25 Brief Arguments Regarding Biblical “Clearness” (Perspicuity)

Last updated on: April 26, 2017 at 5:44 pm By Dave Armstrong

Original Title: “25 Short Arguments on the Difficulties of Perspicuity (Clearness of Scripture for Salvation) and Private Judgment: Is the Bible Crystal-Clear Enough to Bring About Doctrinal Orthodoxy By Itself?” [public domain / Pixabay] From my discontinued book, 501 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura (2009). It was one of my several books in the style of Pascal’s Pensees (random individual thoughts [i.e., “pensees”] rather than continuous writing). In 2012, Catholic Answers (specifically Todd Aglialoro, my editor) convinced me to tighten it up and make it... Read more

Alvin Plantinga’s Refutation of the Logical Problem of Evil

Last updated on: June 16, 2018 at 3:57 pm By Dave Armstrong

Original title (posted 10-12-06): Alvin Plantinga’s Decisive Refutation of the Atheist Use of the Problem of Evil as a Disproof of God’s Existence, Goodness, or Omnipotence Lenin and Stalin: two of the most evil people who ever lived. Is God to be blamed for their wicked antics? [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * Alvin Plantinga (who was born in 1932 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and started his teaching career at my alma mater, Wayne State University, in Detroit. He is considered (by his... Read more

25 Brief Arguments for Binding Catholic Apostolic Tradition

Last updated on: April 26, 2017 at 6:31 pm By Dave Armstrong

Joshua 1:1 in the Aleppo Codex (10th century AD) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * From my discontinued book, 501 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura (2009). There is a funny story behind that one. A Protestant anti-Catholic sort was telling me one day that there wasn’t “one single proof” of sola Scriptura in the Bible. That irked me so much that I determined on the spot to write a book containing every argument (of scores and scores) that I could... Read more

Luther: Purgatory is “Quite Plain” in 2nd Maccabees

Last updated on: April 26, 2017 at 6:34 pm By Dave Armstrong

“Twilight Forest Premade” series by “i-am-Jenius” [Deviant Art] (3-5-09) Christ’s words in John, about purging the Branch, have been applied to purgatory by a certain Vincent [of Beauvais; d. 1264], than whom no one ever twists the sense of Scripture more . . . The text in Maccabees [1] is left, and is quite plain. But that book does not make articles of faith, nor do the Fathers consider it an authority; the second book especially is several times rejected... Read more

Mortal Sin and Venial Sin: Strong & Clear Biblical Support

Last updated on: April 26, 2017 at 6:37 pm By Dave Armstrong

Is stealing a cookie equivalent in God’s eyes to the sin of mass murder? Photograph from the Personal Creations home page: 1 March 2015 [Flickr / CC BY 2.0 license] (4-1-06) A Protestant asked me this question in an e-mail: A faithful Catholic very suddenly dies while committing a mortal sin (say lying). Assume every other time he has committed a mortal sin he would faithfully go to confession and receive forgiveness. However in this case his death is quite... Read more

Are Bishops and a Hierarchical Church Unbiblical?

Last updated on: April 26, 2017 at 6:39 pm By Dave Armstrong

Cardinal Donald William Wuerl (b. 1940): Archbishop of Washington, D.C. since 2006; photo from 5 May 2015 [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * From the manuscript for my book, The One-Minute Apologist (2007). All passages RSV. * * * * * “Scripture does not teach only one form of Church government. The Catholic hierarchy stands contrary to the egalitarian spirit of the Bible and the early Church.” The One-Minute Apologist Says: The Bible provides plenty of support for... Read more

Sinful & Reckless “Bad Popes”: How Many Were There?

Last updated on: November 20, 2021 at 1:30 pm By Dave Armstrong

Pope Alexander VI (r. 1492-1503). He fathered seven illegitimate children while a Cardinal. What did the ladies see in him?! Portrait by Cristofano dell’Altissimo (1525-1605) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * (12-17-07) The Wikipedia article, “The Bad Popes” follows the list of eight scoundrels, from Russell Chamberlain”s book of the same name: Pope Stephen VI (896-897), who had his predecessor Pope Formosus exhumed, tried, de-fingered, briefly reburied, and thrown in the Tiber Pope John XII (937-964), who gave land to a mistress, murdered several people,... Read more

Dialogue with an Atheist Concerning Analogical Arguments

Last updated on: April 26, 2017 at 6:45 pm By Dave Armstrong

Image by “geralt” [public domain / Pixabay] * * * This took place in the combox for my post, 50 Bible Passages on Purgatory & Analogous Processes. “OverlappingMagisteria” took issue with my thesis in the piece, which was almost entirely of the nature of analogical argument (even denying that it’s a legitimate form of argument at all). With all due respect, I don’t think he succeeded. See what you think! Analogical arguments are some of my very favorite to use (and... Read more

New Atheist Low: Mythical “Jesus” Like Charles Manson?

Last updated on: April 27, 2017 at 11:37 am By Dave Armstrong

Charles Manson [Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0 license] In a ridiculous piece at the Patheos Atheist Channel, this is one of the “arguments” made: If Manson lived 2,000 years ago, we might have churches worshiping him now. So it was easy for me to imagine a completely fraudulent scamming huckster named Jesus. . . . along with the following charming observation: [T]here are only two possibilities: Jesus was either an ignorant 1st century charlatan and cult leader heavily exaggerated like... Read more

St. Augustine Was Thoroughly CATHOLIC: 135 Proofs

Last updated on: April 27, 2017 at 11:41 am By Dave Armstrong

St. Augustine in His Study (bet. 1490 and 1494), by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * (8-30-12) These are excerpted from my book, The Quotable Augustine: Distinctively Catholic Elements in His Theology (2012). Many more quotations on most of these topics are in the book. This is only barely scratching the surface. [the context and background of all quotations can be consulted by following the links made in each instance to the primary sources — themselves... Read more