Leftist Pro-Lifers vs.[?] Abortion-Restricting Laws

Last updated on: January 26, 2021 at 3:24 pm By Dave Armstrong

+ Five Additional Pro-Life Articles: Formerly Only on Facebook *** Love Towards Preborn Babies Evident Once Again from the Pro-Abort Crowd (6-1-17) * In a combox at Patheos, I made reference to “childkilling” (i.e., abortion), but misspelled the word. “Statistics Palin” then replied: “What is “chilkilling”? Is it like “covfefe”? It’s difficult to keep up with you Trumpanzees and your nonsense.” * I replied: * It’s precious that you would be more concerned about a typo than with what the... Read more

St. Augustine’s Communion (Standing, in the Hand)

Last updated on: January 26, 2021 at 6:36 pm By Dave Armstrong

This post is especially for those who like to rail against the Pauline (“New” / ordinary form) Mass and current reception norms as a liberal distortion. The idea in revising and developing the liturgy was to be closer in spirit to the early, patristic liturgy. I myself, by the way, receive kneeling at an altar rail on the tongue, from the priest (that’s our custom in my parish), and I virtually never receive the cup; lest I be accused of “liturgical... Read more

Only Spiritual Revival Will Stop Abortion

Last updated on: January 25, 2021 at 11:35 am By Dave Armstrong

[Clarifying Note: Of course we need to make abortion illegal. I’ve fought for that for 34 years. I’m totally in favor of reversing Roe and achieving each and every state legal restriction possible under present law: which means, basically, vote Republican (some 90% of whom — among politicians — are pro-life). Nothing I write below implies otherwise. I am contending here that it never will in fact be made illegal again unless and until we experience a huge spiritual revival in this... Read more

Why Pro-Lifers Vote for Pro-Abortionists: 9 Reasons

Last updated on: January 22, 2021 at 2:47 pm By Dave Armstrong

This was written (with one noted exception) right before the presidential election of 2008; hence the many references to President Obama. The moral reasoning remains exactly as valid as it was in 2008. *** My wife has a good friend who is inexplicably voting for Obama. For a Catholic to do that is absolutely against Catholic moral principles. For a morally conservative evangelical Protestant (my wife’s friend) to do so is also against their own ostensible principles (assuming there is... Read more

Star of Bethlehem & Magi: 20 Fascinating Aspects

Last updated on: January 22, 2021 at 5:15 pm By Dave Armstrong

I have rarely enjoying studying and writing about anything as much as I have, delving into the star of Bethlehem. It all started by an almost random viewing of the very popular Star of Bethlehem video by Fred Larson in early December 2020. That got my curiosity going and I went from sub-topic to sub-topic: eventually clashing with atheists: including one caustic, obnoxious fellow who wrote an entire book about it. Along the way, over the past six weeks or so,... Read more

Bible vs. the Reformed Doctrine of Limited Atonement

Last updated on: January 21, 2021 at 1:32 pm By Dave Armstrong

[see book and purchase information] The following is from chapter 11 of my book, Biblical Catholic Salvation (2010), pages 103-114. ***** Again, I shall utilize the eminent Presbyterian theologian Charles Hodge in order to properly define terms and to show what it is that Catholics oppose: The whole question, therefore, concerns simply the purpose of God in the mission of his Son. What was the design of Christ’s coming into the world, and doing and suffering all He actually did... Read more

Bible vs. the Reformed Doctrine of Total Depravity

Last updated on: January 21, 2021 at 12:59 pm By Dave Armstrong

See book and purchase information for this book of mine (2010). This article is taken from chapter 10: pages 73-101. ***** The Calvinist viewpoint on the fall of man and original sin (tying into the Reformed / Calvinist notion of total depravity) may be observed in the writing of Charles Hodge (1797-1878), the American Presbyterian theologian, in his Systematic Theology (note how he casually assumes that Catholic soteriology is “Semi-Pelagian” and “co-opts” St. Augustine for his side): The Semi-Pelagian doctrine... Read more

Predestination to Hell? (vs. Calvin #61)

Last updated on: January 20, 2021 at 11:42 am By Dave Armstrong

This is an installment of a series of replies (see the Introduction and Master List) to much of Book IV (Of the Holy Catholic Church) — and some portions of Books I-III — of Institutes of the Christian Religion, by early Protestant leader John Calvin (1509-1564). I utilize the public domain translation of Henry Beveridge, dated 1846, from the 1559 edition in Latin; available online. Calvin’s words will be in blue. All biblical citations (in my portions) will be from RSV unless otherwise noted. Related reading from yours... Read more

Star Researcher Aaron Adair: “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!”

Last updated on: January 20, 2021 at 11:40 am By Dave Armstrong

This is my third post in reply to atheist physicist Aaron Adair, who wrote a book skeptical of the star of Bethlehem. He first wrote, asking me some questions, after having seen two posts of mine on the topic. I thought we could actually have a good dialogue (that rarest of rarities these days), and enjoyed it at first. But, sadly, the ostensible “dialogue” quickly went sour, and he has since — unwilling and apparently unable to deal point-by-point with... Read more

Loftus Lies #23: Hypocrisy Re Deconversion Stories

Last updated on: January 19, 2021 at 11:18 am By Dave Armstrong

Atheist author and polemicist John W. Loftus wrote an article entitled, “The Evidential Value of Conversion/Deconversion Stories. Reviewing Mittelberg’s “Confident Christianity” Part 7″ (2-22-18). I will be responding to his arguments regarding atheist deconversion stories (which tell of how and why one left the Christian faith). His words will be in blue. ***** I want to digress a bit for this post to discuss the value of personal conversion/deconversion stories. [Nomenclature: A conversion story is one which an atheist or nonbeliever... Read more