Is Catholicism Christian or Not? (vs. James White): Pt. 2

Last updated on: November 8, 2017 at 1:33 pm By Dave Armstrong

Part II: Mr. White’s 7-Page Initial Reply (6 April 1995) My book (2013, 395 pages; available for as low as $2.99). * * * * * Complete Debate: Part I: Introduction and My Initial Form Letter (23 March 1995) Part II: Mr. White’s 7-Page Initial Reply (6 April 1995) Part III: My 16-Page First Counter-Reply (22 April 1995) Part IV: Mr. White’s 17-Page Second Counter-Reply (4 May 1995) Part V: My 36-Page Second Counter-Reply (15 May 1995) and Mr. White’s One-Page “Reply” (10 November 1995) *** April 6,... Read more

Is Catholicism Christian or Not? (vs. James White): Pt. 1

Last updated on: November 8, 2017 at 1:34 pm By Dave Armstrong

Part I: Introduction and My Initial Form Letter (23 March 1995) My book (2013, 395 pages; available for as low as $2.99). * * * * * This newer Introduction was written in 12-2-15 and re-edited a bit on 11-6-17. *** Complete Debate: Part I: Introduction and My Initial Form Letter (23 March 1995) Part II: Mr. White’s 7-Page Initial Reply (6 April 1995) Part III: My 16-Page First Counter-Reply (22 April 1995) Part IV: Mr. White’s 17-Page Second Counter-Reply (4 May 1995) Part V: My 36-Page Second... Read more

My Conversion: Apathy, Occult, Evangelicalism, & Catholicism (Pt. 10)

Last updated on: November 5, 2017 at 4:24 pm By Dave Armstrong

Part Ten: Thomas Howard & Liturgy, My New Catholic Apologetics Career, and the Long-Awaited Fulfillment of My Calling (1990-1991) 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 Parts: Part... Read more

“Faith and Works”: Unbiblical, Semi-Pelagian Terminology?

Last updated on: November 6, 2017 at 11:00 am By Dave Armstrong

“Trinidad” commented underneath my article for National Catholic Register: “Biblical Evidence for Catholic Justification”: Faith and works is the problem. The use of the word “works” creates a false dichotomy. Faith in action or Faith in love is a better description of what you find in the New Testament, the Catechism and the papal audience addresses of Pope Benedict on Paul’s teaching of Justification. Faith is not a momentary one off event followed by a series of meritorious works (too close... Read more

My Conversion: Apathy, Occult, Evangelicalism, & Catholicism (Pt. 9)

Last updated on: November 5, 2017 at 4:31 pm By Dave Armstrong

Part Nine: The Slow But Inevitable Paradigm Shift, Fr. John A. Hardon, and Another View of the “Reformation” (1990) 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 Parts: Part... Read more

Astrology: Philip Melanchthon’s Enthusiastic Espousal

Last updated on: November 3, 2017 at 8:48 am By Dave Armstrong

(5-21-06) *** Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) was a compatriot of Martin Luther, author of the Augsburg Confession, and Luther’s successor. *** Historian Philip Schaff: Calvin’s clear, acute, and independent intellect was in advance of the crude superstitions of his age. He wrote a warning against judicial astrology or divination, which presumes to pronounce judgment upon a man’s character or destiny as written in the stars. This spurious science, which had wandered from Babylon to ancient Rome and from heathen Rome to... Read more

Luther & Melanchthon: Bigamy of Philip of Hesse is Biblical

Last updated on: November 2, 2017 at 4:09 pm By Dave Armstrong

(edited on 2-14-07 and abridged and reformatted on 11-2-17) *** From: Hartmann Grisar, S. J.: Luther (translated by E. M. Lamond, edited by Luigi Cappadelta, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd., 1915) [these excerpts are from Vol. 4 of 6, pp. 3-30, 36-63, 71-79. It is available online. Luther’s words will be in blue; Melanchthon’s in green.; Philip of Hesse’s in purple. I haven’t included elaborate source footnoting to German collections; readers may seek out those in the linked book... Read more

Homeschooling: Response to Kevin Johnson’s Criticisms

Last updated on: November 2, 2017 at 12:21 pm By Dave Armstrong

(7-12-05) *** This is a reply to a blog post by Reformed Protestant Kevin Johnson, entitled, “The education God gave…” His words will be in blue. I have cited his article in its entirety. My wife homeschools our four children, and has done so for the last ten years [now, 22 years], since our oldest child (born in 1991) was old enough to be taught. *** It is interesting of course that many if not most “anti” public school advocates are... Read more

Was Luther a Neurotic? Protestant Biographers Say Yes

Last updated on: November 2, 2017 at 12:22 pm By Dave Armstrong

(4-28-10) *** 1) Mark U. Edwards, Jr., in Donald K. McKim, The Cambridge Companion to Martin Luther (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2003), p. 205: Most scholars freely concede the unusual and perhaps even abnormal aspects of Luther’s personality, without accepting the diagnosis that attributes these traits to an underlying psychosis. By most standards, Luther was a neurotic man who, later in life, suffered from bouts of depression. Given all the evidence of productivity, clarity of thought, and ability to work with... Read more

Blaming God for the Holocaust (+ Other Such Bum Raps)

Last updated on: November 3, 2017 at 1:45 pm By Dave Armstrong

Raymond Viernes: All suffering is a God given opportunity for individual sanctification. Blessings abound. Eric Taylor: Crippling depression, crippling polio, car accidents, mass shootings. Let’s not forget atomic fire, holocausts, Holocausts, and parents who hate and alienate their children because they think Jesus told them to on account of their “choices.” “Here! You sixty people, you get dead. The rest of you miserable bastards? Well, this is your chance to clean up and get right with me. Feel the holy!... Read more

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to 1 Timothy, what is a trustworthy saying deserving of full acceptance?

Select your answer to see how you score.