Shepherds’ Carol (Dave Armstrong’s 10th Christmas Poem)

Last updated on: June 3, 2017 at 12:57 pm By Dave Armstrong

Angels announcing Christ’s birth to the shepherds (1639), by Govert Flinck (1615-1660) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (12-11-10) *** In the last four years I have written three Christmas poems of a narrative nature: recounting different persons’ experience on the first Christmas: Simeon (2006), the Blessed Virgin Mary (2008), and our Lord Jesus (2009). I now continue in the same fashion. It has become a literary tradition (narrative, Bible-based poems) within a personal tradition (my own Christmas poems) within... Read more

A Philosophical & Theological Defense of the Doctrine of Hell

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:36 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . Explanations of its Plausibility, Necessity, and Factuality [Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license] (12-26-08) The following is a response to a person who is sincerely seeking to understand Catholic teaching on hell. He is “currently completing a PhD on the philosophy of Aristotle”: so one can see that it is quite a challenge to me to answer his inquiring objections. His words will be in blue. * * * * * I believe good, honest, sincere questions deserve a... Read more

The Catholic Mass: Why it Can’t Possibly be Idolatrous

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:38 pm By Dave Armstrong

Here’s some real idolatry: The Adoration of the Golden Calf (1633), by Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (12-15-08) Protestant writer C. Michael Patton observed (without himself believing this): [H]istoric Protestantism has often charged the Catholic church with idolatry, believing that they have turned God into an idol of bread and wine, worshiping the elements without, indeed, contrary to, a scriptural basis. . . . which is an utterly wrongheaded criticism, as I have often argued, since idolatry, by definition,... Read more

Debate on Whether the Story of Santa Claus is a Sinful “Lie”

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:41 pm By Dave Armstrong

Sinterklaas, as portrayed in the Netherlands, 2007 [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] (2-16-07) Grubb, one of our resident amiable Protestants, wrote (1-31-07 on my blog; see various other arguments of his on the same long discussion thread): So is the Easter bunny evil? I won’t get into the origins of the Easter bunny which are more than likely pagan, but is telling one’s child there’s an Easter bunny acceptable? Jesus said in Matt 5:37, “Simply let your ‘Yes’... Read more

Syllabus of 60 Radical Catholic Reactionary Errors

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:47 pm By Dave Armstrong

Ruins of Heptonstall Old Church, West Yorkshire, England (13th-15th centuries). Photo by Tim Green (2-6-11) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license] (2000) —– See Topical Index at the end of the paper —– * * * * * LINK to the lengthy paper, from my old blogspot blog. * * * * * For further related reading: Mass Movements: Radical Catholic Reactionaries, the New Mass, and Ecumenism (Book: Dec. 2012, 205p) Reflections on Radical Catholic Reactionaries (Book: Dec. 2002 / rev. Aug. 2013,... Read more

Origins, History, & Evolution of the Term, “Radtrad”

Last updated on: April 11, 2020 at 4:13 pm By Dave Armstrong

Tynemouth Priory, England (13th-14th century). Photo by Michael Hanselmann: 2006 [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license] (3-18-13) *** This article has been re-uploaded under the title, “Radtrad”: Origins, History, & Debates on Definition. *** Read more

The Bible Teaches us that the Blessed Virgin Mary Was Without Sin

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:53 pm By Dave Armstrong

The Immaculate Conception (c. 1678), by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (4-1-09) * * * * * Luke 1:28 [RSV]: “And he came to her and said, ‘Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!'” [The RSVCE translates kecharitomene (“favored one” above) as “full of grace”] Catholics believe that this verse is an indication of the sinlessness of Mary — itself the kernel of the more developed doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. But that is not apparent at... Read more

Dialogue: Luke 1:28 and the Immaculate Conception

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

Sistine Madonna (1513-1514), by Raphael (1483-1520) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (7-11-06) *** Ken Temple is a Baptist pastor. His words will be in blue, and mine from an earlier related paper in purple. * * * * * Protestants are hostile to the notions of Mary’s freedom from actual sin . . . purpose of being the Mother of Jesus Christ, and don’t see that this is “fitting” or “appropriate” (as Catholics do). Mary was chosen as the woman who... Read more

How Legal Same-Sex Unions Came About: A History of Ideas

Last updated on: February 2, 2020 at 6:01 pm By Dave Armstrong

[Pixabay / CC0 Public Domain] (7-9-15) PREAMBLE * I love the history of ideas. When something this momentous occurs it is useful, I think, to step back and take a look at what has transpired in recent history to bring about such a tragic breakdown of societal morals and traditions. These are my own speculations along those lines. 1. THE CRUCIAL, FUNDAMENTAL CONTRACEPTION CONNECTION * The initial “intellectual opening” to the notion of a so-called “gay marriage” came about, I believe, in... Read more

Yet Another Reply to Bum Raps Against Apologetics

Last updated on: January 4, 2018 at 1:08 pm By Dave Armstrong

Apologetics is disliked usually because of personal inability, or observing others doing it badly. A Catholic wrote on the Coming Home Network [“CHNI”] discussion board where I moderate [a job I had from 2007-2010], that apologetics was “useless” and that it consisted of “people arguing their little points always taken out of context.” She proclaimed loudly that she had “no use for apologetics” and that “arguing little points settles nothing and only further polarizes.” Well, as you can imagine, that didn’t... Read more