Jesus died on the Cross so that people could be forgiven their sins.

But if he died in A.D. 33, what about all the people who lived and died before that time? Were their sins forgiven?

And if their sins were forgiven, does that mean Jesus’ sacrifice applies to all of history?

If so, does that mean that we’ve been forgiven for all of our sins—past, present, and future—so that we don’t need to go to confession?

How does this all work?

Here’s the story . . .

The Bottom Line

It may seem unusual to put the bottom line at the top of a post, but I generally find it better to state things in a straightforward, literal manner and only then (if necessary) use analogies to help...READ MORE

One of the most common topics in discussion between Christians and atheists is the question of what atheism actually is.

For a long time, the word has been defined as the view that there is no God--i.e., the claim "God does not exist."

More recently, some atheists have begun to define it differently.

According to them, atheism is simply a lack of belief in the existence of God. On this view, a person would be an atheist if he thought there was no God, thought it unlikely that there is a God, or didn't know if there is a God.

Simply not agreeing with the claim "There is a God" would make you an atheist.

Some atheists have claimed that this is the natural state of humanity. On...READ MORE

The Church teaches that the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian Faith.

But how much do you know about this mystery?

What is its history?

What does it mean?

And how can it be proved?

Here are 12 things to know and share . . .

1. Where does the word "Trinity" come from?

It comes from the Latin word trinitas, which means "three" or "triad." The Greek equivalent is triados.

2. When was it first used?

The first surviving use of the term (there may have been earlier uses that are now lost)  was around A.D. 170 by Theophilus of Antioch, who wrote:

In like manner also the three days which were before the luminaries, are types of the Trinity [Τριάδος],...READ MORE

Color me annoyed.

The press has been going nuts about remarks concerning atheists that Pope Francis made at one of his daily homilies.

As usual, the press is hyping the remarks as if they are earthshaking, unprecedented, and in contrast to mean ol' Pope Emeritus Benedict.

I know this will come as a shock, but . . . they're getting the story wrong.

Here's the story . . .

Daily Homilies

Let's start with the context in which Pope Francis made the remarks: One of his homilies at daily Mass, celebrated in St. Martha's House (where he lives).

Pope Francis is in the habit of saying daily Mass for the people at St. Martha's House and invited guests, and when he does so he gives...READ MORE

Wouldn't it be great if scientists invented a device that enabled us to have a clear window into the past--so that we wouldn't just have to read about the past in books?

Instead, with the new device--let's call it a Time Window--we could actually see events occurring in the past in real time, with our own eyes?

That would be wicked awesome, wouldn't it?

The exciting news is that scientists have invented this device!

That's right! The Time Window is real!

What's more, they invented it just over 400 years ago, so they've had the chance to mature the technology to the point that now it's really, really good.

For comparison, imagine how good an iPhone would be today if Steve Jobs...READ MORE

The original day of Pentecost saw dramatic events that are important to the life of the Church.

But where did the feast of Pentecost come from?

How can we understand what happened on it?

And what does it mean for us today?

Here are 8 things to know and share about it . . .

1. What does the name "Pentecost" mean?

It comes from the Greek word for "fiftieth" (pentecoste). The reason is that Pentecost is the fiftieth day (Greek, pentecoste hemera) after Easter Sunday (on the Christian calendar).

This name came into use in the late Old Testament period and was inherited by the authors of the New Testament.

2. What else is this feast known as?

In the Old Testament, it...READ MORE

Back during World War II, some people lied to save Jewish lives.

More recently, Lila Rose has used undercover tactics to expose Planned Parenthood.

At issue is the question of whether it is ever okay to lie, particularly when you're trying to save lives.

We live in a violent world, and the issue keeps coming up in human history.

Here is some information you might want to be aware of involving Pope Francis.

On the One Hand

Before we get to the Pope Francis material, we should note that there is a strong view in the history of Catholic thought that says lying of any kind, for any reason, is always wrong.

This view has been endorsed by some of the biggest names in Catholic...READ MORE

Suppose, one day, you're reading a historical account of life in Alaska in the 1920s and one of the main characters in the account is named Sting.

"That's surprising," you think.

Suppose that Sting is portrayed as married to a woman named Oprah.

"That's improbable," you recognize.

Then you read that Sting has a brother named Spock.

You say to yourself: "Okay. Something is wrong here."

What is it? And what does all this have to do with the gospels?

You might be surprised, but the names of the figures mentioned in the gospels actually provide evidence that they're true.

Here's the story . . .

The basic problem

Fundamentally, the problem in our starting example is...READ MORE