“American exceptionalism is the idea that America is more of a creed than a nation. This kind of American exceptionalism makes a certain kind of civic religion possible, a quasi-sacramental approach which all consistent Christians reject as, in equal turns, blasphemous and silly” (Empires of Dirt, p. 10).
A Simple Binary
“I would say the same thing about Jesus. If He is Lord, we should do what He says. If He is not, then we needn’t bother” (Empires of Dirt, p. 10).
Gratitude: The Sauce
“My point is that a man cannot sin by bowing his head over it, saying grace with true gratitude in his heart, and then tucking in—and this truth is not affected by whether what he is about to eat is a chocolate pudding cup from a fast food joint or lots of spinach, rich in …
The Basics
“By mere Christendom I mean a network of nations bound together by a formal, public, civic acknowledgement of the lordship of Jesus Christ and the fundamental truth of the Apostles’ Creed” (Empires of Dirt, p. 9).
He Just Changes His Clothes
“When the Church crosses the border between ‘outside and persecuted’ to ‘inside and influential,’ that border crossing does not mean that the devil has gone into retirement” (Empires of Dirt, p. 7).
A Fortiori
“If bacon is now clean, then how could it be possible for processed cheese not to be?” (Food Catholic, p. 3).
Nothing to Write Home About
“Neither am I a ‘food egalitarian.’ There is great cooking, good cooking, so-so cooking, poor cooking, and carrots out of the bag” (Confessions of a Food Catholic, p. 3).
Because That Would Be Bad
“Theocracy is not, however, to be confused with ‘theocracy’ or any other form of government contained within scare quotes, to which I am unalterably opposed” (Empires of Dirt, p. 4).
Taking or Giving
“Augustus insisted that taxes be paid to him. Christ came down to insist that the fundamental payment be made by Him” (God Rest Ye Merry, p. 149).
Still Necessary
“The window might be dirty because of sin, but we all still need to see through it” (Writers to Read, p. 143).