Or” Dichotomies

Last updated on: February 26, 2019 at 1:29 pm By Dave Armstrong

This topic is tough to concisely explain, as with all “large and lumpy” issues or inquiries. In a nutshell, I would say that there are big differences in the two approaches to Christianity and the Christian life. Bear in mind, first of all, that whenever one is talking about “Protestantism,” one must necessarily generalize, and there are always exceptions, since Protestants disagree with each other about virtually everything except the existence of God and the fact that they are not... Read more

The Revised Fundamentalist Baptist Version (RFBV)

Last updated on: February 25, 2019 at 4:00 pm By Dave Armstrong

Bishop “Dr.” [???] James White had fun on his blog (5-18-04), with his “New Reformed Catholic Translation” (NRCT), directed towards his fellow Reformed Protestants who don’t follow his anti-Catholic line and unbiblical antipathy to sacramentalism and Church history. As a lover of satire myself, I could hardly resist presenting bits of a new translation I am working on, for the benefit of my Reformed Baptist fundamentalist friends like Bishop White: the Revised Fundamentalist Baptist Version (RFBV), to be published by... Read more

Exclusive Empirical Epistemology?: Dialogue w Atheist

Last updated on: February 25, 2019 at 3:06 pm By Dave Armstrong

“Explicit_Atheist” came onto my blog, commenting underneath my article, Miracles, Materialism, & Premises: Dialogue w Atheist. I replied. His words will be in blue. ***** Empiricism is grounded in the historical record of success versus failure. Science relies on empirical methods because they are the only methods that have been successful. I didn’t claim that this wasn’t the case (though I deny the exclusivistic “only”). You’re simply talking past what I wrote. This is usually the case: 1. The Christian or... Read more

Dialogue: Bad Fathers as a Prime Cause of Atheism

Last updated on: February 24, 2019 at 1:27 pm By Dave Armstrong

with Deacon Steven D. Greydanus (words in blue) [sarcastic] Teach your children that all atheists are atheists because they hate God and Christians and besides they had a bad relationship with their father. The bad father —> atheist argument cannot be dismissed so easily, as there is a lot of historical evidence for it, that I have noted (Dr. Paul Vitz’s argument). The same often holds in cases of homosexual children, but we are not allowed to say that anymore. It’s... Read more

Atheist Desire for Amazing Divine Miracles / Incorruptibles

Last updated on: February 23, 2019 at 1:13 pm By Dave Armstrong

This exchange occurred with my (former evangelical) atheist friend Jon Curry, in a Facebook combox for my post, Atheists, Miracles, & the Problem of Evil: Contradictions. His words will be in blue. ***** I wouldn’t say miracles are contrary to science. Science is just a method by which we evaluate hypotheses. No miracle has yet been evidenced in a manner sufficient to meet the standards of the scientific method. I’m always open to it, [but] for whatever reason God is unwilling... Read more

Dialogue: Does the Bible Teach Limited Atonement?

Last updated on: February 26, 2019 at 4:19 pm By Dave Armstrong

“SolusChristus”: a Calvinist, responded underneath my (former) blog article, 25 Biblical Passages Against Limited Atonement. His words will be in blue. ***** Many of these are not even support for universal atonement, but actually support Monergism (or Calvinism) such as the first one Luke 19:10 Christ has come to seek and save that which is lost. It shows that Christ has the ability to save whomever He wills, therefore possibly promoting limited atonement since salvation is up to Christ Himself... Read more

Atheist Demands for a Miracle to “Prove” God (Dialogue)

Last updated on: February 22, 2019 at 1:14 pm By Dave Armstrong

This is a discussion with Gavin G. Young, who recently wrote of himself: “I am an ex-Christian. I am now an atheist and scientific naturalist and in most respects I am also now a secular humanist.” It originated in the blog combox of my paper, Atheists, Miracles, & the Problem of Evil: Contradictions. ***** When atheists talk science, no miracles are permitted or even imaginable. But when they talk problem of evil or getting evidence for God that even they will accept, the... Read more

Miracles & Scientific Method: Dialogue with Atheist

Last updated on: February 22, 2019 at 12:29 pm By Dave Armstrong

“Anthrotheist” (words in blue below) responded to my paper, Miracles, Materialism, & Premises: Dialogue w Atheist. This continues our discussion. He has been perfectly congenial and a worthy dialogue partner for at least eight months now. ***** It occurs to me, after taking some time to think about your responses, that I had missed a critical assumption underlying my biases (which are surely shared by many atheists and secularists): if every phenomenon has a natural cause, that cause can be investigated... Read more

Contraception, Natural Law, & the Analogy to Nutrition

Last updated on: June 24, 2023 at 10:16 am By Dave Armstrong

This reply to atheist Anthrotheist took place in the combox of my post, Miracles, Materialism, & Premises: Dialogue w Atheist. His words will be in blue. I collected four examples of my use of this analogy in past writings of mine (along with another observation by my friend, Al Kresta). There is considerable repetition, but we know that repetition is a great teaching tool, so I will leave it as it is. At the end I engage in what I thought was... Read more

Catholic Sex Scandal & Homosexuality: Reply to Atheist

Last updated on: February 21, 2019 at 8:02 pm By Dave Armstrong

This is an exchange with my frequent atheist debating partner, Anthrotheist. It began in the posted dialogue, Miracles, Materialism, & Premises: Dialogue w Atheist, and I will reproduce the relevant end portion of that here. Then it continued in the combox. His words will be in blue. ***** One example that I have noticed is how many things in society end up being blamed on the acceptance of homosexuality in our culture; the fact is, there aren’t enough homosexuals to make... Read more