I always recommend trying to be friends first when looking for a potential marriage partner. It worked great for my wife Judy and I. We were friends for seven months, then best friends for ten, then we got serious and romantic and knew we would get married. All of that supported getting to know each other as people. I knew Judy was a quality person who loved God, and had all the right priorities, and that is what is far... Read more
+ Comparison with Other Authors I ran across this tonight in my usual scanning of the Amazon lists of bestselling books. I’ve always said that my books (and writings in general) probably require a high school education to have the most impact on a reader. Secondly, I’ve reiterated that I am trying to challenge and “stretch” readers to expand their horizons in the theological realm. I resist at every turn, calls for “dumbing down” or simplifying, because I think it is... Read more
Jon Curry is a friend whom I know in person (not just online). I’ve been to his atheist meetings, and he’s been to my house twice, to deliver a talk. He’s a former evangelical Protestant and atheist. We drive each other nuts but we keep talkin’! His words will be in blue. ***** Your argument takes you out of the fire and drops you right in the frying pan in my view. If you successfully argue that the bible sanctions... Read more
This is part of my reply to atheist “Grimlock”: from a larger fascinating discussion. He keeps claiming that Jesus came nowhere near “proving” that He has these attributes. But I think I showed that His demands are “rationally impossible” to meet. ***** What would be a scenario in which Jesus “demonstrated” that He was omnipotent to your satisfaction? Make the stars rearrange themselves to say “atheists are special pleading hyper-rationalists”? Then you would believe He is Who He claims to... Read more
I’ve touched on this question many times before, in various papers. Recently, as part of [one of] my job[s] as staff apologist and forum moderator at The Coming Home Network, I was answering a question from an evangelical Protestant. I’ll paraphrase or re-state his questions (in blue) and give my answers as in my return letter to him: * * * * * Catholics make it very difficult because they so often become dogmatic and take a position of “absolute... Read more
There is the possibility (during my lifetime?) that Blessed Cardinal Newman will be canonized, so that my three quotations books will sell like hotcakes. [that has now come true: praise God! It will likely happen sometime in 2019] I always say that the golden age for Catholic apologetics was about 1997-2007. I started my website in 1997, and had four best-selling apologetics books from 2002-2007. I even sold 2000+ copies of my first book on my own before it became... Read more
This is a dialogue with the thoughtful vegetarian Sogn Mill-Scout, whose words will be in blue. I’ve abridged it from the very long original exchange, which was in three parts (one / two / three). ***** We can choose to recognize that we are all part of the vast number of sentient beings that are united in our capacity to suffer and feel pain. It is our unique privilege as a species to be able to choose to refrain from... Read more
[Y]ou are an untrained popular Catholic apologist. . . . As far as I know you hold no graduate degrees in philosophy, theology, history or any other relevant field. Noting a fact is not an expression of personal animus. At most it is an expression of indifference. . . . [P]eople wishing a quality dialog go to Michael L[iccione] or Bryan Cross rather than your blog. [Etc., etc. (he threw out numerous additional insults along these lines] By all means,... Read more
[this occurred on Protestant Jerry Walls’ Facebook page (public post). His words will be in blue; those of other Protestants in various colors] OFF CENTER “Let us entrust the new year to Mary, Mother of God, so that peace and mercy may grow throughout the world.” –Tweet from Pope Francis It is further telling how many Roman Catholics cannot see, or will not acknowledge, that this sort of statement is off center. It’s easily understood in theological context: Why pray to... Read more
. . . Specifically, the Biblical (and Patristic) Teaching on Abortion “DagoodS” is a very thoughtful atheist with whom I have enjoyed many challenging dialogues (see them listed under his name on my Atheism web page). I’ve also met him in person several times. This critique of mine has to do with his deconversion from Christianity. It seems self-evident that if an atheist did not have an adequate understanding of Christianity or the Bible when he or she was a... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In