Author Archives: Ron Conte

The Date of Christ’s Birth and the Christian Calendar

Posted on 3 December 2012 by Ron Conte

The current year is 2012. How many years has it been since the Birth of Christ? The current calendar system counts the years as if Christ were born in 1 BC. But many scholars (not all) think that 1 BC … Continue reading →

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Transmission of Original Sin from Both Parents

Posted on 2 December 2012 by Ron Conte

St. Thomas Aquinas, in the Summa Theologica, expresses a theological opinion not uncommon in past centuries. “Now it is evident that in the opinion of philosophers, the active principle of generation is from the father, while the mother provides the … Continue reading →

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The Mayan apocalypse is New Age nonsense

Posted on 1 December 2012 by Ron Conte

What is the source of the idea that the Mayan calendar indicates the end of the world on 21 Dec 2012? I searched Google books, and found no mention of this idea anywhere, until one New Age author, Jose Arguelles, … Continue reading →

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My interpretation of the Book of Revelation

Posted on 28 November 2012 by Ron Conte

I have a new book out this week: An Eschatological Commentary on the Apocalypse of John The book present my understanding of the last book of the New Testament, called the Apocalypse of John or the Book of Revelation, especially … Continue reading →

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The Bible, Slavery, and Intrinsic Evil

Posted on 28 November 2012 by Ron Conte

Does the Bible approve of slavery, or remain silent on its immorality? Has the Roman Catholic Magisterium condemned slavery as intrinsically evil and always gravely immoral? The Bible The Old Testament had something more like indentured servitude. In ancient times, … Continue reading →

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Creationism versus Evolution: a Roman Catholic Perspective

Posted on 27 November 2012 by Ron Conte

The controversy between creationism and evolution has been in the news since Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator from Florida and a Roman Catholic, made these remarks in an interview with GQ magazine: GQ: How old do you think the Earth is? … Continue reading →

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Church Teaching on Contraception and Intrinsic Evil

Posted on 26 November 2012 by Ron Conte

The use of contraception is intrinsically evil and always gravely immoral: Pontifical Council for the Family: “The Church has always taught the intrinsic evil of contraception, that is, of every marital act intentionally rendered unfruitful. This teaching is to be … Continue reading →

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Will the next Pope loosen the ban on Contraception?

Posted on 26 November 2012 by Ron Conte

There is no guarantee from God that each and every Pope in succession will be a conservative. Although some conservative Catholics speak as if Catholics with more liberal theological opinions are necessarily heretics or apostates, such is not the case. … Continue reading →

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Free Booklet: The Marital Sexual Act

Posted on 24 November 2012 by Ron Conte

I’m releasing a lengthy free excerpt from my book Roman Catholic Marital Sexual Ethics, in the form of a downloadable PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file. The booklet is simply Chapter 7 of the book, along with an abbreviated Introduction and the … Continue reading →

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Is it a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays?

Posted on 23 November 2012 by Ron Conte

Suppose that the U.S. Bishops reinstate the requirement for all Catholics to abstain from eating meat on all Fridays (other than a major liturgical feast day, such as Christmas). Would it be a mortal sin to deliberately and knowingly choose … Continue reading →

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The Martyrdom of Mark the Gospel writer

Posted on 21 November 2012 by Ron Conte

Mark journeyed to Alexandria in Egypt and established a community of Christians there. The holiness of the church he founded is extolled by Eusebius, Philo, and Jerome. In my opinion, Mark’s death should be placed in Nero’s 11th year. This … Continue reading →

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Summary of the IAEA Report on Iran’s Nuclear Program

Posted on 16 November 2012 by Ron Conte

Natanz The Natanz uranium enrichment facility is the larger of the two declared enrichment sites. “As of 10 November 2012, Iran had fully installed 61 cascades in Production Hall A, 54 of which were declared by Iran as being fed … Continue reading →

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