Bible on Wholehearted Formal Worship

Last updated on: March 29, 2017 at 1:37 pm By Dave Armstrong

St. Joseph Church, Detroit, Michigan (my own home parish since 1991): view to the rear. Photo by “Nheyob” on 14 November 2013 [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] * * * (6-4-07; revised and expanded on 1-22-16) * * * Many Christians are tempted to “go through the motions” when worshiping at church and to not have a strong commitment as disciples to Jesus Christ. One of the criticisms of Catholics is that the Mass is too ritualistic, or supposedly “cold” or... Read more

“No Pope in the New Testament” & Other Such Myths Debunked

Last updated on: March 29, 2017 at 1:39 pm By Dave Armstrong

The Liberation of St. Peter, by Antonio de Bellis (1616-1656) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * I had an encounter with a former Catholic Protestant (Church of Christ) in a closed Facebook group, who was replying to my posted paper, 50 NT Proofs for Petrine Primacy & the Papacy. This guy concluded that my list was a fantasy and dreamt-up and that the Bible needs to state outright and explicitly that Peter was pope; he also questioned that the papacy... Read more

Northerner Defends Rebel Flag vs. Southerner

Last updated on: March 29, 2017 at 1:43 pm By Dave Armstrong

General Robert E. Lee in 1863 [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * This was a follow-up dialogue on my previous related post, Michigander Defends the Confederate Flag, which took place on the Patheos Facebook page. Samuel Alfred Justin Chasuk is from Louisiana. His words will be in blue. * * * * * Your argument is mostly persuasive, which is why I have no real love for the American flag and choose not to salute it or fly... Read more

Biblical Evidence for Apostolic Oral Tradition

Last updated on: May 31, 2018 at 1:01 pm By Dave Armstrong

St. Peter Preaching (detail; 1426-1427), by Masolina da Panicale (1383-1447) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * (2-20-09) * * From my 2009 book, Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths (mostly just Bible passages); except that these passages are from the RSV rather than the KJV (as in the book) * * * * * AUTHORITATIVE ORAL TRADITION (INCLUDING “WORD” AND “WORD OF GOD”) Matthew 13:19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away... Read more

Biblical Evidence for Jesus’ Omniscience

Last updated on: March 29, 2017 at 1:50 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . by Cross-Referencing to Texts on the All-Knowing Attributes of God the Father The Christ Pantocrator mosaic (13th-century) in Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Turkey) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]** (10-21-11) * * * [all Bible passages: RSV] * * * God Knowing What is in Men’s Hearts * God the Father * 1 Samuel 16:7 “. . . the LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 1 Kings 8:39 . . . ... Read more

Masturbation Reference in Sermon on the Mount?

Last updated on: December 28, 2019 at 2:46 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . Striking Talmudic Parallels The Sermon on the Mount (1877), by Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (10-18-11) * * * This article has been re-uploaded under the title, Masturbation & the Sermon on the Mount (Talmudic Parallels). *** Read more

Grace Alone: Perfectly Acceptable Catholic Teaching

Last updated on: March 29, 2017 at 2:16 pm By Dave Armstrong

“Art4TheGlryOfGod Photography by Sharon” [Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0 license] (2-3-09) * * * This was written in response to a critic of mine, named Juan (words in blue below), who is active in an involved discussion on merit and related issues that is occurring on The Catholic Community Forum. Catholic apologists (and personal friends) John Martignoni and Jimmy Akin are also being charged with misrepresenting the Catholic faith and “grievous error.” I’m proud to be in their company. None of the accusations can withstand... Read more

Michigander Defends the Confederate Flag

Last updated on: March 29, 2017 at 2:19 pm By Dave Armstrong

*** (8-29-06) *** [Stephen Hand’s words will be in blue; Martin’s in green; Jim Scott’s in purple; I’m from Michigan; Stephen is from Boston, Martin from Tennessee. I don’t know where Jim Scott lives.]***** Southern man better keep your head Don’t forget what your good book said Southern change gonna come at last Now your crosses are burning fast Southern man I saw cotton and I saw black Tall white mansions and little shacks. Southern man when will you pay them back? I... Read more

Augustine’s “Confessions”: Model for Conversion Stories

Last updated on: March 29, 2017 at 2:21 pm By Dave Armstrong

(6-10-09)* * * * * 1) St. Augustine critiqued many belief-systems and practices in his famous spiritual autobiography. He critiqued, for example, astrology: I then turned my thoughts to those that are born twins, who generally come out of the womb so near the one to the other that the short interval between them–whatever importance they may ascribe to it in the nature of things — cannot be noted by human observation or expressed in those tables which the astrologer... Read more

Deconversion of Dave Van Allen (ExChristian.Net)

Last updated on: March 29, 2017 at 2:24 pm By Dave Armstrong

Sign at a “gay rights” protest at Federal Plaza, Chicago on November 15, 2008. Photo by Andrew Ciscel [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license]* * * (9-27-07) * * * * * ExChristian.Net is a flourishing atheist site. Dave Van Allen was formerly the webmaster. I have an ongoing interest in demonstrating how these common “deconversion” stories of former Christians do not rationally explain why they or anyone else should forsake Christianity. The task is to “defeat the defeater” — as philosopher... Read more