Audio version is available at Stoking the Embers (My headquarters) or your favorite podcast app
Description, Segment Breakdown, Key Highlights below
“Throwin’ Fireballs” - In this explosive episode of Fire Branded, I bring the heat. Throwing Fireballs is my rallying cry to Catholics who feel overwhelmed, intimidated, or confused by anti-Catholic noise online. Using a recent Instagram clip that unexpectedly went viral, I unpack why so many people—some inside the Church, some far outside—feel compelled to take swings at Catholicism. And I expose what’s really going on beneath their loud objections: a deep, unspoken recognition of the Church’s authority.
I walk you through the comments, the pushback, the hecklers, the four-paragraph smartphone essays written in righteous fury—and explain why those reactions actually prove the point: people don’t attack what they aren’t threatened by. They don’t fight what they don’t respect. And they definitely don’t write novels in your comment section unless the Church is pressing on their conscience.
From Protestant misunderstandings of worship, to accusations of “idolatry,” to the recurring question of whether Christians “need” religion at all, I explain how to understand these claims, respond to them, and—more importantly—not fear them. With humor, clarity, and that unmistakable Catholic Firebrand energy, I show young or inexperienced Catholics that the Church’s teachings have depth, power, and airtight logic behind them.
And then, as always, I pivot to the heart: a powerful call to return to the sacraments, recover your Catholic identity, and stop postponing the life God has been calling you to live.
This episode is apologetics, encouragement, evangelization, and spiritual boot-camp rolled into one fireball.
Segment-by-Segment Show Notes
00:00–02:00 — The Firebrand Entrance
Opening banter, fast-paced intro, humor
Today’s theme: Throwing fireballs
Encouragement for inexperienced or nervous Catholics
02:00–05:00 — The Viral Clip
You recap the spontaneous video that exploded on Instagram
Central message: The Catholic Church is “big time”—one of God’s greatest works
Prediction: Many will face Christ and answer for their attacks on His Church
05:00–11:00 — The Pushback Begins
Stupid comments, ignorant comments, long comments
People claiming I’m “threatened”
My retort: Why would a 2000-year-old Church fear you?
Humor + teaching on cultural hostility toward Catholicism
11:00–18:00 — Protestant Objections & Worship Explained
“I follow Jesus, not religion”
The biblical definition of worship: priest, altar, sacrifice
Why Protestant definitions of worship reduce everything to “prayer”
Distinguishing devotion from worship
Why Catholics don’t worship Mary—and why Protestants think we do
18:00–26:00 — Religion Is Part of Reality
I explain that religion isn’t invented—it’s built into human nature
Christ practiced religion and established the Church
Critical distinction between nice and good
Why “I don’t need religion to be good” collapses under logic
26:00–33:30 — Human Nature, Culture, and Morality
Pagan cultures didn’t view murder as “wrong,” only socially disruptive
Many modern “human rights” are actually moral errors
The difference between natural moral intuition vs. revealed ethics
33:30–40:00 — Responding to Claims About Mary
A commenter claims Mary wasn’t sinless because she was “troubled”
I dismantle the argument point-by-point:
Fear isn’t proof of sin
Mary’s humility is the issue in the text
Zechariah doubted; Mary didn’t
Nothing in Luke contradicts the Immaculate Conception
40:00–47:00 — Community, Substack, and Discord Invitations
Why join the newsletter
How the Discord server works
What the Scripture Sessions are
Invitation to the Firebrand Forum
47:00–52:00 — Final Exhortation: Come Back Home
Stop postponing your return to the sacraments
Confession changes everything
Now is the time—God is calling His children home
Encouragement rooted in your 30 years of evangelization
“I believe in you—because God believes in you.”
🔑 Key Highlights (Bullet Points)
Why anti-Catholic comments are usually a sign of respect-in-disguise
The difference between Catholic worship and Protestant “worship”
Why religion is not optional—it’s part of how humans were created
Understanding biblical worship: priest, altar, sacrifice
Why prayer ≠ worship, biblically
Why people misunderstand Catholic devotion to Mary and the saints
How to understand claims about Mary’s “fear”
What’s missing in the “I don’t need religion to be good” mindset
How the sacraments give the supernatural strength needed for salvation
A strong exhortation for fallen-away or lukewarm Catholics to come back now
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