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The "Hour of the Son of Man", Suffering, and Mary's Maternity

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The word hour appears twenty times throughout the Gospel of John. More often than not, Jesus uses it to symbolize the climactic event of His glorification through suffering (cf. John 12:23, 27, NRSVCE). “Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father” (John 13:1). This verse begins the Last Supper discourse, and the language signals that the decisive moment has truly “come.” In chapter 16, the word is used to foretell the suffering of the Apostles (John 16:2–4). Later in the same chapter, Jesus foretells their sorrow at His departure: “When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:21–22). Here, suffering is revealed as necessary for th...
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The Strengths and Limits of the Argument from Miracles

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The argument from miracles is often presented as a proof for the existence of God. However, its strength and persuasiveness are largely dependent upon the interpretive framework of its audience. This essay will argue that while miracles can serve as powerful confirmations of belief, their value as arguments against atheism is significantly limited by the epistemological commitments of non-theists. The epistemological restraint of atheists already disallows them to consider abstract or not immediately present evidence, which is the reason they are not theists. The effectiveness of miracle-based arguments is therefore derivative of the effectiveness of arguments from experience. Even if they were presented with a miracle before them, it is likely they would assert it is just a phenomenon that science does not yet have the capability to describe, predict, or affect—or that the laws of nature do not perfectly obtain at every moment and place. Sometimes even the greatest of miracles cannot...
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Where the World’s Definition of Freedom Leads

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Whenever someone asks, “why not?” Usually, it seems the right question has been asked, and it’s understood to mean there is not a sufficient reason to think contrary to what someone has said. It is dismissive framing, suggesting either/both ignoratio elenchi or intentional rhetoric to discredit the contrary without engaging counterarguments. This undermines credibility in balanced discourse, prioritizing persuasion over accuracy. This is not unlike the first sin tantamount to: "He said..." which is honest and responsible for the most part, and it is replied to with "but why not? after all, this is really what God is about..." This is similar to the way the world defines freedom or addresses any significant issue regulated by religion, i.e., an undiscerning, uninvestigating, daft, and disinterested Occam's razor interested in mere perpetual apathy via vincible and therefore culpable ignorance. This "ignorance is bliss and I unilaterally decide to strawman an...
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The Role Sad Songs and Rock Can Have in Healing and Conversion

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"Come to life I remember this Just like paradise (And cyanide) Take a bite The taste of all your sin You've lost your appetite (For sacrifice)" These lyrics come to us from a brand-new song "Silos" by Starset. Before we begin our discussion, I must restrain the category for you lest you think I am discussing something that includes a broader category than my meaning. By rock music, I am not thinking about any song with electric guitar and not even [any with gravelly vocals]. I do mean music, which, in the delivery as well as lyrics, demonstrates some truth about the effects of sin and belief held by those broken by the pain of abuse, regret, and relational strife. By sad songs, I am actually expanding that category to include most of rap, pop, and hip-hop, because the sadness conveyed is not only whether the song is in a minor key but also demonstrative of that selfsame darkness invited in by sins, both our own and that of those we love. In either case, it is m...
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Law & Virtue: Freedom Refined for True Goodness

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The Seven Virtues, Piero and Antonio Pollaiuolo and Botticelli Depicted from left-to-right: Fortitude ~ Temperance ~ Faith ~ Charity ~ Hope ~ Justice ~ Prudence If you have ever observed a significant amount of rhetoric on any contentious issue, then you would have observed an attempt to frame an objective reality subjectively, some ad hominem attacks, and even some conclusions/premises posed without evidence. This comes largely from the cultural inability to either form arguments or a disbelief in objective reality. However, more fundamentally, there is hardly ever a common definition of freedom. What is freedom, and do we have it? True freedom is the aspect of rational man to choose the good (according to the nature of a thing, in that it is some way desirable and that it has its essence in completeness or in that an action contributes or derives from the completeness of an act, thus an act not completely good is evil and it correspond to an imperfection in the actor and lacks being ...
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Evangelizing Cultures and the Freedom Brought by Christ

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Otto Friedrich Theodor von Möller, John's Sermon on Patmos A general response to: How did the Jewish laws affect Paul's ministry? How did the early Christian's allegiance to Jewish law (ie. dietary law, circumcision) make ministry difficult when addressing both Jews and Gentiles? The Christian call to conversion requires a profound transformation of heart, rooted in faith and love, yet it must also respect the cultural identities of those being evangelized. Jesus Himself proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” and “the time is fulfilled… repent and believe in the gospel”  (Matt 4:17, Mark 1:15).  Scripture and Church teaching warn against both extremes: imposing unnecessary cultural practices can suffocate the Gospel—“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery”—and unbounded relativism can dilute it—“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us” ...
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Humility: Respecting Human Dignity in Everyday Life

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Every person is a galaxy of parts and mystery : traumas and joys, virtues and vices, all bound together in the same struggle toward Heaven. We are shaped by our upbringing and by critical moments of development, yet often burdened by despair when the path seems too difficult. In every circumstance, we carry our cross and confront our finitude, recognizing our need for God’s love, grace, and providence—His forgiveness, guidance for the future, and knowledge of His past mercies. Our specialized education may make us superior in one area but inferior in many others; we are at once beautiful and broken. We perceive reality sometimes as it is, sometimes as we wish it to be, shaped by both opinion and orthodox belief. We strive to love, yet fail frequently, perpetuating wounds in ourselves and others, for we are social creatures. Ultimately, Christ will separate the wheat from the chaff and the sheep from the goats  (Matthew 25:31–46) , dealing with each according to our deeds—leading ei...
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