One of the titles used by the pope is “Pontifex Maximus”. Literally, this means “chief bridge builder”, if the Latin etymology is correct. “Pontifex” may be derived from the Etruscan “preparer of the road”, which is similar to “bridge builder”.
Feb 14 2020
The Lateran Council, the Universe, and Time’s Beginning
Firmly we believe and we confess simply that the true God is one alone … creator of all visible and invisible things, of the spiritual and of the corporal; who by His own omnipotent power at once from the beginning of time created each creature from nothing, spiritual and corporal, namely, angelic and mundane, and finally the human, constituted as it were, alike of the spirit and the body
Feb 02 2020
The Presentation of Jesus, The Purification of Mary
Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord (Luke 2, Leviticus 12)
Feb 01 2020
Proof texting, the Bible, and the Church
Providing a quote from the Bible seems like a good thing if you’re trying to convince someone else about what the Bible teaches. But often enough, you get another verse back at you, without context. That’s proof texting.
Jan 24 2020
Coronaviruses and Catholics
Everyone now knows about the Wuhan coronavirus, aka 2019-nCoV, a betacoronavirus related to the SARS coronavirus that has emerged from China. It has spread to various locations around the world, not in large numbers though. Human-to-human spread is possible; the details of how and when are not yet clear. If virus only transmits when the person is symptomatic (like other viruses in this group), it will be fairly easy to control. China has closed various borders. The big unknown is that China has been less than honest with the result of the world.
Jan 04 2020
Is Pope Francis intending to resign soon?
That looks a little like preparation for the end of his papacy. Should we be concerned? Are there other subtle signs, like the one where Pope Benedict XVI laid his pallium on the tomb of Pope Celestine V?
Jan 03 2020
Aggressive woman grabs Pope Francis, gets a well-deserved #popeslap on the wrist
On New Year’s Eve, Pope Francis was greeting people who were behind a barricade. As he was turning away, a woman grabbed his hand and pulled, nearly pulling him over. He tried to pull his hand away, clearly in pain, and she refused to let it go. He was trapped in her grasp and could not get free. So he followed that up with a slap on her wrist. She finally loosened her grip (with the help of the security guy) and he was able to pull his hand away. Surrounding spectators looked at her in disgust.
Jan 01 2020
The Hermits of Westray withdraw from the Catholic Church
The hermits of Westray are a group of Catholics (now ex-Catholics) who have voiced their dissent from Pope Francis’ teaching. They resided in the Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles in Scotland. They formally withdrew from communion with Rome and Pope Francis sometime in April 2019, perhaps a bit before. Their formal act of schism has now been recognised by their bishop, Bishop Brian McGee, who has made the position official from his side by issuing a formal excommunication.
Dec 22 2019
Christmas resources – 2019
Dec 21 2019
Not only did humans evolve from monkeys, but we ARE monkeys
The terms “ape” and “monkey” are not really scientific terms; they’re English terms and the supposed scientific difference came in with outdated classification systems that saw monkeys were smaller with tails and apes were bigger with no tails. There are not apes with tails, but there are tail-less monkeys such as the Barbary Ape, which, by the way, is indeed a monkey and not an ape.
Dec 01 2019
Replacing Jesus with the sabbath, the Adventist way
If you listen to what Adventists say about the sabbath, and replace the word “sabbath” with “Jesus”, you hear the truth. If you don’t replace it, you hear false teaching about a day of the week. This has often been pointed out to me, and I’ve found it works a lot of the time. But not alway as clearly as this post on the “Jesus is a Zebra” blog.
Nov 01 2019
Susan and Chad, the contrasting parish council couple
With the recent revelation that Susan and Chad (both from the Parish Council) are, in fact, a married Catholic couple with divergent views, I wondered how on earth these two could be a happily married couple. Apparently with 8 children (in total between them from current and previous marriages). One of whom is gay.
Oct 26 2019
Is Jesus in the “secret chambers”?
This teaching is an Adventist invention allowing them to pretend that their 1844 prophecies were still valid. Jesus failed to return in 1844. Their prophecies were proven false. So they claimed that he was in the secret chambers, and his entry was what really happened in 1844.
Sep 01 2019
Quiz: The Sabbath in Acts 13 – Part 2
Acts 13:42-44 (KJV) – And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Aug 30 2019
Quiz: The Sabbath in Acts 13 – Part 1
Acts 13:14 (KJV) – But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.Act 13:42 – And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.Acts 13:44 …
Jul 31 2019
Bible Quiz – the day and hour of Jesus’ return
Jun 01 2019
Are there examples of Christian sabbath observance in Acts?
Adventists claim that there are biblical examples of Christian sabbath observance in the book of Acts.
May 31 2019
Hate mail from an Adventist, May 2019
I got some lovely hate mail from a guy called David Winston. I thought it would be good to share here. It shows how nasty Adventists can be, and how their hatred blinds them to any factual evidence contrary to their way of viewing the world.
May 31 2019
Acts 13 – Returning to hear Paul the next sabbath?
If Paul observed Sunday and wasn’t keeping the sabbath by preaching in the synagogues on the sabbath, why didn’t he just tell the people to come to his sermon the next day …
