Hell as a Deterrent: Analogy to Our Legal Systems

October 3, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

This is a little spontaneous exchange with my atheist friend, Anthrotheist (his words in blue). He was initially responding under an atheist’s post, “12 Times I Felt The Christian Love.” It detailed the very worst sort of (real or imagined) Christian / “Christian” behavior (venomous hatred, anti-gay [person] filth, etc.). I thoroughly agreed with the point of this article in the combox. ***** I’m more frightened by the possibility that some people really would be rape-happy murder-monsters if they didn’t... Read more

Atheist Bob Seidensticker Ain’t Afraid to Debate, and I AM? Really?!

October 3, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

I received notice of a reply to a comment of mine made on Bob Seidensticker’s rabidly anti-theist / anti-Christian blog, Cross Examined. I had written over there on 8-21-18, replying to Bob: “If you think I’m a troll, then ban me, since you say you have banned dozens of people. What stops you?” So today, “BeeryUSA” replied (link): It’s no wonder that Dave Armstrong, a guy who bans anyone who disagrees with him, thinks that others should do... Read more

Seidensticker Folly #23: Atheist “Bible Science” Inanities, Pt. 2

October 2, 2018 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 also made a general statement on 6-22-17: “In this blog, I’ve responded to many Christian arguments . . . Christians’ arguments are easy to refute . . . I’ve heard the good stuff, and it’s not very good.” He... Read more

Seidensticker Folly #22: Contradiction? Saved by Faith or Works?

October 1, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

Galatians and the Gospel: Dialogue with a Calvinist

October 1, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

The Calvinist’s words will be in blue. ***** Thanks for writing and for deciding to link to my page. I like your website — it is very classy, visually appealing and well-presented. You asked: On your page, you say that justification is not part of the gospel. But wasn’t the problem that Paul was addressing to the Galatian church justification by faith plus works? And since in 1:8-9 he condemns those who were teaching this, calling it a “contrary gospel,”... Read more

God as Cosmic Santa Claus & the Bible as Fairy-Tale

September 30, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

Reply to Common Atheist Critiques Concerning the Christian Epistemology of Belief in the Bible and God Atheists often chide Christians for placing faith in the Bible: that it is God’s inspired and infallible revelation. They argue that we can’t possibly know or prove that. But all of us (including atheists) extrapolate the truthfulness (at least in general terms) of a work based on things in it which we can easily verify or substantiate. Then we trust the writer for the... Read more

Theistic Argument from Desire: Dialogue w Atheist

September 28, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

This exchange took place on the Debunking Christianity blog, underneath a post by John W. Loftus, called “No More Funerals!” Words of atheist “DagoodS” (whom I have met in person) will be in blue, and those of a second unknown atheist in green. ***** We all would like people who truly deserve it to get what is coming to them, but wanting it to be so doesn’t make it true. Nor does wanting hell to be untrue make it untrue. Are your religious... Read more

Dr. Ford Hit a Home Run, Kavanaugh a Grand Slam

September 27, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

I first gave my thoughts on my Facebook page today after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony (or most of it). Then I remarked after Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony and questioning. I am a conservative and a Republican (as is well-known among my readers) and virtually all of the commenters on my page thought she was a liar or on drugs or has mental problems, etc. I don’t think so. I simply think she is mistaken due to severe trauma. I thought... Read more

Gospel: Defined by the Earliest Christian Preaching

September 26, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

[excerpts from reference sources will be in blue; Bible verses (NASB) will be indented] ***** I. THE WORD The English gospel is derived from the Anglo-Saxon godspell, which meant “good tidings” and later, the “story concerning God.” Gospel is the usual English translation, in the New Testament, of the Greek euangelion (pronounced yoo-ang-GHEL-ee-on), from which, in turn, we get our English words evangelical, evangelist, etc. The Greek euangelion means, literally, “good message” or “good news.” Seven definitions from standard Protestant reference works, follow: In the N.T. it denotes the good tidings of... Read more

History of American Discrimination: from the Lunch Counter

September 26, 2018 By Dave Armstrong

In the 1850s Irish immigrants couldn’t sit at the lunch counter. “No Irish need apply.” In the 1860s, native Americans couldn’t sit at the lunch counter (if they were fortunate enough not to have been slaughtered or sent to a concentration “re-education” camp). In the 1870s, Catholics couldn’t sit at the lunch counter (anti-Catholic know-nothing nativism). In the 1880s, Chinese immigrants (who tirelessly worked on the railroads) couldn’t sit at the lunch counter. In the 1890s,... Read more