"The crude Evangelical fixates on the historical reality of the six million. But for the Early Church, it was the spiritual significance of the Holocaust that informed practice."
@IFFFMEISTER If you accept these things on account of belief in the Magisterium, that's fine, but it seems to fit the definition of superstitious use in a way that the Bronze Serpent does not: no one reasonably interprets the Bronze Serpent as having its properties innately.
@IFFFMEISTER I wouldn't preclude Tobit absolutely on these grounds, but please do read the passage in question to see why it's particularly difficult: the fish guts are presented as having medicinal properties that repel evil spirits. It's uncomfortably close to sage burning.
@IncarnatedFiend It's funny, because it's the exact opposite for me. I'm frustrated by how much they cut, but I just can't stay mad at it, I had too much fun.
@geekyguyjay This is correct. However, I am not aware of any part of the Church that condoned abortion even prior to ensoulment, if they took that view. Nonetheless, you've got to ground these things in Scripture, and it's clear Talarico isn't scriptural in his thinking.
@IncarnatedFiend I actually disagree that the LNs minimize Richard's piety: it's not openly spoken of, but his religious guilt is a driving force for his actions. No-Name Assassin is a good comparison point here because both are driven by a sense of religious inadaquecy.
The great temptation and flaw in Presuppositional apologetics (at least with regards to these world questions) is that it is often prone to oversimplify and misapprehend its opponents, even if it does understand the spirit of the matter.
The genius of Presuppositional apologetics is that it exposes the slight of hand so-often played by Progressive elements: Marxism as "merely" a theory of history, Rawlsianism as the only pragmatic solution to pluralism.
@Qal_Qohelet What's a Lutheran who truly believes in the beauty and biblical nature of Lutheran theology and liturgy to do in these trying times? I think your critique that the Confessions are used to ignore current issues is often correct, but it's hard to see what ought to be done.
@Alkibiades_ I skimmed the paper, unless I'm mistaken, on Page 55 it lays out these "Christians" (Judean Partisans) and the "New Covenant Christians" as existing parallel, not one preceding or turning into the other. Drews simply argues the term "Christian" was applied first to the Partisans.
@woke8yearold As I understand it, the New Age and Terroristic strands of the New Left were both a response to the Nixon years. Some retreated inwards, others into increased violence. If I'm correct, I wonder if WitchTok and other comparable groups have grown since 2024.
@PatrologyVotary I've enjoyed the Making of Korean Christianity by Sung-Deuk Oak, which mostly deals with how Protestant missionaries navigated their relationship with Korean Shamanism. It also recounts a fair amount of the Roman experience of the same in China, being relevant to Korea.
I'm all for politically on-side pastors, but Leo yelling "THIS IS MAGA COUNTRY, FILIPINX" midway through his speech and having Tagle lynched from the obelisk was a bit excessive.
@babytoga02 To me at least, given of Romans 1 and 2, it seems that Paul here is laying out the conditions of the Jews under the Old Covenant, and arguing that they too are under the curse of the Law like the Gentiles. Paul speaks of our condition prior to our justifiction in Christ.
@hirotonfa Missouri is the only state to have a governor in office lead troops into battle. It also is the home of Mark Twain, fought a battle against Mormons, and had a number of border skirmishes with other states. Along with Arkansas, it also is the home of the beautiful Ozarks.
@hyxpk I suggest for the Priest (i) Josias, as it's a strong and firm sounding name, whilst being an older and more unusual name.
For (c) I suggest Christina, because, well, Christian, and I love her design and I love the name Christina