Apologetics is Always a Difficult Spiritual Battle & Struggle

December 3, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

With fellow apologist Jimmy Akin at my house in 2004. We met again at the Catholic Answers offices in May 2011. ***** People are people. Catholic apologists are Catholic apologists. Zebras have stripes, etc. I don’t think it is that different. The fringe anti-Catholic wing of online Protestantism despises, for example, the folks at Called to Communion (especially Bryan Cross: an excellent apologist) just as much as they detest us “older” apologists. I can attest to that, having seen many disparaging... Read more

Unapologetic Apologia for Apologists & Apologetics

December 3, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

[see full information for the book above] An apologia is a “defense” or elaborate explanation of something. An apologist is “one who defends” (in this case, Christianity or Christian doctrine). Apologetics is the field which involves the “rational defense of Christianity” (in my case, often Catholic Christianity in particular). A Catholic friend (words in blue) made some negative comments about apologists that I disagreed with. The following are my spontaneous observations about the community I am involved in and the field I have devoted my... Read more

The Tired “Angry Conservative” Charge (and Game)

November 30, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

“Angry” and passive-aggressive Dave Armstrong with his ever-suffering wife Judy (July 2009) *** This pathetic display took place on my [very public] Facebook page. It’s classic; textbook, which is why I re-post it. ***** T*** S***** (TS): You consider Breitbart a credible news source? Are you kidding? Dave Armstrong (DA): Yes. No. Do you consider MSNBC and The New York Times as credible news sources? TS: Not MSNBC as much as the Times. I would put Breitbart in the same... Read more

Dialogue w Agnostic on Basic Differences and Hell

November 30, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

Edward Babinski is an agnostic who has written quite a bit online. In April 2005, we had a little exchange, occasioned by a visit from an anti-Catholic Protestant, who was spewing fire and brimstone against us lowly, unregenerate, idolatrous “papists.” Ed was kind enough to defend me a bit — including the following statements, which were quite gracious indeed: I think that if you dialogued with Dave and his blog friends you might recognize and even come to respect the sincerity depth of... Read more

Swearing & “Younger” Generations (Sliding Scales)

November 29, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

[I wrote this on Karl Keating’s Facebook page, where he put up a popular piece about foul language] *** Ephesians 4:29 (RSV) Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. Luke 6:45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance... Read more

Fickle, Reviling, & Betraying “Friends”: Biblical Commentary

November 29, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

Here we see some of the darkest aspects of human nature and sin. It’s not a pretty sight. All passages are from RSV. Job 16:14 He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. Job 19:14 My kinsfolk and my close friends have failed me; Job 19:19 All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me. Psalms 7:4-5 if I have requited my friend with evil or plundered my enemy... Read more

Imprimaturs (or Lack Thereof) & Catholic Apologetics Books

November 28, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

Catholic apologist Jimmy Akin has a good article explaining why the Imprimatur isn’t much used in apologetics books, using his own book, The Salvation Controversy (which does not have an Imprimatur) as an example. In a nutshell, it’s not required if a book isn’t used in official catechetical instruction. My books are popular apologetics; no more, no less. My six books published by Sophia Institute Press do not have the Imprimatur, but The New Catholic Answer Bible (where I am co-author with... Read more

“Strong” Logical Argument from Evil Against God: RIP?

November 28, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

[for general, philosophically lay-level background, see my paper: “Logical” Problem of Evil: Alvin Plantinga’s Decisive Refutation] ***** Atheist Jeffery Jay Lowder (prime mover behind the influential Internet Infidels / Secular Web network) maintains that the former position is currently widely accepted: Ever since Alvin Plantinga refuted J.L. Mackie’s logical argument from evil, the majority of contemporary philosophers of religion have come to believe that logical arguments from evil are unsuccessful. This opinion is not unanimous, however. Philosophers Richard Gale, Quentin Smith, and Howard Jordan Sobel challenge... Read more

Dialogue with an Atheist on the “Basic” Issues

November 27, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

Creation, Freedom, Rebellion, Suffering, Etc. This exchange comes from the Debunking Christianity blog (my favorite atheist / agnostic haunt at the moment), from a discussion thread Daniel Morgan’s words will be in blue. * * * * * “God desired to love and be loved by other beings. God created human beings with this end in view. To make us capable of such fellowship, God had to give us the freedom to choose, since love cannot be either automatic or coerced. This sort... Read more

Dialogue w Atheist on Premises & Axioms of Atheism

November 27, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

From an atheist discussion list: 13 January 2002, uploaded with editorial permission from Steve Conifer, whose words will be in blue. * * * * *I’d like to get down to basics and inquire as to the atheist’s (or agnostic’s) first principles, axioms, starting-points, premises, initial presuppositions or assumptions (pick your favorite term). Then I’ll play Socrates a bit if I may. :-) Just a summary is fine; I’m not looking for a treatise at this point, or even a bare-bones... Read more