Debate: Do Liberal Social Policies Lessen Abortion & Poverty?

Last updated on: May 19, 2019 at 1:45 pm By Dave Armstrong

I started out by posting the article, “Hillary Clinton to Receive Planned Parenthood’s ‘Champion of the Century’ Award.” My initial comment on that was as follows: How frightening that this woman almost became our President. She would have put a secularist pro-abort radical on the Supreme Court and the entire legal system of this country would have been vastly different in the next generation. How absurd that folks like Mark Shea thought pro-life Catholics and other Christians could vote for... Read more

“Pro-Choice” / “Anti-Abortion” & Inaccurate Definitions

Last updated on: May 19, 2019 at 12:35 pm By Dave Armstrong

The following exchange took place with a fellow Christian and pro-lifer, in the context of a discussion about the fairness of the terminology anti-Catholic. But it can stand alone in its own right, as an examination of words and titles in the vexed and emotional abortion debate. Though I think the discussion of the terms themselves is entirely “objective,” I still mince no words in how I describe abortion and the worldview which condones it. So if such straightforwardness and frankness of... Read more

Our Merit is Based on Our Response to God’s Grace

Last updated on: May 17, 2019 at 1:21 pm By Dave Armstrong

From my book: Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths (2009): available for only $2.99 as an e-book. All passages are KJV unless otherwise indicated. The words below are all from Scripture. ***** Matthew 5:11-12: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Matthew 6:3-4: But... Read more

Infallible Individuals: Scriptural Examples & Analogies

Last updated on: May 17, 2019 at 12:55 pm By Dave Armstrong

From my book: Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths (2009): available for only $2.99 as an e-book. All passages are KJV unless otherwise indicated. The words below are all from Scripture, excepting my notes or commentary in italics. ***** Deuteronomy 5:5: (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the work of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;)… (RSV: “to declare to you the... Read more

Catholic Social Teaching & Myself: Brief Clarification

Last updated on: May 16, 2019 at 1:48 pm By Dave Armstrong

[initially a reaction to criticisms made by those of various political persuasions, on my Facebook page] The Catholic Church is not officially pacifist (i.e., opposed to all wars or use of lethal force whatsoever, for any reason). It acknowledges the God-given prerogative of states to bear the sword (CCC #2308) and details the criteria of just war (2309-2310). Of course we try to avoid war, as we are strongly urged by the Church to do (2308, 2327). But it’s not... Read more

Dialogue: Racism, Republicans, Logic, and Liberals

Last updated on: May 16, 2019 at 12:05 pm By Dave Armstrong

This is a follow-up discussion, from yesterday’s Dialogue: Pro-Life White Guys & Anti-Southern Prejudice. That dialogue continued further on Facebook (minus my own participation). Deacon Steven D. Greydanus‘ words will be in blue. ***** There has to be a certain willingness to dialogue and subject one’s own views to scrutiny. I don’t think the good Deacon was willing to do that here: as proven by his utter refusal to answer Mike’s basic question to him, that I repeatedly pressed upon him.... Read more

Dialogue: Pro-Life White Guys & Anti-Southern Prejudice

Last updated on: May 15, 2019 at 3:38 pm By Dave Armstrong

This occurred on my Facebook page, underneath a New York Times article about Roe v. Wade possibly being overturned. Words of Deacon Steven D. Greydanus will be in blue; Mike Johnson’s in green, Michele Verret-Ayala’s in purple, and Nathaniel Sperling’s in brown. ***** Would it be a good thing for the country, though, if Roe v. Wade were overturned now? Certainly, you know I’m pro-life and I think that Roe v. Wade was bad jurisprudence, but it seems like an... Read more

Pascal, Kreeft, & Kierkegaard on Persuasion & Apologetics

Last updated on: May 14, 2019 at 8:00 pm By Dave Armstrong

From Peter Kreeft’s book: Christianity For Modern Pagans: Pascal’s Pensees, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993. * For cutting-and-pasting purposes, I will be using the online e-text of the Pensees, translated by W.F. Trotter, whereas Kreeft used the (Penguin) Krailsheimer translation. With that understood, otherwise, I’ll be utilizing direct quotes from the Kreeft book, with pages indicated. Pascal citations will be in blue; Kierkegaard’s words will be in green. Plain black words are Kreeft’s. ***** 111. Inconstancy. We think we are playing on ordinary organs when playing... Read more

Calvinist Origin of Luther’s (?) “Snow-Covered Dunghill”?

Last updated on: May 14, 2019 at 2:42 pm By Dave Armstrong

In 2005 I wrote the fairly exhaustive article, Luther’s “Snow-Covered Dunghill” (Myth?). I could not find conclusive evidence that Martin Luther had ever used this phrase; although I thought I found all the basic component ideas present in Luther. I was curious to see if anyone else had come up with anything since that time. Apparently not, and it seems that my paper remains the most in-depth treatment of the question online. It may be that I have found, today,... Read more

Salvation: By Grace Alone, Not Faith Alone or Works

Last updated on: May 13, 2019 at 1:35 pm By Dave Armstrong

[from my 2013 book, pictured above (see purchase & general information); available in Spanish and French as well), except that I have provided all the passages in RSV (the book was mostly KJV)] ***** Salvation is Ultimately by Grace Alone Where does it state that we are saved by grace alone? 2 Timothy 1:9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace... Read more