn Malik, Cinderella and What Women Want

This week I went to see Branagh’s Cinderella with my daughter.  It was a delight. I’ll write more on Cinderella and the use of fairy tales later today, but first it occurred to me that the Cinderella story linked up with another news item this week–the departure of a British boy band singer named Zayn Makik from [Read More...]

Why It’s Impossible to Be a Catholic

It’s those ten commandments. They’re impossible! Not long ago I had an email correspondence with a man who was divorced and remarried. He asked why the church could not be more “forgiving”. By this I think he meant that he wanted the church to say his second marriage was okay, or maybe he wanted me [Read More...]

Why Indiana’s Religious Freedom Bill Will Backfire

Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a new bill which guarantees religious freedom in the state. I am glad for these efforts and agree with what is a very reserved and cautious law–which balances religious freedom with equal rights. But I think it is going to backfire. Here’s why: The issue of “equal rights” in our society [Read More...]

Chust for Nice – Annunciation

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March 25, Frodo Baggins and the End of the World

Today is Ladyday–the Solemnity of the Annunciation and yes, you can break your Lenten fast to celebrate. You can also celebrate the end of the world and J.R.R.Tolkien reading day. Here’s why: Tolkien, a devout Catholic, wove his Catholicism into The Lord of the Rings in a very profound  and subtle way. If you check out the [Read More...]

Jeb and Hillary – A Dastardly Dynasty?

Are we really going to be faced with either the Bush dynasty or the Clinton dynasty in next year’s presidential election? What kind of a republic elects members of a dynastic family to rule? A failing republic if I remember my history. I don’t know much Roman history beyond I, Claudius but if I’m not mistaken the [Read More...]

Cardinal Kasper vs. Cardinal Newman

  My latest article for National Catholic Register comments on Cardinal Kasper’s recent speech in which he says the upcoming synod will be a battle. The German cardinal continues to propose a “pastoral approach” to the thorny issue of communion for divorced and remarried Catholics. While any pastor knows that this problem is difficult to [Read More...]

Bob Jones’ Apology? This From a Bob Jones Grad

Splashed across the headlines today is the news that Bob Jones III–Chancellor, former president and grandson of the founder of Bob Jones University, has apologized for some inflammatory remarks about homosexuals thirty five years ago. USAToday carries the story here. Back in 1980 Bob Jones stated that he thought homosexuals should be stoned. Now he [Read More...]

Scientific Evidence for God?

In an article published last Christmas Eric Metaxas points out how our increasing scientific knowledge points increasingly to the existence of God. The existence of the God of the Bible isn’t revealed by scientific lab tests. Instead, Metals points out how we are gaining more and more information about the uniqueness of life on earth, [Read More...]

The Terminator – Will the Machines Take Over?

Just last night I was talking with the sixteen year old about the sci-fi possibility that the machines will take over. Will computers take over? Will the Terminator scenario–the rise of the machines really happen? In this article from the Daily Telegraph Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak suggests just that: “Computers are going to take over from [Read More...]