Assumption & Immaculate Conception: Part of Apostolic Tradition

Last updated on: January 26, 2018 at 4:54 pm By Dave Armstrong

(vs. Bishop “Dr.” [???] James White) James White runs the Alpha and Omega Ministries website, perhaps the most extensive anti-Catholic critique of Catholicism on the Internet, and has written several books against the Church, including The Roman Catholic Controversy (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1996). He earned an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. His words will be in blue. *** Contrary to you guys, we hold that all Christian doctrines are important, and to be preserved with the utmost care and... Read more

Blessed Virgin Mary & God’s Special Presence in Scripture

Last updated on: January 26, 2018 at 4:25 pm By Dave Armstrong

From the first draft of my first book, A Biblical Defense of Catholicism (1994). Perhaps a bit more reflection on the nature of the ark, the tabernacle, and the temple is helpful at this point, in order to grasp the profundity of the parallelism between these “holy places,” where God is “specially” present (after all, He is omnipresent), and the Blessed Virgin, in whom God in the flesh chose to take up His abode. By analyzing the similarities, one can see... Read more

On the Relationship of Heresies & Cults to Protestantism

Last updated on: January 26, 2018 at 5:21 pm By Dave Armstrong

Heretical cults such as Mormonism are not theologically derived from Protestantism. ***** As a former evangelical counter-cult researcher and evangelist myself, I disagree with statements by some Catholics about the ecclesiological category of Mormons and other heretical groups. Mormons are not Protestants by any reasonable definition of the word because they deny the Trinity and divinity of Christ. They cannot be said to be “Protestant” simply because they accept private judgment or deny apostolic succession any more than Nestorians or Arians or... Read more

No Salvation Outside the Church: Reply to Pastor Bill Keller

Last updated on: January 25, 2018 at 5:36 pm By Dave Armstrong

Catholics think that Protestants are fully incorporated into the Body of Christ by virtue of baptism. [Pastor Keller’s words will be in blue. I was responding to his article, so he wasn’t “there” personally, to respond] *** I have rebuked and rejected the extremists who made the claim that the Roman Catholic Church is the only true church and that you are not even saved unless you are part of that church. Every Christian group believes that it has the truest theology,... Read more

Reactionary Influence: Correctio & June 2016 Criticism of the Pope

Last updated on: January 26, 2018 at 3:31 pm By Dave Armstrong

Reactionaries are disproportionately influential in criticisms of Pope Francis. *** The document from 29 June 2016, signed by 45 theologians, priests, and other Catholic scholars, included ten known radical Catholic reactionaries [see definition] who were signatories of the Filial Correction (which I dealt with at length in my recent paper on that influence). The common reactionary signatories are Fr. Barthe, Fr. Crean, Fr. Hunwicke, Dr. Lamont, Fr. Lanzetta, Dr. Pierantoni, Dr. Radaelli, Dr. Rao, Dr. Shaw, and Dr. Silvas. Additionally, six more people... Read more

Radical Catholic Reactionaries: Overview of Their Essential Errors

Last updated on: January 24, 2018 at 1:48 pm By Dave Armstrong

Reactionaries are our present-day Pharisees and rigorist Donatists and Montanists. [see further information for the book above, and purchase details] What I do is refuse to wrangle with reactionaries (be sure to see how I define this term) over endless “legal”-type particulars. This is the game that they try to play: “the exception becomes the rule” or “death by a thousand qualifications” or “can’t see the forest for the trees” and caricature of orthodoxy and obedient Catholicism as “ultramontanism” or supposedly thinking that the... Read more

Dialogue with an Atheist: Are Mormons Christians?

Last updated on: January 23, 2018 at 2:55 pm By Dave Armstrong

Christianity has an objective meaning, and it is trinitarian. Words of Richard Cranium will be in blue. *** So Mormons aren’t Christians? I think that would be news to a Mormon. No they’re not. They deny the Trinity. They’re well familiar with Christians saying they are not Christians: on this basis and others. Just because you have some doctrinal dispute with Mormons doesn’t mean they aren’t Christians. For instance, historians, Christians and otherwise, say Arius was a Christian, and he... Read more

Dialogue w Mormon Apologist: God & Doctrinal Development (Pt. 2)

Last updated on: January 23, 2018 at 2:04 pm By Dave Armstrong

Mormonism holds to “another Jesus” (2 Cor 11:4) and many gods (polytheism). (vs. Dr. Barry R. Bickmore) PART TWO GO TO PART ONE *** IV. Mormon Historian Lance Owens’ Hypothesis Concerning the Occultic, Kabbalistic, and Gnostic Origins of Mormonism It is the Mormon conception of God, not the Christian one, which is derived from non-biblical and non-apostolic sources, if we accept the fascinating and quite plausible Mormon arguments in the following works: Joseph Smith and Kabbalah: The Occult Connection, and Joseph Smith:... Read more

Mormonism & Joseph Smith’s Polytheism (Many gods)

Last updated on: January 23, 2018 at 1:35 pm By Dave Armstrong

Mormonism holds to polytheism (many gods rather than One). The polytheism of Joseph Smith is evident in his own writings. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith was compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith (10th president of the LDS and Joseph Smith Jr.’s great nephew), and printed in 2009 from a 1924 copy. I did a search for “gods” and found numerous instances. If someone wants to question this copy, another one online is published by the Book of Abraham Project, an organization... Read more

Dialogue w Mormon Apologist: God & Doctrinal Development

Last updated on: January 23, 2018 at 2:08 pm By Dave Armstrong

Mormonism holds to “another Jesus” (2 Cor 11:4) and many gods (polytheism). *** PART ONE GO TO PART TWO *** Dr. Barry R. Bickmore holds a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Virginia Tech, and is the author of Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity. Currently he is a professor in the department of geological sciences at Brigham Young University. In the Mormon Church he has been a seminary teacher, ward clerk, elder’s quorum president, and quorum teacher, among other... Read more

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