Jason Engwer, Origen, & the New Testament Canon

Last updated on: October 15, 2020 at 12:01 pm By Dave Armstrong

Protestant apologist Jason Engwer (words in blue below) recently wrote: It’s common to allege that the twenty-seven-book New Testament canon we have today doesn’t first appear in the historical record until around the middle of the fourth century, in Athanasius. But it probably was advocated in multiple locations prior to that time, including in Origen more than a century earlier. (10-14-20) He links to an 11-year-old paper of his where he fleshes this out: The earliest extant source I’m aware of who... Read more

Anti-Catholic Hypocrisy Re the Term “Anti-Catholic”

Last updated on: October 15, 2020 at 12:01 pm By Dave Armstrong

Jason Engwer Sez Catholicism is Not Christian & Teaches a False Gospel [Jason Engwer’s words will be in blue; those of Steve Hays in green; David T. King’s in purple] I’ve written about this times without number: so many times that many of the former posts are not even on my blog anymore. I deleted them. But the hypocrisy continues. Recently I replied to one such anti-Catholic, Jason Engwer: with whom I have debated off and on since 2000, in... Read more

St. Peter Listed First in Lists of Disciples: A Debate

Last updated on: October 13, 2020 at 6:33 pm By Dave Armstrong

Anti-Catholic Protestant polemicist Jason Engwer and I have debated questions like this several times. I wrote one of my better-known papers in 1994, as an article in The Catholic Answer. It was in my first book in 1996 and has been on my blog from its beginning in 1997: 50 New Testament Proofs for Peter’s Primacy & the Papacy Jason critiqued it and I counter-responded: Reply to Critique of “50 NT Proofs for the Papacy” [3-14-02] Then he did a semi-satirical... Read more

Death Penalty, Reactionaries, & a Devious Liar-Pope?

Last updated on: October 10, 2020 at 11:17 am By Dave Armstrong

I have been watching with a disdainful curiosity as reactionaries and other pope-bashers line up to accuse Pope Francis of scheming, two-faced equivocation and flat-out lying (or the “Lite” version of same: a deliberate “ambiguity”: just as these same folks habitually attribute to Vatican II), since they can’t make a straightforward case that he (in his recent encyclical Fratelli tutti) has classified capital punishment as intrinsically evil or immoral. Failing that, they switch over to the cynical, unethical, very unCatholic behavior... Read more

Steve Skojec: Pope Sez Death Penalty is Intrinsically Evil (?)

Last updated on: October 9, 2020 at 2:02 pm By Dave Armstrong

This dead horse continues to be beaten. Philosopher Ed Feser is a big proponent of it [capital punishment], and many reactionary Catholics take this tack. Skojec, of One Vader Five infamy, pontificated on this question yesterday, and revealed himself to be quite the cynical mind-reader. Skojec in his infinite wisdom, told us what he thinks the pope is doing on a wide scale (basically, being devious, deceptive, and two-faced), and specifically in his latest encyclical, Fratelli tutti. * This is now... Read more

Fratelli tutti: Love is Great; How to Best Apply It?

Last updated on: October 8, 2020 at 7:25 pm By Dave Armstrong

First, a bit of humor before I get super-serious: when I first saw the name of this encyclical, all I could think of was the late great Little Richard’s 1955 hit song, Tutti Frutti. Many inevitable, inveterate critics of this latest encyclical of Pope Francis will, no doubt, say that its contents are about as clear as the lyrics of that song. I, too, will offer some criticism, but it is done with the utmost reverence towards the office of... Read more

Seidensticker Folly #58: Jesus Erred on Time of 2nd Coming?

Last updated on: October 20, 2020 at 10:09 am By Dave Armstrong

with David Palm Atheist and anti-theist Bob Seidensticker, who was “raised Presbyterian”, runs the influential Cross Examined blog. He asked me there, on 8-11-18: “I’ve got 1000+ posts here attacking your worldview. You just going to let that stand? Or could you present a helpful new perspective that I’ve ignored on one or two of those posts?” He added in June 2017 in a combox: “If I’ve misunderstood the Christian position or Christian arguments, point that out. Show me where I’ve mischaracterized them.” Delighted to oblige his wishes . . . ... Read more

Prayer to Creatures Proven from Holy Scripture

Last updated on: October 1, 2020 at 5:10 pm By Dave Armstrong

This is a reply to Matt Slick: Presbyterian pastor and head of the large and influential anti-Catholic Protestant CARM discussion forum. I am responding to his article, “Is praying to the saints biblical?” His words will be in blue. ***** One of the erroneous teachings of the Roman Catholic Church is the doctrine of praying to the saints. Catholicism teaches that it is okay to offer prayers not only to God but also to creatures such as Mary, Joseph, and others... Read more

Sore Losers?: Hillary & Dems or Trump & the GOP?

Last updated on: October 1, 2020 at 12:19 pm By Dave Armstrong

Hillary & Dems’ Tactics of Projecting Ballot Fraud & Refusal to Concede (and Treason) Onto Trump & Republicans According to an NBC News article (8-26-20), the noble, inimitable Hillary Clinton opined: Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances, because I think this is going to drag out, and eventually I do believe he will win if we don’t give an inch, and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is . . . [Republicans will... Read more

Can Mary Hear “Simultaneous” Prayers of Millions?

Last updated on: October 3, 2020 at 5:12 pm By Dave Armstrong

This is a reply to Matt Slick: Presbyterian pastor and head of the large and influential anti-Catholic Protestant CARM discussion forum. I am responding to his article, “Can Mary hear our prayers?”. His words will be in blue. ***** There is nothing in the Bible that says that Mary can simultaneously hear the prayers of people all over the world, in different languages, spoken, and thought, an attribute that God possesses. But, the Catholic Church says she can. . . . Roman... Read more