Do Catholics Excommunicate People to Hell?

Last updated on: March 1, 2017 at 12:26 pm By Dave Armstrong

Night Scene from the Inquisition (1810), by Francisco Goya (1746-1828) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (2007) *** Critics say such things prove that the Catholic Church sets itself higher than God Himself, since who but God Himself has the power of final judgment. But is this assumed hostile premise true? That is the question. Let’s take a look at it. Excommunication means, literally, “out of communion with the Church” — not damnation to hell. The Catholic Church doesn’t say with certainty that... Read more

My Supposed “Hybrid” Post-Conversion Faith

Last updated on: March 1, 2017 at 12:30 pm By Dave Armstrong

“Neither Fish Nor Fowl” Venetian Carnival Mask. Photo by “gnuckx”: 30 May 2010 [Flickr / CC BY 2.0 license] (9-19-06) *** I love these cynical often fact-free analyses of my conversion and supposed ultimate theological commitments. Steve Hays, of Triablogue fame (no dummy, though still somehow an anti-Catholic) just doesn’t get it. I don’t think he ever will, because these things are so elementary. Having failed (just like James White) in his attempt to play the “ignorance card” with... Read more

On Mystery & Reason in Theology

Last updated on: March 1, 2017 at 12:32 pm By Dave Armstrong

[Pixabay / CC0 public domain] *** This was from a private dialogue about whether Jesus’ possessed the Beatific Vision in this life, as related to discussions of the knowledge and consciousness of Jesus and the Hypostatic Union (Two Natures of Christ), as discussed in two previous papers of mine [one / two], related to the film, The Young Messiah. ***** Our level of human understanding of a doctrine is one thing; magisterial proclamations of the truthfulness of the doctrine are... Read more

What Year Did Popes Become Antichrist? (vs. John Calvin)

Last updated on: March 1, 2017 at 12:34 pm By Dave Armstrong

The Whore of Babylon; sitting on the seven-headed beast; from a series of 21 woodcuts of the Apocalypse for Martin Luther’s translation of the New Testament (Augsburg: S. Otmar, 1523); by Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473-1431). Color added. [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (3-11-10) *** [from Chapter Two, section 17 of my book, Biblical Catholic Answers for John Calvin; pp. 145-148 (complete) ] * * * * * Shall we recognise the Apostolic See where we see nothing but... Read more

Is Catholicism Half-Pagan?

Last updated on: November 22, 2021 at 4:10 pm By Dave Armstrong

“Jack-O-Lantern” pumpkin; photograph by Anders Lagerås, 31 October 2009 [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] *** (1999; revised in one section on 22 February 2006) * * * * * A non-Catholic wrote to me asking some questions (her words will be in blue): Please help me to understand why the Catholic church mingles pagan practices and feast into their worship? First of all, one would have to define “pagan,” I suppose. All of God’s creation is... Read more

Jesus’ Beatific Vision (“Young Messiah”)

Last updated on: March 1, 2017 at 12:39 pm By Dave Armstrong

Jesus Christ: portrait by Ariel Agemian, based on the image on the Shroud of Turin. [Flickr / CC BY 2.0 license] * * * * * I have recently written four posts having to do with the film, The Young Messiah, and the larger (rather important) theological question of Jesus’ knowledge and consciousness: Young Messiah Denies Christological Certainties [3-12-16] Jesus Always Knew He Was God (Young Messiah) [3-14-16] Young Messiah, Dramatic License, & Biblical Theology [3-18-16] Jesus’ Self-Knowledge & the Magisterium... Read more

Infant Baptism: A Fictional Dialogue

Last updated on: March 1, 2017 at 12:41 pm By Dave Armstrong

[CC0 public domain / Pixabay] *** (1995) *** Zeke the “Jesus Freak”: Hey Cathy, why do Catholics baptize babies? It’s pointless since they don’t know what’s going on and can’t repent, according to Acts 2:38 and Mark 6:16. Cathy the Catholic: But where in the Bible does it specifically prohibit the baptism of babies? Zeke: Well . . . I guess it never says that. But . . . Cathy: But don’t you only follow what’s plainly taught in the... Read more

Baptismal Regeneration: More Biblical Evidence

Last updated on: March 1, 2017 at 12:44 pm By Dave Armstrong

Photograph by Kai Stachowiak [PublicDomainPictures.Net] *** In defending Catholicism during the course of friendly discussions with Protestant brethren in Christ, I come across new arguments and ways of seeing things, as a result of challenges. Recently, it happened again, in a discussion with a Baptist pastor, originally concerning infant baptism. After he stated that he would go by “what Jesus said,” I wrote, “yeah, me, too” and cited passages that referred to entire households being baptized (Acts 16:15; 16:33; 18:8;... Read more

Paul Rebuked Peter: Disproof of Papacy?

Last updated on: March 1, 2017 at 12:47 pm By Dave Armstrong

Saints Peter and Paul, from an etching in a catacomb: 4th century [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (2007) *** [slightly modified version of a chapter in my book, The One-Minute Apologist] *** Paul rebuked Peter for hypocrisy. Many non-Catholics claim that this proves that Peter wasn’t infallible, and that Paul had at least equal authority (thus, it is regarded as a disproof of the papacy itself). But this has no bearing on Peter’s authority in proclaiming doctrine. Many seem to... Read more

Radical Catholic Reactionaries vs. an Optimistic Faith

Last updated on: March 1, 2017 at 12:51 pm By Dave Armstrong

Ringling Brothers circus clown Emmett Kelly in a bubble bath: Sarasota, Florida; photo by Joseph Janney Steinmetz, c. 1955 [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (21 January 2001. Revised terminology on 8-7-13 and 4-2-16) *** [see my definition of radical Catholic reactionary] *** Mario Derksen’s words will be in green. Some time after this dialogue, he became a sedevacantist (0ne who denies the validity of the current sitting pope). I also dialogue with a second reactionary (words in blue). * *... Read more

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was Rebekah's father?

Select your answer to see how you score.