Considering Catholicism

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/ohDB5gbtaEQ?si=vjz-JsE0vZ18zDqH) as a spot-on illustratio...

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 prudential political judgments, critiques inconsistencies in ho...

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 family worship as the "domestic church." He offers practi...

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" from Eastern Christianity and analogies like C.S. Lewi...

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 phrasing. These choices are often shaped by theological agenda...

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 flawed translation. He then guides listeners through trusted...

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 faith in a divided household. Greg emphasizes the Catholic C...

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 struggles. Greg shares his own experience of losing professiona...

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 Scripture and Tradition as one. Check out episodes #133, #...

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, ahistorical, and rejected by most Christians acro...

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 chase for Jewish roots (Episode 1) and reliance on the Mas...

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 how evangelicals’ search for “Jewish roots” leads them to ...

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 traditions. He shares a story from St. Peter’s Basilica th...

Greg Smith 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 sacred purpose. Perfect for curious non-Ca...

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. Inspired by G.K. Chesterton, this episode is for curious...

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. With practical tips and answers to common questions, G...

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. Drawing from Scripture, the Catechism, an...

Greg and Cory delve into the radical Christian teaching of the physical resurrection of the body, a cornerstone of Catholic eschatology that sets Christianity apart from other worldviews. They explore how the resurrection restores humanity to God’s original design in Genesis, uniting body and soul as seen in Christ’s own resurrection. Contrasting this with prevalent cultural and religious ideas—like Gnosticism or modern transhumani...

Greg and Ed unpack a recent experience at a casual evangelical worship service, contrasting its informal, emotion-driven approach with the objective beauty of the Catholic Mass. They describe a service filled with pop culture references, minimal Scripture, and a vague "remembrance" with Wonder Bread and grape juice, lacking the structure and transcendence of Catholic liturgy. Drawing on C.S. Lewis’s The Weight of Glory...