The Biblical Evidence for Confession and Absolution

Last updated on: April 25, 2017 at 1:57 pm By Dave Armstrong

The Confession (1838), by Giuseppe Molteni (1800-1867) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] * * * * * One technique or method I have come up with in the course of my apologetics, is to answer questions about theology with Bible passages only, in order to demonstrate how intensely “biblical” Catholic teaching actually is. Regarding this particular question, Catholics are often accused of “inventing” confession and absolution alike (i.e., aspects of the sacrament of penance). In fact, no... Read more

“Catholic Justification” as Seen in James and Romans

Last updated on: April 25, 2017 at 2:01 pm By Dave Armstrong

The Apostle Paul (c. 1657), by Rembrandt (1606-1669) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * * * Catholics believe in Jesus Christ and His all-sufficient saving work on the cross (ours to receive by Grace Alone), just as Protestants do. We only deny an extreme Faith Alone position (which does not deny Grace Alone, since they are distinct). St. Paul opposes grace and/or faith to works in Scripture, only in a particular sense: the “works” of Jewish ritualism... Read more

Dialogue on Religious Epistemology with an Agnostic

Last updated on: April 25, 2017 at 2:03 pm By Dave Armstrong

René Descartes (1596-1650), the great theistic philosopher; portrait by Frans Hals (c. 1582-1666) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * This took place in the combox for my post, “Fairies, Atheism, God, & Ad Populum Fallacy.” The words of the always stimulating and interesting JD Eveland will be in blue. * * * * * An atheist asked: “How do you differentiate a trick of a fallible mind from a genuine experience if it cannot be evidenced or corroborated?” I replied: By applying the cumulative... Read more

Dialogue with an Atheist on “Tooth Fairyology” vs. Theology

Last updated on: February 21, 2019 at 10:38 pm By Dave Armstrong

Take the Fair Face of Woman, and Gently Suspending, With Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending, Thus Your Fairy is Made of Most Beautiful Things, by Sophie Gengembre Anderson (1823-1903) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * This took place in the combox for my post, “Fairies, Atheism, God, & Ad Populum Fallacy.” The words of TheMarsCydonia will be in blue. * * * * * P1. A position for which serious thinker have given consideration cannot be blithely dismissed. P2.... Read more

Annulment: Essentially Different from a “Catholic Divorce”

Last updated on: April 25, 2017 at 2:10 pm By Dave Armstrong

[public domain / Pixabay] * * * * * A widespread perception exists, among Protestants, secular society, our Orthodox brethren, and even too many Catholics, that annulment is simply a sophisticated, “playing with words” equivalent of divorce. This is untrue. The distinction between divorce and annulment is one that is routinely made even in civil law. It is not unique to, nor was it “invented” by Catholicism. For example, The Oxford Companion to Law (edited by D. M. Walker, 1980;... Read more

Biblical Argumentation: Same as “Sola Scriptura”?

Last updated on: June 3, 2017 at 12:59 pm By Dave Armstrong

Sub-Title: Development of Doctrine, Tradition, Sola Scriptura, and Implicit vs. Explicit Biblical Proofs (The Papacy as a Test Case) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] *** [7 October 2003] * * * * * I would argue that the office of the papacy is explicitly indicated in the Bible itself. Everything we need to establish the papacy in all essentials is in the Bible. The papacy is explicit in the same way that the Trinity is explicit: there are solid proofs... Read more

18 “Dumb Catholic Apologetics Arguments” Analyzed

Last updated on: April 25, 2017 at 2:22 pm By Dave Armstrong

G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936): the greatest Catholic apologist in the first third of the 20th century. He made very good apologetics arguments! [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (5-14-09) * * * Ben Douglass is a friend, fellow apologist, and orthodox Catholic of the self-described “traditionalist” variety. Recently, he posted on his site an interesting and provocative essay entitled Unsound Sticks, or, Arguments Catholics Shouldn’t Use (co-authored by David Palm and Nick E.). I thought I’d give my $00.02 worth and see how... Read more

Atrocious Atheist Bible “Scholarship” and “Exegesis”

Last updated on: April 25, 2017 at 2:25 pm By Dave Armstrong

Dr. Theodore Drange (b. 1934): prominent atheist philosopher and anti-theist, with whom I sparred several times in the early 2000s. Photo from the mid-1990s [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] (18 March 2003) Introductory comments will be in green. This is one of those instances where the person refused to have his words cited, so I paraphrased them. * * * * * One person on the atheist list where I conducted the discussion in the paper above (agnostic, I... Read more

Council of Trent: List & Summary of the Canons on Justification

Last updated on: November 22, 2021 at 2:33 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . (with a handy summary of Tridentine soteriology) Council of Trent (1588) , by Pasquali Cati (1550-1620) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license] (1997; summary added: 29 December 2003) * * * * * CANON I. If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace of God through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema. CANON II. If... Read more

Critique of Atheist John Loftus Regarding a Timeless God

Last updated on: April 26, 2017 at 5:08 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . And of Course, “Jittery John” Again Explodes . . . [Flickr / CC BY 2.0 license] (11-30-06) “Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.” Job 38:3 (RSV) “Pour forth the overflowings of your anger, and look on every one that is proud, and abase him . . . bring him low; and tread down the wicked where they stand.” Job 40:11-12 This amazing display of condescension... Read more