“If you want peace, work for justice.” – Pope Paul VI
“If you want justice, work for chastity.” – Pope John Paul II

This begins a serious of articles I have decided to write in defense of the Catholic Church and her controversial teachings in our current post-modern culture. I have entitled this series “Catholisense” because this is a mystical apologetic rather than a theological one. It is my belief that the presence and teachings of the Catholic Church are not outdated or irrelevant but rather necessary. Indeed, I will argue it is the very presence alone of the Catholic Church and the Vatican that is preventing our society from falling off a cliff of self destruction. Continue Reading »

Technorati Tags: abortion, birth control, Catholic Church, Catholic Mysticism, Catholisense, Christian Mysticism, moral idealism, sexuality, Vatican

Brian Roberston has posted a good comparison between the teaching of Jesus and the Tao Te Ching on his blog Christian Mystics. Here are some excerpts below:

“What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose their souls?” Luke 9:25
“To be proud with wealth and honor is to sow the seeds ofyour own downfall.” Tao Te Ching 9

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21
“The sage wears rough clothing and holds the jewel in his heart.” Tao Te Ching 70

“The least among all you of is the greatest.” Luke 9:49
“The best of people is like water. Water gives life to all things and does not compete with them. It flows in places people reject and so is like the Tao.” Tao Te Ching 8

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Technorati Tags: Christian Mysticism, Lao Tzu, Tao of Christ, Tao of Jesus, Tao Te Ching, Teachings of Jesus

Matt Stone, on his blog Global Christianity, brought attention to a YouTube posted discussion between Father George Coyne and Richard Dawkins. This is an amazingly disciplines and reasonable discussion, the likes of which I want to see more of:

Original Post on Matt Stone’s Blog

Related Post:
How Science and Religion Can Play Nicely Together (And Should!)

Technorati Tags: evolution, Father George Coyne, intelligent design, religion, Richard Dawkins, science, Science and Religion, science vs religion

The gods are angry!
Oh, what have we done?
Our doom is coming!
There’s nowhere to run!

We sacrificed every virgin, on an altar so high.
Yet the dark clouds are still building, we are going to die.

We killed all the outsiders, who wandered into our tribe.
Yet the earth is still rumbling, the gods rejected our bribe.

We hung all the prophets, and burned all the books in fire.
Yet the volcano still rages, our future still dire.

We locked up the criminals, and punished all the sinners.
Yet the crops are still barren, we remain the offenders.

We spent all of our gold, building temples and tall statues.
Yet our people are starving, our people the gods abuse.

We conquered the heathens, only our righteous tribe remains.
Yet our flesh is still boiling, there is no rest from our pain.

The gods are angry!
Oh, what have we done?

Technorati Tags: funny poetry, ironic poetry, mystic poetry, Poetry