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Considering Catholicism

Considering Catholicism

477 episodes — Page 7 of 10

Ep 177AI, Robots, and Reality (#177)

Within the next few years, artificial intelligence paired with mass-scale robotics manufacturing will change our economy, workplaces, and daily lives in ways we can't imagine. But our belief in technology as the solution to our problems and a means to shaping the world to our desires runs up against a Catholic vision of humanity, the place and role of science, and the nature of reality. In this bonus episode, Greg shares his thoughts from a couple of years ago on "plastic modernity." Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Jan 26, 202426 min

Ep 176Is the Catholic Church Still Catholic? (#176)

If you're reading the news, you might be thinking that the Catholic Church is abandoning Catholic doctrine, morality, and tradition. It's like the old joke about whether the pope is Catholic. Greg and Cory explore this question and explain that, just as a human body gets sick when it fights a virus or infection, the body of the Church is showing the symptoms of fighting the viruses and bacteria of post-modern civilization. The Holy Spirit will pull her through, and eventually, she'll develop immunities, but it might be a wild ride as she fights the infection. See also: What Happened to Catholicism in America Over the Last 50 Years? Part 1 What Happened to Catholicism in America Over the Last 30 Years? Part 2 Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Jan 25, 202448 min

Ep 175Speed Bumps on the Road to Rome, Part 3: Doctrinal Questions (#175)

People who are considering Catholicism, especially those coming from Protestant or Evangelical backgrounds, are sometimes hesitant to commit because of doctrinal differences between Catholicism and what they were raised to believe. Greg and Cory explain why, in many cases, these are the easiest speed bumps to overcome on the way to becoming Catholic. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Jan 22, 202431 min

Ep 174Speed Bumps on the Road to Rome, Part 2: Historical Baggage (#174)

People who are considering Catholicism are sometimes hesitant to commit because of its historical baggage. Incidents like the Crusades, sexual abuse, or financial scandals can be a barrier to joining the Church. Greg and Cory share some perspective on the Church's very real, and sometimes exaggerated, historical baggage. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Jan 18, 202441 min

Ep 173Speed Bumps on the Road to Rome, Part 1: Cultural Barriers (#173)

Many folks who are considering Catholicism have to overcome hurdles or barriers on their road to the Church. In this three-part series, Greg and Cory take on these speed bumps. This first installment, they explore the Catholic cultural barriers that can make non-Catholics uncomfortable. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Jan 15, 202444 min

Ep 172Catholicism vs. Communism (#172)

Marxism has been in the news again lately. Cultural Marxism (i.e., "wokeism," DEI, and radical social justice movements) and various globalist ideologies try to challenge, undermine, and overwhelm historic Catholic Christianity despite every pope since the mid-1800s specifically condemning Marxism and communism. Every Marxist or communist government around the globe has persecuted Christians and the Catholic Church. In this episode, Greg explains why Catholicism and Communism (Marxism) are diametrically opposed to each other and can never be reconciled—not as a matter of economics, but as a matter of faith and worldview. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Jan 12, 202431 min

Ep 171Three Questions About Baptism (#171)

All Christian churches practice the sacrament of baptism, but they don't all understand it in the same way. From a Catholic perspective, Greg answers three questions: 1) Why do we baptize? 2) Who/what/when/where do we baptize? 3) Why did Jesus get baptized by John the Baptist if Jesus had no sin? Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Jan 9, 202437 min

Ep 170Armor for the Battle (#170)

As our society kicks out the load-bearing walls of the civilization that Catholicism built, things are going to get weirder and darker. Spiritual warfare and demonic activity will become more obvious. But we have armor and weapons for times like these. Greg shares two powerful Catholic prayers of protection. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected] ******************************************* **The Lorica/Breastplate of St. Patrick** I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. I arise today Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. I arise today Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In the obedience of angels, In the service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, In the predictions of prophets, In the preaching of apostles, In the faith of confessors, In the innocence of holy virgins, In the deeds of righteous men. I arise today, Through the strength of heaven, The light of the sun, The radiance of the moon, The splendor of fire, The speed of lightning, The swiftness of wind, The depth of the sea, The stability of the earth, The firmness of rock. I arise today, Through God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to save me From snares of devils, From temptation of vices, From everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and near. I summon today All these powers between me and those evils, Against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of pagandom, Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul; Christ to shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that there may come to me an abundance of reward. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. ***************************

Jan 5, 202421 min

Ep 169My Story and the Purpose of this Podcast (#169)

On the second anniversary of the podcast, Greg finally tells his own story: how he became a Christian, his life as a Protestant, and his conversion to Catholicism. Learn why he started this podcast, what motivates him, and the vision to take it to the next level. Support the Vision 2024 campaign: https://givebutter.com/dbN25v Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected] 1 Timothy 4:1-5: “Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Jan 2, 202454 min

Ep 168Snapshot: Is Mary Really the ”Mother of God?” (#168)

On January 1, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. For most American Protestants, especially evangelicals and Pentecostals, the idea that Mary could be called “the Mother of God” is jarring, even offensive. But as Greg explains, this ancient truth only reinforces the power of the Gospel. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Mary

Dec 28, 202322 min

Ep 167Snapshot: Is the Christian Life Worth It? (#167)

Anyone considering ancient and biblical Christianity, particularly Catholicism, has to ask, “Why does the Christian life have to be so hard? If God wants us to follow him, why doesn't he just make it easier? Is living the Christian life, as the Catholic Church lays it out, worth it?" Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Christianity, Christian Life

Dec 26, 202314 min

Ep 166Christmas Snapshot: Mary’s Place in the Manger (#166)

What was Mary doing in the manger? Obviously she gave birth to Jesus among the sheep, but why her? Why was she chosen? And did her role end once he was born and raised? As Greg explains, Mary's place in the manger, and the Church that would eventually come from it, was and is far more significant than we realize. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Christianity, Mary, Christmas

Dec 22, 202318 min

Ep 165New Age But the Same Old Devil (#165)

Part 2 of Greg's conversation with Angie Griffith, a Considering Catholicism listener who spent over a decade as a music industry executive in Nashville. After COVID lockdowns disrupted her career, she found herself immersed in New Age religion as a way to "manifest" success in online businesses and podcasting. But she has since burned her Tarot cards, crushed her crystals, and is entering the Catholic Church. Angie is the host of the "You Get What I'm Saying" podcast. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Christianity, conversion, the occult

Dec 21, 202346 min

Ep 164From New Age Nashville and On the Road to Rome (#164)

Angie Griffith spent more than ten years as an executive in the music industry in Nashville. She was also enmeshed in New Age religion. Then the Holy Spirit, through a range of events and influences (including the Considering Catholicism Podcast), opened her eyes. She burned her Tarot cards, smashed her crystals, and began taking steps to enter the Roman Catholic Church. In this episode, Angie shares her story. In the next episode (#165), she and Greg explore the seduction of New Age beliefs and practices. Angie is the host of the "You Get What I'm Saying" podcast. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Christianity, conversion, the occult

Dec 18, 202346 min

Ep 163Snapshot: Is Christianity Impractical or Impossible? (#163)

If you’re not crazy for being a Christian, can you realistically pull it off? Because living out your faith, living the Christian life, in the face of all of the struggles of this world and all that life in general throws at us? Well, that can sometimes seem impractical or even impossible. So, is Christianity impractical? I mean, can anyone really live this way? YouTube: Is Christianity Impractical? YouTube: Is Christianity Crazy? Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Christianity, doctrine, culture

Dec 15, 202312 min

Ep 162Snapshot: Is Christianity Crazy? (#162)

How do all the agnostics, atheists, secularists, nihilists, and neopagans that make up our 21st-century culture view the Christian religion? Culturally, we’re living through the last days of the new Roman world. And how did the Romans view Christians? Generally, they thought that they were crazy. They considered the Christian religion silly and nonsensical and Christians to be dangerous anarchists, a threat to the order and worship of the State, to the civil religion of the empire. That’s what the establishment, the elites, the deep state, think of you and me: we’re dangerous because we worship a crazy religion instead of the technocratic bureaucracy of the modern globalist elites. So, is Christianity crazy? An insane idea? A nutty religion? Are Christians just wacko religious extremists? Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Christianity, doctrine, culture

Dec 13, 202312 min

Ep 161Searching for a Christmas Playlist (#161)

Every year, Greg tries to build a new Christmas playlist on his phone, and every year, he realizes how few decent Christmas carols there are. Why not? Why haven't any new Christmas carols been written in the last 100 years or more? Ed the Protestant and Cory lend their insights into the problem. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Christmas, Christmas music

Dec 11, 202345 min

Ep 160Good Popes, Bad Popes, Mostly Average Popes (#160)

A listener named John asks, "What about bad popes who lived immoral lives, etc? How can they lead the Church?" As Greg explains, there have been good popes, bad popes, and mostly average popes, but the office of the seat of Peter is greater than any man who occupies it. Listen to two previous episodes about the papacy: #38: “A Protestant Asks, ”Why Do Catholics Have a Pope?” #39 “More Protestant Questions About the Pope: Can He Just Make Stuff Up?” Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, pope, papacy

Dec 8, 202317 min

Ep 159Snapshot: Discover Advent (#159)

We have begun Advent, the liturgical season of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Advent means "coming" or "arriving," but what, exactly, is coming? And has it all arrived yet? To learn more, watch the series of four videos, "Discover Advent:" Part 1: https://youtu.be/DxxC6UkyMGM?si=4_ysAk9YE165btSy Part 2: https://youtu.be/d0dST3iZKs4?si=iJa1n6yrpxkdZLOk Part 3: https://youtu.be/RwFjqu0zuVg?si=vPINRPz-hgwWIy3p Part 4: https://youtu.be/rTVP5iFnOwQ?si=UxhhotIV_wfoCwkm Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/consideringcatholicism Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Advent, Christmas, Christ

Dec 4, 202310 min

Ep 158Snapshot: Stuff Jesus Never Said (#158)

Those who want to change the Church's teaching on homosexuality and same-sex marriage like to argue from Jesus' silence on the issue: "If Jesus didn't bother mentioning it in the gospels, it shouldn't matter." Protestants have made similar arguments against Catholicism for 500 years. Greg points out that this is a crazy standard, because there are a whole lot of things that Jesus never talked about that we recognize as essential to Christian morality, ethics, and social justice. Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/consideringcatholicism Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, doctrine, morality, homosexuality, same sex marriage

Nov 29, 202312 min

Ep 157The Crusades (#157)

Ed asks about the Crusades: did the Catholic Church really launch brutal wars of colonization, invading Muslim ancestral lands with hordes of Catholic knights to rape, pillage, and steal the Middle East? Greg explains that much of what people think they know comes from Hollywood and isn't exactly what happened. Buy Me a Coffee? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/consideringcatholicism Write me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Crusades, Catholic History

Nov 27, 202331 min

Ep 156Snapshot: Christ the King (#156)

In the last snapshot ("The End of Ordinary Time"), Greg pointed out that the Catholic Church has a major feast to celebrate the end of ordinary time and the liturgical year. That feast is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, or Christ the King. It anchors us in the truth of Christ's supremacy and gives us hope that whatever the world throws at us, he is greater. Buy Me a Coffee? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/consideringcatholicism Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, time, liturgical calendar

Nov 25, 20239 min

Ep 155Snapshot: The End of Ordinary Time (#155)

Ordinary Time is coming to an end, very soon. If that sounds alarming and weird to you, then listen to this short explanation of the Catholic conception of time, and the cycles and landmarks that ought to define our lives. Buy Me a Coffee? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/consideringcatholicism Send me an email: [email protected] Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, time, liturgical calendar

Nov 22, 202311 min

Ep 154Charity and Social Justice (#154)

Ed the Protestant asks about the Catholic Church's commitment to charity and the poor. Greg explains where that comes from and the related but very different concept of Catholic Social Justice. Support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, charity, social justice

Nov 20, 202337 min

Ep 153Listener Questions, Part 2 (#153)

Greg answers questions sent in by listeners (send your own to [email protected]): "I'm a recent convert to Catholicism, but my wife is still Protestant. We disagree over which church to raise our children in. My wife loves the passion of her evangelical church and Catholics seem so lukewarm. Do y9u have any advice?" "When the priest consecrates the Eucharist, how does the Catholic Church know that he's doing it correctly? How can it be sure that its liturgies and formulas actually work?" Support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, family, sacraments

Nov 15, 202334 min

Ep 152Demons (#152)

What does the Catholic Church teach about Satan and demons? Is he, or are they, the opposing force in the universe to God and angels? What do they know? What can they do? Can they possess us? What is an exorcism? Greg and Cory explain that in Catholic doctrine, while the demons possess vast intelligence, their power leads nowhere because in futility they have chosen nothing, an emptiness of God's presence. Support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Good and Evil, Doctrine, Morality

Nov 13, 202346 min

Ep 151Snapshot: ”God, Country, Notre Dame” (#151)

This iconic motto is all over merchandise at the University of Notre Dame. Non-Notre Dame fans find it arrogant and annoying. But most don't realize that it's a double entendre, and that the real meaning, the deeper meaning, is perhaps a formula for how to live well, on the path to sainthood. Support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Mary, Our Lady, discipleship, sainthood

Nov 9, 202310 min

Ep 150What is Evil? (#150)

What does the Catholic Church teach about what evil actually is? Is it the opposite of good, like light/dark or yin/yang? Is it moral failing? Being outside of God's will? A social construct? Greg and Cory explain that in Catholic doctrine, evil is nothing at all: it is literally no thing, a void, an emptiness, non-being. Support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Good and Evil, Doctrine, Morality

Nov 6, 202350 min

Ep 149Snapshot: Taking Death Seriously (#149)

In this snapshot, Greg discusses why it's important to take death seriously in a culture that doesn't, and takes comfort in Catholicism which offers a coherent, comprehensive, and mature approach to death, dying, and remembering those who have gone before us. Support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, All Souls Day, Death, Dying, Memento Mori

Nov 2, 20239 min

Ep 148Snapshot: (Un)Happy Reformation Day! (#148)

For secular folks this is Halloween, for Catholics it's the eve of All Saints Day, but for Protestants it's Reformation Day, when Martin Luther nailed his complaints against the Catholic Church to a cathedral door in Germany. Today, Protestants celebrate what they imagine is a heroic and prophetic scene. But as Greg explains in this snapshot, it's nothing to celebrate. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz

Oct 31, 20239 min

Ep 147The Pursuit of Happiness (#147)

Greg and Ed discuss the concept of happiness and the responsibility to cultivate happiness in one's life. Pursuing immediate gratification does not lead to genuine happiness, but rather, pursuing goodness, truth, and beauty can bring lasting joy. They also touch on the negative impact of consuming negative media and the importance of surrounding oneself with positivity. We all have a duty to pursue a more positive and joyful outlook in life. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz

Oct 30, 202335 min

Ep 146Snapshot: More About UFOs (#146)

Snapshots are a type of episode: around 10 minutes on a single topic. Today, Greg follows up on a recent episode about whether UFOs are aliens, angels, or something else. What should Christians, and Catholics in particular, believe? Greg reviews and recommends a new book on the topic: "Only Man Bears His Image" by Daniel O'Connor. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz

Oct 28, 202312 min

Ep 147Listener Questions, Part 1 (#145)

Greg answers questions sent in by listeners (send your own to [email protected]!): How do I overcome my distrust of the Catholic Bible (the "deuterocanonical books)? Can salvation be lost? What if I commit a mortal sin and don't confess to a priest? Why was the Immaculate Conception necessary? Does Marian devotion sometimes cross the line into idolatry? Can I disagree with some Catholic doctrines and still be Catholic? Why do we need Purgatory? Why can't God just "beam me up?" Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on the generosity of our listeners. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Oct 25, 202348 min

Ep 144Our Duty to Improve (#144)

Greg and Ed have an honest talk about what stewardship means. Because our life is a gift, God expects us to try and become the best possible versions of ourselves that we can be. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on the generosity of our listeners. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry. z5QmkmDrRU6tnPsvEw6N

Oct 23, 202334 min

Ep 143Revisiting an Evangelical Protestant Church (#143)

Greg was traveling in the Rocky Mountains last week, and revisited a contemporary evangelical Protestant church that he attended sometimes before he converted to Catholicism. These are his reflections on the differences that he noticed seeing it again through Catholic eyes. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on the generosity of our listeners. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry. Contact Greg at [email protected].

Oct 22, 202331 min

Ep 140Can We Participate in Halloween? (#140)

Greg and Ed talk about Halloween. Can Christians participate? Are its origins really in the Catholic Church incorporating pagan Celtic rituals? And has the Church adopted pagan rituals throughout history, including Easter celebrations? Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on the generosity of our listeners. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Oct 16, 202345 min

Ep 142What are Angels? (#142)

What are angels? How are they different from us? What do they do? What are the types or categories? Do we have a guardian angel, and what does he do? Greg and Cory unpack the nature of these spiritual beings. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on the generosity of our listeners. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Oct 9, 202334 min

Ep 141UFOs: Aliens, Angels, or...? (#141)

UFOs are in the news again, as Congress holds hearings about what the government knows about them. How should Christians feel about this issue? What does the Catholic Church teach? And how do we make sense of it. Greg and Cory sat down to discuss it all. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on the generosity of our listeners. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Oct 2, 202339 min

Ep 139Why Does the Church Baptize Infants? (#139)

Greg and Ed discuss one of the most divisive issues between Catholics and evangelicals: infant vs. believer baptism. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on the generosity of our listeners. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Sep 25, 202341 min

Ep 132How to Choose a Church (#132)

So you or your friends or family are looking for a new church. How do you pick one? Is it like standing in the cereal aisle at the grocery store, surveying the various colors, textures, shapes, and tastes, and finding one that suits you (or your "needs," whatever those are) best? Greg and Ed talk about the choices and how to navigate them. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on the generosity of our listeners. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Sep 18, 202344 min

Ep 138Is Catholicism...Spooky? (#138)

Ed the Protestant had breakfast with three of his friends, and they couldn't understand his attraction to Catholicism. From their perspective, it seems full of mystical rituals instead of being straightforward, simple, and rational. Ed tells Greg about his conversation, and they talk about how to respond to this charge that Catholicism seems...spooky. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on the generosity of our listeners. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Sep 11, 202345 min

Ep 137What Do Catholics Have to Believe? (#137)

What must someone believe as infallible "dogma" in order to be "in the Catholic faith?" How does that differ from doctrines, teachings, and recommended beliefs? There are important but subtle differences that carry different levels of authority. This is the second half of Greg and Cory's conversation about knowledge, belief, and faith (see the episode, "What is Faith?" for the first part). Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on your generosity. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Sep 4, 202350 min

Ep 136The Eldest Daughter of the Church (#136)

An invitation to take a free online course with Greg Smith about Catholic church history (and some other updates about the podcast). Sign up for the class at LANEcatholic.org The conversation with Cory about knowledge, belief, and faith will resume in the next episode on the regular schedule. Please support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations and rely completely on your generosity. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Aug 29, 202331 min

Ep 135What is Faith? (#135)

Christianity makes truth claims, like that Jesus rose from the dead. But what if we aren’t sure? Greg and Cory discuss the difference between certain knowledge, confident belief, and the mystery of saving faith.

Aug 28, 202347 min

Ep 134Is the Bible the Word of God? (#134)

Greg and Ed continue their conversation in the woods about the Bible, this time asking whether it is really the "Word of God?" Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Aug 21, 202335 min

Ep 133Where Did the New Testament Come From? (#133)

Greg and Ed sit in the forest and continue their conversation about the Bible--its sources, how it was compiled, the difference between the Catholic bible (a.k.a. "the Bible") and Protestant bibles--by asking who wrote the New Testament and how it was put together. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Aug 14, 202355 min

Ep 131Catholic vs. Protestant Bibles? (#131)

Protestants have been told that Catholic Bibles are wrong and weird and that medieval popes snuck suspicious extra books into the Catholic Bible! Which is tampering with God's Word, right?! Ed asks Greg about this while they sit in the forest, and Greg explains that the correct question is not why Catholic Bibles have extra books but why Protestants took books out that had been there for 1,500 years. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Aug 7, 202352 min

Ep 130Do It Again (#130)

Why is modern life so unsatisfying? Why are so many of us discontent? Greg and Cory reflect on how Catholicism offers a boring yet fundamentally satisfying antidote to heal our frantic postmodern souls. Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: [email protected]

Jul 31, 202332 min

Ep 129The Galileo Myth (#129)

Supposedly, during the dark ages, the Catholic Church threw the brave scientist Galileo Galilei into a dungeon for discovering that the earth revolved around the sun because the Church wanted to keep the people in intellectual darkness. Greg and Cory explain that this is a myth, and probably everything you think you know about it is wrong. Support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a very small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations, and rely completely on your generosity. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Jul 25, 202355 min

Ep 128Is Catholicism Anti-Science? (#128)

Many assert that Christianity, and Catholicism in particular, is opposed to science. Greg and Cory explain why that's not strictly true, but that some people misuse the word "Science" to describe something that is, by definition, opposed to all the world's religions. Support the podcast: https://givebutter.com/BaUAnz We are a very small non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and equipping people to live, share, and defend the historic Catholic faith. We receive no support from any organizations, and rely completely on your generosity. Help us to keep going and expand this ministry.

Jul 17, 202335 min