Incorrupt body of St. Joaquina Vedruna de Mas (1783-1854) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (2-26-09) *** This is a follow-up post to my previous entry, “Biblical Evidence for Candles, Incense, and Related Sacramental Symbolism for Prayer and Sacrifice.” Nick, a Protestant, has been very active in the combox for that post. I wanted to interact with some of his statements there. His words will be in blue. * * * * * [Note: the last section of the paper above on... Read more
From: Max Pixel / FreeGreatPicture.com [CC0 public domain] ***** Lutheran pastor R. Daniel Carlson (LCMS) wrote on another public Facebook thread (his words in blue throughout): Vain repetitions are what the pagans would do thinking that their non-existent pagan god could hear them if they said things enough times, or what a certain church domination does when they use a certain type of chain to pray to a certain woman whom they think can be prayed to instead of... Read more
Image by “geralt” (April 2017) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] *** [from another public Facebook thread. Lutheran (LCMS) Pastor R. Daniel Carlson’s words will be in blue] ***** You can’t take a passage like “whoever BELIEVES (has faith) in Me will not perish but have everlasting life”, which are Christ’s own words from His mouth, and negate it by saying that other passages imply that it’s not just believing but also works. That’s called BAD exegesis. So instead you look... Read more
Image by “HypnoArt” (February 2017) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] *** Human beings can offer grace to each other. This is entirely biblical. The Bible describes St. Paul acting as a “mini-mediator” of grace that originates, of course, from God. Paul distributes it to others: 2 Corinthians 4:15 (RSV) For it [his many sufferings: 4:8-12, 17] is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.... Read more
Original title: Catholics and Protestants Agree on Grace Alone and the Necessity of the Presence of Good Works in Regenerate and Ultimately Saved Persons; Disagree on Faith Alone The Good Samaritan, by Théodule Ribot (1823-1891) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** If works (even ones enabled, caused by, and soaked in grace from A to Z) have nothing to do with salvation whatsoever (the standard Protestant position), how are these 50 passages about the final judgment (that I have collected) to be... Read more
Abraham and the Angels, by Aert de Gelder (1645-1727) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** Lutheran Pastor Ken Howes (LCMS) is a friendly dialogue partner, whom I respect a lot: especially how he always conducts himself like a Christian gentleman in discussion. His congregation is very blessed to have him. These exchanges occurred on a public Facebook thread. His words will be in blue. ***** The Defense of the Augsburg Confession was cited by someone else: it’s section on Invocation of... Read more
“Light Special Effects03” by “RAJESH misra” ( [PublicDomainPictures.net / CC0 public domain] *** Lutheran Pastor Ken Howes (LCMS) wrote on a public Facebook thread: I have told this story many times, but it’s always worth the retelling. I was about six or seven years old, and I was sitting out on my back porch with my friend Mark, who was a Roman Catholic. Mark started telling me how we should pray to Mary and that she was holy. I interrupted,... Read more
Holy Family Catholic Church (Oldenburg, Indiana). Photo by “Nheyob” (9-21-13) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] *** (11-29-07) *** A Catholic woman asked some questions and was critical of certain statements made by CHNI (probably Marcus Grodi). Here was my response. Her words will be paraphrased and in blue. * * * * * When I go to Mass (so I have been taught), it is just God and myself, and no one else. Obviously, the... Read more
St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague. Photo by “kirkandmimi” (9-29-16) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] *** (2-11-04; some new recommended links added on 5-2-17) *** [Derived from actual correspondence with one such person (without violating any confidences): hence the use of first-person address] ***** If you consider yourselves actually out of the Protestant position, then I will simply have to help persuade you of the Catholic one, so you can get out of this limbo. I know you are the type of... Read more
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, by Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (8-1-03) *** For preliminaries concerning my methodology and the burden of proof for showing if a Church Father believed in sola Scriptura, see my paper, Church Fathers & Sola Scriptura. St. Cyril of Jerusalem’s’ words will be in blue. Anti-Catholic polemicist Jason Engwer’s words will be in green. *** Here is a passage from St. Cyril that anti-Catholics think prove his adherence to sola Scriptura: For... Read more
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