Seidensticker Folly #70: Biblical “Henotheism” [?] Redux

Last updated on: January 31, 2021 at 12:23 pm By Dave Armstrong

Atheist and anti-theist Bob Seidensticker 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 . . . Bob (for the record) virtually begged and pleaded with me... Read more

Reply to Self-Described “Traditionalist” Steven O’Reilly

Last updated on: January 30, 2021 at 1:48 pm By Dave Armstrong

Steven O’Reilly is a radical Catholic reactionary. He wrote “A Response to Dave Armstrong” on 1-28-21. He thinks Pope Francis is a heretic, even though Vatican I dogmatically declared that such a state of affairs is in fact impossible. This is my reply. ***** Instead, Mr. Armstrong pointed me to Dr. Fastiggi. Why, therefore, should I care about Mr. Armstrong’s opinion? Exactly! I agree with this: you shouldn’t care about my opinion at all, since you think I am in “denial”... Read more

Should Catholic Women Teach Men? YES!

Last updated on: January 28, 2021 at 3:15 pm By Dave Armstrong

From the Coming Home Network forum. Someone asked, initially: An evangelical friend asked me what I thought of 1 Timothy 2:12 ‘I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man.’ So what to think? We have women at all kinds of staff positions, including various teaching roles in our parish and diocese. In my parish, all but one staff position is a woman (plus the priest makes two). For the roles and vocation of women, I... Read more

Apostasy of Disciples (Jn 6:66) & Protestant Commentaries

Last updated on: January 28, 2021 at 2:28 pm By Dave Armstrong

John 6:60-67 (RSV) Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” [61] But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? [62] Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? [63] It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit... Read more

Recommended Catholic Books (Six Lists)

Last updated on: January 26, 2021 at 5:26 pm By Dave Armstrong

These were all formerly posted on my blog, with some moved to Facebook only. Now they are all restored to my blog again. The categories and original dates are listed below: *** I. Recommended Books For Catholic Teens and Young People [11-13-05] II. Recommended Catholic Apologetic and Historical Books [1-13-07] III. Top 50 Recommendations for Catholic Apologetics Books [6-4-07] IV. Recommended Books For New or Prospective Catholic Converts [11-26-07] V. Recommended Catholic Scholarly Works on Tradition, Soteriology, and the Eucharist [6-25-08] VI. Desert Island Top... Read more

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

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