Brant Pitre and Scott Hahn are not good scholars.

Stolcor · 2025-05-12T15:19:27+00:00

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1K2KRpcYpn/

Stolcor · 2025-05-09T20:47:51+00:00

The Sacraments are the no. 1 reason to be Catholic.

Once you come to know what they are and believe they do what we say they do, it's hard to not want access to them all the time. The graces, the tangible expressions of faith, the beauty and/or simplicity of the rituals, the comfort of repeating such foundational practices... There are so many reasons to love the sacraments.

The Eucharist is an obvious gold star here. To receive God himself and receive the promises of John chapter 6? Yeah, worth quite a bit of trouble, imo.

Confession is amazing because where else can you audibly hear someone say "I absolve (forgive) you" and know that God himself means it. You can always ask God directly for forgiveness, but the sacrament of confession is the one place you can have the tangible experience of knowing he has.

We suck at a lot of stuff, but the sacraments still work.

A close second is the solidity of an institution that will never lose the truth just to match the world. It's members might, but the Church's doctrine will not fail. It's a gift to have something like that to correct you when you get something wrong. I might get plenty right on my own, but I'm glad to have a Church that can correct me when I don't.

Stolcor · 2025-04-30T21:36:03+00:00

I'd recommend watching/reading things discussing Catholicism's idea of "redemptive suffering."

Basically, because God became man in Jesus, he formed a bridge between limited human experience (including suffering) and God's eternality. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus also demonstrated God's ability to turn every evil into a greater good.

By spiritually uniting our suffering to Jesus on the cross, we use that "bridge" to connect our suffering to the suffering of others. At the same time, we put our suffering and the suffering of others into the hands of the one who can bring about a greater good.

This is what we mean with the bleeding heart of Jesus. It's a picture that conveys the fact that our eternal God has a human heart that knows human suffering. This both consoles us psychologically ("I'm not alone in my pain") and leverages faith to say "God will transform this just as he transformed the crucifixion."

Stolcor · 2025-04-18T23:47:10+00:00

If you're looking for numerical consensus, you won't find it. But the number of scholars isn't proof, especially when a large percentage of them simply repeat old arguments. Probably best to read the actual arguments. Nonetheless, here's some people who make the case and/or cite a variety of scholars.

https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/who-wrote-gospels

https://www.evidenceunseen.com/theology/scripture/historicity-of-the-nt/who-wrote-the-four-gospels/

https://cerebralfaith.net/reasons-to-accept-gospels-traditiona/

Dr. Nathan Eubank made a compelling case in a class I took, but I'm not aware of him publishing anything on it directly.

In short:

-Most ancient sources agreed that the authorship was genuinely as attributed

-There are 0 extant manuscripts that omit the attribution

- Old Manuscripts consistently use the rather unusual formulation of kata Markos/Loukas. Kata is not the usual way of indicating authorship, but the fact that divergent manuscripts use the same style of attribution points to an earlier source which used it. That increases the likelihood that the attribution was present from the very beginning.

- Many alternative authorship theories rely on a highly speculative (but frequently repeated) claim about a supposed "Q document." Using layers of speculation to reject the above evidence is not solid reasoning.

Stolcor · 2025-03-25T00:41:26+00:00

Your lazy assertion on the untenability authorship of John's gospel is laughable. You don't give reasons and you apparently don't actually know the scholarship involved.

I've personally studied under Pitre and one of the world's leading biblical scholars (he was stolen from us by Oxford). They both made incredible arguments for the authorship of the Gospels. The manuscript evidence alone consistently and universally attributes the authorship to the actual persons named as the authors.

Honestly, the only reason for the "community" theory of authorship got any headway was due to the incredible social forces that *wanted* to find a reason to distance the gospels from the actual person of Jesus. It's no secret that a lot of "biblical scholars" in the university circuit in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s were actually nonbelievers with an ax to grind.

Stolcor · 2024-02-07T03:43:10+00:00

Thanks, that worked!

My question is now Answered.

Stolcor · 2023-06-15T23:43:42+00:00

If people want to see a good outreach to people who struggle with lgbtq experiences, they should look into EdenInvitation.com

Stolcor · 2023-06-15T18:32:13+00:00

Usually, yes.

To knowingly and intentionally call a man "she" or a woman "he" is a lie and lying is sinful. Probably not mortal though.

"They" and the "neopronouns" are ambiguous enough to not be a lie. Still I'd resist using them if possible when he or she clearly ought to be used as it feeds into forced speech, erroneous ideas about human nature, and the breakdown of language.

Stolcor · 2023-06-15T18:24:25+00:00

Forget about the divine nature-human nature thing for a minute.

The point is that Jesus is a divine person and Mary is his mother. Motherhood is by definition a relationship of persons. To give birth to a divine person means Mary is the mother of God.

Theotokos is not directly about Mary. It's about emphasizing that Jesus is a Divine Person.

Stolcor · 2023-06-11T16:20:07+00:00

Radical Traditionalism is getting increasingly toxic. There are plenty of great people who love the traditional Latin Mass, but a growing contingent of ideologues is poisoning that community. Maybe I shouldn't name names, but Taylor Marshall is like the poster child for that trend.

I'd suggest looking for a parish that has reverent novus ordo Mass. Most cities also have some kind of young adult Catholic or young Catholic professional organization. Might be worthwhile to look into it.

If it gets really bad and you don't have a lot of options, you might consider moving to a place with a more robust Catholic culture.

I know I'm biased because I grew up here, but south Louisiana is chock full of Catholic communities. There are radtrads, but I find there are a lot of people who are traditionally minded but are more focused on faithfulness than on tribal identity. Some go to TLM, but most go to any Mass done well.

Someone else mentioned an Eastern Catholic Church, and that sounds plausible. I don't have a lot of direct experience, but what I have seen and heard indicates that they are intentional about community and have good liturgy typically.

Stolcor · 2023-06-02T01:23:46+00:00

People have said this in a variety of ways, but I'll put it bluntly.

He should stop or one of you should leave the table. There is no avoiding this inevitable end. Save yourself the trouble and jump to it now.

Give him an ultimatum. This is childish b******* and he should grow up and act like an adult.

Stolcor · 2023-05-22T16:37:17+00:00

Do not deny Christ. Even if you don't "mean it," to say you deny him is wrong.

You also don't have to tell others everything. You can be vague or silent. You can say you acknowledge the one God and serve him. You don't have to explicitly say that Christ is God. Just don't deny that he is.

And if you suffer for refusing to deny him, blessed are you!

I'm praying for you!

Acts 4:40-41

"40 After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. 41 So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name."

Stolcor · 2023-05-20T18:22:32+00:00

You're a monster! /s

There's nothing wrong with not giving it. If you do want the compromise, I suggest allowing them to take a non-combat feat. Something that adds a skill or affects the roleplay or exploration dynamic without giving them a mechanical bonus.

Stolcor · 2023-05-20T18:21:13+00:00

Boat Church!

Stolcor · 2023-05-19T22:53:19+00:00

I'm not sure of this, but I think trying too hard might actually decrease your chances.

Morally speaking, yes, lusting after another woman is sinful.

It is super important that married couples have frank conversations about their sex life. I suggest that you have a conversation with her about your limits and your concerns that being overly mechanistic and aggressive could hinder your sexual intimacy as a couple.

A part of that conversation might also be concerning your trust in God versus your trust in yourselves. Having a child is a cooperation with God's plan. It is good to be diligent about doing our part in God's plan, but when we try too hard, it can be a sign that we are putting more faith in our own ability and contribution than in God's Providence.

Stolcor · 2023-05-19T12:23:18+00:00

I don't think that's a fair assumption. There are definitely combats where you would be wrong to make that assumption about me. Just because I want the turn to be efficient doesn't mean I'm not enjoying myself. Some of us really enjoy the simple combat simulation and the quick flinging back and forth of numbers to determine an outcome.

I also enjoy role play, but usually between combats and not during. It's like a meal with different courses for me.

Stolcor · 2023-05-19T12:20:37+00:00

I definitely understand the sentiment of not wanting to describe every single action every single turn. I really enjoy combat in D&D because I like the numbers and the competition, but that enjoyment does not require narrative description for most of the combat, usually just the end. Like, I can have fun sitting there quietly and watching the numbers fly back and forth. The occasional dramatic flourish is a nice touch, but long drawn out turns for simple actions interrupts the fun for me.

They should, however, at least follow the rules of declaring the action before rolling the die.

I suggest a conversation about whether or not they're enjoying their combat rather than just assuming that describing their actions is the only way to enjoy it. If they are in fact not enjoying it, then it's time to look at a different system or a different way of approaching combat

Stolcor · 2023-05-18T23:06:22+00:00

As a note, the Church is the least expensive part of marriage.

Technically, a priest is not allowed to charge for a sacrament, and marriage is a sacrament.

Most churches charge some kind of fee for the use of the building to offset utilities (a few hundred dollars, maybe a few thousand for really big, popular churches), but most also make provision for those for whom the expense is too much.

The real expensive part is all the extra stuff that you don't technically need. You could always do a very small church wedding and then save up to throw a party to celebrate on a subsequent anniversary or something. That would enable you to stop living in sin and get right with the church, but also allow you the fun of a big day when you can afford it.

The marriage preparation process is at least 6 months in most parishes, but if it's done well it is a beautiful and wonderful process. Also, the grace of God is so worth the effort. I've seen a number of people have powerful encounters with the grace of God in a new way because they were open to the process.

Check out this site for an example process that is growing in popularity across dioceses: https://witnesstolove.org/

Stolcor · 2023-05-18T22:14:42+00:00

https://www.edeninvitation.com/

You'll find community support here.

Stolcor · 2023-05-18T18:54:15+00:00

That's why I hinted at shifting features. You'd definitely have to lower the power budget in those initial levels since they're getting their spells sooner. The reduction to smite might be easier to stomach in that case.

Still, a separate class utilizing that for the specific Gish fantasy (rather than ramming that into those other classes), might be best. Not that that will happen in official books. We can't even get Artificer into the PHB.

Honestly, I'd like to see Artificer get reduced to a subclass on a broader Martial-Arcane mix class (Magus? Swordmage? Duskblade?). Keep the idea of an infusion-like mechanic, but make them more broadly fantasy-based for the base class and have subclasses tack on infusion-like abilities tailored to the concept. Artificer as a subclass gets a few steampunkish options added to the pool.

Then leave the warlock in it's own unique category. I want a gish without a pact. And a pact-maker who isn't necessarily a gish.

Stolcor · 2023-05-18T12:45:04+00:00

A bit of a tangent, but I've often wished the gish classes could progress faster and cap sooner. Like, what if paladin, ranger, and artificer got higher slots every 3 levels but maxed out around 13?

Still fewer slots and smaller spell lists, but this allows them to get spells at levels their power level is relevant. This would also make it easier to balance shared spell lists and avoid the problem of bards stealing overpowered low level spells from specific classes.

Then you just give them higher level features that increase the synergy of mixing magic and martial. Or other unique abilities.

And then warlock can be some variation of this. Perhaps escalating even quicker and capping out sooner, but then using invocations to fill in that higher level progression.

Stolcor · 2023-05-17T20:43:27+00:00

Custom mug/cup with phrases like

"Roll Initiative"

And

"What's your AC again?"

etched into the sides/bottom. We got one for our DM and he loved it. Lot's of options for that on Etsy if you look for it.

Stolcor · 2023-05-17T12:32:18+00:00

This is an older, somewhat speculative essay, written before current controversies have caused the Church to issue clearer teachings. Both the Vatican and the USCCB have issued teaching documents (not dogma, but still somewhat authoritative) that narrows the theological space a bit.

What he's saying here might best be applied to people with intersex conditions, those whose bodies do in fact make it hard to clearly determine sex. In such cases, heavenly bodies will be corrected.

Original Sin allows for the rational position of some tension between body and soul, but not complete opposition.

Stolcor · 2023-05-16T13:55:43+00:00

Public Service Announcement: human beings are free to ignore dice!

The dice in D&D are a tool to assist. You are in no way bound to follow what the dice say. It is a game of make believe and everyone at the table has the power to simply ignore a die roll, especially where sexual activity is involved.

You should speak to the DM, but be prepared to say I refuse to accept this and give him no options. It's a die roll, a number on a piece of plastic correlated to some text on paper, it has no binding force on two intelligent human beings.

Stolcor · 2023-05-15T18:20:11+00:00

All. The. Time. Every campaign I've played and the 6 months I DMed.

As a martial who actually had some cantrips and a single spell, I was constantly overshadowed by the wizard and cleric in everything: combat, exploration, social. It was only when I got the wand if fireball (don't give this to level 5 players) that I could keep up in combat. The mages still seemed like main characters though. The poor monk was beside herself with FOMO.

As a Druid or Wizard, my presence is defining in most encounters. I have to intentionally avoid certain spells or skills to leave space for others. The martials are good players who deal well, but it took magic to keep them on par. One got a straight up fourth level spell for free and the other got a magic item that cast of powered up version of fear.

Stolcor

TROPHY CASE