One thing I was certain about when I became Catholic: I knew I would not be a Cafeteria Catholic – picking and choosing what suited me. If I thought I’d have that attitude, then I could’ve saved myself a lot of trouble and remained Protestant. (For what else is Sola Scriptura but the ultimate all-you-can-eat
Life, As I Find It I was raised to be a church-going boy. My formative years were spent as a Baptist where weekly doses of Gospel preaching and Bible teaching told me everything I needed to know about accepting Jesus into my heart. Yet, for all of the sermons and studies and Bible reading, it
One of the things I didn’t expect when I became a Catholic was how my “conversion” would bring to light what people really thought of me. And, admittedly, I wasn’t happy with what I learned. On one occasion a close Protestant friend, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, tossed out this anticipatory statement:
Life, As I Find It God can redeem our worst efforts, but we shouldn’t keep putting Him in a position where He has to. These are the words I often hear myself saying at writers’ conferences or in conversation about the arts. I determined, as an Evangelical Protestant and most certainly as a Catholic, that
Bigotry Life, As I Find It I shudder to think of it now. There I was at a CS Lewis conference and the esteemed teacher Peter Kreeft had been talking about ten things to learn from JRR Tolkien about evil. A brilliant talk. And, at the break, I had a chance to corner Kreeft to
Drive-By Advice Life, As I Find It I’ve been grateful to those who wrote with advice about handling my Evangelical Protestant friends and family. The only problem, I think, is that some of the advice assumes two things. First, that I’m talking to a willing or eager non-Catholic who really wants to know about it.
Life, As I Find It One of my experiences with my Evangelical-Protestant friends after I became Catholic involved Drive-By incidents. You know the kind: a fast comment, often sarcastic or corrective, with little chance for response. So, I would get hit with Drive-By Bible Verses that are meant to rebuke Catholic teaching, or receive the
Life, As I Find It My work often takes me to England – a country I love, in no small part because my wife is English and my son was born there. I have gone with friends and co-workers who sometimes surprise me with their reactions to things that are unfamiliar. One might say, “That’s
Life, As I Find It I remember reading about a condition, long thought to exist in babies, where an item only existed if it was within sight. The moment it went out of sight, it no longer existed. The phenomenon was called “Object Permanence” and many psychologists have subscribed to the notion, especially for children
