189 English Catholic Martyrs & Heroic Confessors: 1603-1729

Last updated on: February 9, 2018 at 2:16 pm By Dave Armstrong

“The executioner could not find the martyr’s heart, and the butchery with appalling cruelty was prolonged for nearly half an hour. After this the Puritans played football with his head.” *** [biographical information was obtained in most cases from Wikipedia and/or the Catholic Encyclopedia. The martyrs are listed chronologically by date of execution] [See a gruesome description of the English punishment of being hanged, drawn, and quartered] See related papers: 430 Catholic Martyrs Murdered by Henry VIII (1534-1544) [2-6-08] 312 Catholic Martyrs & Confessors Under... Read more

Protestant “Reformer” Zwingli Denied Original Sin

Last updated on: February 8, 2018 at 2:25 pm By Dave Armstrong

Some Christian “reformer.” This guy was an inveterate womanizer, too . . . *** One never knows what heresy one will discover next, upon perusal of the history of the Protestant Revolt. I was simply reading a biography of Luther’s successor Philip Melanchthon today and discovered (quite by accident) that Huldrych [or, Ulrich] Zwingli (1484-1531), the Father of the Swiss “Reformation,” didn’t accept the orthodox Christian doctrine of original sin. The author was referring to Melanchthon’s discussions with Zwingli at... Read more

Communion of Saints: Biblical Introduction & Overview

Last updated on: February 7, 2018 at 3:38 pm By Dave Armstrong

Written in 1995; published in The Catholic Answer (Nov / Dec 1998). [Bible passages: KJV] * * * * * The Mystical Body of Christ, according to Catholicism and universal Christian Tradition before the arrival of Protestantism in 1517, has three levels of existence, and communication and cooperation (in differing degrees) occurs between all of them. Those on earth invoke the prayers of the saints in heaven, honor them as glorified Christians and seek to imitate them. They also pray for... Read more

430 Catholic Martyrs Murdered by Henry VIII (1534-1544)

Last updated on: February 7, 2018 at 3:06 pm By Dave Armstrong

[biographical information was obtained in most cases from Wikipedia and/or the Catholic Encyclopedia. The martyrs are listed chronologically by date of execution] [Learn more about the English punishment of being hanged, drawn, and quartered] See related papers: 312 Catholic Martyrs & Confessors Under “Good Queen Bess” (Queen Elizabeth: r. 1558-1603) 444 Irish Catholic Martyrs and Heroic Confessors, Persecuted by English Royalty, Anglicans, Cromwellians, Etc.: 1565-1713 Total of all documented martyrs and heroic confessors for the Catholic faith, persecuted by English “head of the Church”... Read more

Dialogue: Contraception vs. NFP: Crucial Ethical Distinctions

Last updated on: February 6, 2018 at 4:27 pm By Dave Armstrong

Discussion with a Catholic woman. Her words will be in blue. ***1. Something occurred to me about your argument against people saying that God can interfere with artificial contraception if he really wanted you to have kids. You said, I could hold my breath and choke myself and say God would intervene if he wanted me to live, but that would be ridiculous. I’m paraphrasing. Remember? Yep. Isn’t it pretty much the same thing when you practice NFP and think, if... Read more

Homeopathy, Pragmatic Medicine, Reason, & Science

Last updated on: February 7, 2018 at 8:52 pm By Dave Armstrong

Is homeopathy scientifically established? Even if not, it’s rational to try it. *** 1. I freely acknowledge that there is a great deal of quackery which pretends to be science. This is true even in so-called “respectable” circles. When homeopathy was flourishing in the mid-1800s, “conventional” medicine was routinely engaging in such practices as blood-letting. Scientists (particularly anthropologists) often espoused flat-out racism, based on body type, as late as the 1920s (phrenology). The flourishing eugenics movement at that time called... Read more

Unlimited Children for Catholics? Reply to a Slanderer

Last updated on: February 3, 2018 at 8:43 pm By Dave Armstrong

The Church: couples can postpone or stop having children, for appropriately serious reasons. The following occurred in the combox of my recent article for National Catholic Register: “Sex and Catholics: Our Views Briefly Explained”. First, I replied to a nice, sensible comment, in agreement (her words in green). Then I responded to a very judgmental person, who made out that I was a virtual pro-abort and modernist. His words will be in blue. I don’t take kindly to being lied... Read more

Dr. Fastiggi Replies to Dr. Feser on Capital Punishment

Last updated on: February 2, 2018 at 2:52 pm By Dave Armstrong

The debate among equally orthodox Catholics on the death penalty continues . . . *** Dr. Robert Fastiggi has made a series of replies (in the combox), to Dr. Edward Feser’s article, “Capital punishment and the infallibility of the ordinary Magisterium” (Catholic World Report, 1-20-18). Dr. Feser (who seems to have much more time for this sort of thing than Dr. Fastiggi does) has already responded at length. I have collected Dr. Fastiggi’s comments here: ***** I commend Prof Feser... Read more

Inept Satire Case Study: Dr. Edward Feser’s “Lexicon”

Last updated on: February 2, 2018 at 2:12 pm By Dave Armstrong

Satire can be done well, or badly. I critique an example of the latter. ***** First of all, let me preface this by saying that I love satire and sarcasm (done in the right way). I’ve analyzed it, and I’ve often utilized it in my apologetics. I’ve satirized atheists, and caught hell for doing that. I did a very pointed satire of theological liberals, using Silent Night as my vehicle. In December 2017, this latter article was vastly misunderstood when... Read more

Salvation, Eternal Security, & Grace: Dialogue w Bethany Kerr

Last updated on: February 1, 2018 at 3:08 pm By Dave Armstrong

Constructive, amiable Protestant-Catholic discussion on many key aspects of salvation. [see the original, somewhat longer Facebook exchanges, with a few more helpful participants, too] ***** This dialogue was kicked off when I cited Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman on the difference between Protestant and Catholic doctrines of original sin: Catholics hold that Original sin is mainly an external evil, Protestants an internal. According to us, it is not propagated in the way of cause and effect, but by an act... Read more

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