Mutual Submission & Headship: Contraries?

Last updated on: February 27, 2017 at 1:16 pm By Dave Armstrong

Photograph by “ldesignstudio”: 12-30-12 [Pixabay / public domain: CC0 license] ***** These thoughts came about in a Facebook discussion about an article by Joseph Shaw, about how the notion of “mutual submission” in marriage is manipulated by modernists and liberals to imply that the headship of the husband is overthrown or never was a true teaching; and whether it necessarily must be thought of in this way. Shaw gives as a contrary possibility my own “harmonious” and “both/and” interpretation. ***** Ephesians 5:21-33... Read more

Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Guide and Model of Holiness

Last updated on: April 19, 2017 at 12:03 pm By Dave Armstrong

Mutual Monologues with Several Anti-Catholics + One Real Dialogue The Annunciation (c. 1489), by Pietro Perugino (1448-1523) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (10-14-09) ***** This discussion took place on the anti-Catholic Reformed Protestant blog Boors All from October 12th-14th. The only true dialogue or debate below is with “Pilgrimsarbour,” and that is precisely because he is not an anti-Catholic, which makes an entire difference in terms of the potential for an actual exchange. I have not resolved to stop debating... Read more

Dialogue: Amoris Laetitia: Confusing or No?

Last updated on: February 27, 2017 at 1:19 pm By Dave Armstrong

Image uploaded by “ClkerFreeVectorImages” on 4-29-14 [Pixabay / public domain / CC0 license] ***** Catholic Tom Trinko‘s words will be in blue. This occurred on my (public) Facebook page. ***** Perception is reality. While I have no problem believing that Pope Francis is not a heretic the reality is that liberals in the Church are going to take footnote 351 and run with it. We also know that lots of good Catholics will be concerned that the only way they... Read more

Dialogue on Church-Sponsored Gambling

Last updated on: February 27, 2017 at 1:22 pm By Dave Armstrong

“Our Lady of Perpetual Bingo”? Classic Bingo game; photograph by Edwin Torres, 1-10-12 [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license] *** (11-5-09) ***** This comes from an exchange with a woman on the Coming Home Network board who is a Protestant strongly considering returning to the Catholic Church, but who struggles with a few issues, such as this one. It was very thought-provoking and stimulating to me, and I seem to have convinced her, at least in part.... Read more

Mandatory Tithing: Further Thoughts

Last updated on: February 27, 2017 at 1:23 pm By Dave Armstrong

The biblical story of “the widow’s mite”: image from Wheeler family Bible; taken by “melodi2” on 6-10-15 [Flickr / CC BY 2.0 license] (11-1-09) ***** This is a follow-up to my earlier paper: “Biblical Evidence Against Tithing and in Favor of Progressive Giving According to Ability.” * * * * * God commands us to give: and quite a bit. Of course we must follow His commands. I don’t see in the New Testament, however, anywhere where the tithe... Read more

Satan Loves Divisions Re Amoris Laetitia

Last updated on: February 27, 2017 at 1:24 pm By Dave Armstrong

Geological fault line in Þingvellir National Park, Iceland. Photograph by Jon Connell, 8-5-06 [Flickr / CC BY 2.0 license] ***** This is an exchange with James Hooper, a Catholic friend, on my Facebook page. His words will be in blue. Words of Catholic friend Margie Prox Sindelar will be in green. ***** You gentleman are heroically defending AL and to some degree the Pope. It really is the only salvageable position for explaining this as an evangelist. But for the... Read more

John Calvin Did NOT Pray to Philip Melanchthon

Last updated on: February 27, 2017 at 1:26 pm By Dave Armstrong

Includes Exposition of a Wider Use of Prayer (Besides Addressing God) in Scripture Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon (1561); workshop of Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** (9-19-09; revised, with retraction, on 5-3-16) *** Retraction (5-3-16): originally, I argued that Calvin “prayed” to the dead Melanchthon. I was convinced (5-3-16) that it was, rather, a use of a literary device called “apostrophe”. Thus, I will clarify my new opinion below the original post (below the double line: =====),... Read more

Dialogue on the Charge that Pope Francis Doesn’t Evangelize

Last updated on: June 3, 2017 at 12:44 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . and on the Nature of Dialogue vs. (?) the Gospel; with a Traditionalist You Tube image [Creative Commons license] ***** This person’s words will be in blue. ***** Wow, Dr. Kwasniewski comes off really well in that exchange. [link to my dialogue with him] Honest and noble of you to post it on your blog. Great! I like good dialogues. Just as well. One must dialogue to be saved: [he linked to the article, “Pope at Mass: Those... Read more

Did the Council of Trent Anathematize All Protestants?

Last updated on: June 3, 2017 at 12:46 pm By Dave Armstrong

+ Dialogue on the Definition of “Christian” (Are Catholics Included?), with a Reformed Pastor Council of Trent (1588), by Pasquale Cati da Jesi (1550-1620) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license] **** (6-5-10) ***** This interesting and cordial discussion occurred in a combox on the Green Baggins website (starting from my first comment at #205). Rev. Lane Keister (“greenbaggins” in the thread: words in blue) — citing from his own profile — is a PCA (Presbyterian Church in... Read more

Alcohol: Biblical / Catholic Teaching

Last updated on: February 27, 2017 at 1:30 pm By Dave Armstrong

Jesus’ first miracle: turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana. Painting by Gerard David (d. 1523) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** (1999) *** Catholics believe alcohol is acceptable in moderation (which we would say is the biblical and traditional Christian view). We regard drunkenness as a sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church condemns drunken excess and illegal drugs in #2290-2291: The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food,... Read more