The Christian Vanguard

I have a small debate on the existence of God coming up with one of the philosophy professors at LBCC for our Philosophy Club. It's short, and only an hour, so, my statement is about ten minutes. Nothing original, just what Edward Feser has been saying for a while. I figure it might be a good idea just to put up here for future reference. Prayers appreciated for my debate coming up Thursday! 

I can't groove. I wish I could, but I can't even if my life depended on it. Well, okay, I can, but just not well. While I would like to dismiss this as some trivial social thing, like playing some board game like chess or something, I don't think I can, and this is becoming more apparent to me as I try to look for a lover.

There may be an inconsistency in my thinking about marriage (yes, another marriage post. Sorry). On one hand, I believe in arranged marriages. I think this is very Biblical. Adam and Eve were an arranged marriage, and they are supposed to be models of how we humans are supposed to be in a state of grace, for which Jesus died, to restore us to our Edenic glory, and then some. On the other hand, I think it is a bit foolish that couples get engaged, or married, too early. What exactly is the tension here? 

I've dipped my toe back in the dating scene. I'm not dating, but I've started investing a little more in my friendships with women. Women I wouldn't mind dating. This is probably a bad idea though, as I can't really afford to invest this time anyways. But why do I desire this? What about marriage makes a man want to spend himself so much? Many of my philosopher friends will say that it is because marriage is a good, and goods are worth pursuing for precisely that reason. While I agree that marriage is a good, it's a little more than that. Pitching it as a mere good is to sell it short. Marriage isn't just good, it's sacred.  When I reflect on that, I become a little embarrassed. When I think of things that are sacred, I have in mind something reverent and so glorious, that it keeps one silent. "Be still and know that I am God" says the Bible. When I am in front of the blessed sacrament, I am quite, still, at ease, at peace, etc. Or if I we...

Cecil the Lion is in the news again, and some people don't see the point to hunting, saying it's inhumane or whatever (well, yes, lions are not humans, duh). Scruton takes the objection and flips it on it's head. Hunting, he says, is a participation of our species with theirs. It's getting in touch with our animal roots. It's is part of being in the community of species. This is what other animals do: they hunt. If we want to be part of the animal community, we should hunt. So, far from it being a practice of dominance and over lording, it's a recognition that we are in some sense like them. It should also be noted that his type of hunting is vastly different from the American type of hunting. He wears ironed and pressed clothing, he has horses, trumpets, hounds, antique looking guns, etc. There is a class and civilization in his presenting his humanity to the other animals. This is what distinguishes himself from the other animals, this culture. You are a ...

I was once assigned a "How-To" project. That is, I had to go up in front of the class, and demonstrate to them all how to do something. I was given about a week to think of something, but being who I am, I procrastinated, and didn't even bother until the night before. Nothing came to mind, so I just decided to take an F on the assignment. Before I left to school that morning, my mom packed my lunch, which was really just sandwich parts I needed to put together. Figuring I had nothing really to lose, I decided to show everyone how to make a sandwich, and I would just make stuff up as I went along.  So, I made up rules and legends about the types of breads that were acceptable with the types of meats. And I would put everything together, trying to make commentary on every ingredient that I put on there. One thing that I didn't make up was the rule that you don't put tomatoes in contact with the bread, because the moisture will thin out and break the bread. And as...

I have some friends on Facebook ( add me !). Many of them are Catholic, and there's this guy, Glenn Peoples, whom I've had some brief exchanges with. He's not a FB friend of mine, but we have a lot of mutual friends. I don't know much about him, but he seems like a nice and respectable dude (from exploring his website, I was impressed to see that he had too get through Edward Feser to receive his degree). So, on more than one occasion, I have seen him post this one post about the Canon  when debating my Catholic friends. It's long, and somewhat detailed, and from what I can tell, none of my friends have bothered to actually respond to it. So, I put it off and put it on my list of things I've wanted to set aside some time for and respond to. Well, I found some time, and here it is.

A point was made to me the other day, which somewhat changed my mind on the relationship between how we live and how we believe. It used to be the case that I believed that the two were loosely related, but not much stock could be taken into it. After all, we're all sinners, and we all believe we ought to be a saint, and so there is a disconnect, but the relationship between the two isn't all that strong. You wouldn't say, "Well, since you act like a little devil but believe you ought to be an angel, you clearly don't believe it, or else you wouldn't be a diablito." I mean, part of me knew there was a connection. Habits become character, overflow of the heart and all that jazz  But then it was pointed out to me how much of the Roman Church is in trouble because of the practices. So, for example, a minority of Catholics believe in the Real Presence. This is reflected in the way we handle the host. Instead of treating it with the utmost reverence and ca...