These occurred on my Facebook page with Catholic Deacon Steven D. Greydanus (words in green), and atheist Jon (words in blue). *** My thinking about this issue is built upon two planks: 1. The sexual revolution has had incalculably disastrous effects. 2. Simply “going back” is neither possible nor desirable. There is a reason the 1950s led to the 1960s. You can draw a straight line from Kinsey in the 1940s back to cultural pathologies around sex in the 1890s.... Read more
(8-14-14) *** Earlier today I noted that the Orthodox were having a field day misrepresenting a meme I posted about the Crusades, and engaging in ludicrous attempts at reading my mind and thoughts. Now on the Catholic Answers board a paper of mine about Martin Luther is being unfairly pilloried. Oh, how I long for actual rational argument when folks disagree with me! It’s like asking for elephants to fly, I reckon. The paper in question is this one: 50 Ways... Read more
This occurred in the combox underneath my post, “1 Timothy 3:15: Sola Scriptura or Visible Church Authority?” Ulf Turkewitsch is an anti-Catholic Protestant. His words will be in blue: *** I agree that Jesus’ statement about the Holy Spirit leading us into all truth means much more than the gospel. I think that the truths we can appreciate are limited by our human intelligence or ability. But God has chosen what truth to allow us to see. We can’t see and understand... Read more
I wrote the following in a Facebook dialogue with a friend. I won’t cite his words, but readers will get the gist of what he was arguing, from my response. He started by citing this passage in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:22 (RSV) But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!’ shall... Read more
(2-28-10) *** [The blue highlighting is my own] *** So what is my own “take” on all this business of Luther’s teachings and current events in Germany and among the early Lutherans, during the earliest period of Protestantism? I think causes of historical events are always extraordinarily complex, just as causes of human behavior in general are. That has always been my position, as long as I can remember. I despise simplistic attempts of positing single causes for things as obviously complex... Read more
(3-3-10) *** In my 2003 book, Protestantism: Critical Reflections of an Ecumenical Catholic, I described a set of quotations from Luther as evidences of Luther’s “Agony Over the State of Early Protestantism.” Fellow “reformers” Philip Melanchthon’s and Martin Bucer’s statements (in some ways even more explicit and specific) were also included in this appendix. Some anti-Catholic polemicists have lately been critiquing this. One such harsh and (as always) irrational critic is the inimitable “Turretinfan”: Dave’s appendix was not even “Scholars who... Read more
Anyone who boldly ventures out to attempt serious rational discussion with the inimitable Christopher Ferrara, inevitably ends up like this. (I’ve had some firsthand experience, myself). Thanks for the laughs, Chris! If he only knew that the pie was really on his face . . . *** Chris Ferrara did his usual mocking hit piece of the article by Dr. Fastiggi and Dr. Goldstein (which defended Pope Francis) at the radical Catholic reactionary Remnant site. Here are some pathetic highlights (his words in... Read more
Dr. Christian Brugger is Senior Fellow of Ethics at the Culture of Life Foundation in Washington D.C. He replied to an article by Dr. Robert Fastiggi and Dr. Dawn Eden Goldstein, as noted in a LifeSiteNews article. Dr. Fastiggi then replied further in the combox and interacted with a “David” there. David’s words will be in blue. *** Fastiggi’s and Eden’s claim on 303 seems to have gone nowhere, and indeed really does not change the meaning of the text.... Read more
(11-30-07) *** [my blue highlighting throughout] *** Martin Luther’s successor Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) was (contrary to widespread Protestant antipathy to hierarchical Church government) willing to revive the jurisdiction of Catholic bishops in negotiations at the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. This is documented by many historians. For example, note his letter to Cardinal Campeggio, of 4 August, 1530: For this reason I have often shown that if a few things were kept in the background, these divisions could be healed. In my opinion... Read more
The Good Ol’ “Ambiguity” Card Utilized with Regard to Both Vatican II and Amoris laetitia [my own blue highlighting throughout] *** I’ve contended for over 20 years that radical Catholic reactionaries (see my carefully delineated definition and rationale for coining the term) think a lot like Protestants and like Catholic “progressive” dissidents / modernists: both of whom despise authoritative Catholic utterances and/or arbitrarily pick and choose which of them they will accept and which they will reject. The description of... Read more
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