Pope Francis’ Strongly Pro-Life Comments to the UN (“Both/And”!)

Last updated on: May 19, 2017 at 4:53 pm By Dave Armstrong

United Nations General Assembly hall in New York City (photograph by Patrick Gruban, 12-17-06) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license] * * * * * I wrote an article yesterday defending the pope’s speech to Congress, and saying that he need not always explicitly mention abortion. I denounced true grumbling and complaining about the speech, but at the same time, opined that it is not necessarily wrong for someone — especially pro-life activists — to be (respectfully) disappointed that he... Read more

Reply to Dr. Phil Blosser’s Critique of My Book, “Pope Francis Explained”

Last updated on: May 19, 2017 at 4:56 pm By Dave Armstrong

Pope Francis, 27 April 2014 (Jeffrey Bruno / Aleteia Images) [Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license] Dr. Blosser’s critique of my book is entitled, A brotherly dissent: an open letter to Dave Armstrong on ‘splainin’ Pope Francis. It appeared on his site, Musings of Pertinacious Papist, on 22 August 2014. It will be reproduced below in its entirety, in blue, with my replies. Further dialogue is also welcome. He is a professor of philosophy at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. * * * * *... Read more

Must the Pope EXPLICITLY Mention Abortion to Congress?

Last updated on: May 19, 2017 at 4:58 pm By Dave Armstrong

Blessed Mother Teresa spoke very forcefully and directly and at length about abortion, at both the UN (1985) and the National Prayer Breakfast (1994). Thus, it was not out of the question that Pope Francis might have done the same to Congress. Hence, it is not immediately objectionable for someone to be (respectfully) disappointed that he did not do so. [Flickr / CC BY 2.0 license] * * * * * I’m always in the middle somehow: seeing truths on both sides... Read more

On the Complaint that Pro-Lifers are “Single-Issue”

Last updated on: May 19, 2017 at 5:01 pm By Dave Armstrong

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was a pretty “one-issue” guy: his issue was equal civil rights for all Americans. One issue: all the time; 24-7. And he was right to do so. Likewise, today, abortion is the overwhelmingly most important issue, though there are many other ones, too. Just as Rev. King is not derisively blasted as “one-issue”, neither should pro-lifers today be treated in that fashion. [Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license] * * * * * Many pro-lifers have... Read more

Atheist John Loftus Reacts to My Analysis of His “Deconversion”

Last updated on: June 26, 2019 at 2:59 am By Dave Armstrong

Nuclear explosion on April 18, 1953 at a Nevada test site. [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (12-6-06) See my critique of John Loftus’ deconversion story. His words below are in blue. [Note of 9-23-15] Many of his hysterical, vitriolic reactions to my critique were lost to posterity, because they were on an old commenting system on my older blog. But there are plenty of other representative (and quite humorous) ones preserved below.* * * * * Will this silliness ever... Read more

Critique of Atheist John Loftus’ “Deconversion” Story

Last updated on: May 19, 2017 at 5:07 pm By Dave Armstrong

Imploding vacuum tube photographed with high speed air-gap flash (by Niels Noordhoek) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] (10-15-06) John’s story was posted on his Debunking Christianity blog. His words will be in blue. Be sure to read my follow-up paper, too: Atheist John Loftus Reacts to My Analysis of His “Deconversion” * * * * * In my book Why I Rejected Christianity: A Former Apologist Explains I’ve written 40 pages about my conversion to Christianity, my deconversion away from Christianity, what I believe now, and why. . . . But let me offer the Cliff... Read more

My “Romantic / Imaginative” Conversion to Christianity

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 2:14 pm By Dave Armstrong

Original title: “Romanticism, Wagner, C. S. Lewis, Christianity, and Me” On the northern coast of Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 1998 [my photograph] (originally written in 1997; slightly revised on 19 September 2003 and slightly edited and expanded on 23 September 2015) * * * * * If I was anything at all, religiously speaking, I was a nature mystic before I became an evangelical Protestant Christian in 1977. I relate to C. S. Lewis’ story in Surprised by... Read more

Dialogue with an Anglican on “Praying to Mary,” Patron Saints, Etc.

Last updated on: March 4, 2020 at 5:54 pm By Dave Armstrong

(vs. Dr. Lydia McGrew) Christ on the Cross with Mary as Intercessor and a Donor, Unknown Master, Flemish (active 1420-30 in Southern Netherlands) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (11-10-14) Dr. McGrew is a very thoughtful and (in the right way) “provocative” Anglican writer, with a very impressive Curriculum Vitae. I ran across this article today after an anti-Catholic person I have sparred with many times classified her as a “Roman Catholic” (and of course condescendingly praised her as more “honest” since she... Read more

Venerating & Bowing Before Angels & Men: Biblical?

Last updated on: November 20, 2021 at 2:07 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . Genesis ch. 18-19 and Revelation ch. 19, 22 [Etc.] (vs. Ken Temple) The Angel Appearing Before the Shepherds, by Thomas Buchanan Read (1822-1872) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (11-10-14) Pastor Ken Temple is a Reformed Protestant anti-Catholic polemicist, whom I have engaged numerous times. His words will be in blue. * * * * * I wrote, in the above dialogue: Oftentimes, sadly, yes, because human beings have an endless capacity for self-deception, self-justification, and rationalization. What... Read more

“Is This God?” (Treatise on the Eucharist) [Envoy Magazine]

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 2:28 pm By Dave Armstrong

Christ with the Eucharist, late 16th century, by Joan de Joanes (1510-1579) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] This article was the cover story in Patrick Madrid’s Envoy Magazine, Jan/Feb 2000 issue. Here it is presented in my own original version (before editing). [originally uploaded on 26 June 2000] ***** I held aloft with both my hands the golden chalice, gazing upwards at it, performing one of the central liturgical rituals of the Mass, in which the consecration of the wine takes... Read more