Was the Star of Bethlehem a UFO and Christmas Weird Questions – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

It’s Christmas, so Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers Live is asking Jimmy Akin Christmas weird questions from listeners, including was the Star of Bethlehem a UFO?; What’s the deal with Krampus?; What is the morality of Santa Claus?; and more.

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Questions for this episode:

  • 01:55 – Is it possible that the Star of Bethlehem was a UFO?
  • 10:15 – Is the absence of any reference in the Infancy narratives to time travelers asking to hold Baby Jesus evidence against the eventual invention of time travel? I can’t be the only one who wants to hold Him.
  • 16:23 – What’s the deal with Krampus?
  • 18:45 – Would it be morally wrong to invent a fictional character who delivers gifts on Christmas, then convince one’s children that this fictional character exists?
  • 21:02 – Does encouraging belief in Santa make children doubt their faith when they learn the truth?
  • 24:28 – If you live on one of Jupiter’s moons, how do you know which Earth time zone to observe in order to know when to hold midnight Mass on Christmas Eve?
  • 28:47 – Since Jesus inherited no DNA from a human father, why is he not a clone of Mary?
  • 32:51 – Would Jesus already know where Joseph and Mary hid his presents?
  • 36:18 – If a time-traveler were to discover that the Nativity really occurred in 6 BC or 4 BC, would we adjust our calendar system to reflect that?
  • 38:23 – As a Greek speaking Bishop, would St. Nicholas follow the Julian or the Gregorian calendar for his celebration of Christmas?
  • 42:29 – Could the baby Jesus have developed colic? If Jesus was like us in all things but sin, does that mean he got sick?
  • 51:29 – What will they use for Christmas Trees on Mars?
  • 52:16 – Should the church be making a bigger deal about the Feast of the Annunciation rather than the Nativity in order to emphasize that Christ was incarnate on Earth 9 months before he was technically born

Links for this episode:

This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Aaron Vurgason Electric and Automation at AaronV.com. Making Connections for Life for your automation and smart home needs in north and central Florida.

Catechism Class, a dynamic weekly podcast journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Greg and Jennifer Willits. It’s the best book club, coffee talk, and faith study group, all rolled into one. Find it in any podcast directory.

Fiorvento Law, PLLC, specializing in adult guardianships and conservatorships, probate and estate planning matters. Accepting clients throughout Michigan. Taking into account your individual, healthcare, financial and religious needs. Visit FiorventoLaw.com

Deliver Contacts, offering honest pricing and reliable service for all your contact lens needs. See the difference at delivercontacts.com.

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The Wheel in Space – The Secrets of Doctor Who

Zoe arrives! Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss this 2nd Doctor story that brings him back into conflict with the Cybermen; sees another autocratic leader go crazy; and introduces new Companion Zoe.

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Mindwalk (PRO) – The Secrets of Star Trek

Freaky Friday! Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha talk about this story which features the classic body swap trope and Kate Mulgrew’s performance in essentially three roles in this story, plus how the writers have dealt with the twisted plot threads.

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Analyzing the Loch Ness Monster – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

The Loch Ness Monster has been a worldwide sensation for ages. After examining the history of the mystery, Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli now analyze the theories of what it is, including the claim that a creature from the age of the dinosaurs is living in the loch.

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Aaron Vurgason Electric and Automation at AaronV.com. Making Connections for Life for your automation and smart home needs in north and central Florida.

Catechism Class, a dynamic weekly podcast journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Greg and Jennifer Willits. It’s the best book club, coffee talk, and faith study group, all rolled into one. Find it in any podcast directory.

Fiorvento Law, PLLC, specializing in adult guardianships and conservatorships, probate and estate planning matters. Accepting clients throughout Michigan. Taking into account your individual, healthcare, financial and religious needs. Visit FiorventoLaw.com

Deliver Contacts, offering honest pricing and reliable service for all your contact lens needs. See the difference at delivercontacts.com.

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

Direct Link to the Episode.

Subscribe on iTunes. | Other Ways to Subscribe.

Death in Heaven – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The 12th Doctor deals with the afterlife. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the concepts raised by the story; how the show deals with death; and what makes Missy so compelling as a character.

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Mysterious Feedback, December 2022 – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

Mysterious feedback! Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli answer your mysterious feedback on recent episodes, including Shadow People, Patron questions, Spring-Heeled Jack, Edgar Cayce, God’s Wife, weird questions, and more!

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Links for this episode:

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The Weekly Francis – 13 December 2022

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week, from 24 November 2022 to 13 December 2022.

Angelus

General Audiences

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Let us place our trust in the Lord of the universe, who loves us immensely and knows that we can build something wonderful, something eternal with Him. The lives of the saints show us this in a most beautiful way. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex, 7 December 2022
  • “Let us entrust to the intercession of the Mother of God the universal desire for peace, in particular for tormented Ukraine, which suffers greatly. With God’s help, peace is possible; disarmament is possible. May Our Lady help us to convert ourselves towards God’s plans.” @Pontifex, 8 December 2022
  • “With Baptism, we became God’s beloved children forever. This is our original beauty, for which to be joyful! Today, Mary, surprised by the grace that made her beautiful from the first instant of her life, leads us to marvel at our beauty. #ImmaculateConception” @Pontifex, 8 December 2022
  • “In the #GospelOfTheDay (Lk 1:26–38), the angel does not call Mary by her name, but with a new name: full of grace. Full of grace, and therefore free from sin, is the name God gives her and that we celebrate today. #ImmaculateConception” @Pontifex, 8 December 2022
  • “The Virgin Mary is the “Way” God Himself prepared to come into the world. Let us #PrayTogether, entrusting to her intercession the salvation and peace awaited by all men and women of our time.” @Pontifex, 8 December 2022
  • “If we embrace Christ with open arms, we will also embrace others with trust and humility.” @Pontifex, 9 December 2022
  • “To protect the human dignity of the weakest by affirming their rights contributes to the growth of human fraternity and safeguards the image of God imprinted in each person. #StandUp4HumanRights #HumanRightsDay” @Pontifex, 10 December 2022
  • “God is always greater than we imagine Him to be. His works are surprising compared to our calculations. His actions exceed our needs and expectations. And for this reason we must never stop seeking Him and transforming ourselves into His true appearance. #Angelus” @Pontifex, 11 December 2022
  • “I invite you to pray, before the creche, that the Nativity of the Lord will bring a ray of peace to children all over the world, especially those forced to live the terrible and dark days of war.” @Pontifex, 11 December 2022
  • “I am following with sorrow and concern the news from South Sudan about the violent clashes over recent days. Let us pray to the Lord for peace and national reconciliation, so that the attacks may cease and that civilians may always be respected.” @Pontifex, 11 December 2022
  • “In the #GospelOfTheDay, John the Baptist is no longer able to recognize in Jesus the awaited Messiah, and he sends the disciples to check. Even the greatest believer goes through the tunnel of doubt. This is not a bad thing, and sometimes it is essential for spiritual growth.” @Pontifex, 11 December 2022
  • “This is a difficult time for humanity, but it is also a propitious time of salvation, in which the Lord, through the Virgin Mary, continues to give us His Son, who calls us to fraternity, to set aside selfishness, indifference and enmity, and to get involved with each other.” @Pontifex, 12 December 2022
  • “Thank you to all who follow me on this account which was opened 10 years ago to proclaim the joy of the Gospel. Let us continue to build up this network as a free space to promote encounter and dialogue and to value what unites us.” @Pontifex, 12 December 2022
  • “In the many painful crossroads of our present history, God continues to send us the Mother of His Son. #OurLadyOfGuadalupe invites us to trust in the ”true God for whom we live“, joyfully and confidently directing us to reaffirm our belonging to the Lord.” @Pontifex, 12 December 2022
  • “Preparing the #creche for Baby Jesus, we once again learn who our Lord is. He is the God of humble meekness, of mercy and love, who intervenes always respecting our freedom and our choices.” @Pontifex, 13 December 2022

Papal Instagram

A special Advent message from Jimmy

Jimmy Akin has a special message as we approach the Christmas season. If you enjoy Mysterious World and want it to continue, it’s very important that we hear from you this Advent and Christmas.

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Direct Link to the Episode.

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Ghost in the Machine (PRO) – The Secrets of Star Trek

What could have been a Star Trek trope becomes a compelling twist. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss this holodeck episode that undermines our expectations and presents a conundrum for the crew, another layer of betrayal. Who can they trust?

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