New York Times has an article about the questions to be asked of prospective priests–a lot about sex, cold showers, and masturbation–apparently nothing about conversion or faith in Jesus. Via Mike Hayes, who has some comments of his own.

GetReligion on why the media paid no attention to the story.

The Executive Committee of the Michigan Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has decided that LaSierra University is in “apostasy”; consequently, they will no longer be giving financial assistance to the children of employees who wish to study there. Reports at Spectrum and Educate Truth. This action has tremendous ecclesiological implications that are barely hinted…

We watched “The Princess and the Frog” last night. What a disappointment. Why does Disney have to inject spiritualism into nearly every cartoon? In this movie, the villain was a Voodoo practitioner, aided by evil spirits–magic was also used on the other side by Mama Odie. What is Disney trying to teach children? And why…

Interesting post by “Chaplain Mike”: “What I Like about Lutheran Baptism” (via John H).

I suggested in a recent column at Adventist Today that the “emerging church” is characterized by diversity of approach; while I have serious theological differences with some people associated with it (especially under the “Emergent” brand), I think there is much we can learn from the movement. The two writers associated with the “emerging church”…

The primary revelation of the final episode of Lost was that the whole “flash sideways” world was really a sort of Buddhist purgatory that all the “Lost” folks who ever died (or will die) constructed so that they could “find” each other, remember their good times together, and “let go” of all their attachments (except…

I don’t see how the Episcopal Church in the US can be considered a Christian church in any sense of the term after the consecration in Los Angeles of a lesbian bishop, Mary Glasspool, through pagan rites. Watch the video, linked here.

Michael Liccione discusses the case of the Phoenix nun said to have excommunicated herself.

My latest column at Adventist Today. I’ve been following the series by AToday blogger Herb Douglass on the “Emerging/Emergent Church” with interest, and would like to offer some of my reflections on the subject. Like Herb, I’ve seen enough fads come and go that I have become a little cynical. And he’s right–a lot of…

I’m back from my two weeks in Idaho (as my Facebook friends already know). It was annual training for my National Guard unit. I’m with an aviation battalion, and our Apaches spent the better part of two weeks practicing gunnery at Gowen Field and the Orchard Training Area. I spent my days wandering around between…

The question of the ordination of women has been heating up in the Adventist church recently, following a sermon by Doug Batchelor (who is opposed). He elaborates his position here. Others opposed have included Sam Pipim and the late Sam Bacchiocchi. For examples of writings on the other side, one can point to various articles…

Catholic social teaching employs the phrase, “structures of sin,” to describe those social structures that are rooted in human sin–structures that give concrete expression to, and are formed to enable and further, personal sin. See, for example, this from Pope John Paul II (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 36): If the present situation can be attributed to…