Was the Renaissance a Good or Bad Thing, Overall?

Last updated on: November 22, 2021 at 1:46 pm By Dave Armstrong

The Baptistry, Florecne, Tuscany, Italy, c. 1897. It was constructed between 1059 and 1128 in the Florentine Romanesque style. [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license] This is from a little Facebook dialogue from March 2013, with William C. Michael (words in blue): I think he is a fellow Catholic. * * * * * The danger of all of the Christian energy wasted on political action is that, eventually, it leads to a let-down, as the Crusades led to the Renaissance. We’re not... Read more

Do Only Ignoramuses & Simpletons Believe in Adam & Eve?

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 7:01 pm By Dave Armstrong

[public domain / Pixabay] This came about from my being made aware of the post, Neglected Factors in the Historical Adam and Eve Debate, by atheist Stewart James Felker. His words will be in blue. I cite some from the post itself and also a lot of his words in the combox. * * * * * Stewart makes an argument from the supposed profound unreliability of Scripture, and Genesis as allegedly not being able to be interpreted even partially as historical: Today, though, we’re also in the position where... Read more

Did Martin Luther Deny the Canonicity of the Book of Esther?

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 7:12 pm By Dave Armstrong

The Rabbula Gospels: a 6th-century illuminated Syriac Gospel Book: one of the finest Byzantine works produced in Asia (Folio 4v showing the canon tables and harmonization of the four gospels). [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (3-24-07) Martin Luther’s words will be in green. * * * * * There is a famous citation from Martin Luther, the Founder of Protestantism: “The book of Esther I toss into the Elbe [river]”. Or are these really the words of Luther? Apparently this is indeed a misquote. The John Aurifaber version of Table-Talk,... Read more

Biblical Evidence & Defenses for Expensive Church Buildings

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 7:07 pm By Dave Armstrong

Interior of Cologne Cathedral (photo by Pedro Szekely, 10-28-11) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license] (3-18-08) This is a rather common complaint of Protestants of a certain sort (usually “low church”). Here are some comments made by “Grubb”: a friendly Baptist regular of this forum, in an older discussion thread (here and here), and my response. He also makes more “positive” statements about churches in the same context, and admits some ambiguity and nuances in his own position, and... Read more

Was Jesus Confused About His Mission and Identity?

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 7:15 pm By Dave Armstrong

Jesus was neither “confused” nor did He wonder what His mission was at any time. The image is a detail from The Temptation of Christ, by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] An article caught my eye, entitled, “The Identity Crisis of Christ . . .”: over on the “Progressive Christian” channel at Patheos. It comes from David R. Henson, who received his Master of Arts from Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He is priest in the Episcopal Church,... Read more

What it FEELS Like to Visit Golgotha

Last updated on: April 10, 2020 at 10:48 am By Dave Armstrong

Christ on the Cross, c. 1874, by Leon Bonnat (1833-1922) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** This article has been re-uploaded under the title, Visiting Golgotha: A Sublimely Moving Spiritual Experience. *** Read more

Must Christianity be Empirically Falsifiable to be Rationally Held?

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 7:20 pm By Dave Armstrong

— Positivist Myths and Fallacies Debunked by Philosophers and Mathematicians — [originally posted on 7-14-10; abridged and re-edited on 9-7-15. Emphases in blue] Philosopher Hilary Putnam (b. 1926) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license] * * * * * Dr. Jerry A. Coyne is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago. He earned his Ph.D. in evolutionary biology at Harvard University in 1978, working in the laboratory of Richard Lewontin. He has written over 110... Read more

Adam & Eve & Original Sin: Have They Been Disproven by Science?

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 7:22 pm By Dave Armstrong

Albrecht Dürer, Adam and Eve [engraving], 1504 [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] This is an exchange (currently abridged to tighten up the content) that I had with an atheist, Brad Feaker, under my post, Defending God (The Atheist Blame Game). His words will be in blue. * * * * * In order to buy into the ‘original sin’ argument, you need an ‘original couple’ or Adam and Eve. Please correct me if I misstate your position because I am assuming you believe in a... Read more

Is the Mass a Re-Sacrifice? (vs. Lutheran Pastor Ken Howes)

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 7:25 pm By Dave Armstrong

Golgotha: the site of Jesus’ crucifixion: Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license] [written on 4-2-12] From a Facebook thread. My friend, Pastor Ken Howes’ words will be in blue. He is a Missouri Synod Lutheran. * * * * * The Bible plainly rules out the notion of Jesus being “re-sacrificed”: Hebrews 7:27 (RSV) He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and... Read more

John Wesley’s View of Purgatory and Analogous Processes

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 7:29 pm By Dave Armstrong

– – – A Classic Case Study of Inadvertent Approximation of the Very Catholic Teaching He Ostensibly Opposes – – – Portrait of Wesley by Frank O. Salisbury, c. 1932 [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] I have noted on many occasions in the course of my research and apologetics dialogues, how Protestants (even major Protestant figures) will not infrequently hold an opinion highly similar to some particular Catholic belief, while at the same time railing against said Catholic belief, seemingly blissfully... Read more