Considering Catholicism

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In Part 1 of a four-part series called “The Church and Her Fathers,” Greg dives into a pet peeve: why evangelicals insist on calling early Christianity a “movement” instead of “the Church.” Tracing the term’s modern origins in missions and Reformation biases, he calls it infantile and passive-aggressive anti-Catholicism. With a strong biblical rebuttal, Greg shows how this lan...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this second part of the baptism series, Greg Sshifts to adults and older children, explaining when infant rules end (around age seven per canon law) and how personal intention takes over. He outlines the OCIA process for unbaptized catechumens, adaptations for ages 7-18, and recognition of most Protestant baptisms if Trinitarian. Canon law is walked through step-by-step, wi...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this first part of a two-episode series on Catholic baptism, Greg explores the doctrinal heart of the sacrament, explaining why infants are baptized and how it aligns with Scripture and ancient Church tradition. He clarifies that baptism brings regeneration—being "born again"—with references to the Catechism and Bible, while contrasting it with common Protestant views. The...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg and Cory dive into the often-confusing generational conflicts simmering in many Catholic parishes, where aging baby boomers shaped by 1960s and 70s pop culture clash with younger millennials and Gen Z seekers craving transcendence and tradition. They explore how boomers emphasized horizontal community and cultural relevance, leading to beige churches and casual liturgies,...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg and Cory revisit the challenges parents of small children face in bringing their children to Mass. In Episode #360, Greg had responded to a listener named Claire who shared that teaching her kids to sit still and pay attention in Mass was a struggle, and asked why Catholic Churches didn't have the same kind of dynamic "kid's church" programs that contemporary evangelical...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this lively conclusion to a three-part series looking at myths about Catholicism, Greg and Ed the Protestant unpack how "Hollywood"—from Reformation-era propaganda to modern films, novels, and TV—ingrains unconscious biases against Catholicism through tropes like fat, greedy bishops, ugly scheming monks, mean ruler-wielding nuns, and spooky cathedrals that twist sacred awe...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this engaging opener to a two-part series, Greg and Ed the Protestant dive into how "Hollywood"—a catch-all for mass media from Reformation propaganda to modern movies, music, and novels—subtly shapes our perceptions of reality, including Christianity and Catholicism. At the secret compound, they explore how repeated tropes in popular culture groove neural pathways, bypassi...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg lays the intellectual foundation for how the "noble savage" trope, rooted in Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau, converges with the Reformation’s Black Legend to demonize Catholicism in popular culture. Tracing the noble savage from ancient Greece to Romanticism, he shows how it idealizes the "exotic other" as pure while portraying the Church as corrupt, amplified by Pr...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg shares a listener's email from Dylan, whose honest conversation with his former Calvinist pastor turned into a one-sided barrage of critiques without real engagement. Drawing from his own Protestant past, Greg explores why so many Catholic-Protestant debates devolve into unconstructive patterns, using the hilarious Monty Python "Argument Clinic" sketch ( https://youtu.be/...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg Smith responds to a listener's email expressing shock at perceived anti-Semitism in Catholic online spaces. He clarifies the Catholic Church's official teachings on Judaism and the State of Israel, emphasizing respect, shared roots, and a balanced call for peace amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. Greg distinguishes between binding doctrines on faith and morals versus prudent...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg responds to a listener's heartfelt email about her journey toward Catholicism and a major hesitation: how the Church approaches children's ministry compared to engaging evangelical programs. Drawing from his consulting experience with megachurches, Greg critiques the entertainment-focused model, shares data on high youth dropout rates, and explains Catholic teachings on f...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg responds to listener Shandra's heartfelt question about the Catholic Church's historical involvement in injustices like the transatlantic slave trade and the subjugation of Ireland. Drawing from his own conversion journey as a former Protestant, he shares a thought experiment: What if the Church hadn't existed as a societal force? Exploring real historical "control groups...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Building on Part 1's takedown of KJV-onlyism, Greg delves into the heart of Bible translation debates in this thought-provoking conclusion, examining three key issues: faithfulness to ancient manuscripts (spotlighted by the Johannine Comma), the doctrinal weight of unique words like "full of grace" in Luke 1:28, and dynamic equivalence with modern language and inclusive phrasi...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In this first installment of a two-part series, Greg  responds to a fundamentalist chain letter claiming the King James Version (KJV) is the only true Bible, unpacking its bizarre mindset and deep anti-Catholic roots from the Reformation era. Greg refutes the claims with historical facts, manuscript evidence, and theological insights, showing why the KJV is a valuable but flaw...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Continuing their conversation Secret Compound, Greg and Ed tackle the deeply personal challenges of considering Catholicism when opposition comes from within the home, particularly from a spouse. Responding to a listener's email about navigating a Protestant spouse and a complex marriage situation, they explore the emotional and spiritual dilemmas of pursuing the Catholic fait...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg and Ed the Protestant return to the Secret Compound and dive into the real challenges faced by those considering Catholicism, especially when it means navigating opposition from friends, family, or fellow Protestants. They explore the emotional and social costs of pursuing the Catholic faith, drawing from listener emails about anti-Catholic sentiments and personal struggl...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In Part 2 of a two-part series, "Protestant Games," Greg dismantles the Protestant “Berean Gambit”—their claim that Acts 17:11 proves sola scriptura. Far from a mic-drop, this move backfires, showing the Bereans trusted Paul’s oral apostolic tradition—resurrection, Trinity, Gentile inclusion—checked for consistency with the Old Testament, aligning with Catholicism’s view of Sc...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In Part 1 of a two-part series, Greg tackles Protestant apologist Gavin Ortlund’s 5 Reasons I Am Not Catholic, which shakes cradle Catholic Iris and others with evangelical critiques. Instead of playing the “rigged game” of proving Catholicism by Protestant rules (sola scriptura, sola fide, Bible-only faith), Greg flips the script, showing these premises are unbiblical, ahisto...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Why do American evangelicals passionately support modern Israel, especially in conflicts like Israel-Iran? In the final part of our Seeking Roots, Finding the Church series, Greg Smith shares why Americans, including evangelicals, admire Israel’s pioneer spirit and military prowess, akin to Davy Crockett at the Alamo. Buy notes that dispensationalist theology, tied to their ch...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Why do evangelicals trust a Jewish canon finalized centuries after Christ over the Bible of the apostles? In part two of our Seeking Roots, Finding the Church series, Greg shares his journey from a Calvinist seminary where the Masoretic Text was taught as the “authentic” Old Testament to Catholicism, where he discovered the Septuagint’s role in the apostolic Church. Explore ho...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Why do American evangelicals love Holy Land trips, seder dinners, and supporting the modern state of Israel? In this first of a three-part series, "Seeking Roots, Finding the Church," Greg explores how evangelicals, seeking a faith with gravitas, embrace a romanticized pre-Christian Jewish identity, imagining a simple, intimate faith free of “elaborate” Catholic or Orthodox tr...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Greg tackles Catholic and Protestant views on sex, asking: whose take is stranger? From marriage as a sacrament to celibacy as a gift and Mary’s perpetual virginity, he defends Catholic teachings as biblical and healthy against Protestant critiques on divorce, contraception, and more. Using the Cathar heresy as a cautionary tale, Greg shows how Catholicism balances sex’s sacre...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Is Catholicism a house of cards, ready to collapse under one false teaching? In this episode, Greg responds to a listener—an evangelical exploring Catholicism—who fears he can’t be certain the Church is the truth. With fun analogies like burritos and bridges, Greg unpacks why Protestantism’s “modest” claim is a mirage and how Catholicism’s evidence makes it a rational choice....

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] Why does the Mass feel so formal, and how can you love it? In this episode, Greg responds to Darcy, a 25-year-old evangelical exploring Catholicism, who’s struggling with the Mass’s structure—repetition, kneeling, and call-and-response. He unpacks why our culture overvalues spontaneity, how the Mass’s form protects truth, and why the early Church wasn’t as “casual” as we think...

[DONATE WITH PAYPAL] In the final episode of the series on heaven, Greg and Cory explore the eschaton—the ultimate end of God’s plan, where Christ returns to renew creation as the New Heaven and New Earth. They unpack the biblical parallelism between Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 21-22, where God restores communion between Himself, humanity, and creation, fulfilling our deepest longings for belonging...