Topics Covered:

02:44 – Persecution of the Church in Nicaragua

17:45 – Presidential election

19:55 – Inflation

21:15 – Ukraine War

25:23 – Israel/Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran War

32:00 – Catholic news stories of the year

44:50 – Story of the year

47:58 – Catholic word of the year

48:54 – Catholic podcast of the year

52:04 – Catholic person of the year

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Topics Covered:

02:00 – What is LinkedIn for?

14:20 – Dogs in restaurants

16:50 – Luce

20:41 – Evidence of Christianity in Germany as early as 270 AD

23:30 – Meatless Friday obligation

35:39 – Altar rails

41:39 – Dogs in strollers

42:38 – The Eras Tour

46:47 – School vouchers

47:39 – Australia ban on social media under age 16

48:42 – Dogs in airports

49:51 – Traditional Latin Mass

50:35 – NPR

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Questions Covered:

05:24 – Isn’t it correct to say that some good works are necessary to retain our salvation? Isn’t Jesus listing grave sins of omission that imperil salvation at the end of Mt 25? Isn’t a grave sin of omission a failure to do an obligatory good work? 

12:35 – What is the basis between mortal and venial sin in scripture and tradition. Is 1 John 5’s talk of sin that leads to death about mortal sin or the unforgivable sin? If it is about mortal sin, are we not to pray for the forgiveness of someone’s mortal sin (i.e., that they go to confession? 

19:40 – In your book The Early Church was the Catholic Church, you cite how strong belief in baptismal regeneration was, to the point of people delaying baptism until the end of life to avoid sinning after baptism. This doesn’t seem like behavior we would expect if the sacrament of confession was passed down from the apostles. What early evidence do we have of the sacrament of confession? 

24:56 – I hope it is not too late! Who are the Apostolic Fathers? Who are the Church Fathers? What’s the difference among them? 

29:18 – I know the usual line for “sin” committed in dreams is that they cannot be mortal sins since in a dream you do not have full consent of the will, but would that also apply to Lucid Dreams? Lucid Dreams are ones that you can control, and there are methods to get this to happen intentionally. Would this increase of conscious control over the dream allow it to become a Mortal Sin? 

33:35 – Was Jesus Christ Himself actually the first pope?  Didn’t He actually established the Church through His ministry and the selection of His Apostles?  Or is this a really meaningless distinction? 

37:19 – How can we understand when the words (direct speech) of God are quoted in the Old Testament? Was it, for example, some kind of inner hearing of God? Or a direct revelation of God? How did the characters know that this was what God was saying to them? 

45:09 – Are Sacramentals (such as holy water in Anglican churches) blessed by either Priests not in communion with Rome or Non Apostolic priests Valid? 

49:30 – Can you help me answer people who think that the pope arose in the early church because of politics? For example, I know someone who thinks that when Clement was telling the (Corinthians, I think?) to not dismiss their leaders in direct contradiction with Scripture in order to gain power. 

52:36 – My question is…are you ready for Jesus?! 

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Questions Covered:

13:30 – In the parable of the servants who were left with talents, what is the meaning (if any) behind the servant with only 1 talent failing to multiply his goods but rather burying them? It can’t follow that having less (skill or what have you) means you’re more likely to fail God? Usually we find great reversals in the parables so this has me a bit puzzled if I’m missing something? Thanks 

20:49 – 1 Kings 2 is often cited as evidence for the powerful intercession of the Queen Mother in David’s kingdom.  In this scene, although Solomon rises and bows before his mother, Bathsheba–and even brings out a throne for her to sit as his right!–he doesn’t actually grant her request.  In fact, he even puts Adonijah to death!  Should this passage be considered evidence for Mary’s intercession before her Son (as the fulfillment of the Davidic Kingdom), or are we who use this passage reading too much into it? 

31:23 – Thank you! Can you help me formulate the best argument that the Bible is inspired by God to an unbeliever? Thanks. 

37:19 – Why do other rites (besides the Roman) have their own canon law codes? 

44:07 – What makes a sacrament a sacrament? I messaged a Lutheran content creator recently (because he called Purgatory a “Catholic Lie” and the conversation widened), and the Lutheran fellow very condescendingly spoke to Catholics (as well as Eastern Orthodox) ‘finding God where He is not present’, stating that Baptism and the Eucharist are the only sacraments, with anything else from Holy Matrimony/Orders to Annointing of the Sick being meaningless gestures that distract us from God’s grace, instead of imparting it. I was mortified, and disengaged at some bad faith arguments on his part, but it still made me wonder what is it about those seven things that make them sacraments, but not other things? 

50:55 – Can you explain what inerrancy means and doesn’t mean? For example, in I Chronicles it says David prepared materials for the temple and in Samuel it only says it was Solomon. It also says David prepared 100,000 talents of gold for the temple, along with a million talents of silver, bronze, iron, timber, and stone. Do these numbers have to be literally correct for inerrancy? 

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