Romans 13:4 & Capital Punishment (Contra Ed Feser)

Last updated on: December 7, 2017 at 3:23 pm By Dave Armstrong

See the previous related papers: Capital Punishment: I’ve Changed My Mind Genesis 9:6 & Capital Punishment (Contra Ed Feser) *** [Dr. Edward Feser’s words will be in blue] *** Romans 13:1-4 (RSV) Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. [2] Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [3] For rulers are not a... Read more

Genesis 9:6 & Capital Punishment (Contra Ed Feser)

Last updated on: December 6, 2017 at 8:36 pm By Dave Armstrong

Preliminaries and Whether Genesis 9:6 is Proverbial Literature My post, “Capital Punishment: I’ve Changed My Mind” (12-5-17) has generated vigorous discussion on Facebook and in its own combox. Dr. Feser showed up in the latter, last night. We had a very minor dispute about how many (and which) links of his I provided in my paper. I added further ones at his request. Then we had the following little exchange. His words will be in blue. Dr. Robert Fastiggi’s words... Read more

Indiscriminate Nuclear Destruction: Condemned by the Magisterium

Last updated on: December 4, 2017 at 2:50 pm By Dave Armstrong

(1-23-06) ***** Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man. This citation appears in the CCC #2314, which in turn is citing Vatican II, Gaudium et spes: 80:3. The remark in that document was preceded by the following statement: . . . the Council, endorsing the condemnation of total warfare issued by recent popes (3), declares [then the sentence in question occurs] . . . Footnote... Read more

Capital Punishment: I’ve Changed My Mind

Last updated on: November 22, 2021 at 2:10 pm By Dave Armstrong

My position for as long as I can remember has been against the death penalty, except in the case of mass murderers and terrorists. I was more generally in favor of it in the past (not sure how long ago that was). Thus, in more recent years I have been basically opposed to it, with only relatively rare and extraordinary exceptions to the “rule.” As a result of wonderful group discussion with Dr. Robert Fastiggi (professor of systematic theology at... Read more

Catholic “Three-Legged Stool”: Scripture, Tradition, & Church

Last updated on: December 2, 2017 at 1:46 pm By Dave Armstrong

Dialogue with an Anglican on the Catholic Rule of Faith (vs. Jon Jacobson) (10-31-02) [Jon’s words will be in blue] *** I do think Scripture is largely clear PROVIDED people are willing to follow it wherever it leads. Sounds like you have evolved from a believer in the perspicuity of Scripture to a believer in the semi-perspicuity of Scripture. It is largely clear, but not quite enough for hermeneutical and doctrinal unity to be achieved without authoritative Tradition and a Church.... Read more

The Freedom of the Catholic Biblical Exegete / Interpreter

Last updated on: December 2, 2017 at 1:53 pm By Dave Armstrong

+ Bible Passages that the Church has Definitively Interpreted [I wrote 44 apologetics inserts one-page articles for this: my best-selling book. They are available separately on my e-booksite, for $2.99] *** (9-14-03) *** Contrary to the bogus claims of some anti-Catholic Protestant polemicists I have run across, Catholics are not at all obliged to read the New American Bible translation (nor the revised English Vulgate, such as the Ronald Knox translation). My own preferred translation is the Revised Standard Version (RSV),... Read more

1 Corinthians 4:6: Is it a Prooftext for Sola Scriptura?

Last updated on: December 1, 2017 at 2:31 pm By Dave Armstrong

[Book and purchase information] *** (5-7-13; expanded on 12-1-17) *** [This analysis was part of my discontinued book, 501 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura and didn’t make it into the revised, much more compact 100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura (Catholic Answers, 2012). I had also dealt with it in A Biblical Defense of Catholicism (Sophia Institute Press, 2003), pp. 16-18: which I will cite below. ] *** RSV: I have applied all this to myself and Apol’los for your benefit, brethren, that you... Read more

Bibles & Catholics, Sunday School?, Memorization, Etc.

Last updated on: December 1, 2017 at 1:53 pm By Dave Armstrong

[Book and purchase information] (9-25-08) *** These thoughts of mine come from a (requested) critique I did today of a zealous friend’s proposals for Catholic Bible Study and “Sunday School” sorts of methods, that he would like to present to bishops for consideration. I disagreed in some emphases and presuppositions, though I agreed overall, in a broad sense. Though they will appear a bit random and scattered, this material gives readers an idea of how a Catholic (at least this... Read more

John Calvin’s Erroneous Mystical View of the Eucharist

Last updated on: November 30, 2017 at 4:02 pm By Dave Armstrong

(4-9-04, 9-7-05, abridged and re-edited on 11-30-17) *** [see the original series of three debates (one / two / three) with Reformed Protestants] [John Calvin’s words will be in blue] *** Either Jesus’ body and blood are substantially present or not. If they are, then they are really there! You can’t deny that the elements are transformed (Catholic view) or joined by the true body and blood (Lutheranism) and still hold that there is substantial or “real” presence. Why? Because this is... Read more

Are We Allowed to Rebuke and/or Mock the Devil?

Last updated on: November 30, 2017 at 2:53 pm By Dave Armstrong

I received some comments regarding my article for National Catholic Register: “Satan is Highly Intelligent—and an Arrogant Idiot” (11-27-17). These are my replies. *** John Hickey: Hmmm! Perhaps some meditation upon the Letter of Jude is called for – – – verses 8-10. Here is that passage (RSV): Yet in like manner these men in their dreamings defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile the glorious ones. [9] But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body... Read more