When Neutrality is Immoral: Israel, Hamas, and Christian Moral Equivalence
The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem have responded to the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel and ensuing war in Gaza with posture of moral equivalence, suggesting that both parties in the conflict share equal blame and equivalent moral responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Intellectually, this is an easy path to take. But is it morally right?
The Spiritual Life: Sacrifice – Path to Communion
The mystery of Christ’s sacrifice--our Paschal Lamb--is at the heart of the Christian faith. But the biblical notion of sacrifice is obscure to most people today. What does Christ’s sacrifice really mean? And how do the sacraments—especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist—manifest the Lord’s sacrifice? The sacrifices of the Old Testament help us to gain insight into these questions.
Jewish Oral Law and Catholic Sacred Tradition
I like to say that studying Judaism made me Catholic. Many years ago, I was a zealous, anti-Catholic evangelical Christian living in Jerusalem and active in the Messianic Jewish movement. Messianic believers are eager to rediscover the Jewish Jesus and the Jewish practices of the Early Church before it became tainted and compromised—so they say—with gentile beliefs and practices.
A Tale of Two Christian Universities
Franciscan University and Azusa Pacific University Reveal two radically different models of Christian higher education: while one is solidly rooted in the Bible and Christian tradition; the other is increasingly influenced by radical progressive ideas and in danger of losing its Christian identity.
The Bad News and the Good News: Original Sin and the Gospel Message
The doctrine of original sin is an essential component of the Christian faith. If catechists don’t explain well the nature, effect, and consequences of original sin, they will find it very difficult not only to address the major moral issues of our day, but also to effectively communicate the Gospel.
The Eucharist in its Jewish Context
Although the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life,” many Catholics are unfamiliar with its rich Old Testament and Jewish background. In this article, we will look at four aspects of this background: the king-priest Melchizedek, the Passover, the manna, and the bread of the Presence.
If I Forget You, O Jerusalem…
Catholics for Israel welcomes and applauds the decision of US President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to relocate the American Embassy there.
Israel, the Church, and Election
God has tied His saving and redemptive concern for the welfare of all men to His love for the people of Israel. Only those who love the people of Israel can love the God of Israel. Israel is thus God's first-born, most precious in His eyes. -- Michael Wyschogrod (1928-2015)
"Here the History of Humanity Was Decisively Changed."Here is the text of the address Benedict XVI gave during his visit to the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
Are you an evangelical Christian or a Messianic Jew? What makes Evangelicalism so attractive? What is the recipe for its success? What are the tensions and problems inherent in Evangelical Christianity? Does Messianic Judaism provide a solution or does it add new problems? If you are an Evangelical, in which direction is your faith tending: Stagnation/unbelief, liberalism, fundamentalism, or Catholicism? What are the main stumbling blocks that keep good believers from entering into the fullness of truth?
