Why Doesnt God Make It Obvious? Brian Holdsworth 2024-01-24 | Sponsor: fishersnetwork.comSupport the channel by visiting brianholdsworth.caA common refrain you will hear against belief in God’s existence, according to Christianity, goes something like this: If my salvation depends on belief or faith in God, and is therefore extremely important to him, he would obviously want me to believe in him. And the thing is, he could make himself easily known to me. He could simply appear, speak to me, or perform some other kind of definitive sign to let me know that he at least exists. If he’s all powerful, such a performance would be effortless for him. But he doesn’t do that. So he either can’t, is indifferent towards my belief, or he’s not there. None of those conclusions is compatible with the Christian notion of God.You’ll often hear atheists recite an argument like this, known as the argument from divine hiddenness. Although, I have heard some atheistic standard bearers, like Richard Dawkins, Peter Boggohsian, and Peter Atkins admit that there is no evidence that could possibly convince them that God exists - even if God wrote a message to them in the stars, they would have to conclude that they had gone insane. In other words, their problem isn’t that there is no evidence, their problem is that they won’t admit any possible evidence that God doesn’t exist – for them this is about a devotion to a system of faith in certain enlightenment era presuppositions, not evidence. #divinehiddenness #atheismvstheism #theismdebateMusic written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Which is the True God? Brian Holdsworth 2024-10-18 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportIf you’re like me you’ve probably listened to or even participated in a lot of debates about the existence of God. And something that frustrates me to no end is when the theistic side makes a really good case for the existence God, they deploy the defense of “which god is that?” They’ll say, “there are thousands of gods to believe in, so how am I supposed to know which one is the right one, and isn’t it arrogant for you to claim yours is actually the one true God?”The reason I find this retort so frustrating is because it’s a textbook red-herring fallacy. If the dispute or debate in question is whether or not transcendent divinity is, to then complain that there are too many rival conceptions of God for it to matter, doesn’t do anything to refute theism or establish atheism. It’s just a distraction from the core disagreement.Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Do Catholics Worship Saints? Brian Holdsworth 2024-10-17 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportMusic written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
When Mormon Missionaries Came to my House Brian Holdsworth 2024-10-15 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportMusic written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Is the Rosary a Weapon? Brian Holdsworth 2024-10-11 | Check out The Turin Crucifix: works-of-ernest.com/turin-crucifixSupport the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportEvery now and then, I’ll come across someone who gets offended when another Catholic posts something or says something that shows their appreciation for the Rosary as a weapon. And we’ve all met people like this – they tend to be more pacifist in their philosophy, and they tend to treat anything associated with weapons or armed conflict as intrinsically evil. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Is Christianity False if Judaism is False? Brian Holdsworth 2024-10-04 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportSomeone recently sent me a question asking how #Christianity can be true if #Judaism is false because isn't Christianity contingent upon Judaism? You might be thinking that Judaism is a cause that eventually led to Christianity and in a causal sequence, if you remove an earlier cause, you don’t get the later strands of the sequence, right?Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
How Celebrity Proves Original Sin Brian Holdsworth 2024-09-27 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportMusic written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Is Pope Francis the Most Based Pope Ever? Brian Holdsworth 2024-09-20 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportWhatever else you might say about Pope Francis, I think we all have to admit that he he will go down in history as a controversial figure in the Church.And the controversial nature of this papacy has led to a whole cottage industry of critics and polemicists against this papacy from among many who consider themselves faithful, orthodox, adherents to the timeless faith. But now there seems to be a growing reaction to those critics among those who might be considered Popesplainers or Popeadmirers, but whatever you call them, they are thoroughly team Francis.And something that I hear and see quite a bit from this contingency is the claim the Pope Francis is the “most based Pope ever” and that this claim reinforces their admiration for him, as if how based a person is contributes to how praiseworthy they are. So is that correct - is he "based" and is that something to admire?Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Why Be Catholic and Not Just Christian? Brian Holdsworth 2024-09-13 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/support“How do you know what the Christian faith is? How do you know what doctrines and practices are admissible and which should be excluded? Did Jesus appoint you with the authority needed to make those kinds of decisions? Or did he set you under a particular authority to reveal that to you? Almost all Christians that I know of will say the latter – he put you under some kind of authority to tell you what it is that you are supposed to believe and adhere to – what is the whole true faith or what is the Catholic faith.And if you’re descended from the protestant tradition, you will usually say scripture is that authority – the Bible is that authority. If you are from an apostolic Church like say the Greek Orthodox, or the Oriental or Ethiopian Orthodox, or Catholic like me, you will say something like the Church is a binding authority over the faithful. As a Catholic we say the magisterium and the apostolic tradition handed down through the ages and protected by the Church AS WELL AS Holy scripture.Now notice that in the case of the apostolic churches, they say both – they don’t narrow authority down to one thing. They adhere to the authority of scripture but they also adhere to the authority of the Church. Why do they do that? Because the Bible does that – and also because the Bible doesn’t ever say that it is the only or even the highest authority? Do you know how I know that? Because the Bible never refers to itself. Never once in scripture does it say anything about “the Bible”. And a thing can’t define an attribute about itself – like its place as an authority - if it never even refers to itself to begin with.It talks about scripture. It assumes that there is this thing known as scripture which is the written revelation of God but it never talks about this thing called the Bible which is a specific understanding of scripture based on a canon or an index of books that are considered scriptural. "Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
The Insanity of Jordan Peterson Brian Holdsworth 2024-09-06 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportLet me quickly start off by saying that I often enjoy listening to Jordan Peterson, especially when he intellectually undresses audacious journalists who think that reciting ideological slogans is enough to corner someone like Peterson into submission. But with all there is to admire with Dr. Peterson, when push comes to shove, he often proves that whatever his beliefs are, they ultimately aren’t a big improvement on the post moderns he routinely denounces. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Should We Be Afraid of God? Brian Holdsworth 2024-08-30 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportMusic written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Why The World Needs Christianity Brian Holdsworth 2024-08-23 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportThis is the story of how the Church built Western Civilization.I know it’s not obvious to a lot of people, but if you live in a country like Canada (where I live) or the United States, you’ve hit the historical jackpot, at least in terms of material prosperity. In terms of creature comforts, you and I are saturated in luxuries that the aristocracy would have only dreamed of only a few hundred years ago. But getting to this point in history wasn’t inevitable. It required communities and civilization to reach certain milestones that were too evasive for countless civilizations that otherwise missed out or succumbed to decline and collapse instead.And I’d argue that were it not for Christianity, the world we enjoy would be a very different place today and not by accident. It required the uniquely Christian contributions to its development to get us here even if they aren’t unique to Christianity today – which is part of the reason we don’t recognize Christianity’s unique contribution – but prior to and outside of Christianity, these developments were largely foreign and elusive.Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Lies Youve Been Taught About Christianity Brian Holdsworth 2024-08-16 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportI’ve also noticed that whenever I seem to have the upper hand in a contentious exchange about religion or philosophy, people will often resort to carting out these accusations against the Church when all else fails.I recently did a video about my experiences interacting with members of another faith and why I don’t find their arguments persuasive and someone replied in the comments, "Ya, but with the #inquisition and the #crusades, ours just feels a lot more wholesome than the Catholic Church, so I’m going to stick with that." So I thought it worth producing a video that rounds up all of these accusations and misconceptions into one place so that I don’t have to keep responding them separately. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Indian Villagers React to Sacred Christian Music Brian Holdsworth 2024-08-13 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/support
True Tradition vs. False Tradition Brian Holdsworth 2024-08-09 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportWhen I first joined the Catholic Church, I heard a homily given by one of the more prominent priests in my Archdiocese which was probably fairly formative for me because it’s remained with me and, evidently still occurs to me today – in which he took the opportunity at one point to fire some shots at “Traditionalists”. According to this priest, the older some belief or custom is, the more traditional it is. For him, the measure of your commitment to tradition was based on how remote your practices are from the contemporary age – how far back they go in time. And since some practices were older than the Latin mass, it wasn't all that traditional and traditionalists should stop pretending to be something they are not. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Hyperbolic Modesty is the Antidote for Our Time Brian Holdsworth 2024-08-02 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportIn a time of excessive vice, sometimes heroic excess of virtue are the only antidote. It's hard to imagine your own way of life being abnormal, but the more I expose myself to historical sensibilities, especially on the virtues of modesty and chastity, the more alarmed I am by our own refusal/failure to even begin to approach practicing these timeless virtues that virtually every culture recognized until our own novel moment in history. If a particular vice is pervasive because of our indifference towards it, sometimes a conspicuous portrayal of the opposite virtue is exactly what we need to stir us out of that indifference. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
The Downfall of Michael Lofton? Brian Holdsworth 2024-07-26 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportI recently came across a social media thread that was generating a lot of conversation that was titled something like “The Downfall of Michael Lofton” apparently written by someone who was a long time listener and supporter of his channel. Like any conversation on social media, a lot of different things were said in the comments, but one particular complaint that stood out to me was that people didn’t appreciate that Lofton’s channel was shifting towards political commentaries at the expense of theological discussions. Now, I don’t know if that’s true or not because I don’t watch his channel regularly, but at least this was what people were claiming.And the more commenters pinpointed that particular complaint, the more they were drawing other personalities into the discussion for the same reason – like Dr. Taylor Marshall, or Trent Horn, or Matt Fradd. And so got me thinking, is this a fair complaint? Should Catholic writers, speakers, and thinkers avoid the topic of politics and stick to the Catholic faith or just philosophy in general?Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
The Reliability of the Gospels Brian Holdsworth 2024-07-23 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/support
Should The Pope Ban the Latin Mass? Brian Holdsworth 2024-07-19 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportLiturgical debate in the Church follows such a well-worn path that it’s hard to say anything new. But given what appear to be credible rumors of a looming ban on the Traditional Latin Mass in the Catholic Church, I thought I’d try to offer a new way of considering the situation in the form of a parable of the modern Church.Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Equality of Outcomes is the Death of Love Brian Holdsworth 2024-07-16 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/support
Female Altar Servers are a Bigger Problem Than You Think Brian Holdsworth 2024-07-12 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportThe Catholic Church is the longest standing contiguous institution in all of human history. Which has to raise questions. How has it managed to do this? It must either be the most brilliantly organized institution in the world or there must be some other extremely powerful insight helping it along, keeping it alive, and preserving it from the kinds of adversities that have ended far more formidable societies and organizations of the past. And in my limited exposure, but also from the lessons of history, what couldn’t be more obvious is that the Church cannot take credit for its longevity because it is a brilliantly governed organization or institution.Hilaire Beloc once famously said, “A proof of the divine origins of the Catholic Church might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight.”In fact, when the Church prioritizes its institutional dimensions and seeks to govern itself like any other worldly institution, that’s exactly when its institutional prosperity seems to suffer the most. And this is dramatically apparent on the question of altar servers.Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Why Do Catholics Pray to Saints Brian Holdsworth 2024-07-11 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/support
Was Jesus a Chill Dude? Brian Holdsworth 2024-07-08 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/support
When Mormon Missionaries Came to My House Brian Holdsworth 2024-07-05 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportShortly after #converting to #Catholicism, my wife and I were living in a neighborhood that had a fairly newly built #LDS or #Mormon church which meant that there was a persistent presence of LDS missionaries in the neighborhood - and considering my openness to wanting to learn about other religious persuasions, I was more than happy to welcome them in for conversation when they knocked on my door.When they first arrived, I would say I knew very little about them, so I invited them in hoping I could listen to their explanation and become a little more fluent in what it is they teach and believe. They often came back after somewhat intense discussions with new resources and arguments. In fact, they even brought back someone who, from what I could tell, was a bit of an all-star apologist - to answer my questions. But in the end we kept getting hung up on certain difficulties I had with their claims. So I thought I’d share what some of those difficulties were in case they might help you if you’re an LDS believer or in case you have an opportunity to dialogue with one. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Villagers Hear Gregorian Chant For the First Time Brian Holdsworth 2024-06-21 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportDebate about liturgy and music in the Catholic Church has been so hysterical for so long, that it’s hard to find anything new to say about it, but every now and then, something refreshing will break through and provide a measure of lucidity in a way that the well rehearsed debates don’t.And for me, that came recently when I was recommended a YouTube reaction video that featured what are described as tribal villagers from India. The premise of the channel is that these people live in a quaint and remote way from the world and so their reactions to cultural works is as innocent and honest as you could ask for. And in one particular video, they listened to Allegri’s Miserere Mei which is a 17th-century sacred polyphony composition. And frankly, I think this particular song is one of the most beautiful works of Christian art ever made. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Old vs New Testament #God Brian Holdsworth 2024-06-20 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/support
Are Gay Priests a Thing? Brian Holdsworth 2024-06-14 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportThe question of “gay priests” and gay seminarians has been much in the spotlight lately, especially with comments made by Pope Francis which I won’t be repeating here. And so, the media wants to know is the Catholic Church going to be more accepting of gay priests and seminarians soon, as if this is an inevitable development in the slow march of progress that not even the Catholic Church is immune to.And the more speculation I read and hear about “gay priests”, not to mention the chattering and debating about it in Catholic circles online – it highlighted for me how confused our understanding and language is on this topic – especially with respect to the word “gay” as a description of identity.Because while homosexual activity isn’t something new, the way we think about it is extremely novel compared to other times and places. And most modern people will just assume that’s a good thing because surely we’ve become much more accepting and welcoming? Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
We Were Told we Couldnt Have Kids Brian Holdsworth 2024-06-07 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportMusic written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
This Is Devastating for Gen Z Brian Holdsworth 2024-05-31 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportResearches are describing our emerging social climate as an epidemic of loneliness. Even the WHO is taking an interest, saying that it's contributing to increased dementia, heart disease, and strokes. Gen Z appears to be hardest hit, with many suffering from a lack of both friendship and romantic love. Fewer people are pairing off, forming relationships, and far fewer are getting married. This will have obvious widespread implications for society, so it's worth exploring what's missing from the social lives of younger generations that is preventing them from being initiated into this phase of life. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Im Too Sick to Talk About Something Else Brian Holdsworth 2024-05-24 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportMusic written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Out of Obedience... Brian Holdsworth 2024-05-17 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportIf you were asked what the highest natural virtue is, ie. other than faith, hope, and love, do you think you’d know the right answer? Because, for a long time, I would have said justice or prudence, until I later found out that, according to #Church teaching… it’s #obedience. A virtue is something you can only possess when it is practiced routinely. But how can obedience be said to be a virtue if we only exercise it once we run out of appeals to reasons not to #obey. If it’s a virtue, then this means that when some legitimate #authority expresses some instruction or command, our first response should be to align our will and actions with that expression rather than grasp for reasons to escape that obligation. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
How Gender Theory Self-Destructs Brian Holdsworth 2024-05-10 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportIf you want to describe modern Gender theory, you should cite people like John Money, who argued, “Gender is a social construct.” Or Judith Butler, who said, “Masculine and feminine roles are not biologically fixed but socially constructed.” These leading thinkers of the theory all seem to argue that gender is a social convention or social construct, rather than something grounded in objective or observable reality. And because they are conventions, that means that they must be voluntarily participated in. No one should be forced to adopt or participate in social conventions. And it’s on this basis that gender theorists can argue that traditional Christian notions of gender, based on traditional beliefs about the nuclear family are social conventions that should not be imposed on people who do not conform to them. But if that's true, that means that conventions and practices inspired by gender theory are, on their own view, also social conventions which is why they have no more grounds to force people to participate in those conventions than conservatives can force people to adhere to traditional conventions.Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Reacting to a Christian Stepping on the Bible Brian Holdsworth 2024-05-03 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportThis week, there was some guy on Twitter, stirring things up by making a video of himself stepping on a holy icon to make the point that people shouldn’t be so uptight about sacred objects, as if those objects deserved more reverence than we owe ourselves. After all, they’re just paint and wood and we are made in the divine image. If anything, the icons should be venerating us. And so to prove his point, he put one on the ground and stepped on it. And I figured, well, he sounds like a Protestant, so I said, he probably wouldn’t do that with the Bible, to which he replied, “Hold my beer.” And he proceeded to step on the Bible in a follow up video. His point was, an icon is just paint and wood. To treat it like it’s more #holy than a human being, created in the image of #God is foolish and superstitious and that matters most is what’s in our hearts and minds and now how we treat inanimate objects. Which is why imposing all kinds of devotions that make humans venerate these icons is to act as though wood and paint are more significantly holy than we are.Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Protestantism & Richard Dawkins Have This in Common Brian Holdsworth 2024-04-26 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportProf. Richard #Dawkins has been getting pilloried on social media ever since an interview was released in which he described himself as a cultural #Christian and that he valued living in a Christian #culture. But he also insisted that no one should misunderstand that he thinks it’s outrageous that anyone would actually believe the doctrines of #Christianity – like the virgin birth. Dawkins wants the good effect of a cause without the cause itself. Christian culture is the embodiment of Christian faith. It’s the product of a society of people who genuinely believe and Dawkins wants to enjoy what they produce while denouncing them for the reason they produce it. And the fact of that incoherence wasn’t lost on most people paying attention, especially Christians – and this includes Christians of all walks of life. I don’t want to spoil that, but it’s just such a glaring opportunity to point out that a lot of Christians are operating under a theological system that employs this exact same fallacious logic.#protestantism #solascriptura Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
The Churchs Response to Celebrity Converts Needs to Improve Brian Holdsworth 2024-04-19 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportSo every now and then, some #celebrity or social media #influencer will make public their #conversion to Christianity or #Catholicism and every time, without fail, it becomes a major focal point for opining and even controversy among #Catholics online. And just as often, that person - that fresh convert, is almost immediately positioned from influencer in society in general, to influencer or even thought leader in the Church specifically. A couple of recent examples of this include Shia LaBeouf, who needs no introduction, and a model named Nala Ray. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Why are Atheists Angry at God? Brian Holdsworth 2024-04-12 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportI recently saw a clip of an interaction between a street evangelist and elderly atheist in which the latter angrily denounced God to him and the crowd of onlookers. And before he could respond, the atheist turned his back and walked away. What I find with a significant sample size of atheists is that they don’t just disagree with certain doctrines of religion, like Christianity - they hate it, in an unambiguous way. The lack of ambiguity is demonstrated by the consistent habit of relying on condescension, ridicule, and what Chesterton called “the sneer”. They don’t just disagree; they consider the thing to be contemptuous.But when pressed, I’ve seen many leading atheists, Richard Dawkins and Peter Atkins come to mind, admit that there isn’t any possible evidence that would persuade them. For example, if they were to witness a miracle, some event that is impossible without supernatural intervention – which is the only kind of evidence that could exceed reasonable doubt, they would rather conclude that they were hallucinating or had gone insane than admit that something supernatural had occurred. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
The Environmental Case for Big Families Brian Holdsworth 2024-04-05 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportIt's often claimed that big families cause more #environmental strain, but I argue that the opposite is true. A contraceptive culture has created the prospect of economic decline and necessitated disruptive immigration policies, forcing us to show less legitimate concern for the environment. Further, small families which consume relatively similar energy resources as large ones are a much less efficient use of those resources. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
This Way to Holiness Changed My Life Brian Holdsworth 2024-03-27 | Support the channel by visiting brianholdsworth.caTo be a lay person, living in the world, requires us to give our attention to secular and profane things, out of necessity, but only as a temporary measure for this pilgrim life. As the #Bible says, as a consequence of sin, we have to gather our provisions by the sweat of our brows through labour. But our ultimate life, the one we’re training for, is devoid of schedules, work, income, car insurance, or any of those kinds of obligations. The afterlife has one concern, which is the love and #worship of #God.And this is the big challenge of the lay vocation - that our attention on the secular can become so all consuming that we forget to make any time for the #sacred and thereby lose out on opportunities to be made #holy. So, especially in these seasons when the #Church is calling us to pay attention to that which is holy, it’s really important that we not neglect to respond to that challenge. #holyweek #lent Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
The Most Striking Change Since Vatican II Brian Holdsworth 2024-03-22 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportWhen I first became #Catholic, if I was going to pick up something to read to study the #faith, it was almost exclusively going to be something contemporary. So, examples of that would be encyclicals by John Paul II or Benedict XVI, modern apologetics, and devotional literature originating in the latter 20th century. And then as I worked my way through those resources, I eventually started to read older Catholic texts, like older encyclicals and councils, #Church fathers, scholastic sources, etc. and I have to admit, I was dumbstruck by how sharp the contrast was between older texts and newer ones.I had heard people claim that there was a rupture in the Catholic Church that took place in the 20th century, and not having had much experience of that myself, I didn’t pay much sympathy towards those kinds of sentiments. They seemed extreme and hysterical to me.But through this process of reading a more comprehensive body of literature, my own sensibilities on such claims have grown in sympathy. Now, I don’t agree that there’s a rupture in the fundamental sense, as if to say, the essence of the Church has been lost, but I do think that there is a very striking transformation that took place within the Church over the 20th century. And it’s what I would describe as the misplacement of ornamentation. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
When You Think The Devil is Your Friend Brian Holdsworth 2024-03-15 | Support the channel: brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.caI was recently introduced to a YouTube channel Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Is The Catholic Church a Force for Evil? Brian Holdsworth 2024-03-09 | Support the channel: brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.caJournalism is about capturing what is uncommon and unusual. It is about discovering that rare exception in the events of the day, and making it the exclusive preoccupation for public consumption and discussion. And, unfortunately, this obsessive preoccupation with the uncommon occurrence has trained us to treat the exception as the norm and to form our understanding of the world, each other, and ourselves according to it. And this laundered perception of reality is no more obvious than the way that non-Christians perceive Christianity and the Church. This is why everyone believes that the Church has always been opposed to science. Because we all know about Galileo. His story characterizes one of less than a handful that always get carted out to support the theory of the conflict between scientific progress and the Church. But if you wanted to talk about all the clergyman and devout Catholics who spent their lives contributing to the deposit of scientific knowledge, under the enthusiastic financial patronage of the Church, you’d have to alphabetize them because names starting with a single letter would fill a page. All of the horrible things people first think of when they think of the Catholic Church are instances of exceptions. They commemorate the times when members of the Church failed to live up to the creed that they professed to adhere to. It’s the exception that proves the rule. If you can be shocked by corruption it’s because that isn’t the norm. If it were, you wouldn’t be shocked by it. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
This Doesnt Belong in the Church Brian Holdsworth 2024-03-01 | Support the channel by visiting:brianholdsworth.locals.com or brianholdsworth.ca/supportEveryone knows that #beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that true #art is defined by self-expression rather than the communication of beauty. But the problem with that view is that every single thing a person does, is a revelation of themselves (ie. self-expression).If art is about self-expression, then everything is art… and also, nothing is art. And it’s worth asking, how did we get to a point in which art has become so devalued in the minds of those professing to be its stewards and curators?And the answer is, because art and culture are downstream from philosophy and creed. So what are the underlying philosophies that dominate the contemporary artistic world? They are #modernism and #postmodernism. Both of which fundamentally reject and deny any notion of the objective beauty. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
What Are Conservatives Thinking!?! Brian Holdsworth 2024-02-24 | Support the channel by visiting brianholdsworth.caIn the aftermath of the fallout that Budweiser beer was experiencing among conservative patrons, a new beer company, called “Ultra Right Beer” tried to position itself as a natural alternative. And to introduce itself to its consumer audience, it launched marketing campaign with a pinup calendar called the “Conservative Dad's Real Women of America 2024 Calendar” as its centerpiece.And as you’d probably expect, many self-identifying conservatives objected to the idea that a pinup calendar is at all compatible with what it means to be a conservative. But amazingly, this objection was met with opposition by other so-called conservatives, including the high-profile women who posed for the calendar and who are positioned as conservative influencers. All of which highlighted the fact that if you peak under the label conservative, you will be immediately confronted with a conspicuous divide between those who might be described as Social Conservatives and those who describe themselves as Classical Liberals or Libertarians but all of whom are routinely described by the media as, conservatives.And it all raises an obvious question for a person like me which is, what is a conservative and what exactly is it that we are conserving?Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
The Link Between Entertainment and Porn Brian Holdsworth 2024-02-16 | Support the channel: brianholdsworth.ca/support or brianholdsworth.locals.comThis moment of history and our way of life is utterly eccentric and foreign to the human experience. That might be why we look at every generation that precedes us as strange or inferior. But if you're convinced that you're the only sane person, maybe you're actually the crazy one. Our dependency on a constant stream of media entertainment is something that few people seem to offer any skepticism towards. Yet, it seems to breed a long list of dysfunction in our lives. For my part, I'm going to cut those ties and see where that leaves me. I explain why in this video. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
I Convinced ChatGPT that God Does Not Exist Brian Holdsworth 2024-02-09 | Support the channel by visiting: brianholdsworth.ca/support or...brianholdsworth.locals.com Inspired by atheist commentator, @CosmicSkeptic's (Alex O'Connor) video, in which he convinced #ChatGPT that #God DOES exist, I thought I'd conduct a similar experiment in the opposite direction - trying to convince it that God does not exist. I've found AI's to be interesting sparring partners when it comes to philosophical debate. You can certainly learn a bit about the subject matter as well as test the logical validity of arguments you find persuasive.Alex O'Connor's video: youtube.com/watch?v=wS7IPxLZrR4Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Why Not Judaism? Brian Holdsworth 2024-02-03 | Join me on Locals: brianholdsworth.locals.comOr support the channel by visiting brianholdsworth.caIf you’ve followed this channel for any length of time, you probably know that I’m a convert to the #Catholic religion. And so I’ve done videos on this channel about why I didn’t become a Protestant, or why I’m not Eastern Orthodox, and why I’m not a Muslim, and some of the comments on those videos have issued the challenge to explain why I’m not a #Jewish. There are two dimensions to being a member and practitioner of the Jewish religion. One is the hereditary dimension and the other is the creedo/cultural/religious dimension. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Evolution Does Not Explain Morality Brian Holdsworth 2024-01-30 | Moral judgements don’t bounce off of us like personal preferences. They keep us awake at night. But in admitting that, one of the most frustrating attitudes I encounter whenever I discuss morality on my channel, is people who will lazily invoke Darwinian evolution as what fully accounts for the phenomenon of human ethics and morality.They’ll say that people who are moral have an evolutionary advantage and societies that work together also have an advantage, so as natural selection chooses those who will survive and reproduce, it will favour more moral members of the species.And I have to say, I find this to be extremely unconvincing. #morality #ethics #darwinism #evolution #philosophy Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
What is the Ape of the Church and is it Happening Now? Brian Holdsworth 2024-01-26 | Support the channel by visiting brianholdsworth.caSponsor: fishersnetwork.comThere’s an expression (Ape of the Church) that seems to be getting more and more attention these days, which was coined by Archbishop Fulton Sheen to describe what the Church teaches about a final deception that the faithful will have to endure before the second coming of Jesus. He called it the Ape of the Church, which would be an #apocalyptic counterfeit Church inaugurated by the #Antichrist. And more than a few people have taken this to be a description of where we find ourselves in the Church today. In fact, when I went to go look for the exact text here to quote it online, the first website I found it on is a sedevacantist website which claims that ever since Vatican II, the Church has been in a state of apostasy and this quote is one more piece of evidence to prove their case. And it wasn’t just Fulton Sheen who claimed that the Church would suffer such a rival. It’s actually well established in Church teaching. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in Article 7 says:“Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God…”The #Catechism goes on to say that this religious deception will claim to realize within history our messianic hope that can only be realized beyond history in the life of the world to come. That is to say, the antichrist will promise us the fulfillment of all our longings here, now, in history rather than in the next life and the restoration of all things after the second coming of Christ.Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
Are Catholics Right to be Angry? Brian Holdsworth 2024-01-20 | Sponsor: fishersnetwork.comSupport the channel by visiting brianholdsworth.caMy goal with publishing on YouTube has been to try to inspire people to take the claims of the Christianity and the Church, seriously. And why is that? Well, if I’m going to psychoanalyze myself, if I consider the weaker parts of my character, it might be for tribalistic reasons, because I want to see my tribe strengthened.But I also know there’s a big part of me, and I’d like to think it’s the bigger part, that wants to see others benefit from those claims in the way that I have. And that’s merely anecdotal, I know. But I have an intimate understanding of the difference between Catholic Brian and, let’s say Pagan Brian. Because I’ve lived both of those lives.Pagan Brian was directionless, hopeless, struggling to realize any of the goals I wanted in life, and ultimately depressed and lonely. Catholic Brian still has adversities, and probably quite a few more given how much more I’ve taken on it in life, but it’s a life in which I have hope, I have confidence in my moral direction, in which I’m surrounded by the kinds of people and friendships that I would not trade for my former life. In which I’m able to fall asleep at nice, peacefully after having been renewed in grace and confidence in the ultimate good of this life, no matter what I experienced during the day and whatever regrets I might have. If you subtract Pagan Brian from Catholic Brian, you end up with a difference that is precious and so good, that I desperately want other people to experience it as well. That’s what motivates me to sacrifice a good portion of my work week, and therefore my income, to doing this. Kind of thing. But more and more, we find ourselves, as Catholics having to fight internal battles which for outsiders looking in, isn’t a great way say, hey, you should become Catholic too. #popefrancis #catholicchurch #catholicnews #churchabuseMusic written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
All Are Welcome... In Hell Brian Holdsworth 2024-01-05 | Sponsor: fishersnetwork.comSupport the channel by visiting brianholdsworth.caIncreasingly, we’re seeing movements in the #Church that want to say, come as you are, stay as you are, all are welcome as they are – with no simultaneous message of, if you want God’s promises of eternal life, you’re going to have to change, you’re going to have to respond in some way – first and foremost by repenting. You’re going to have to recognize your faults and renounce them to begin the process of being healed of them. You have to embrace a process of sanctification. That’s what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.And to endorse or give your blessing to someone as they are, in the name of inclusivity, is not inclusive and it’s not loving. And so anybody who wants to say that’s the defining feature of a God of Love, is lying to you.A Church that prioritizes unconditioned inclusivity has more in common with Hell than it does with God’s Kingdom. Because all are welcome as they are in Hell. Hell doesn’t expect you to change or become better as a prerequisite to admission. In fact, it doesn’t want you to change, it wants you to stagnate and miss out on your fullest happiness and purpose in life, which we admitted from the beginning, is not where we are. We can all improve, remember? Hell wants you to skip out on all that and is happy to take you as you are. Admission into God’s kingdom is conditional. All are invited, but not everyone comes. Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.comPodcast Version: brianholdsworth.libsyn.com
