Original Facebook title: “Do People Choose Communion in the Hand Because They Think They Are Receiving a ‘Snack’?” See also the very lively original Facebook thread (presently at 235 comments, 161 likes, and 40 shares), with lots of input from many people: pro and con. Here I present mostly my own remarks and a few interactions where I was asked direct questions. See also a second Facebook discussion. ***** Jessica West wrote in a public Facebook post: “Please stop receiving... Read more
[originally posted on my blog on 20 April 2008. See my original post, “Reformation” Theft of Thousands of Catholic Churches (4-12-08). This article was a response to critiques of that earlier article] I wrote: It’s been the standard response through the years of Protestants to play up and grossly exaggerate the sins of the Catholic Church to justify the sins of the Reformers. I wasn’t “lambasting” the Reformers per se here, but rather, historical revisionism (“standard response through the years”)... Read more
This is an exchange that occurred on the public Facebook page of Brazilian Calvinist apologist Francisco Tourinho. His words will be in blue. I utilized the Facebook translation to render his Portugese into English. ***** There is no middle ground between Limited Expedition [limited atonement?] and Semi-Pelagianism. The definition I will use will be that of Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange and Fr. Jose Maria Iraburu, who teach that it is Semi-Pelagianism to say that God wants to save all people equally. Pelagius... Read more
[originally written / edited in 1991] The most famous English martyr in the 16th century was St. Thomas More (1478-1535), the universally admired humanist, lawyer, Lord Chancellor, and scholar probably second only to Erasmus; he had written the famous Utopia. This remarkable man was immortalized in our own time by the movie A Man For All Seasons (1966). It is well worthwhile to stop and take a look at this great hero, filled with the highest integrity: More was a delightful person, one... Read more
This is a reply to Calvinist apologist Matt Hedges’ article, “A Refutation of Common Arguments for Iconography” (Soli Deo Gloria Apologetics, 7-28-22). His words will be in blue. ***** The first text commonly cited against us iconoclasts is the OT example of the bronze serpent made by Moses (the whole story of which is contained in the book of Numbers). They cite this to show that not all images are bad, and some are valid and are to be venerated.... Read more
+ St. Augustine’s Enthusiastic Advocacy of Relics Calvinist apologist Matt Hedges wrote the article, “Did the Church Fathers Teach the Veneration and Worship of Images?” (Soli Deo Gloria Apologetics, 7-28-22). ***** Matt brings up Catholic and Orthodox apologetic use of Letter 360 written by St. Basil of Caesarea [known as the Great] (330-379). He notes that many scholars consider it spurious. That’s fine. I will assume that it is (and this probably is the case). The same saint, however, wrote... Read more
[book and purchase information] Jason Engwer is a Protestant anti-Catholic apologist. I have offered rebuttals of his arguments since 2000 (while he stopped replying to me years ago and bans me from his website). Presently, I’d like to make an analogical and reductio ad absurdum argument and parody, utilizing his article, “Was The Papacy Established By Christ? (Part 1)” (Tribalblogue, 6-23-06). I will use the structure of his arguments against the papacy, and (changing just a few words) apply the... Read more
With Special Emphasis on the Protestant Exegesis of “The keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19) Protestant anti-Catholic apologist Jason Engwer again took aim at one of his favorite targets: the papacy, in his article, “How could a papacy have been referred to?” (Tribalblogue, 7-30-22). His words will be in blue. *** [P]assages like Matthew 16, Luke 22, and John 21 don’t imply a papacy. * I will demonstrate in this article how Matthew 16 teaches an explicit notion... Read more
[originally posted on my blog on 10 March 2008] *** [Part II of the article, “Penal Laws,” in The Catholic Encyclopedia; original written by Edwin Burton, E. A. D’Alton & Jarvis Kelley, 1911. Some paragraph breaks added] *** The first penal statutes were enacted by the Scottish Parliament of 1560, which, on 14 August, passed three statutes; the first abolishing the jurisdiction of the pope, the second repealing all former statutes in favor of the Catholic Church, the third providing that all who... Read more
[originally posted on my blog on 10 March 2008] *** [slightly abridged version of Part I of the article, “Penal Laws,” in The Catholic Encyclopedia; original written by Edwin Burton, E. A. D’Alton & Jarvis Kelley, 1911. I created several new paragraph breaks] *** Catholics lost not only freedom of worship, but civil rights as well; their estates, property, and sometimes even lives were at the mercy of any informer. The fact that these laws were passed as political occasion demanded deprived them... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In