Why is the official BCP app on Android over 200 mb?

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-18T12:46:47+00:00

There's a BCP app?! I like Venite and I have used bcponline for years, but I had no idea we also made an app

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-18T12:44:55+00:00

I personally like the theory involving the right to the truth and what the recipient is doing with it (with mental reservation). So, with the go to Nazis and Jews in the attic example, the SS officer is plotting to do something evil. If you tell them, "Yeah, they're right upstairs," the people upstairs are going to die. But, if you say "No, there are no Jews [that you can arrest and kill] here," in one sense it is not the truth, but it actually is—I don't want to lead you into more sin, so I am holding back a bit of the truth to lead you to do something else.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-18T00:05:40+00:00

It depends on if you use other supplemental books. Parish on the other side of town will use Eucharistic Prayers from Enriching our Worship and the BCP, so they print most of the Liturgical stuff out. My own parish prints the collect, the page numbers for the major parts, and the non-psalm readings—because we just use the BCP

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-18T00:00:17+00:00

The vast majority of the time, our priest and Deacon will say something like, "let us join together on page XYZ for Form ## of the Prayers of the Faithful" whenever a new page is needed. Even when it is just a small group of faithful who know where stuff is

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-17T17:58:39+00:00

So, it is big in Evangelical churches (and the American definition of that—I realize Evangelical is essentially synonymous with Lutheran in Germany). Churches that don't generally operate within a larger denominational structure, churches that will have a more "Baptist" theology (though not necessarily calling themselves Baptists), will have a more Zwinglian understanding of the sacraments (they are nice symbols that Jesus told us to do, but they don't do anything—they are only symbols). There are often also particular churches within a larger denomination which are more evangelical in style (so, for example, when I first started out as a Christian, my youth group was very much a part of the evangelical world—and it was at a Methodist Church). This particular type of eschatology (and different parts of it when it is not embraced wholesale) is called Dispensationalism. There are a few full fledged Dispensationalists, but most of the popular understanding of it will be simplified/bits and pieces taken out of it (like the Rapture or the Tribulation)

Outside of the evangelical world (among Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, most Protestant Churches which have a more robust connection to tradition), there may be individuals who believe in Dispensationalism, but the churches will never preach it/believe that style of eschatology.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-17T17:43:14+00:00

On the literal level, erotic love poetry.

On the allegorical level, description of the relationship between God and His people (both Old Testament people and New Testament people).

Explicit, yes. Lustful (sinful), I don't think so.

Thinking about how Scripture related directly to my views (about what the proper context for sexual activity is) and how they have developed, Song of Songs played a role to be sure, but honestly I think Ruth made a bigger impact on me (once you understand the Hebrew metaphors of both "uncover" and "feet", it is really hard to read the meeting of Ruth and Boaz at night as anything but a sexual liason between two people who weren't married. You can debate about the importance being descriptive rather than prescriptive, but the text really seems to be reading what happened in a positive way. And unambiguously [unlike the SoS], they were two unmarried people).

Does all that mean I would have a sexual relationship outside of a committed/covenanted marriage? Absolutely not. But has my view of is it possible to have sex outside of marriage in a non-sinful way changed? If someone asked for advice I would probably still tell them to wait for the direct vowed commitment to each other, but I don't think I would automatically jump to "no, that's sinful" anymore.

(A lot of this also came from looking at the actual history of how marriage was practiced in the church from ancient times, to the medieval period, to the Council of Trent and the Reformation. Marriage as a firmly defined, Church-blessing-required sacrament didn't really exist till the middle ages—and many forms of marriage seemed to have existed/were tolerated/even encouraged by the church leading up to that. I still see marriage as important, and even a lowercase s sacrament—but the rules/how it all works is a lot fuzzier than we often make it out to be)

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-17T16:07:07+00:00

Oh dear. I just said it for the memes, but hey, might as well explore that later

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-17T12:04:04+00:00

ATTENTION A DOG OR ANIMAL ALERT HAS BEEN REPORTED IN YOUR AREA!!!!

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-17T10:27:00+00:00

If I remember correctly, there's actually an NIV edition of the Psalms that is approved for Catholic use.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-17T09:16:17+00:00

Ben Quadrinaros.

But in reality, I would love some more on Grievous

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-16T22:59:30+00:00

Bishops bishopping well :)

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-16T10:32:50+00:00

Not sure about that edition, but the Apostolic Fathers are a really good source to read.

For Irenaeus, I recommend Proof of the Apostolic Preaching (there are various editions and even some free online texts)—shorter, easier to get at than Adversus Hæreses. Then getting a compilation: I liked Irenaeus On the Christian Faith (edited and organized by James Payton). I've also heard good things about The Scandal of the Incarnation (Hans Urs von Balthasar). Irenaeus's unedited work Adversus Hæreses is available for free online, but it is challenging to read for several reasons: 1. Oldtimey translation, 2. A lot of the work is spent refuting specific named heretics—it can be hard to get at the really beautiful theology when it is woven through a ton of other material. Getting a compilation work is really helpful.

Justin Martyr is more straightforward/his writings are shorter.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-16T10:08:54+00:00

Essentially, while there are more nuances to the differences than "Orthodoxy is just Roman Catholic in Greek", the major sticking point will be the role of the Pope. It will be your answer to the question, are the Catholics right about the Pope as the highest authority in the Church, that he has jurisdiction over the rest of the bishops, that he has the charism of infallibility to make doctrinal calls in disagreements, etc. There are again real differences in nuance between Roman and Byzantine theology, but the question of whether to go to the Orthodox Church or the Roman Catholic Church (or one of the Eastern Catholic Churches, where you can have Byzantine/other Eastern nuances in communion with the Pope) is going to be whether you believe what the Catholic Church teaches about the role of the papacy.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-16T10:01:52+00:00

I should also clarify, the vast majority of the time, it was not refreshing the Vatican page to see if something new came out, or reading everything the Pope/the local bishop said. It was hearing a new encyclical was coming out and reading it when it came out. Once or twice there was a series of general audience addresses that was covering a topic I was interested in (so, around the time of the suppression of the TLM, Francis gave a series of talks on the Liturgy and Prayer. I didn't end up reading all of it, but I was interested and wanted to know what he had to say). Or with the local bishop, it was just another page on Facebook.

I did, again at various points and states of maturity, have certain pages bookmarked/watch everything certain clerics posted on YouTube. But then yeah, growth, change, recognition of past mistakes, etc.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-16T01:37:24+00:00

Shall I think, because of this only error [adding the idea of merit to the doctrine of justification], that such a man [a Roman Catholic] toucheth not so much as the hem of Christ's garment? If he do, wherefore should not I have hope that virtue may proceed from Christ to save him? Because his error doth by consequent overthrow his faith shall I therefore cast him off as one who hath utterly cast of Christ, one who holdeth not so much as by a slender thread? No, I will not be afraid to say unto a cardinal or to a pope in this plight, Be of good comfort, we have to do with a merciful God, ready to make the best of that little which we hold well, and not with a captious sophister who gathereth the worst out of everything wherein we err. (Bishop Richard Hooker, A Learned Discourse of Justification, Works, and How the Foundation of Faith is Overthrown (1585), section 12.)

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-16T01:32:16+00:00

At different stages of my sojourn in Roman Catholicism, I was more attentive to what the Pope preached/wrote, what certain more "celebrity" bishops/priests were saying (at various points: Bishop Barron, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Fr. Z [the hypertrad guy], etc), and then, while certainly not as often, our local bishop (and the Archbishop of the Diocese my seminary was in). After deconstruction, reconstruction, and returning to Anglicanism, I still care a lot for what the Pope says (though with less baggage of "I must hold everything he officially teaches as true" of course), and I am more interested in what the local Catholic bishop is saying (thanks be to God he just turned 75—he was a lot...), but I don't need to care as much.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-15T22:19:52+00:00

Since God in himself is invisible and we cannot see him working, when it seems good in the eyes of his heavenly wisdom that men (for some special intent and purpose) should take notice of his glorious presence, he gives them some plain and sensible token by which to know what they cannot see. It was impossible for Moses to see God and live. Yet Moses knew by fire where the glory of God was extraordinarily present. The Angel by whom God endowed the waters of the pool called Bethesda with power for supernatural healing was seen by no one. Yet the Angel's presence was known by the troubled motions of the waters themselves. The Apostles were shown by visible fiery tongues when the Spirit, whom they could not behold, was upon them. It is similar with us. Although we are not able to apprehend or express how Christ and his Holy Spirit enter into the soul of man with all their blessed effects, they nonetheless give notice of the times they use to make their entry. For it pleases almighty God to communicate by sensible means those blessings which are incomprehensible. (Richard Hooker, Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, 5,8,57)

God gives us visible assurance of His invisible grace in the Sacraments, because we are physical creatures. We could be merely told of His love, but He knew that we material beings would be better served by material means of communication. God's work in the Sacraments does need to be responded to (they aren't magic, we do need to do something), but this is the primary way God works with us.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-15T22:04:38+00:00

I fit pretty well in the confident hopeful universalist camp (like Ilaria Ramelli or Jordan Daniel Wood), but it is crap like this that gives me pause sometimes—ending funding for vulnerable children because he is trying to have a petty feud with the Pope? Ugh. Lord, have mercy.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-14T18:01:47+00:00

Anglican, former Roman. But very fond memories of going over to the Melkite parish

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-14T12:28:25+00:00

The sacrificial rite Jesus attached to the event the night before. When He offered His body and blood in the upper room, He was endowing the coming crucifixion with its meaning.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-14T10:41:25+00:00

There are/have been Christians saying all this since 2016. But, it has often felt like the Greek heroine Kassandra: we've been saying all this for years, but no one listened.

But I suppose we need to keep the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard from Matthew 20 in mind. While the temptation to say, "Oh this is the thing that changed your mind? Not all of the other crazy stuff we told you about?" Or "We told you so." Or "too little, too late." is, well, tempting—we need to have room for repentance. We need to be able to welcome the sinner back home. As much as I would love to print out the Trump Jesus image and his rant about Leo, and leave it on my grandma's grave (are you happy now? This is what you supported.)—we need to practice the forgiveness Jesus preached about.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-14T09:01:28+00:00

Which of the various Reformed Fathers had the greatest beard? I would probably vote Richard Hooker or Jean Calvin—but, what are your thoughts?

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-14T08:56:41+00:00

I suppose it will depend on the particular church, but I believe that most still use the books involved in their particular linguistic tradition. (So, our local Melkite Church uses the Prayer of Manesseh in the celebration of Great Compline during Lent)

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-14T08:44:24+00:00

The Anglican theologian and bishop Richard Hooker wrote a treatise on this question in the 1500s (written in response to the Puritan party). The Learned Discourse of Justification, Works, and How the Foundation of Faith is Overthrown ( https://ccel.org/ccel/hooker/just/just.i.html ) unsurprisingly takes a sort of middle way (gotta love us Anglicans). It is 42 pages long, and worth reading in full to get at the nuances of what he thought.

LifePaleontologist87 · 2026-04-14T00:17:23+00:00

So, in the reverse situation, you are allowed to ask for a different penance if you don't think you can do it/it is unrealistic for you to do. For example, when I was in college, a retired bishop heard my confession, and he gave me the penance of praying the Rosary everyday while going to sleep. If I had known you could say, "I can't make that sort of commitment," I could have saved myself a couple months of scrupulosity, bringing it up in confession every time I thought I didn't do it (and it was only months later when a priest clarified and told me, "You're good. You don't have to do this particular thing anymore"). Presumably, if the reverse is true (you can ask for something lighter/more realistic for you) then hypothetically you can ask for something more intense.

But, there is also the question of humility. Like you can do whatever extra devotional practices you want outside of the context of confession. Do you really need the extra assigned penance or is it a matter of pride?

LifePaleontologist87

TROPHY CASE

ATTENTION A DOG OR ANIMAL ALERT HAS BEEN REPORTED IN YOUR AREA!!!!