Episodes

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: consideringcatholicism@gmail.com Visit the website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ ----more----Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, time, liturgical calendar

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

Greg answers questions sent in by listeners (send your own to consideringcatholicism@gmail.com): "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 actuall...

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.conside...

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

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, D...

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

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

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/Ba...

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

Greg answers questions sent in by listeners (send your own to consideringcatholicism@gmail.com!): 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?" Pl...

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 ...

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 ...

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 th...

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 listene...

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 re...

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.

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 ...

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,...

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 ...

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 ...

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.

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: consideringcatholicism@gmail.com

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: consideringcatholicism@gmail.com