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The Bible can be intimidating.It’s a big, thick book—much longer than most books people read. It’s also ancient. The most recent part of it was penned almost 2,000 years ago. That means it’s not written in a modern style. It can seem strange and unfamiliar to a contemporary person. Even more intimidating is that it shows us our sins and makes demands on our lives.No wonder some people hesitate to take the plunge and start reading the Bible!But each of the things that can make it intimidating is …

What Was Hitler’s Religion?Adolf Hitler was one of the most evil figures of the 20th century. His ideology of war and racism led to millions of deaths.What was it that drove him to adopt the abominable policies he did? Did his views on religion play any role in this?There’s a startling lack of information on this subject in the public sphere—and much of what you hear is wrong.So let’s set the record straight.Ideologues Have IdeasI’ve looked into the question of Hitler’s religion for decades. I r …

During the season of Advent we are awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ. This brings the divinity of Christ into sharp focus. Here's an excerpt on this subject from The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early ChurchAnother error regarding the Trinity appeared in the 300s, when a priest named Arius asserted that Jesus was not actually God but was a created being—the first of all created beings. The ensuing controversy led to the first ecumenical council—Nicaea …

The history of Christianity is one of debate. As the Gospels reveal, Jesus was challenged right from the start. Rival schools like the Pharisees and Sadducees posed pointed questions to him, trying to trap him in his words and even to get him in trouble with the authorities. Some of Jesus’ most famous statements were responses to challenges from his critics:“What God has joined together, let man not put asunder.”“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”“Render unto Caesar what is Caesa …

Is everything the Church teaches infallible? How can you tell what is and what isn’t? Just how much weight are we supposed to give to particular teachings?As Catholics, we trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding the Church, and much of the time, we do not have a pressing need to determine the precise level of authority of a particular statement in a magisterial document. But sometimes we do, particularly in apologetic contexts: Liberal dissenters may try to dismiss teachings that are …