My Conversion: Apathy, Occult, Evangelicalism, & Catholicism (Pt. 5)

October 3, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

Part Five: Collapse of My Protestant Ministry: Disillusionment and the End of One Chapter of My Life, But with Faith Intact (1985-1989) This is the ten-part story of my complete religious history, from nominal Methodism (1958-1967), to the occult and practical atheism (1968-1976), through evangelical Protestantism, counter-cult, pro-life, evangelistic, and apologetics work (1977-1990), and finally on to the fullness of the Catholic faith in 1991. It is found complete (75 pages) in my 2013 book, Catholic Converts and Conversion. See All Ten... Read more

Dr. Robert Fastiggi Defends “Amoris Laetitia” Against Critics

October 3, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

Dr. Robert Fastiggi and Dr. Dawn Eden Goldstein wrote an article for La Stampa, entitled “Does Amoris laetitia 303 Really Undermine Catholic Moral Teaching?” (9-26-17). Here I am documenting his replies (in comboxes), to critiques from Dr. Christian Brugger, Dr. Eduardo Echeverria, Dr. Joseph Shaw, and others. Dr. Fastiggi and Dr. Goldstein — predictably — are being mocked, insulted, and scorned with regard to their article by two of the usual reactionary suspects: Chris Ferrara (The Remnant) and Louie Verrecchio (aka Catholic). Louie calls Pope Francis “Jorge”... Read more

Apologists, Like Umpires, Can Never Be TOO Popular!

October 2, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

(3-5-17) ***** I envision in my head how various people and groups will react to some apologetics analysis of mine, all the time. The problem is, I don’t feel that I can adjust my apologetics analyses according to how they will be received. I can do my best in “approach.” I can seek to be as gentle and diplomatic as I can, of course (though, sadly, we all fail again and again on that score). But I can’t and won’t... Read more

Passionate Defense of Religious Truths: The Biblical Data

October 2, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

(6-4-07) *** Dialogue or rational argumentation involving defense of one’s own positions and respectful critique of others’ opinions (and listening to their presentation, too, and changing our opinion when necessary), is not synonymous with hostile quarreling or squabbling. Many people seem oddly unable to comprehend this. Scripture contains many examples of the Apostle Paul (particularly) reasoning and disputing and arguing with Jews and Greeks. The Greek word dialegomai is the source of the English word “dialogue”. It is found in the... Read more

Who’s Defending Pope Benedict’s “Summorum Pontificum” Now?

October 1, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

(2-26-14) ***** Summorum Pontificum is the 2007 apostolic letter from Pope Benedict XVI that allowed universal access to the Tridentine Mass and sanctioned the terminology of “ordinary” and “extraordinary” forms of the one Roman Rite A radical Catholic reactionary who goes by “Vincentius” was bashing me and other converts in the usual empty-headed, ridiculous fashion that we hear so often, on a reactionary discussion board. His words will be in blue: Protestant pastors and ministers such as Mark Shea, James Akin,... Read more

The REAL Diet of Augsburg (1530) vs. the Protestant Myth

September 30, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

(3-3-04; additions from 10-9-07) *** From my review of the movie Luther: The movie ended with the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 between Protestants and Catholics, and the Protestant “triumph” — as their “case” was allowed to be presented (announced on the hilltops by jubilant Protestants to the surprised Luther). Then writing appears on the screen to the effect that these momentous events heralded a huge step forward for the cause of religious liberty and freedom of conscience. If the stereotypes of... Read more

Indefectibility: Does God Protect His Church from Doctrinal Error?

September 29, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

(11-1-05; abridged and reformulated a bit on 2-14-17) ***** Critics of Catholic claimed infallibility and indefectibility, have to, it seems to me, contend for one of these two things: 1) God is unable to preserve Christian doctrine without error throughout history by means of (in and of themselves, without His aid) fallen, imperfect, fallible men and an imperfect Church run by such men (i.e., sinners). 2) God was, of course, able to do this if He chose to (being omnipotent),... Read more

Radical Reactionary Affinities in “Filial Correction” Signatories

September 28, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

I’ve been studying and critiquing radical Catholic reactionaries (my own coined term in 2013) for over twenty years, have written not just one, but two books on the topic, and have a very large web page devoted to it. I know who these people are, and how they think. It’s part of my job as a professional Catholic apologist. I was immediately curious as to how much influence this strain of thought had on the recent Filial Correction of Pope Francis... Read more

Philip Melanchthon’s Agony Over Protestant Sectarianism

September 28, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

*** (2-8-06) *** [Melanchthon’s words will be in blue] ***** Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) was Protestant founder Martin Luther’s right-hand man and successor as the leader of Lutheranism. He had a much milder temperament than Luther (a fact widely noted in biographies and studies of the period), and is properly classified as a “Christian humanist.” Melanchthon wrote Loci Communes Theologici (1521, rev. 1555), the first Protestant systematic theology, and the Augsburg Confession (1530), a relatively conciliatory document which contained what could be considered... Read more

Papal Answers Would Only Help Resolve the Growing Crisis

September 26, 2017 By Dave Armstrong

People have questions. There are divisions. He's the shepherd. Read more