Vs. James White #3: Sola Scriptura Debate w Matatics, Pt. 2

Last updated on: September 18, 2019 at 12:28 pm By Dave Armstrong

This is a continuing reply to the arguments of James White: from his oral debate with Gerry Matatics (article posted on 13 November 1992: transcript of the debate that took place on 11-13-92). I will be replying point-by-point to White’s arguments: which virtually never occurs in oral debates such as this. For background, see my reply to White’s Opening Argument (#2 in this series). See my Introduction to what will be a very long series (and the other installments). Words of James White will be in blue.... Read more

The Rosary: “Vain Repetition” or Biblical Devotion?

Last updated on: September 18, 2019 at 11:25 am By Dave Armstrong

A new Catholic convert who was “struggling” with some things in the faith asked me about the Rosary some years ago: Mary is most often mentioned in its entirety. I find it difficult meditating on Christ when Mary is so prevalent. Why is Mary so heavily infused into the prayer? Here is my reply: One must understand the nature of the Rosary and the purpose of the repetition. Most of the words of the Hail Mary are, it should be... Read more

Does St. Paul Sanction Premarital Sex (1 Cor 7:36)?

Last updated on: November 20, 2021 at 3:33 pm By Dave Armstrong

(vs. Scott Nemeth) Scott Nemeth is a person who seems to want to be identified online as one who has “proven” that premarital sex, or fornication, is permitted by the Bible. Hence he states in his profile: I’m someone who has studied the topic of premarital sex in the New Testament in great detail. Over the years I’ve known that this whole topic was weaker in the original Greek writings of the New Testament than we are traditionally taught. This... Read more

Vs. James White #2: Sola Scriptura Debate w Matatics, Pt. 1

Last updated on: September 18, 2019 at 12:32 pm By Dave Armstrong

This will be a reply to the James White Opening Argument of a debate between him and Gerry Matatics (article posted on 13 November 1992: transcript of the oral debate that took place on 11-13-92). I will be replying point-by-point to White’s arguments: which virtually never occurs in oral debates such as this. For example, each person gives their opening statement. But the opponent will almost never systematically refute the opponent’s opening, as I will be doing. In most cases, he... Read more

Is Premarital Sex Morally Wrong? Why? (A Dialogue)

Last updated on: September 16, 2019 at 12:08 pm By Dave Armstrong

(vs. C. Jack Elliott) Jack’s words will be in blue. A question about sexuality for you. All sin is, in essence, a refusal to love. God is love. We are created in God’s image – we are to be love as well. When we fail to love (sin), we are separated from Him. Sin is a refusal to love. This is why God hates sin. Not because it’s an infringement upon some arbitrary legal code of His, but because it separates... Read more

Vs. James White #1: “Papal Pretensions” & “New” Apologists

Last updated on: September 16, 2019 at 12:18 pm By Dave Armstrong

James White wrote his first known anti-Catholic article in May 1991, for the Pros Apologian theological journal, entitled: “Papal Pretensions: Evaluating the New Roman Catholic Apologists.” He was responding to the rapidly budding Catholic apologetics movement, of which I am a part: spearheaded by Scott Hahn, Karl Keating (who had just begun Catholic Answers), and Keating’s co-worker, Patrick Madrid (all of whom have enthusiastically recommended my work). Prior to that time he had concentrated on (agreeable) anti-cult apologetics: particularly Mormonism,... Read more

“Ad Orientem” (Facing the Altar at Mass): A Defense

Last updated on: September 15, 2019 at 3:09 pm By Dave Armstrong

[from a thread on Mark Brumley’s Facebook page] *** I’m not legalistic at all about this, but I think it is undeniable that ad orientem makes more sense, given what is happening in the Mass. If the prayers at Mass are directed to God (obviously prayers aren’t directed towards the congregation!), then clearly it is more “natural” to face God in the Tabernacle on the altar while saying the prayers, and offering the sacrifice. That’s why the Church for most of her history in most... Read more

Anti-Catholic James White: Many Critiques Forthcoming

Last updated on: September 15, 2019 at 11:11 pm By Dave Armstrong

Many of you who have followed my work know that there is a long (and sordid) backstory here. I have to at least summarize it because it will always come up. For those of you (no doubt, most) who are bored with such tedious “polemical history” detail, just skip over all of it and scroll down to the final seven paragraphs, where I explain what I am planning to do. I’ve even made it easy for you to get to:... Read more

C. S. Lewis on Catholicism (Correspondence: 1934-1947)

Last updated on: September 13, 2019 at 12:08 pm By Dave Armstrong

From: The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis: Volume II: Books, Broadcasts, and the War, 1931-1949 (edited by Walter Hooper, HarperSanFrancisco, 2004) To Dom Bede Griffiths, 4 April 1934: I had better say once and for all that I do not intend to discuss with you in the future, if I can help it, any of the questions at issue between our respective churches. . . . I do not think there is any thing distressing for either of us... Read more

Alvin Plantinga: Reply to the Evidential Problem of Evil

Last updated on: September 13, 2019 at 11:54 am By Dave Armstrong

Alvin Plantinga (who was born in 1932 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and started his teaching career at my alma mater, Wayne State University, in Detroit) is widely considered — by his Christian or theist admirers and atheists alike — to be the greatest living Christian philosopher and philosopher of religion. He wrote a very influential book in 1974, called God, Freedom, and Evil (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans / New York: Harper & Row), which is now widely regarded as the best (and indeed, a... Read more