The Practical Parson

It is not enough for Man to say "I am free"; he must learn to say also "I am responsible." Man is free to choose his way in life; from all manner of little decisions to the bigger ones, such as marriage or employment.  Man has freedom to pray to whatsoever deity he chooses.  In a nutshell- Man is free.   But at what cost?  Can man truly be free if he forsakes all responsibility for his choices and actions?   A man who forsakes responsibility for his actions is no longer free; for he has made himself slave to passion, desire, anger, hatred, and the multiplicity of other emotions that plague the human race.  If we say that man has no ability to control himself, then we give him over to bondage to instinct and desire; degrading him from being a creature gifted with divine knowledge and free will, to that of a mere beast doing for the moment what feels good.  Man is not a mere beast; but a being created in the image and likeness of God.  ...

 Last week the world saw the presidents of the United States and Ukraine clash in the Oval Office of the White House over a proposed deal to continue providing material and financial support for Ukraine in the wake of their ongoing war.  While President Zelensky of Ukraine had promised he would sign the agreement at that meeting, after having promised to do so twice before and reneging on his word; he got the opportunity to leave the scene without signing the agreement, once again.  This clash gave him a boost on the European front, with allies clamoring to give them additional funding for war; despite his protestations about pursuing peace.  While I am not one who will consider it good form to openly antagonize or berate allies; it is true that both sides equally traded jabs during the Oval Office meeting, with President Zelensky hoping that the media's presence would force President Trump into agreeing to additional concessions and assistance that were not agreed u...

 This week, the Bishop of Rome has chosen to issue an apostolic letter to exhort the Roman Catholic bishops in the United States against President Trump and the ongoing efforts to secure the Mexico-America border and to deport criminal, illegal immigrants in the United States.  While the Bishop of Rome is entirely within his right to tell his lackeys to do whatever he fancies at a given point in time, his claims on the Christian response to a situation with precedent not seen since the fall of Rome; are not only tone-deaf, but contrary to the natural law and the dignity of the citizens of a free nation.    It is entirely true: the United States is a nation that is built upon a bedrock foundation of immigrants from various places in the world.  Indeed, it is this tapestry of patrimonies which has given the US its unique, cultural importance on the world stage in the modern era.  But what comprises such a nation, and more importantly the national identity?...

 As many Anglicans and conservative Christians have seen in the past couple of weeks, there is a cognitive dissonance between what is correct, and what is personally acceptable; summed up in the ongoing case of Rev. Calvin Robinson.   As I have touched on previously in Rev. Robinson's case, the situation of what transpired was centered entirely around his determined trolling of leftist, liberal ideologues, and their mistaken notions that everyone who thinks other than what they think is a Nazi/ fascist.  While Robinson's actions in and of themselves hold no true transgression against sense or a desire for conversation; they do transgress one of the most important duties of any ordained cleric: which is to defend the church against those who would destroy it, and to protect the people of God entrusted to our care.  While Robinson's actions have had the desired outcome he wished for in the secular scene (inspiring conversation, to some extent); they have had a neg...

 Recently, a well known Anglican conservative commentator and clergyman named Calvin Robinson was dismissed from his position within the Anglican Catholic Church, after his appearance at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, DC.  He wasn't dismissed for attending the summit or even for speaking at the same; but rather for a (for him) unavoidable incident of public trolling those who disagree with his positions on things.  First and foremost, the action in an of itself was not terribly horrible; a simple mocking replication of Elon Musk's "my heart goes out to you" gesture from the night of President Trump's inauguration: which prompted accusations of "Nazi salute", despite it being a quite common gesture before large audiences.  The gesture of placing your hand on your heart and then extending it out towards the assembly is a widespread gesture; and has even been used by politicians on the Democratic side, from Hillary Clinton to Tim Walz, Kamala H...

 Since there is such a public interest in "Speaking truth to power" among our liberal brethren in the world today, allow me; humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord, to express my own personal testimony of truth to answer.  I have served the church and the people of my community since the day of my ordination as a priest in 2012.  In that time, I have witnessed great good, and great evil; at the hands of conservatives and liberals alike.  As time has passed, I have experienced greater evil and hardship from those who proclaim the supposed Christian virtues of love and understanding; than I ever have from those who hold conservative convictions different than my own.   I have been publicly accosted by people on the left for no other reason than that I am a priest of the church.   I have been publicly humiliated and mocked online by liberal individuals who have sworn to me that they will "destroy" me.  I have been subjected to harassment and ...