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

Exchange on Miracles and Hyper-Rationalism (vs. Atheist)

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 2:41 pm By Dave Armstrong

A miracle is not a mere magical trick. Zan Zig performing with rabbit and roses, including hat trick and levitation. Advertising poster for the magician (1899) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license] * * * cest_moi appears to be an atheist or agnostic. This occurred in the combox of my post, Bible on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary. His words will be in blue. I’ll leave his ungrammatical writing as is. * * * * * if a person is making... Read more

The Ridiculous “Anti-Francis” Mentality: My Theory in Brief

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 2:45 pm By Dave Armstrong

Drawing, 18th century (?), after Charles Le Brun [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license] * * * * * We apologists have to keep defending the pope because people are unable to figure out and grasp distinctions of style and different forms of language: precisely what fundamentalists get wrong in interpreting the Bible, and what the Pharisees got wrong in approaching our Lord Jesus. Legalism, taking things out of context, the inability to comprehend different approaches to things, as if... Read more