2017-05-20T16:45:07-04:00

Last updated on: May 20, 2017 at 4:45 pm   By

AtheistBornAgain

Photograph by Danny Birchall [Flickr / CC By 2.0 license]

Jon Curry is an atheist I actually know in person and consider a friend. I’ve invited him twice to my house, to do presentations. His son and my daughter attend a group homeschooling place together, and we know his wife, too, from that school. He invited me to his group of atheist and agnostic friends, where I was treated with courtesy and politeness. This exchange occurred in the combox for my post, The Atheist Obsession with Insulting Christians. His words will be in blue.

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I think critiqueing someone’s deconversion story is a dangerous game. When a person explains the reasons they changed their opinion on such a critical, life changing type issue, and if you reply to that in a way that is dismissive or pronounces the person irrational, well that’s going to evoke anger.

If I tell you some of the individual reasons for why I changed my view and you respond with “Well, that alone is an irrational reason to leave the faith”, that’s probably going to bother me a lot, because it’s going to say to me at a moment when I was trusting you and sharing with you hoping you could empathize with me, it’s going to say that you aren’t listening to me because you care. You’re listening only to dismiss me as irrational or to find some ammo against me. You’re not being a friend to me. If you dismiss me as irrational you in a sense reject my efforts at connecting, and it’s hurtful. If you want to argue, that’s fine, but if you want to know me personally and how I got to where I am you should focus on listening.

I think there is a lot of validity in what you say; a legitimate point. It’s difficult to draw a proper balance at times. A lot depends on the situation. One can listen and extend sympathy in one situation and critique ideas in another. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. I simultaneously critique atheism and try to find common ground with atheists, too, in an attitude of respect and listening (exactly what I’m doing right now). When we got together at the restaurant, I spent a great deal of time listening: probably at least as much as I talked (especially with Vijaya: is that how her name is spelled?); and there was only one o’ me and six o’ y’all.

You spent most of the time, as I recall, preaching left-wing politics . . . LOL

If you and I were sitting somewhere and you said something like, “these are the reasons why I left Christianity; what really hurt me and caused me a lot of pain . . .” etc., then absolutely that would be a time for listening, friend to friend, man to man. Surely you would know that I would disagree with many of your reasons, but I would listen and hopefully be a friend.

But as an apologist, generally speaking (in the public arena), I have to defend Christianity, and that includes critiquing reasons given to reject Christianity. If those reasons are inadequate, then it is my task to show how and why they are, in order to prevent existing Christians from using them as reasons to leave (which is, of course, a large part of the reason for these deconversion stories: to persuade others to forsake Christianity as well).

In effect, these deconversion stories are the atheist equivalent of Christian preaching or evangelism. They are intended to persuade; to make the movement grow; to embolden others to “come out” and do the previously unthinkable thing: reject Christianity: very much in internal purpose like our own testimonies.

Therefore, we are equally entitled to critique them; since they are presented in public in the first place, not in private, man-to-man, eye-to-eye, sitting by the fire or in some restaurant talking about the problems of life, kids, work frustrations, etc. Public material (that attacks Christianity) is fair game. Surely you can’t object to that!

I recall that when John Loftus explained the process that led to his change of views he really bared his soul, admitted to infidelity, admitted to various failings, and the reaction of some Christians, particularly those at Triablogue, was so callous, so dismissive, that it was really quite grotesque. They quickly revealed that they have no concern for John as a human being. They don’t want to understand his feelings and his hurts. They want to twist the knife, make it as painful as possible. He was angry in response, and I think anyone with normal levels of empathy can understand. At Triablogue though they are on another level of cruelty. Atheists are not just people with which they disagree. Atheists to them are animals. For me animals deserve kindly treatment, so really I should say atheists are less than animals. Hurting atheists really gives them pleasure. Atheists get angry in reaction. It’s not surprising.

You bring up Loftus. First of all, we should note (full disclosure) that you and your friends agreed that he often does a terrible job debating, and puts forth a negative image of atheists.

Secondly, he put up his website called Debunking Christianity. The whole purpose of the enterprise is right in the title. His own endless articles, including his deconversion story, are part of this effort. I don’t see how you could argue that he should be able to write that and tear down beliefs that we Christians consider sacred and true, while we cannot critique them at all? Of course we can! If he wants to try to publicly “debunk” Christianity (including his deconversion story), we have every right to defend it and show where his reasoning went awry and astray.

You make a great point about how some Christians treated John Loftus. Whom do you mention as examples, though: the people at Tribalblogue: Steve Hays et al. Per the point I have made above, these are fundamentalist bigots, who are also anti-Catholics. Hays believe in a 10,000-year-old earth.

I know how they treat people they disagree with because I have been a target myself, and I’m a fellow Christian (but they deny that I am one). Hays has described me as “of an evil character.” So I get that.

But that is not all Christians, and I did not treat Loftus in this atrocious, unethical fashion. I simply critiqued his ideas (because I think erroneous ideas are the primary cause of atheism, not necessarily wickedness and rebellion). But that was enough for him to act as atheists so often do, and go spastic and call me an “idiot”: and all the rest. Anyone can read my critique of his story. [part one / part two]

He could dish it out but he couldn’t take it. It’s really as simple as that. He wants to have a public website with that name, and run down Christianity and Christians day and night, but don’t let us dare to utter a critique of his story of apostasy! I guess only truly stupid Christians are allowed to show up and comment on that site; so they can fit the stereotype that Loftus desires to promulgate.

I think when you see poor behavior you should look at causes, maybe look in the mirror a bit. It’s easy to just point a finger, but if you’re really interested in improving things it’s worth asking what you might be doing that contributes.

I half agree with you and half disagree. If you want to encourage listening in a friendship context, I’m all for that. If you want to say atheists should be treated charitably, I’ve always said that and try to model it as best I can. And I think you know that, having met me at least half a dozen times now.

If you say, on the other hand, that we can’t defend our beliefs against frontal attacks or critique the ideas in deconversion stories, I must respectfully disagree. But we do have to do that without attacking people. I sought to do so with Loftus, as I do with everyone, but I’m sure I didn’t do it perfectly, either. Mea maxima culpa . . .

 

2025-06-20T11:15:04-04:00

Last updated on: June 20, 2025 at 11:15 am   By
Cover (555 x 833, 253K)

Footsteps that Echo Forever: My Holy Land Pilgrimage(Nov. 2014, 165 pages)

[click on the book title for book and purchase info.]

[cover photograph taken by Margie Prox Sindelar in Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16), on 23 October 2014]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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I. DIALOGUES WITH JEWISH APOLOGIST MICHAEL J. ALTER  ON JESUS’ RESURRECTION AND ALLEGED NEW TESTAMENT “CONTRADICTIONS”
II. THE MESSIAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
III. RELATIONSHIP OF OLD AND NEW COVENANTS / JEWS AND CHRISTIANS / DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINE: JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY
IV. MY PILGRIMAGE TO ISRAEL (2014)
V. GENESIS
VI. ADAM AND EVE AND CAIN / GARDEN OF EDEN
VII. NOAH AND THE FLOOD
VIII. ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, AND JOSEPH (PATRIARCHS) / HEBREW BONDAGE IN EGYPT
IX. MOSES AND THE EXODUS
X. JOSHUA AND THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN / SAMSON / ERA OF THE JUDGES
XI. SAUL, DAVID, AND SOLOMON / KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL
XII. EZRA, NEHEMIAH, AND JOB
XIII. ANCIENT ISRAEL’S ENEMIES
XIV. THE PROPHETS
XV. OLD TESTAMENT: DOCTRINE OF GOD / YHWH
XVI. OLD TESTAMENT: GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
XVII. ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS 
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I. DIALOGUES WITH JEWISH APOLOGIST MICHAEL J. ALTER  ON JESUS’ RESURRECTION AND ALLEGED NEW TESTAMENT “CONTRADICTIONS”
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Resurrection Debate #1: Preliminaries & Premises [4-16-21]
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Resurrection Debate #3: Did Jesus Publicly Claim to Be the Messiah? [4-19-21]
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Resurrection Debate #4: No “Leafy Branches” on Palm Sunday? [4-19-21]
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Resurrection (?) #5: Did Jesus Claim to be Our Savior? [4-20-21]
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Resurrection (?) #6: “Three Days and Three Nights” [4-21-21]
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Resurrection (?) #7: Crucified Thieves Taunting Jesus [4-21-21]
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Resurrection (?) #8: Disciples Forsaking Jesus [4-23-21]
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Resurrection (?) #9: The Women at the Crucifixion [4-23-21]
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II. THE MESSIAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Messiah: Jewish / Old Testament Conceptions [1982; revised somewhat on 2-19-00]
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III. RELATIONSHIP OF OLD AND NEW COVENANTS / JEWS AND CHRISTIANS / DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINE: JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY
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Apostles and Synagogue and Temple Worship [3-25-07; slight editing and minor additions on 8-8-16]
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Jewish 1st Century Belief in Purgatory (Paul Hoffer) [9-20-11]
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Why is Melchizedek So Important? [National Catholic Register, 1-15-18]
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Did Jesus Heal and Preach to Only Jews? No! [National Catholic Register, 7-19-20]
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IV. MY PILGRIMAGE TO ISRAEL (2014)
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Signs in Jerusalem: How God Can Speak to You Through ‘Coincidence’ [my visit to the Pool of Siloam, Seton Magazine, 12-17-14]
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I Was Blessed to Visit Bethlehem in 2014. What Joy! [National Catholic Register, 12-31-17; originally 12-26-14]
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Visiting Golgotha in Jerusalem is a Sublime Experience [National Catholic Register, 3-21-18]
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My visit to the Holy Land in 2014 and my book chronicling it, Footsteps That Echo Forever [35-minute interview with John Benko on The 4 Persons Podcast, 20 March 2025]
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V. GENESIS
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Biblical Flat Earth (?) Cosmology: Dialogue w Atheist (vs. Matthew Green) [9-11-06]

Flat Earth: Biblical Teaching? (vs. Ed Babinski) [9-17-06]

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Seidensticker Folly #14: Something Rather Than Nothing [9-3-18]

Orthodox Interpretation of Genesis and the Serpent [National Catholic Register, 11-19-18]

Scripture, Science, Genesis, & Evolutionary Theory: Mini-Dialogue with an Atheist [8-14-18; rev. 2-18-19]

Seidensticker Folly #38: Eternal Universe vs. an Eternal God [4-16-20]

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Seidensticker Folly #73: Philosophy & “Who Created God?” [7-12-21]

Genesis 10 “Table of Nations”: Authentic History [8-25-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #54: Tower of Babel; Who’s the “Idiot”? [11-24-21]

Table of Nations (Gen 10), Interpretation, & History [11-27-21]

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Linguistic Confusion and the Tower of Babel [National Catholic Register, 6-21-22]
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VI. ADAM AND EVE AND CAIN / GARDEN OF EDEN

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DOCUMENTARY: Science & the Search for the Garden of Eden [see also the written transcript] [Lux Veritatis, 5-10-25]
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VII. NOAH AND THE FLOOD

Old Earth, Flood Geology, Local Flood, & Uniformitarianism (vs. Kevin Rice) [5-25-04; many defunct links removed and new ones added: 5-10-17]

Adam & Eve, Cain, Abel, & Noah: Historical Figures [2-20-08]

Noah’s Flood and Catholicism: Important Basic Facts [8-18-15]

Do Carnivores on the Ark Disprove Christianity? [9-10-15]

New Testament Evidence for Noah’s Existence [National Catholic Register, 3-11-18]

Seidensticker Folly #49: Noah & 2 or 7 Pairs of Animals [9-7-20]

Pearce’s Potshots #36: Noah’s Flood: 40 or 150 Days or Neither? [7-1-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #37: Length of Noah’s Flood Redux [7-2-21]

Local Flood & Atheist Ignorance of Christian Thought [7-2-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #38: Chiasmus & “Redundancy” in Flood Stories (Also, a Summary Statement on Catholics and the Documentary Hypothesis) [7-4-21]

Local Mesopotamian Flood: An Apologia [7-9-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #47: Mockery of a Local Flood (+ Striking Analogies Between the Biblical Flood and the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927) [9-30-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #48: Flood of Irrationality & Cowardice [10-1-21]

Noah’s Flood: Not Anthropologically Universal + Miscellany [10-5-21]

Debate: Historical Local Flood & Biblical Hyperbole [11-12-21]

Pearce Pablum #72: Flood: 25 Criticisms & Non Sequiturs [3-8-22]

Noah’s Ark: Josephus, Earlier Historians, & Church Fathers (Early Witnesses of the Ark Resting on Jabel [Mt.] Judi) [3-16-22]

Biblical Size of Noah’s Ark: Literal or Symbolic? [3-16-22]

Atheist Jonathan MS Pearce’s Straw Man Global Flood [8-30-22]

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VIII. ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, AND JOSEPH (PATRIARCHS) / HEBREW BONDAGE IN EGYPT
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Why is Melchizedek So Important? [National Catholic Register, 1-15-18]
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Abraham and Ongoing Justification by Faith and Works [National Catholic Register, 9-19-23]
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IX. MOSES AND THE EXODUS
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Seidensticker Folly #19: Torah & OT Teach Polytheism? [9-18-18]

C. S. Lewis Roundly Mocked the Documentary Hypothesis [10-6-19]

Ward’s Whoppers #7-8: “God of Abraham…” / Passover [5-18-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #9-10: Parting the Red Sea / “Foreigners” [5-18-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #11-12: Ten Commandments Issues [5-19-20]

Moses & Aaron & Their Staff(s): Biblical Contradictions? (vs. Dr. Steven DiMattei) [11-21-20]

Golden Calf & Cherubim: Biblical Contradiction? (vs. Dr. Steven DiMattei) [11-23-20]

A Bible Puzzle About the Staff of Moses and Aaron [National Catholic Register, 1-14-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #30: Passover Disproves God’s Omniscience? [5-27-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #33: No Philistines in Moses’ Time? [6-3-21]

Did Moses Exist? No Absolute Proof, But Strong Evidence (Pearce’s Potshots #35, in Which Our Brave Hero Classifies Moses as “a Mythological Figure” and I Reply!) [6-14-21]

Using the Bible to Debunk the Bible Debunkers (Is the Mention of ‘Pitch’ in Exodus an Anachronism?) [National Catholic Register, 6-30-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #38: Chiasmus & “Redundancy” in Flood Stories (Also, a Summary Statement on Catholics and the Documentary Hypothesis) [7-4-21]

Archaeology, Ancient Hebrew, & a Written Pentateuch (+ a Plausible Scenario for Moses Gaining Knowledge of Hittite Legal Treaties in His Egyptian Official Duties) [7-31-21]

In Search of the Real Mt. Sinai (Fascinating Topographical and Biblical Factors Closely Examined) [8-16-21]

Acacia, Ark of the Covenant, & Biblical Accuracy [8-24-21]

The Tabernacle: Egyptian & Near Eastern Precursors (Archaeology Entirely Backs Up the Extraordinary Accuracy of Holy Scripture Yet Again) [9-8-21]

Science, Hebrews and a Bevy of Quail [National Catholic Register, 11-14-21]
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Fascinating Biblical Considerations About Mount Sinai [National Catholic Register, 11-23-22]
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What Archaeology Tells Us About Joshua’s Conquest [National Catholic Register, 7-8-21]
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What Made the Walls of Jericho Fall? [National Catholic Register, 5-20-23]
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XI. SAUL, DAVID, AND SOLOMON / KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL
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Archaeology, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba [National Catholic Register, 6-2-23]
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Archaeology and King Solomon’s Mines [National Catholic Register, 6-29-23]
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Was King David Mythical or Historical? [National Catholic Register, 7-24-23]
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VIDEO: How Tall Was Goliath? The Truth Revealed! [Lux Veritatis, 6-10-25]
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XII. EZRA, NEHEMIAH, AND JOB
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Archaeology Supports the Book of Nehemiah [National Catholic Register, 11-30-23]
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XIII. ANCIENT ISRAEL’S ENEMIES
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XIV. THE PROPHETS
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Did God Raise Jonah from the Dead? [National Catholic Register, 4-20-23]
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The Prophet Isaiah Explains How God Saves Us [National Catholic Register, 8-30-23]
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XV. OLD TESTAMENT: DOCTRINE OF GOD / YHWH
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XVI. OLD TESTAMENT: GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
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Israel as God’s Agent of Judgment [9-28-14]

Does God Ever Judge People by Sending Disease? [10-30-17]

Seidensticker Folly #10: Slavery in the Old Testament [8-20-18]

Seidensticker Folly #12: God Likes Child Sacrifice? Huh?! [8-21-18]

Seidensticker Folly #17: “to the third and fourth generations”? [9-11-18]

Does God Punish to the Fourth Generation? [National Catholic Register, 10-1-18]

Did God Immorally “Murder” King David’s Innocent Child? (God’s Providence and Permissive Will, and Hebrew Non-Literal Anthropomorphism) [5-6-19]

Old Testament Sacrifices: Killing Animals to be Saved? [8-17-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #9: Chapter 9 (“Hardening Hearts” and Hebrew “Block Logic”) [8-30-19]

Salvation and Eternal Afterlife in the Old Testament [8-31-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #9: Bible Espouses Mythical Animals? [9-10-19]

Salvation and Immortality Are Not Just New Testament Ideas [National Catholic Register, 9-23-19]

The Bible and Mythical Animals[National Catholic Register, 10-9-19]

The Bible is Not “Anti-Scientific,” as Skeptics Claim [National Catholic Register, 10-23-19]

“Why Did God Kill 70,000 Israelites for David’s Sin?” [4-13-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #14: Who Caused Job’s Suffering? [5-20-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #17-21: Proverbs Allow of Exceptions [5-21-20]

Seidensticker Folly #54: “Neighbor” in OT = Jews Only? [9-12-20]

Dialogue: Purgatory & 2 Maccabees 12:39-45 [11-8-20]

God in Heaven & in His Temple: Contradiction? (vs. Dr. Steven DiMattei) [11-23-20]

Jesus the “Nazarene”: Did Matthew Make Up a “Prophecy”? (Reply to Jonathan M. S. Pearce from the Blog, A Tippling Philosopher / Oral Traditions and Possible Lost Old Testament Books Referred to in the Bible) [12-17-20]

Dual Fulfillment of Prophecy & the Virgin Birth (vs. JMS Pearce) [12-18-20]

Pearce’s Potshots #27: Anachronistic “Israelites”? [5-25-21]

Camels Help Bible Readers Get Over the Hump of Bible Skepticism [National Catholic Register, 7-21-21]

Archaeology, Ancient Hebrew, & a Written Pentateuch (+ a Plausible Scenario for Moses Gaining Knowledge of Hittite Legal Treaties in His Egyptian Official Duties) [7-31-21]

Archaeology: Biblical Maximalism vs. Minimalism (+ Dates of the Patriarchs and Other Major Events and People in the Old Testament) [9-9-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #55: “3” in the Bible & Literature [12-1-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #67: Camels Make an Ass of a Man [3-1-22]

Timeline of the Patriarchs: A Summary [Facebook, 9-28-22]

Books by Dave Armstrong: The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science, and History Back Up the Bible [1-24-23]

Introduction for My Book: The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science, and History Back up the Bible + Near Eastern Archaeological Periods and Timeline of the Patriarchs [1-24-23]

Archaeology & a Proto-Hebrew Language in 1800 BC [1-31-23]

15 Archaeological Proofs of Old Testament Accuracy (short summary points from the book, The Word Set in Stone) [National Catholic Register, 3-23-23]

The Word Set in Stone: “Volume Two”: More Evidence of Archaeology, Science, and History Backing Up the Bible (free book with 100 sections) [5-25-23]

Bp. Barron’s Word on Fire Bible (The Pentateuch) [7-6-23]

Book of Judith: History, Allegory, Or Aspects of Both? [Facebook, 11-10-23]

XVII. ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS 
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Discussion on Israeli-Gaza Strip Conflict of July 2014 [Facebook, 7-23-14]

Dialogue on Israeli-Palestinian Relations [with Alex Brittain, Facebook, 3-18-15]

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Practical Matters:  I run the most comprehensive “one-stop” Catholic apologetics site: rated #1 for Christian sites by leading AI tool, ChatGPT — endorsed by popular Protestant blogger Adrian Warnock. Perhaps some of my 5,000+ free online articles or fifty-six books have helped you (by God’s grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them. If you believe my full-time apostolate is worth supporting, please seriously consider a much-needed monthly or one-time financial contribution. “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV).
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PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: [email protected]. Here’s also a second page to get to PayPal. You’ll see the term “Catholic Used Book Service”, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing (including Zelle and 100% tax-deductible donations if desired), see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information.
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You can support my work a great deal in non-financial ways, if you prefer; by subscribing to, commenting on, liking, and sharing videos from my two YouTube channels, Catholic Bible Highlights and Lux Veritatis (featuring documentaries), where I partner with Kenny Burchard (see my own videos), and/or by signing up to receive notice for new articles on this blog. Just type your email address on the sidebar to the right (scroll down quite a bit), where you see, “Sign Me Up!” Thanks a million!
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Last updated on 20 June 2025

 

 

2025-06-18T10:22:11-04:00

Last updated on: June 18, 2025 at 10:22 am   By

Maxwell

Engraving of the great Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) by G. J. Stodart from a photograph by Fergus of Greenock. Maxwell was a devout Presbyterian, and formulated the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism, and light as manifestations of the same phenomenon. His discoveries helped usher in the era of modern physics, laying the foundation for such fields as special relativity and quantum mechanics. His contributions to the science are considered by many to be of the same magnitude as those of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Philosophy

I. GENERAL / EPISTEMOLOGY / PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

II. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL / SUFFERING

III. THE “PROBLEM OF GOOD”

IV. EDUCATION / HOMESCHOOLING

Theistic Arguments

V. THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT (BIG BANG, ETC.)

VI. THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT (DESIGN) 

VII. THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
VIII. MISCELLANEOUS
Science
IX. GALILEO
X. EARLY MODERN SCIENCE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO RELIGION
XI. PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE / SCIENTIFIC METHOD
XII. BIBLE, CHRISTIANITY, AND SCIENCE ISSUES

XIII. NOAH AND THE FLOOD

XIV. CLIMATE CHANGE / GLOBAL WARMING ISSUE
XV. THE KOOKY FUNDAMENTALIST REVIVAL OF GEOCENTRISM
XVI. MIRACLES 
XVII. CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
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PHILOSOPHY 

 
I. GENERAL / EPISTEMOLOGY / PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
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Did Jesus Use “Socratic Method” in His Teaching? [National Catholic Register, 4-29-19]
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Apologetics = Anti-Faith or Absolute “Certainty”? (Or, “Does Christianity Reduce to Mere Philosophy or Rationalism?”) [7-5-20]
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II. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL / SUFFERING
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Problem of Evil: Treatise on the Most Serious Objection (Is God Malevolent, Weak, or Non-Existent Because of the Existence of Evil and Suffering?) [2002]
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The Problem of Evil: Dialogue with an Atheist (vs. “drunken tune”) [10-11-06]
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God, the Natural World and Pain [National Catholic Register, 9-19-20]
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Is God Mostly to Blame for the Holocaust? [National Catholic Register, 5-31-21]
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III. THE “PROBLEM OF GOOD”
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IV. EDUCATION / HOMESCHOOLING
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Homeschooling: Response to Kevin Johnson’s Criticisms [7-12-05]

On Homeschooling & Dilapidated Public Education [1-3-09]  

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THEISTIC ARGUMENTS
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V. THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT (BIG BANG, ETC.)
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A Variation of the First Way of Thomas Aquinas (+ Part II / Part III) (Dr. Dennis Bonnette) [1982]

How “Creation” Implies God (Dr. Dennis Bonnette) [1985]

Atheism: the Faith of “Atomism” [8-19-15]

Cosmological Argument for God (Resources) [10-23-15]

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Creation Ex Nihilo is in the Bible [National Catholic Register, 10-1-20]
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VI. THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT (DESIGN) 
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Quantum Mechanics and the “Upholding” Power of God [National Catholic Register, 11-24-20]
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Star of Bethlehem, Astronomy, Wise Men, & Josephus (Amazing Astronomically Verified Data in Relation to the Journey of the Wise Men  & Jesus’ Birth & Infancy) [12-14-20]
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VII. THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
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VIII. MISCELLANEOUS
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SCIENCE
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IX. GALILEO
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X. EARLY MODERN SCIENCE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO RELIGION
 
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Astrology: Philip Melanchthon’s Enthusiastic Espousal [5-21-06]

Did St. Thomas Aquinas Accept Astrology? [5-30-06]

16th-17th Century Astronomers Loved Astrology (+ Part Two) [5-25-06]

Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Philip Melanchthon Wax Astronomical and Geocentric, Oppose Copernicus [2-5-09]

Christianity: Crucial to the Origin of Science [8-1-10]

Scientific & Empiricist Church Fathers: To Augustine (d. 430) [2010]

Christian Influence on Science: Master List of Scores of Bibliographical and Internet Resources (Links) [8-4-10]

33 Empiricist Christian Thinkers Before 1000 AD [8-5-10]

23 Catholic Medieval Proto-Scientists: 12th-13th Centuries [2010]

Who Killed Lavoisier: “Father of Chemistry”? [8-13-10]

Christians or Theists Founded 115 Scientific Fields [8-20-10]

John Calvin Assumes a Non-Spherical Earth & Severely Mocks Plato for Believing that the Earth is a Globe [9-4-12]

St. Augustine: Astrology is Absurd [9-4-15]

Catholics & Science #1: Hermann of Reichenau [10-21-15]

Catholics & Science #2: Adelard of Bath [10-21-15]

Science and Christianity (Copious Resources) [11-3-15]

Dialogue with an Agnostic on Catholicism and Science [9-12-16]

A List of 244 Priest-Scientists [Angelo Stagnaro, National Catholic Register, 11-29-16]

A Short List of [152] Lay Catholic Scientists [Angelo Stagnaro, National Catholic Register, 12-30-16]

Science, Logic, & Math Start with Unfalsifiable Axioms [1-6-18]

Seidensticker Folly #44: Historic Christianity & Science [8-29-20]

Exclusive Empirical Epistemology?: Dialogue w Atheist [2-25-19]

Modern Science is Built on a Christian Foundation [National Catholic Register, 5-6-20]

The ‘Enlightenment’ Inquisition Against Great Scientists [National Catholic Register, 5-13-20]

Embarrassing Errors of Historical Science [National Catholic Register, 5-20-20]

Scientism — the Myth of Science as the Sum of Knowledge [National Catholic Register, 5-28-20]

Seidensticker Folly #59: Medieval Hospitals & Medicine [11-3-20]

Seidensticker Folly #60: Anti-Intellectual Medieval Christians? [11-4-20]

Medieval Christian Medicine Was the Forerunner of Modern Medicine [National Catholic Register, 11-13-20]

*

XI. PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE / SCIENTIFIC METHOD

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Albert Einstein’s “Cosmic Religion”: In His Own Words [originally 2-17-03; expanded greatly on 8-26-10]
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Flat Earth: Biblical Teaching? (vs. Ed Babinski) [9-17-06]
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Did Darwin Prove Genesis a Fairy Tale? (Dr. Dennis Bonnette) [2007]
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Must Human Evolution Contradict Genesis?  (Dr. Dennis Bonnette) [2007]
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Historicity of Adam and Eve [9-23-11; rev. 1-6-22]
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Modern Biology and Original Sin (+ Part 2) (Dr. Edward Feser) [9-23-11]
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Time to Abandon the Genesis Story? [Dr. Dennis Bonnette, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, 7-10-14]
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Origin of the Human Species (3rd edition, 2014, by Dr. Dennis Bonnette)
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A List of 244 Priest-Scientists (Angelo Stagnaro, National Catholic Register, 11-29-16)
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Reflections on Joshua and “the Sun Stood Still” [National Catholic Register, 10-22-20]
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Quantum Mechanics and the “Upholding” Power of God [National Catholic Register, 11-24-20]
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Dark Energy, Dark Matter and the Light of the World [National Catholic Register, 2-17-21]
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The Theory of Evolution & Catholicism [Ch. 10 of my book, Reflections on Radical Catholic Reactionaries (December 2002; revised in November 2023 for the purpose of the free online version) ] [11-22-23]
*

XIII. NOAH AND THE FLOOD

*

Old Earth, Flood Geology, Local Flood, & Uniformitarianism (vs. Kevin Rice) [5-25-04; many defunct links removed and new ones added: 5-10-17]

Adam & Eve, Cain, Abel, & Noah: Historical Figures [2-20-08]

Noah’s Flood and Catholicism: Important Basic Facts [8-18-15]

Do Carnivores on the Ark Disprove Christianity? [9-10-15]

New Testament Evidence for Noah’s Existence [National Catholic Register, 3-11-18]

Seidensticker Folly #49: Noah & 2 or 7 Pairs of Animals [9-7-20]

Pearce’s Potshots #36: Noah’s Flood: 40 or 150 Days or Neither? [7-1-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #37: Length of Noah’s Flood Redux [7-2-21]

Local Flood & Atheist Ignorance of Christian Thought [7-2-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #38: Chiasmus & “Redundancy” in Flood Stories (Also, a Summary Statement on Catholics and the Documentary Hypothesis) [7-4-21]

Local Mesopotamian Flood: An Apologia [7-9-21]

Noah’s Flood: Not Anthropologically Universal + Miscellany [10-5-21]

*
XIV. CLIMATE CHANGE / GLOBAL WARMING ISSUE
*
*
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XV. THE KOOKY FUNDAMENTALIST REVIVAL OF GEOCENTRISM
*
(comprehensive website run by David Palm)
*
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Does the Church Support Robert Sungenis’ Novel Theories? (Jonathan Field) (+ Part Two) [11-8-10, at Internet Archive]
*
*
*
Geocentrism: Not at All an Infallible Dogma of the Catholic Church (David Palm and “Jordanes”) [11-20-10, at Internet Archive]
*
*
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Actress Kate Mulgrew Says she Was Duped Regarding her Narration of the Geocentrist Film, The Principle [Karl Keating article and Facebook discussion and media links, 4-8-14]
*
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XVI. MIRACLES 
 
*
Biblical and Historical Evidences for Raising the Dead [9-24-07; revised for National Catholic Register, 2-8-19]
*
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My oldest son Paul was healed of serious back and neck problems [You Tube video testimony linked on Facebook, 8-28-18]
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Reflections on Joshua and “the Sun Stood Still” [National Catholic Register, 10-22-20]
*
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Moses, Science, and Water from Rocks [Catholic365, 11-18-23]
*
*
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XVII. CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC 
*
*
*
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*
 
[For related reading, see: Atheism, Agnosticism, and Secularism Page]

*
***
*

Practical Matters:  I run the most comprehensive “one-stop” Catholic apologetics site: rated #1 for Christian sites by leading AI tool, ChatGPT — endorsed by popular Protestant blogger Adrian Warnock. Perhaps some of my 5,000+ free online articles or fifty-six books have helped you (by God’s grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them. If you believe my full-time apostolate is worth supporting, please seriously consider a much-needed monthly or one-time financial contribution. “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV).
*
PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: [email protected]. Here’s also a second page to get to PayPal. You’ll see the term “Catholic Used Book Service”, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing (including Zelle and 100% tax-deductible donations if desired), see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information.
*
You can support my work a great deal in non-financial ways, if you prefer; by subscribing to, commenting on, liking, and sharing videos from my two YouTube channels, Catholic Bible Highlights and Lux Veritatis (featuring documentaries), where I partner with Kenny Burchard (see my own videos), and/or by signing up to receive notice for new articles on this blog. Just type your email address on the sidebar to the right (scroll down quite a bit), where you see, “Sign Me Up!” Thanks a million!
*
***
*
Last updated on 18 June 2025
***
2025-05-01T12:47:56-04:00

Last updated on: May 1, 2025 at 12:47 pm   By
Stalin2
Portrait of young Joseph Stalin (1878-1953): one of history’s most famous and notorious atheists (I’m not sayin’ all atheists are like him!), from the Stalin Museum in Gori, Georgia. Photo by Adam Jones (6-4-15). He was responsible for some 20 million deaths, according to historian Robert Conquest [Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license]
***
FEATURED:
*
TABLE OF CONTENTS
***
I. GENERAL
II. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL 
III. THE “PROBLEM OF GOOD”
IV. AARON ADAIR
V. LIBBY ANNE
VI. “ANTHROTHEIST”
VII. “AXELBEINGCIVIL”
VIII. ED BABINSKI
IX. RICHARD CARRIER
X. NEIL CARTER
XI. STEVE CONIFER
XII. VEXEN CRABTREE
XIII. JON CURRY
XIV. “DAGOODS”
XV. RICHARD DAWKINS [THE GOD DELUSION]
XVI. TED DRANGE
XVII. BART EHRMAN
XVIII. “EPRONOVOST”
XIX. “ERIC”
XX. JD EVELAND
XXI. STEWART JAMES FELKER
XXII. “GRIMLOCK”
XXIII. “GUSBOVONA”
XXIV. “HELENINEDINBURGH”
XXV. ADAM LEE
XXVI. LEX LATA
XXVII. JOHN LOFTUS [DEBUNKING CHRISTIANITY BLOG]
XXVIII. DR. DAVID MADISON
XXIX. JONATHAN M. S. PEARCE
XXX. “PROF MTH” (MITCH) 
XXXI. WARD RICKER
XXXII. DR. JAN SCHREURS
XXXIII. BOB SEIDENSTICKER [CROSS EXAMINED BLOG]
XXXIV. SUSAN STRANDBERG
XXXV. EXTENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF SCHOLARLY LINKS DEALING WITH THE QUESTIONS AND CHALLENGES OF ATHEISTS
XXXVI. CHRISTIANITY, ATHEISM, SCIENCE, AND PHILOSOPHY
XXXVII. ANTI-THEISM AND THE SUB-GROUP OF “ANGRY ATHEISTS”
XXXVIII. MIRACLES
XXXIX. COMMON GROUND / CONCILIATORY APPROACHES 
XL. GOD (ATHEIST OBSESSION WITH THE SUPPOSEDLY NONEXISTENT) 
XLI. ABORTION / ANIMAL RIGHTS 
XLII. SEX, MARRIAGE, AND WOMEN
XLIII. SECULARISM AND SOCIETY
XLIV. “THE BUTCHER AND THE HOG”: THE ATHEIST APPROACH TO THE BIBLE
XLV. ATHEIST “DECONVERSIONS”
XLVI. FAMOUS ATHEISTS (REAL AND IMAGINED) 
***
***
I. GENERAL
*
*
The Class Struggle [cartoon tract; art by Dan Grajek, 1985]
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Silent Night: A “Progressive” and “Enlightened” Reinterpretation [12-10-04; additionally edited for publication at National Catholic Register: 12-21-17]
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Clarifications Regarding My Atheist Reductio Paper (referring to the immediately preceding, vastly misunderstood satirical piece) [8-20-15]
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Dialogue with an Atheist on First Premises (vs. Ben McGrew) [9-17-15]
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Yes, Virginia, Atheists Have a Worldview [National Catholic Register, 3-23-21]
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***
*
II. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL  
*
Problem of Evil: Treatise on the Most Serious Objection(Is God Malevolent, Weak, or Non-Existent Because of the Existence of Evil and Suffering?) [2002]
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The Problem of Evil: Dialogue with an Atheist (vs. “drunken tune”) [10-11-06]
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God, the Natural World and Pain [National Catholic Register, 9-19-20]
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[see more in the “Problem of Evil” section of my Philosophy & Science web page]
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III. THE “PROBLEM OF GOOD”
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VI. “ANTHROTHEIST”
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VII. “AXELBEINGCIVIL”
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Dialogue w Atheist on the Borders of Science & Theology [1-16-23]
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VIII. ED BABINSKI
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XI. STEVE CONIFER
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XII. VEXEN CRABTREE
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XIV. “DAGOODS”
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XV. RICHARD DAWKINS [THE GOD DELUSION]
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XVI. TED DRANGE
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XVII. BART EHRMAN
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XVIII. “EPRONOVOST”
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XX. JD EVELAND
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XXIII. “GUSBOVONA”
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XXIV. “HELENINEDINBURGH”
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XXV. ADAM LEE
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XXVI. LEX LATA
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XXVII. JOHN LOFTUS [DEBUNKING CHRISTIANITY BLOG]
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XXVIII. DR. DAVID MADISON
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XXIX. JONATHAN M. S. PEARCE
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How Anti-Theist Atheists “Argue” Online (I.e., Insult) (Examples from Pearce’s Blog) [3-18-21]
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XXX. “PROF MTH” (MITCH) 
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XXXI. WARD RICKER
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XXXII. DR. JAN SCHREURS
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Dialogue w Agnostic: Relativist vs. Absolute Morality (vs. Dr. Jan Schreurs) [June 1999]
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Isaac and Abraham’s Agony: Dialogue with Agnostic (vs. Dr. Jan Schreurs) [June 1999]
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XXXIII. BOB SEIDENSTICKER [CROSS EXAMINED BLOG]
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Seidensticker Folly #63: Answer Comfort But Never Armstrong? (ditto for Dr. William Lane Craig) [11-24-20]
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XXXIV. SUSAN STRANDBERG
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XXXV. EXTENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF SCHOLARLY LINKS DEALING WITH THE QUESTIONS AND CHALLENGES OF ATHEISTS 
*
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XXXVI. CHRISTIANITY, ATHEISM, SCIENCE, AND PHILOSOPHY
*
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Old Earth, Flood Geology, Local Flood, & Uniformitarianism (vs. Kevin Rice) [5-25-04; many defunct links removed and new ones added: 5-10-17]
*
*
Flat Earth: Biblical Teaching? (vs. Ed Babinski) [9-17-06]
*
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XXXVII. ANTI-THEISM AND THE SUB-GROUP OF “ANGRY ATHEISTS”
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XXXVIII. MIRACLES
*
The Resurrection: Hoax or History? [cartoon tract; art by Dan Grajek, 1985]
*
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XXXIX. COMMON GROUND / CONCILIATORY APPROACHES 
*

Secular Humanism & Christianity: Seeking Common Ground (with Sue Strandberg) [5-25-01]

Are Atheists “Evil”? Multiple Causes of Atheist Disbelief and the Possibility of Salvation [2-17-03]

God is Merciful to All! (Fake “Church Sign” About the Possibility of Atheist Salvation) [Facebook, 12-4-06]

16 Atheists / Agnostics & Me (At a Meeting) [11-24-10]

Should We Ignore Atheists or Charitably Dialogue? [7-21-10 and 1-7-11]

My Enjoyable Dinner with Six Atheist Friends [6-9-15]

*
*
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XL. GOD (ATHEIST OBSESSION WITH THE SUPPOSEDLY NONEXISTENT) 
* 
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XLI. ABORTION / ANIMAL RIGHTS 
*
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XLII. SEX, MARRIAGE, AND WOMEN
*
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XLIII. SECULARISM AND SOCIETY
*
*
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XLIV. “THE BUTCHER AND THE HOG”: THE ATHEIST APPROACH TO THE BIBLE
* 
[see also related papers in the “Alleged Biblical Contradictions” section of The Bible, Tradition, Canon, & Sola Scriptura Index Page, and under “Bob Seidensticker” above, and my compilation web page of these sorts of articles: Armstrong’s Refutations of Alleged Biblical “Contradictions”]
*
*
Old Earth, Flood Geology, Local Flood, & Uniformitarianism (vs. Kevin Rice) [5-25-04; rev. 5-10-17]
*
*
Flat Earth: Biblical Teaching? (vs. Ed Babinski) [9-17-06]
*
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Death of Judas: Alleged Bible Contradictions Debunked (vs. Dave Van Allen and Dr. Jim Arvo) [9-27-07]
*
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Atheist “Refutes” Sermon on the Mount (Or Does He?) [National Catholic Register, 7-23-17]
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Inspired!: 198 Supposed Biblical Contradictions Resolved (free online book) [6-3-23]
*
[see also numerous related posts in the “Dr. David Madison” / “Jonathan MS Pearce” / “PROF MTH” / “John Loftus” / “Ward Ricker” / “Vexen Crabtree” sections above, near the top]
*
XLV. ATHEIST “DECONVERSIONS”
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XLVI. FAMOUS ATHEISTS (REAL AND IMAGINED) 
*
*
*
*
Albert Einstein’s “Cosmic Religion”: In His Own Words [originally 2-17-03; expanded greatly on 8-26-10]
*

*
***
*

Practical Matters:  I run the most comprehensive “one-stop” Catholic apologetics site: rated #1 for Christian sites by leading AI tool, ChatGPT — endorsed by popular Protestant blogger Adrian Warnock. Perhaps some of my 5,000+ free online articles or fifty-six books have helped you (by God’s grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them. If you believe my full-time apostolate is worth supporting, please seriously consider a much-needed monthly or one-time financial contribution. “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV).
*
PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: [email protected]. Here’s also a second page to get to PayPal. You’ll see the term “Catholic Used Book Service”, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing (including Zelle and 100% tax-deductible donations if desired), see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information.
*
You can support my work a great deal in non-financial ways, if you prefer; by subscribing to, commenting on, liking, and sharing videos from my two YouTube channels, Catholic Bible Highlights and Lux Veritatis (featuring documentaries), where I partner with Kenny Burchard (see my own videos), and/or by signing up to receive notice for new articles on this blog. Just type your email address on the sidebar to the right (scroll down quite a bit), where you see, “Sign Me Up!” Thanks a million!
*
***
*
Last updated on 6 January 2024
***
2025-07-03T15:35:33-04:00

Last updated on: July 3, 2025 at 3:35 pm   By
Dave & Judy Armstrong (October 2015)
***
TABLE OF CONTENTS
***
I. QUALIFICATIONS / APOSTOLATE
II. MY BOOKS
III. MY ARTICLES, BLOG, AND WEB PAGES
IV. SPANISH, PORTUGESE, AND FRENCH LANGUAGE OUTREACH
V. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL / RECOMMENDATIONS / MY OWN LIBRARY
VI. INTERVIEWS AND TALKS / FEATURES 
VII. YOUTUBE, RADIO, & WEBCAST DISCUSSIONS, INTERVIEWS, & DOCUMENTARIES 
VIII. FEEDBACK
IX. FUN, HUMOROUS, INTERESTING, AND MISCELLANEOUS  STUFF
X. HOLISTIC HEALTH / HERBALISM / HEALTH FOOD, ETC.
XI. WIFE JUDY 
XII. FAMILY
XIII. OUTDOORS / TRAVEL
XIV. ANCESTRY RESEARCH
XV. MUSIC
XVI. A BIT MORE PERSONAL
XVII. MY CHILDHOOD / YOUNG ADULTHOOD / DETROIT
XVIII. SPORTS
*****
I. QUALIFICATIONS / APOSTOLATE
 
*
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Catholic Apologetics Apostolate: Its Pleasures & Perils (published in This Rock, 1 November 2004)
*
*

2013 Fundraising Drive for My Apologetics Apostolate [September 2013; $5,019 raised; at Internet Archive]

2014 3rd Annual Fundraiser for Dave Armstrong’s Full-time Apologetics Apostolate ($5000 goal) [Sep. 2014; $4,726 raised] 

*****

How Much Money Should Apologists Make? [9-2-13]

Karl Keating’s Kind Fundraiser on My Behalf (September 2013) / My Thoughts on My Recent Rough Financial Stretch [10-1-13]

The Relationship of Full-Time Ministry and Business [11-17-14]
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My Full-Time Apologetics Apostolate is Quickly Winding Down . . . Unless . . . [Facebook, 7-6-16]

Still a Small Chance to Remain a Full-Time Catholic Apologist . . . [Facebook, 7-24-16]

My New Writing “Gig”: National Catholic Register [Facebook, 9-15-16]

Fruit: 156 Reasons Why Catholic Apologetics is a Good Thing (Documented Conversions or Reversions in Part Due to My Work: Completely Caused by God’s Grace) [7-3-19]

“God Provides”: Another Recent Example of a Thousand in My Life [Facebook, 3-31-20]

Yes, God Does Provide. Another Concrete Example in My Life [Facebook, 7-30-21]

Today is My 20th Anniversary as a Full-Time Catholic Apologist [Facebook, 12-1-21]

“It’s a New Era”: Replying to Videos / The New (Respectful) Protestant Apologists [Facebook, 4-20-22]

1000th Individual Financial Contributor to My Work and Apostolate! [Facebook, 2-15-23]

Apologetics Apostolate Fundraiser, Days 1-3 (Mortgage Interest / Inflation / Taxes / “Rainy Day” Fundraiser) [9-12-23]

Day One: Financial Difficulties Explained
Day Two: Brazilian Outreach
Day Three: Biblical Archaeology Research and Books

Apologetics Apostolate Fundraiser, Days 4-5 [9-14-23] 

Day Four: Fifteen Books That I Have Edited
Day Five: Sixteen Free Books That I Offer

Apologetics Apostolate Fundraiser, Day 6: St. Paul’s Teaching About Financial Support of Christian Workers, and His Own Example [9-18-23] [$5,000 raised]

2024 September Fundraiser [Day One / Day Two / Day Three / Day Four / Day Five (all 55 of my books described) / Day Six]

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II. MY BOOKS 

Dave Armstrong: Catholic Apologetics Bookstore [complete listing of all 56 of my books]

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I Got an “Imprimatur” (Second Time) [6-2-09; at Internet Archive]
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My First Million-Seller! [1-27-11 on my blog; moved to Facebook on 1-22-22]
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III. MY ARTICLES, BLOG, AND WEB PAGES

Happy St. Patrick’s Day (My Ireland Page, and Other Defunct Pages From my Website, Resurrected) [3-17-04; at Internet Archive]

Published Articles in This Rock / Comic Tracts / Internet Ministry in the Overall Scheme of Things [2-4-05; at Internet Archive]

I made #75 on Top 200 Church Blogs [Facebook, 9-25-12]

My Comments Policy: Thoughts on Amiable and Constructive Dialogue [8-15-15]

Farewell to My Lewis, Chesterton, & Newman Pages [6-8-16]

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Why Do I Continue to Blog at Patheos Catholic: Which Also Hosts Many Heterodox and Leftist Writers? (+ discussion of Mindy Selmys’ departure) [Facebook, 3-16-19]
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IV. SPANISH, PORTUGESE, AND FRENCH LANGUAGE OUTREACH

The New “Spanish Revolution” Has Begun! (Update on My Apostolate [translation of my books]) [Facebook, 6-15-16]

My Articles and Books in Spanish and Portugese and French / Apologética católica: Traducciones al español / tradução para português [web page set up on 6-22-16]

Klasiká Liber, a Brazilian publisher, to publish the Portugese version of  The Catholic Verses [Facebook, 7-26-16]

My Efforts to Promote My Book Translated Into Spanish, ¡Revelación! (Letters to Hispanic Ministries and Parishes with Spanish Masses) [Facebook, 9-16-16]

French Translation of My Book Revelation: 1001 Bible Answers to Theological Topics is Complete! Soon Five of My Books Will be in Three Other Languages [Facebook, 4-13-17]

Mi libro #50: Pruebas bíblicas para el Catolicismo: Edición española: esquema [My Book #50: Biblical Evidence for Catholicism: Spanish Edition: outline (a similar Portugese book also forthcoming) ] [Facebook, 1-25-18]

There Are (By %) More Protestants in Brazil Than There Are Catholics in the United States / My Efforts There [Facebook, 5-23-22]

My Brazilian Outreach (Overview) [Facebook, 9-7-23]

Brazilian Catholic Reader Leonardo Pataca Kindly Thanks Me on YouTube [Facebook, 9-28-23]

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V. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL / RECOMMENDATIONS / MY OWN LIBRARY

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VI. INTERVIEWS AND TALKS / FEATURES 

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Dave Armstrong: Catholic Apologetics’ “Socratic Evangelist” (by Tim Drake; Envoy Magazine, Spring 2002)
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VII. YOUTUBE, RADIO, & WEBCAST DISCUSSIONS, INTERVIEWS, & DOCUMENTARIES 
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VIII. FEEDBACK

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[Opinions on] Apologist Dave Armstrong? (thread on the Catholic Answers Apologetics Forum: June 2005)
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IX. FUN, HUMOROUS, INTERESTING, AND MISCELLANEOUS  STUFF

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Making Fun of Myself: Paperback [Blogosphere] Writer [10-7-04; re-posted to Facebook on 11-29-24]

The Appearance of Crazy Horse [Facebook, 8-4-08]

Catholic Apologist “Young Guns” Take Savage Satirical Revenge Against Yours Truly in Hilarious Polemical Shootout, Complete with Appropriate “Gunfighter” Visuals [9-9-11; at Internet Archive]

Which Am I? Lovable “Sweetheart” Teddy Bear or Attila the Hun? Impressions of My Writing vs. Me in Person  [Facebook, 3-7-15]

What Twelve People, Living or Dead, Would You Invite to Dinner? [Facebook, 9-22-17]

My Most Used Words on Facebook [Facebook, 11-22-17]

Just saw 2001: A Space Odyssey [50th anniversary big-screen showing] [Facebook, 8-12-18]

Top Ten All-Time Favorite Insults Sent My Way [2-15-21]

We Saw 110 Meteors Last Night [Facebook, 8-14-21]

“Research show[s] that cougars could — or do — live in Lenawee County” [Facebook, 9-7-21]

Michigan is the Pizza King! [Facebook, 8-29-22]

Jet-Skiing the Detroit River [Facebook, 7-4-23]

Various Plugged Toilet Remedies Discussed [Facebook, 1-23-24]

Most Mutual Friends Shared with Facebook Friends Who Actively Follow My Page [Facebook, 3-22-24]

I Fell in Love with Flannery O’Connor Last Night [Facebook, 8-12-24]

Luther and Calvin brought to life (video) with AI [Facebook, 11-10-24]

My Longest Hair in the 80s and in the 70s [Facebook, 12-28-24]

AI Image of Yours Truly and My Ministry [Facebook, 4-14-25]

Video About St. Joseph Church in Detroit: Our German Gothic Revival Parish from 1991-2016 [Facebook, 5-2-25]

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X. HOLISTIC HEALTH / HERBALISM / HEALTH FOOD, ETC.
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Herbalism & Holistic Health (collection of my posts)
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XI. WIFE JUDY 

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XII. FAMILY

What My Oldest Son Paul Wrote About God and Good Christian Behavior, at Age 9 [Facebook, 9-15-01]

Ray Kozora (1923-2005) – My Wife’s Father [12-20-05; at Internet Archive] 

“Out of the Mouths of Babes”: My Five-Year-Old Daughter on Heaven and Salvation [Facebook, 5-24-07]

My Father Graham Armstrong (1924-2009): Tribute to and Remembrance of a Fallen Pilot and Poet [11-3-09; at Internet Archive] 

“Cool” Serious Portraits: All Taken By Myself [Facebook, 1-23-13] 

Instant Parenthood, Grandparenthood, and Great Grandparenthood (adoption of Alexander Thomas by my niece Kristen and Husband Steve) [Facebook, 6-5-14]

My Mother, Lois Armstrong (1925-2014): A Warm Remembrance [Facebook, 12-23-14] (+ Facebook threads of hundreds of prayers and condolences: One / Two)

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Homeschooling vs. Public Schools (by my daughter Angelina, 15) [Facebook, 11-27-16]
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Father’s Day Greetings on Facebook from Oldest Son Paul and Youngest and Only Daughter Angelina [6-18-17]
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My oldest son Paul was healed of serious back and neck problems [You Tube video testimony linked on Facebook, 8-28-18]

16-Year-Old Daughter Angelina on Young Girls and Self-Image [Facebook, 8-31-18]

My dad’s parents (Canadian) were married 100 years ago today! (includes family photo from c. 1948) [Facebook, 3-17-19]

Video of Son Matthew Swing-Dancing at Greenfield Village (June 2019) [Facebook, 8-12-19]

Son Matthew’s Miraculous Cure of Lyme & Related Maladies [10-12-19]

Great Photos of Our Living Room [Allen Park, Michigan house] [Facebook, 3-5-20]

My Sister, Judy All (1952-2020) (+ Facebook condolences] [6-28-20]

Son Matthew & Annette’s Wedding: July 18, 2020: complete video (+ some initial photos / video of my dancing with daughter Angelina) [Facebook, 7-21-20]

Bid Accepted for Our Retirement Country Home (+ Photos & Area Maps) [Facebook, 9-10-20]

Life Five Days After a Move / Giving Glory and Praise to God [Facebook, 10-29-20]

Family Pictures on Birthday Celebration of the “Birthday Twins” (Nov. 16) & Thanksgiving [Facebook, 11-27-20]

Christmas 2020 Family Photos (New Grandchild, New House, “Star of Bethlehem”) [Facebook, 12-27-20]

My Son Paul’s YouTube Channel: The Catholic Gaming Nerd [Facebook, 4-8-20]

Answered Prayer / Praise Report! Desired Job at a Horse Stable for Our Daughter / Blessings for Our Whole Family [Facebook, 5-14-21]

Daughter Angelina Aces Horse Show (Dressage) [Facebook, 9-4-21]

Is it Daughter’s Day today? Luv ya Angelina! So proud of you. Bustin’ buttons proud . . . (including cute video of us) [Facebook, 9-25-21]

Daughter Angelina & Boyfriend Nick (two photos) [Facebook, 9-29-21]

Valley Time: Lyme Disease and Finances [Facebook, 10-12-21]

Angelina: All Growed-Up & Lookin’ Like a Movie Star; with Boyfriend Nick [Facebook, 11-2-21]

Our “Birthday Twins” are (soon-to-be) 20 and 25! [Facebook, 11-14-21]

My beautiful (and strongly Catholic!) daughter Angelina, with her boyfriend Nick [Facebook, 6-20-22]

Three Cute Photos of My Wonderful Daughter Angelina [Facebook, 7-15-22]

Our Ugly Basement Transformed Into Nice Family / Recreation / Party / Group Discussion Room [Facebook, 8-4-22]

Photo of [Almost] My Entire Extended Family [Facebook, 8-22-22]

Nice Family Photos from a Wedding (+ One Angelina “Still Life”) [Facebook, 9-14-22]

Fall Colors and Family Fun [Facebook, 10-11-22]

Nice shot of our oldest son Paul [Facebook, 4-19-23]

Liam and Olivia are the top baby names in the U.S. / Reflections on My Family’s Names [Facebook, 5-13-23]

Happy Mothers and Grandmothers (Mother’s Day 2023) [Facebook, 5-20-23]

Daughter Angelina Photos [Facebook, 5-20-23]

Photo of My Parents, Graham and Lois Armstrong, on their wedding day: November 1, 1947 [Facebook, 7-15-23]

Our 4th Grandchild, Daniel Graham Armstrong [Facebook, 1-29-24]

Our Town: Tecumseh, Michigan (200 This Year!): 50 Photographs: 1879-1920’s [Facebook, 6-11-24]

“New” Photograph of Me [Facebook, 9-6-24] 

New Portrait Series (Nov. 2024) [Facebook, 11-19-24]

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XIII. OUTDOORS / TRAVEL

2008 Family Vacation (For Nature and History Lovers) [9-2-08; at Internet Archive] 

Dave and Judy Armstrong’s 25th Anniversary Dream Getaway to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (lots of photos!) [11-21-09; at Internet Archive]

Mountain Biking: My New (Crazy?) Hobby [10-7-10; at Internet Archive]

Alaska / Canadian Rockies Adventure [Facebook, 7-13-17]

27-mile bike ride today: second-longest of my life, now at age 60 [Facebook, 9-8-18] 

“Square Hikes” Down Country Dirt Roads: Our New Pastime / “Pastoral Reflections” [Facebook,  3-5-21]

The River Raisin, which runs through my town (Tecumseh, Michigan) is “the most crooked river in the world” [Facebook, 4-3-21]

Another Rafting Adventure . . . [Facebook, 5-19-21]

Peak Fall Colors Have Finally Arrived in southern Michigan (at least in SOME places) [Facebook, 11-4-21]

Snow-Covered Trees and Blue Sky! [Facebook, 11-30-21]

Redwoods! [Facebook, 7-16-22]

“Magical Forest Wonderland” of Redwood National Park (Northern California) [20 photos, Facebook, 7-21-22]

Birthday Trip Down the Huron River in Michigan [Facebook, 7-30-22]

Deer on a Hike Right in Town [Facebook, 8-15-22]

Photos from Our Summer Western Trip (2022) [Facebook, 8-18-22]

Cougars (Mountain Lions / Panthers) in Southeast Michigan! [Facebook, 10-31-22]

First Time Riding My Electric Bike [Facebook, 2-12-23]

Michigan Winter Wonderland: Snowy and Icy Trees with a Blue Sky [Facebook, 3-6-23]

The Joys of Electric Biking [Facebook, 4-3-23]

“Beauty of Michigan’s Irish Hills” Photograph Series Coming Soon [Facebook, 9-30-23]

My Series of Photographs: Beauty of Michigan’s Irish Hills [Facebook] [series taken between 10-1-23 and 1-18-24 + additional sets]

Winter Wonderland in the Irish Hills of SE Lower Michigan (Featuring Snow-Covered Trees) [Facebook, 2-15-22]

[#1 / #2 / #3 / #4 / #5 / #6 / #7 / #8 / #9 / #10 / #11 / #12 / #13 / #14 / #15 / #16 / #17 / #18 / #19 / #20 / #21 / #22 / #23 / #24 / #25 / #26 / #27 / #28 (winter) / #29 (winter) / #30 (winter)]

21 of My Favorite Barn Photos from the Irish Hills of Michigan [from the above 30-part series; Facebook, 11-21-24]

Irish Hills of Southeast Michigan: Fog Series [Facebook, 2-3-25]

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XIV. ANCESTRY RESEARCH

My Southern Ancestry [Facebook, 1-19-15]

Joined Ancestry.com [Facebook, 12-14-17]

More Cool Ancestry Stuff (David Thompson, Founder of New Hampshire in 1623) [Facebook, 12-22-17]

Ancestry Fun (Back to 928, Normandy, and Likely Vikings, Too) / King Edward IV of England (r. 1461-1483) [Facebook, 1-10-18]

Back to 260 A. D. Now in My Ancestry Searching (+ Debate on Ancient Genealogies) [Facebook, 1-17-18]

Cerdic: The Line Between History and Legend / Folklore, and Another Possible Ancestor [Facebook, 1-23-18]

Letter to My Wife’s Siblings on Their Father Ray Kozora’s Eastern European Ancestry [Facebook, 2-25-18]

The Armstrong Clan is Pictish in Origin [Facebook, 3-5-18]

My DNA Ancestry Results Are In / Spanish Origin of the Celts? [Facebook, 3-12-18]

My DNA Ancestry: Looking Back 10,000 Years [Facebook, 3-12-18]

Elizabeth Lucy Wayte: mistress of King Edward IV (r. 1461-1470) whose daughter married into the Lumley line that goes all the way down to my paternal grandfather [Facebook, 5-27-18] 

Now I’m a Direct Descendant of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, and Still Going Back Further in Time! [Facebook, 5-31-18]

Now I’m related to Hercules (aka Heracles)!? [Facebook, 6-5-18]

My 23rd and 24th Great Grandfathers, Sir Alan Stewart (1272-1333) and Sir John Stewart (1246-1298): Scottish Freedom Fighters [Facebook, 6-6-18]

My Ancestry (English Royalty, St. Margaret, Cleopatra, Etc.) (particular, detailed documentation with links) [12-2-19]

My DNA Ancestry Update (great links in the combox) [Facebook, 2-4-20]

“The Cousin Explainer” (1st, 2nd, 3rd, cousins, etc.: chart) [Facebook, 9-5-20]

I’m a 15th Cousin, Once Removed, of Queen Elizabeth! [Facebook, 3-14-21]

My DNA Ancestry (52% English, 29% Celtic, 12% French) [7-22-21]

Wife Judy’s DNA Ancestry Update (10-22-24): Ancestry [dot] com [Facebook, 12-5-24]

Update (Dec. 2024) : Ethnic Makeup / Ancestry of My Children [Facebook, 12-5-24]

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XV. MUSIC
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Beach Boys
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Review of US Version Beatles Albums: 1964 (lots of interesting comparisons of US and UK tracks) [12-1-04] 
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Beatles Update (The Capitol Albums, Vol. 2) [5-23-06; at Internet Archive] 
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Beatles Recordings: Chronological Master List (Including Alternate Mixes) (All Beatles recordings, in order of recording date, noting different mixes and versions, stereo, “fake stereo,” mono, what album songs appear on, dates of UK and US release, singles information, etc.) [3-16-07; at Internet Archive] 
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Defense of John Lennon Contra Scathing Critique [12-28-13]

“Beatles Heaven” Again (New “1” Album) (see Amazon review) [11-9-15]

Amazon Review of Sgt. Pepper (50th Anniversary Edition) (See also my own posting at Patheos) [5-26-17]

Just Ordered the Beatles’ White Album (50th Anniversary Remix) [Facebook, 10-17-18]

Review of The White Album (Beatles): 50th Anniversary Remix (see the review on Amazon) [11-14-18]

John Lennon: Christian Right Before His Death? [3-27-07; rev. 12-8-20]

Review of 2021 Remix of The Beatles’ Let it Be (see also the review posted on the Amazon page) [10-15-21]

Beatles’ Revolver: What the Upcoming Remix Needs to Rectify [Facebook, 9-11-22]

Beatles’ Revolver ’22 Remix: Wondrous Ear Candy [10-28-22]

Best-Sounding Beatles Songs: All 211 [11-28-22]

Beatles’ Rubber Soul: Best Remixes (As We Await the Official Remix) [12-21-22]

Beatles’ “Red” and “Blue” Albums to be Remixed (and Expanded) Late This Year [Facebook, 8-6-23]

Beatles Songs That Have Not Been Remixed [Facebook, 10-26-23]

The Rockers Are the Stars of the New Beatles Red and Blue Album Remixes [Facebook, 11-10-23]

Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke: The Greatest Singer of All Time: Chronological Discography [7-23-05; at Internet Archive] 

Sam Cooke: The Ultimate Two-CD Chronological Discography of His Best 55 Songs [Facebook, 12-17-10] 

Miscellaneous

My Eclectic Musical Tastes and Instruments I Can Play [1-27-05; at Internet Archive] 

Is Music Sometimes Intrinsically “Evil”? [Facebook, 5-20-08] 

Dialogue with a Friendly Atheist #2: Music, Longing, & Mysticism (+ Part Two / #3)  [8-7-17 and 8-14-17]

60 Absolute Best Doo Wop Songs: 1950-1963 (Chronological) [Facebook, 4-26-22]

Concerts I’ve Attended [Facebook, 8-19-22]

Van Morrison

The Great “White R and B” Songs of Van Morrison: 42 Sizzlers from 1964-2003 [10-26-11; at Internet Archive]

The Weird, “New Thought” Religious Views of Van Morrison [Facebook, 11-10-17]

Country / Folk Music

A Sacred Song Speaks a Thousand Words (The Impact of Johnny Cash’s Last Christian Songs) [7-16-05; at Internet Archive]

Hank Williams: Chronological and Alphabetical Discography [11-7-05; at Internet Archive]

“Pilgrimage” to Historic Blues and Country Music Sites, in the South, and in Detroit [4-7-09; at Internet Archive]

The 27 Greatest Woody Guthrie Songs (One CD) [5-21-12; at Internet Archive]

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix: Discography and Catalogue of Recording Dates and Major Performances [8-30-05; at Internet Archive]

Jimi Hendrix Taught Us About a Colorblind Society [12-6-16]

Hymns

The Old Rugged Cross [Facebook, 6-22-23]

Motown / Detroit

Motown’s James Jamerson: The Greatest Bass Guitarist of All Time [5-1-04; at Internet Archive]

Very Best of Detroit Rock: 1965-1975 / Vol. II: 1966-1980 [Facebook, 8-2-14]

My Blue-Eyed Soul Background: 1967 Record from My Brother Gerry’s Band on You Tube [Facebook, 8-24-17]

So Many Motown Legends Gone (Mary Wilson) [Facebook, 2-9-21]

Psychedelic Music: 1966-1968

Psychedelic Music: 1966-1968 (I collected 12 CDs of it) [Facebook, 8-19-22]

Bob Seger

Detroit’s Own “Blue-Eyed Soul” Singer: Bob Seger [2004]

Early Bob Seger: Glorious “Lost” Classic Rock Music [9-23-06; rev. 12-26-18]

U2

Set List for U2 in East Lansing, Michigan (Spartan Stadium): 26 June 2011 (at Internet Archive)

U2 Concert: 26 June 2011 in East Lansing, Michigan (HD 1080 Videos), + More HD Videos from U2’s “360” Tour in 2011 [11-26-12; at Internet Archive]

Classical Music

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Mozart’s Musical Genius & His Catholicism [1-27-06; re-posted on 1-22-22]
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Recommended Romantic and Post-Romantic Orchestral Music (+ Part II / Part III / Part IV) [6-13-07; at Internet Archive]

My Favorite Classical Music Pieces (Judging by Multiple Recordings Owned) [7-23-11; at Internet Archive]

Searching for the Perfect Beethoven’s 9th [9-21-15]

Dialogue with a Friendly Atheist #2: Music, Longing, & Mysticism [8-7-17]

Hans Rott (1858-1884): The Great Lost Late Romantic Composer [Facebook, 11-13-17]

Schubert’s Unfinished (8th) Symphony: Proposed “Finish” [10-22-21]

The Perfect Mahler 5th Symphony! / Mahler is My Favorite Composer as of Tonight [Facebook, 5-25-23]

“Finished” 8th Symphony of Schubert: a Proposal [Catholic365, 12-6-23]

Christmas

Michigan Christmas Carol Master: Alfred S. Burt [11-29-05]

Christmas Carols & Songs: A Catalogue [Dec. 2005]

The Weavers

The Weavers (1949-1963) & the New Leftist McCarthyism [3-28-21]
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XVI. A BIT MORE PERSONAL

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“In You I Hope” (Poem of Mine from 1982) [about trusting God and waiting on Him with confidence]
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Gentleness [1996]
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XVII. MY CHILDHOOD / YOUNG ADULTHOOD / DETROIT
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My Article on Junior High Lunch Time (11-22-72) [5-7-04; at Internet Archive] 

My Father Graham Armstrong (1924-2009): Tribute to and Remembrance of a Fallen Pilot and Poet [11-3-09; at Internet Archive] 

Reminiscing About My Southwest Detroit Childhood [Facebook: 9-26-13; list of 75 things!]

My Mother, Lois Armstrong (1925-2014): A Warm Remembrance [Facebook, 12-23-14] (+ Facebook threads of hundreds of prayers and condolences: One / Two)

Junior High Reunion Activities (Fun!) / My Potentially Life-Threatening Accident Back in 1969 [Facebook, 4-25-15]

Senior Year of High School! 20 Fun Questions [Facebook, 2-21-17]

I Remember 1968 Very Well [Facebook, 6-8-18]

4th of July Parades on Vernor Highway in Southwest Detroit [linked on Facebook, 7-6-20]

Color Photo Memories of My Childhood: 1961-1971 [Facebook, 9-3-21]

Glorious Visit to Downtown Detroit and Childhood Sites (4-14-23) / Summary of the Exciting New Building Projects and the Nostalgic Meaningfulness of All of it in My Own Life [Facebook, 4-17-23]

Reunion of Our Old Singles Group Where Judy and I Met in 1982 (photo) [Facebook, 9-3-23]

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XVIII. SPORTS

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I Made Ten Straight Free Throws!!! [4-15-04; at Internet Archive]

My Football Exploits / My Son’s New Dominance in Basketball / Detroit Tiger Pride [10-9-06; at Internet Archive]

9 Out of 10 Free Throws: Twice!! [4-17-08; at Internet Archive]

All-Time Caucasian NBA All-Star Team [5-31-09; at Internet Archive]

I Bowled a 208! [3-7-10; at Internet Archive]

NBA Finals: Victorious Cleveland and Detroit Have a Lot in Common [Facebook, 6-20-16]

Defending the “Bad Boy” Pistons and Isiah Thomas [5-7-20]

The Great Ping Pong Revival of 2021 [Facebook, 3-7-21]

Detroit Tigers: 1968 World Champions. Who is Still Alive? + Significant and Lifetime Statistics [Facebook, 9-18-22]

 

Last updated on 3 July 2025

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Practical Matters:  I run the most comprehensive “one-stop” Catholic apologetics site: rated #1 for Christian sites by leading AI tool, ChatGPT — endorsed by popular Protestant blogger Adrian Warnock. Perhaps some of my 5,000+ free online articles or fifty-six books have helped you (by God’s grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them. If you believe my full-time apostolate is worth supporting, please seriously consider a much-needed monthly or one-time financial contribution. “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV).
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PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: [email protected]. Here’s also a second page to get to PayPal. You’ll see the term “Catholic Used Book Service”, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing (including Zelle and 100% tax-deductible donations if desired), see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information.
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You can support my work a great deal in non-financial ways, if you prefer; by subscribing to, commenting on, liking, and sharing videos from my two YouTube channels, Catholic Bible Highlights and Lux Veritatis (featuring documentaries), where I partner with Kenny Burchard (see my own videos), and/or by signing up to receive notice for new articles on this blog. Just type your email address on the sidebar to the right (scroll down quite a bit), where you see, “Sign Me Up!” Thanks a million!
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2025-05-01T12:29:19-04:00

Last updated on: May 1, 2025 at 12:29 pm   By
Trinity2

Basic minimal (equilateral triangular) version of the “Shield of the Trinity” or “Scutum Fidei” diagram of traditional Christian symbolism [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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I. CHRISTOLOGY / DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST

II. EVENTS IN JESUS’ LIFE / JESUS’ TEACHING

III. DIALOGUES WITH JEWISH APOLOGIST MICHAEL J. ALTER ON JESUS’ RESURRECTION AND ALLEGED NT “CONTRADICTIONS”

IV. JESUS AND MARY

V. YOUNG MESSIAH FILM (2016) / KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS

VI. TRINITARIANISM / THE HOLY TRINITY / THE HOLY SPIRIT

VII. THEOLOGY PROPER (THEOLOGY OF GOD) / GOD’S ATTRIBUTES AND NATURE 

VIII. GOD AS JUDGE

IX. THEISTIC ARGUMENTS

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I. CHRISTOLOGY / DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
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50 Biblical Proofs That Jesus is God [National Catholic Register, 2-12-17]
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Can the Prayers of Jesus Go Unanswered? [National Catholic Register, 6-10-19]
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The Bible is Clear — Jesus is True God and True Man [National Catholic Register, 9-12-20]
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9 Ways Jesus Tells Us He is God in the Synoptic Gospels [National Catholic Register, 10-28-20]
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II. EVENTS IN JESUS’ LIFE / JESUS’ TEACHING
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The Resurrection: Hoax or History? [cartoon tract with art by Dan Grajek: 1985]
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The Passion of the Christ: Review and Reflections [2-29-04; abridged and edited on 4-10-17]
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Silent Night: A “Progressive” and “Enlightened” Reinterpretation [12-10-04; additionally edited for publication at National Catholic Register: 12-21-17]
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Was Christ Actually Born Dec. 25? [National Catholic Register, 12-18-18]
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The Bethlehem Nativity, Babe Ruth, and History [National Catholic Register, 1-1-19]
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Are the Two Genealogies of Christ Contradictory? [National Catholic Register, 1-5-19]
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What Does “Turn the Other Cheek” Mean? [National Catholic Register, 7-20-19]
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Did Jesus Teach His Disciples to Hate Their Families? [National Catholic Register, 8-17-19]
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Why Jesus Opposed the Moneychangers in the Temple [National Catholic Register, 9-26-19]
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Jesus’ Agony in Gethsemane: Was it “Anxiety”? [National Catholic Register, 10-29-19]
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On Whether Jesus’ “Brothers” Were “Unbelievers” [National Catholic Register, 6-11-20]
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Star of Bethlehem, Astronomy, Wise Men, & Josephus (Amazing Astronomically Verified Data in Relation to the Journey of the Wise Men  & Jesus’ Birth & Infancy) [12-14-20]
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Conjunctions, the Star of Bethlehem and Astronomy [National Catholic Register, 12-21-20]
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A Fresh Look at Joseph, Mary and Bethlehem [National Catholic Register, 3-25-22]
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What We Know About Nazareth at the Time of Jesus [National Catholic Register, 11-24-23]
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50 OT Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus [initial research from 1982; slightly revised in 1997; revised and reformatted for RSV edition in 2012; separated from the larger article on 11-26-24]
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III. DIALOGUES WITH JEWISH APOLOGIST MICHAEL J. ALTER ON JESUS’ RESURRECTION AND ALLEGED NT “CONTRADICTIONS”
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IV. JESUS AND MARY
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V. YOUNG MESSIAH FILM (2016) / KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS
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VI. TRINITARIANISM / THE HOLY TRINITY / THE HOLY SPIRIT
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Filioque: Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue (William Klimon) [July 1997]
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50 Biblical Evidences for the Holy Trinity [National Catholic Register, 11-14-16]
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VII. THEOLOGY PROPER (THEOLOGY OF GOD) / GOD’S ATTRIBUTES AND NATURE 
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Dialogue w Mormon Apologist: God & Doctrinal Development (vs. Dr. Barry Bickmore) (+ Part Two) [12-22-01]
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Is God in Time? (vs. John W. Loftus) [11-30-06]
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Is God the Author of Evil? (vs. John Calvin) [Oct. 2012]
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Thoughts on the Level of Our “Comprehension” of God (St. John Chrysostom) (dialogue with Deacon Steven D. Greydanus) [Facebook, 9-14-17]
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Seidensticker Folly #20: An Evolving God in the OT? (God’s Omnipotence, Omniscience, & Omnipresence in Early Bible Books & Ancient Jewish Understanding) [9-18-18]
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Does God Ever Actively Prevent Repentance? [National Catholic Register, 9-1-19]
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Who Caused Job to Suffer — God or Satan? [National Catholic Register, 6-28-20]
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The Bible Teaches That Other “Gods” are Imaginary [National Catholic Register, 7-10-20]
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Does God Have Any Need of Praise? [National Catholic Register, 9-24-20]
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God in Heaven & in His Temple: Contradiction? (vs. Dr. Steven DiMattei) [11-23-20]
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God in Heaven and in His Temple: Biblical Difficulty? [National Catholic Register, 12-10-20]
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Dark Energy, Dark Matter and the Light of the World [National Catholic Register, 2-17-21]
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Bible on God’s Revealed Nature & Character (Ch. 6 of the book, Inspired!: 191 Supposed Biblical Contradictions Resolved: which examines examples of alleged biblical contradictions & disproves all of these patently false claims) [12-5-23]
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VIII. GOD AS JUDGE
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Grace, Faith, Works, & Judgment: A Scriptural Exposition [12-16-09; reformulated and abridged on 3-15-17]
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Does God Punish to the Fourth Generation? [National Catholic Register, 10-1-18]
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IX. THEISTIC ARGUMENTS
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Seidensticker Folly #13: God Hasta Prove He Exists! [8-29-18]

Dialogue: Has God Demonstrated His Existence (Romans 1)? [9-1-18]

Seidensticker Folly #14: Something Rather Than Nothing [9-3-18]

Seidensticker Folly #38: Eternal Universe vs. an Eternal God [4-16-20]

Seidensticker Folly #41: Argument from Design [8-25-20]

Seidensticker Folly #42: Creation “Ex Nihilo” [8-28-20]

Creation Ex Nihilo is in the Bible [National Catholic Register, 10-1-20]

“Quantum Entanglement” & the “Upholding” Power of God [10-20-20]

Quantum Mechanics and the “Upholding” Power of God [National Catholic Register, 11-24-20]

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Practical Matters:  I run the most comprehensive “one-stop” Catholic apologetics site: rated #1 for Christian sites by leading AI tool, ChatGPT — endorsed by popular Protestant blogger Adrian Warnock. Perhaps some of my 5,000+ free online articles or fifty-six books have helped you (by God’s grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them. If you believe my full-time apostolate is worth supporting, please seriously consider a much-needed monthly or one-time financial contribution. “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV).
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You can support my work a great deal in non-financial ways, if you prefer; by subscribing to, commenting on, liking, and sharing videos from my two YouTube channels, Catholic Bible Highlights and Lux Veritatis (featuring documentaries), where I partner with Kenny Burchard (see my own videos), and/or by signing up to receive notice for new articles on this blog. Just type your email address on the sidebar to the right (scroll down quite a bit), where you see, “Sign Me Up!” Thanks a million!
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Last updated on 29 March 2025

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2017-06-03T16:51:21-04:00

Last updated on: June 3, 2017 at 4:51 pm   By
Handcuffs
[public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

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(10-13-05)
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Source: . . . a collection of news reports of ministers sexually abusing children

We would be naïve and dishonest were we to say this is a Roman Catholic problem and has nothing to do with us because we have married and female priests in our church. Sin and abusive behavior know no ecclesial or other boundaries.”

Rt. Rev. William Persell, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Good Friday Sermon, 2002.

Examples among the 838 documented examples given:

1) “Bible / Church (fundamentalist / evangelical) [251 cases listed]

A) An associate pastor of a San Fernando Valley chapel was sentenced to 32 months in prison on Tuesday for failing to register as a sex offender. Ilger, a former second-grade teacher, was convicted in 1988 of molesting four students in his San Luis Obispo classroom. After being released from jail, Ilger and his family moved to Los Angeles, where he took a position with Hope Chapel of the Valley in Canoga Park. “We’ve lived and learned a painful lesson,” the Rev. Jeff Fischer of Hope Chapel said outside court. Fischer has said he and about 30 church elders knew that Ilger had molested young girls before he was hired. Sentencing (Associated Press, April 3, 2003)

B) Dayton, OH. A Trotwood minister, whose lawyer said he has been a “sex addict” since age 10, sought treatment rather than face trial in a Brookville police-run Internet sting that presented a virtual 14-year-old boy in a chat room. But a Montgomery County judge denied his plea for treatment Tuesday. Turner’s attorney, Dwight Brannon, wrote “He had his first sexual experience with another male at the age of 19 while in college. Shortly after he began surfing the Web . . . his addiction slowly began to grow.” Turner had been pastor of Anchor Community Church, 38 S. Fairgreen Drive, for seven years when he was arrested last summer. (Dayton Daily News, 01.29.2003) Minister arrested in police-run Internet sting

C) Marty A. Hynes, 33, is charged with eight counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor, three counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor and one count of attempted criminal sexual contact of a minor. Hynes was a youth pastor at the First Assembly of God church when the alleged incidents occurred, between July and December 2001. (Las Cruces Sun-News, March 24, 2003) Trial of former youth pastor begins

D) Anaheim, CA. Anaheim pastor admitted Monday he fondled two teen-age girls 18 years ago while working as a part-time counselor at a Colorado church a decade before he was assigned to an Orange County church. “I was acting like an irresponsible teen-ager. There’s no excuse for what I did,” the Rev. Greg Tucker of Anaheim First Church of the Nazarene told The Orange County Register. The church settled lawsuits by two women, who said Tucker, then 22, molested them when they were 16. A Colorado jury sided with the women in a civil trial, ordering Tucker to pay the two $70,000. Tucker said he never told church leaders about the indiscretions before his ordination in Southern California seven years ago. In Colorado, sexual relations with a teen-ager were not considered criminal then, which led the women to sue for civil damages. The former youth pastor is now a senior pastor in a Nazarene Church in Anaheim, CA. The Nazarene General Superintendent’s remarks about the case were very telling, i.e. “This happened a long time ago. . .the man has ‘grown’ since then. . . isn’t the Christian faith all about forgiveness. . .”(North County Times, April 17, 2002)

E) Charlotte, NC. A worker at a Charlotte church after school program has pleaded guilty to four counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor. Investigators said Larry McCrae, 38, fondled three boys, 10 to 14 years old during the after school program at the Chapel of Christ the King Church on East 17th Street in Charlotte. (July 2, 2002, NBC6-TV) http://www.nbc6.com/news/local/nbc6-070202-ag-mccrae.3f88315a.html

F) NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — The mother of a 5-year-old girl has filed a lawsuit against the Gospel Outreach Church of New Port Richey, alleging that her daughter was molested because church officials failed to screen the background of a church volunteer. Alfonso Morales, 54, pleaded guilty last month to molesting the girl on a church bus in May 2001. He also pleaded guilty to molesting a second 5-year-old girl in the church parking lot in November 2000. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Morales was previously convicted in New York of sexual battery on a child. He was released from prison in 1992 after serving five years. (June 25, 2002, St. Petersburg Times)

G) Lake Wales, FL. William Benjamin Wells, 36, pastor of Christian Harvest Ministries, was arrested on June 6 and charged with two counts of molestation on a victim less than 12 years old, two counts of sexual assault on a victim under 18 years of age, and one count of sexual battery on a victim under 12 years old. (June 20, 2002; Lake Wales News) Paster Wells arrestedNews Report

H) Kansas City, KS. Reginald G. Robinson, 24, a resident of Kansas City, was charged by the Jackson County Prosecutor on Monday, May 20, with one count of statutory rape, three counts of statutory sodomy and one count of child molestation.According to the police report, most of the incidents of molestation occurred in the basement of the Beth Judah Ministries Church of God In Christ. (The Call, June 14, 2002) Church Youth Leader Charged In Molestation Of 13 Year Old

I) Republic, KS. The pastor of a Republic church faces three to 10 years in prison in Kansas on six sexual abuse charges that date back to 1979. Russell Winkler, pastor at Republic’s First Christian Church for the past eight years, pleaded no contest to the charges Friday in an Atchison, Kan., courthouse. The judge found him guilty of six counts of aggravated enticement of a child. The abuse occurred between 1979 and 1981 while Winkler was associate pastor and youth director of the First Christian Church in Atchison. The victims were all boys, ages 12-13. (The Springfield News-Leader, Jan. 1, 2002) Minister pleads no contest to sexual abuse charges that date back to 1979

J) A lifelong member of one of Atlanta’s largest and best known churches, the Cathedral at Chapel Hill, filed suit this week charging founding pastor Bishop Earl Paulk with child molestation. The charges are the most serious yet in a string of sexual misconduct allegations against Paulk and several other male members of his family that span decades.

Jessica Battle, daughter and granddaughter of prominent members of Paulk’s staff, said in her suit that from the time she was 7 until she was about 11 years old, Paulk “engaged in a pattern of conduct . . . that included caressing her, fondling her sexual organs, performing oral sex on her and having sexual intercourse with her.” She also charged that five years ago, when she was 17, Paulk had forcible intercourse with her. Some of the acts occurred on church property or during church-sponsored events, according to the suit, filed Wednesday in DeKalb County State Court. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Apr. 14, 2001)

K) SAMPSON Lloyd Luciano, 47 WA Pentecostal born again Christian and New Apostolic Church minister. Receives 10 year jail sentence in WA court after being convicted on 15 child sex charges, including 5 counts of committing unlawful sexual intercourse and 3 of indecent dealing, against 3 sisters, aged under 15, in WA. Offences surface after youngest girl complained minister was hurting her and wanted to commit suicide. Court hears minister married with 2 children. (Western Australia, Australia, 2000).

L) HAMILTON, OH. – A Pentecostal minister convicted of repeatedly raping his daughter has been sentenced to 17-50 years in prison and fined $7,500. Yet the judge declined to classify Rev. Darrell Bell, 50, as a sexual predator, based on court-ordered psychological exams that concluded he has a low probability of repeating the offense. Bell has been ruled a sexually-oriented offender, which means he will have to notify local authorities where he is living and check in with them.

His daughter, Dawn Bell, asked to be publicly identified as she helped prosecute her father, including testifying against him at trail. She said her abuse began at age 10 and continued until she was 18 and moved away. She later confronted her father and went to prosecutors after he refused to get counseling. AP 6/12/99 Jury gets minister’s abuse case

M) SEATTLE – Rev. Jeff Smith, 59, better known to his PBS cooking show fans as “The Frugal Gourmet” has agreed to settle sexual abuse lawsuits with 7 men before the cases could go to trial. The lawsuits accused the chef of using alcohol, intimidation, and force to obtain sex from the mid 1970s until 1992. All the men are former employees of a restaurant Smith once ran.

No new Frugal Gourmet shows have been broadcast since the accusations surfaced in 1996. (7/5 USA Today)

N) LIVERPOOL, England – A vicar who sexually assaulted boys during holidays with a church youth group has been convicted to three years in jail. Fr. David McIntosh, 52, pleaded guilty to seven indecent assault charges. (12/13/97) style=’font-style: normal’>http://www.objectivists.org.au/May09-1999/BM.htm

2) Baptist [147 cases listed]

A) NEWARK, N.J. A convicted sex offender who was named pastor of a city church several weeks ago has been removed from the post. Shiloh Baptist Church leaders had hired the Rev. Chavalis T. Williams in mid-March, even though they knew he had pleaded guilty in Florida to charges of child abuse and using children in a sexual performance. (Newsday, May 7, 2003) Convicted sex offender removed as pastor of Newark church

B) TEMECULA, CA. Six years ago, Becky J.’s life revolved around Temecula Valley Baptist Church. She worshipped there, went to school there, and even worked after hours two days a week at the school to earn pocket money. That’s where she met 40-year-old Pastor Kerry Clyde Martin. But at 14, Becky didn’t understand the concept of street smarts, she said. She didn’t know when the man befriended her what the future held. “He listened to my problems and would tell me how right I was if I had a fight with my parents,” she said. “I always thought he meant it in a pastor way, or like a father.” Little did Becky know that as a cleric at two previous churches — one in Maryland and one in Orange County — Martin had already been accused of sexually molesting at least three other girls, all 14. Little did she know the friendly, charismatic minister was taking the first steps that would culminate in his repeatedly raping the girl over the next two years. (The Californian, Dec. 8, 2002) Child sex abuse reaches far beyond Catholic Church, experts say.

C) A survey of SBC pastors published in the Winter, 1993 edition of The Journal of Pastoral Care, done by Jeff Seats, an SBC pastoral counselor, revealed that 14.1% of ministers surveyed admitted to “engagement in sexual behavior which was judged by the individual pastors to be inappropriate for a minister.”

D) GREENWOOD, SC. – A minister and former school library aide has been charged with 16 more counts of sexually molesting children after police identified more victims from homemade videotapes.

Fernando Garcia – held on a $4 million bond – is now charged with a total of 44 counts of sexual misconduct with at least 15 victims, police say. “Investigators probably still have several weeks of work left to do – more charges are likely,” said the police chief. Garcia was charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and 14 counts of lewd acts on a minor. The latest charges accuse him of fondling children at an elementary school, where he worked for two years, and at the Abbeville Baptist Association, where he was pioneering a Hispanic ministry. The Chihuahua, Mexico-native is a husband and father of two teen-age children.AP 6/28/2000 Tales of horror: Sex crimes victimizing children rock community’s foundations http://www.angelfire.com/journal/indexjournal/01Jan25A.html

E) AIKEN. SC. – A former youth minister who admitted to molesting church members on camping trips and manipulating neighborhood boys with money and gifts during 3 decades has received a 30-year prison sentence.

Robert Dorsett, 65, pleaded guilty to 15 sex crimes involving children during an emotional hearing in which the offenses were read in detail to a hushed courtroom. Some of Dorsett’s victims – who range in age now from 9 to 43 – attended the hearing and asked the judge to keep Dorsett from abusing more children. Friends and family members of Dorsett attended the hearing, lining up to speak on his behalf. Many were neighbors or co-workers who called him a father figure and hard worker.

Dorsett met many of his victims while he was a training director at First Baptist Church in Aug.a years ago. During trips in a church program, he would organize shaving cream fights and have the youths shower together, police said. He encouraged them to go streaking. During a search of Dorsett’s home, sheriff’s officers found a brown suitcase containing X-rated videotapes and magazines along with candy, cookies and other items he gave the children, police said.

Investigators found notebooks where Dorsett kept track of neighborhood boys and their telephone numbers. Publicity about his arrest last year led to new allegations by victims who had tried to forget the abuse, police said. Augusta Chronicle, 11/30/99 Molester pleads guilty http://www.reformation.com/CSA/http://www.augustachronicle.com/stories/113099/met_124-3417.shtml

3) Lutheran [38 cases listed]

A) MARSHALL. TX. (AP) – A civil lawsuit claims a former Lutheran minister molested eight boys over several years and that his actions should have been halted by church leaders. The lawsuit, filed Feb. 12 in state district court, names former Evangelical Lutheran minister Gerald Patrick Thomas Jr., the Chicago-based Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and several other church-related organizations as defendants. Thomas, who resigned from the denomination’s clergy roster about a year ago, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. A spokesman for the ELCA said the church will present its case in court, not in the media. (AP, March 20, 2002) Lutheran church officials, ex-pastor named in suit (http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/032002/tex_insuit.shtml)Abuse by Clergy Is Not Just a Catholic Problem

B) ROCKFORD, IL. – Roald Hasley, a retired bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has resigned from the clergy a week after he was stripped of his duties amid allegations of sexual misconduct. 4 women claimed he engaged in improper sexual conduct while he was a bishop, church officials said. Daily Herald, 5/29/99

C) Menomenee Falls, WI. An instructor at Pembine Bible camp and Grace Evangelical Lutheran church in Menomenee Falls, Fritz A. Callies, 61, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for sexually assaulting 2 girls, ages 9 and 10. Over a dozen women have come forward saying Callies abused them as girls. He was investigated in 1978 for sex crimes, but was not charged. Source: Kenosha News, 7/17/94

D) Lutheran Minister ACCUSES 13-YEAR-OLD BOY OF “SEDUCTION”. A jury found in favor of plaintiff David Samarzia, 40, who filed a lawsuit against Rev. Daniel Reeb, 58, for sexually abusing him from 1965-68. Also named was the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. Although Reeb admitted the abuse to an attorney, other defendants in the case denied any abuse and claimed that if it had occurred, it was Samarzia’s fault. Reeb claimed the sexual relations were not molestation and that Samarzia, then 13, seduced him, then 32. Other testimony accused Reeb of masturbating in front of a confirmation class. The jury ruled that the church was partially responsible for Reeb’s misconduct and must pay $643,800 to Samarzia. Three other men have filed suit against Reeb for sexual abuse spanning 11 of Reeb’s 18 years at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Duluth. Sources: _Duluth News-Tribune_ 3/29/94, 4/10,13,14/94; AP/_Leader-Telegram_ 4/13/94.

E) LUTHERAN LEADER ADMITS CHARGES. Lutheran pastor David L. Anderson admitted having sexual relations with a number of boys and young men while pastor of a leading Lutheran congregation in Moorehead, Minn. He resigned from the clergy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and as vice president for college relations in St. Olaf College in April, admitting sexual misconduct with minors, college students, and male parishioners from 1973-1985. He confessed only after a parishioner approached a staff member at the 4,000 member church with allegations in March. Source: _Star Tribune_ 4/20/92.

4) Methodist [46 cases listed]

A) LAWRENCE, KS. A Tonganoxie church youth group leader has pleaded guilty to charges of molesting four teen-age boys who were members of his church. Daniel Walter Peterson, 33, of Lawrence, was a youth group leader at the Tonganoxie United Methodist Church. He pleaded guilty Friday in Douglas County District Court to committing criminal sodomy and three counts of indecent liberties with a child. Authorities said the boys were from 13 to 15 years old at the time of the incidents, which occurred between 1997 and 2000. (Salina Journal, April 5, 2001) Youth leader faces molestation charge http://www.saljournal.com/stories/041501/new_breefs.html

B) A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit in which two women had charged that United Methodist Church officials in Fort Worth, Texas, ignored their complaints about a pastor’s sexual misconduct. The settlement comes only days before the June 29 trial date set by Judge Jeff Walker in the 96th State District Court. Gail Cooke and Dorayne Levin, who were members of First United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, had sued First Church, the United Methodist Church’s Central Texas Conference, Fort Worth Area Bishop Joe Wilson, and three First Church officials, the Revs. William Longsworth, Weldon Hayes and Kay Johnson. The two women had charged that officials were negligent in dealing with alleged sexual misconduct on the part of former First Church pastor Barry Bailey. (United Methodist News Service, 6/26/98)

C) Natick, MA. After being molested by a former United Methodist pastor for three years in her teens, Rebecca Nault of Canton, Mass., finally got what she wanted: her day in court. Nault testified that in the late 1970s, Earl Haywood, then pastor of Fisk Memorial United Methodist Church, Natick, Mass., molested her repeatedly beginning when she was 12. She sued Haywood last year, settling out of court for an undisclosed amount of money. Then she took her legal actions further, suing retired Bishop Edward G. Carroll and the New England Conference. She claimed the bishop knew of earlier sexual molestations by Haywood and failed to remove him from ministry.

Parents of a previous victim testified that Haywood molested their child at a family wedding in 1976. They said they reported the incident to the bishop. They also testified that Haywood, brought into the meeting, admitted molesting the child. The parents said they left the meeting with Carroll believing that Haywood would be removed from access to children. The bishop reportedly sent Haywood to counseling, but allowed him to continue as pastor in Natick. That allowed him to molest Nault, her lawyer asserted. (Sept. 17, 1996;UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS)

D) PROMINENT METHODIST PASTOR WITH AIDS EXPLOITED PARISH? Following the death on July 4 of Rev. William O. Walker, a prominent Eugene pastor at First United Methodist Church, it was discovered he not only died of AIDS but had used his ministerial position to make sexual advances to at least 12 men, including 6 ministers. Walker infected his wife Carol with AIDS; she died in 1990. In November a church superintendent told parishioners that Walker had been accused of making sexual advances to 2 male teenagers at a Methodist church camp 17 years earlier. Source: _Register-Guard_ 12/6/92.

E) METHODIST LEADER ADMITS IMPROPER RELATIONS. Newly retired Rev. Edward W. Bauman, once named one of the country’s top preachers by _Time_ Magazine, admitted in a September letter to the Foundry United Methodist Church in D.C. to “relationships of a sexual nature … with several women in the congregation”. Bauman, 65, has a TV show, “Bauman _Bible_ Telecast”, airing worldwide. The admission came only have 2 women filed grievances with Bishop Joseph Yeakel; one had sought counseling from Bauman. Bauman agreed to seek counseling at Johns Hopkins Hospital & to retire. After a 3rd woman came forward. Bauman agreed to write a letter to the congregation & make financial restitution to 2 women. Bauman insists the relationships were “fully consenting” & “could not be interpreted as harassment”. Among Bauman’s congregants were Sen. Bob Dole & Elizabeth Dole, & former Sen. George McGovern. According to the national United Methodist newsletter, 13% of pastors in 5 Protestant denominations acknowledged having intercourse with parishioners. Source: _Washington Post_ 9/18/92.

5) Anglican [140 cases listed]

A) South Austrailia, AUS. A South Australian police task force into child sex abuse within the Anglican Church had identified 217 victims and 48 possible offenders, police said today. However the number of victims could rise to more than 400 as investigations continued, Police Commissioner Mal Hyde said. Mr Hyde today likened the scale of police investigations into child sex abuse to those for the infamous Snowtown bodies-in-the-barrels murders in 1999. (The Age, July 16 2003) Major sex abuse uncovered in Anglican Church

B) DENVER — A former Denver school teacher and Episcopal priest accused of sexually assaulting at least two boys in his Denver home was sentenced Thursday morning to 24 years in prison. Donald Shissler, 68, pleaded guilty to the charges in August as part of a plea bargain. He was originally charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child, two counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, one count of sexual assault on a child — pattern of abuse, and one count of sexual exploitation of children. Based upon evidence found in his home earlier this summer, there may be as many as 20 additional victims, detectives said. Police said they seized hundreds of pornographic pictures and videos from Shissler’s house when he was arrested. Rappaport concluded in her sentencing remarks that Shissler is a sexual predator who clearly committed crimes against young boys for almost 18 years, including sexually assaulting a boy he adopted. Prosecutor Kerri Lombari called Shissler’s case “the most disturbing case I have ever worked as a prosecutor.” (October 17, 2002)

C) ELLIOTT Reverend John Litton, 69 Brisbane Anglican priest, rector and former Church of England Boys Society (CEBS) chief commissioner. Receives maximum 7 year and 6 month jail sentence in Brisbane District Court after pleading guilty to 28 sex charges, including 10 counts of sodomy and 18 of indecent dealing, involving 5 boys, aged 10 to 13, in early 1970s at Wide Bay, QLD. Court hears Elliott, who set up Wide Bay Anglican youth group, encouraged “corrupting” behaviour including skinny-dipping and playing strip poker and that offences occurred at local church and in priest’s own bed. Investigations reveal Elliott ordained in 1986, after offences occurred, and ministered at Bundaberg, Nanango and Dalby parishes. AUS Governor-General and former Brisbane Anglican archbishop Peter HOLLINGWORTH comes under fire after reports reveal he appointed Elliott rector of Nanango in 1990 and Dalby in 1991 while archbishop between 1989 and 1991. (Queensland, Australia, 2002).

D) HOLLINGWORTH Dr Peter John, 67 AUS Governor-General (2001+), former Brisbane Anglican archbishop (1989-2001), 1992 Australian of Year, Kids First Foundation member and patron of Plan Australia, Barnardo’s, Open Plan and National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, aka Father Hollywood. Sacked from aforementioned child group committees, banned by Australian teacher’s union from visiting public schools, and pressured publicly and politically to resign as GG, “Australia’s highest office”, over his handling of at least 6 separate sex abuse cases while archbishop of Brisbane Anglican Church. Allegations include Hollingworth, of Yarralumla, Canberra: 1: appointed convicted QLD pedophile priest Reverend John ELLIOTT as rector of 2 Brisbane parishes; 2: failed to act on child sex abuse allegations against Toowoomba Anglican preparatory school boarding master, Kevin GUY; 3: authorised secret cash settlements to hush up sex abuse evidence against Brisbane Anglican school counsellor, Kevi n LYNCH; 4: appointed Brisbane senior priest Canon Ross McAULEY, himself the subject of abuse allegations, to QLD Church Sexual Abuse Committee; 5: failed to act on child sex abuse allegations against former Rockhampton Anglican bishop, Donald SHEARMAN; 6: failed to act on child sex abuse allegations against Churchie East Brisbane Anglican Grammar school gymnastics coach, William WHITELOCK. (For other accused or convicted Churchie offenders, see and Reverend Robert SHARWOOD.) Hollingworth, who earns $310,000 pa as GG, criticised for being “unlike Jesus … on side of lawyers and insurers instead of on side of victims”. Hollingworth also slammed for implying on national television that schoolgirl victim, aged 14, seduced priest and not other way around. Report notes one of Hollingworth’s most openly supportive senior Anglican figures, Bishop George BROWNING, was embroiled in controversy over sexual misconduct with parishioner. (Queensland, Australia, 2002).

E) BROWN Stephen John, 49 Sydney Anglican Boys Society camp caretaker and youth group leader. Found hanged in cell at Silverwater Remand Centre 2 days before facing Sydney Local Court over 170 child sex offences, including committing unlawful sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault, against 27 boys, aged 11 to 17, between 1979 and 1998 at 18 locations across NSW. Court hears Brown, of Blackheath, committed many offences while caretaker with Church of England Boys’ Society at Loftus, south of Sydney, and while leading skiing, canoeing, camping and shooting trips across country NSW. Police claim Brown’s victims highest ever attributed to single alleged sex offender in NSW. (New South Wales, Australia, 1999).

6) Presbyterian ministers [19 cases cited]

A) CHURCH SUED FOR NEGLIGENCE. One of several girls who said Alva minister Rev. Robert Bruce Brigden molested her is suing the First Presbyterian Church for failing to check his background before hiring him. Allegations of sexual crimes were made at his former position in Kansas. Charges allege that he molested Alva church girls, ages 4 to 14. The church posted his bond. (Tulsa Tribune)

Alva, OK. MOLESTING MINISTER STABBED TO DEATH BY INMATES. Robert Bruce Brigden, former pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Alva, was stabbed to death by 2 fellow inmates of the Oklahoma State Reformatory while serving a 40-year prison sentence. He was convicted of rape by instrument, lewd molestation, and fondling of 11 girls, aged 4 to 14. (Dallas Morning News 6/14/94) Former Minister Fatally Stabbed in Prison Cell

B) PRESBYTERIAN REFORM URGED. The Presbyterian General Assembly, meeting in Baltimore in June, voted 446-78 to recommend abolishing the statute of limitations for reporting sexual misconduct by clergy. The church, citing critical proportions, has a 3-year time limit for reporting sexual misconduct by church officials. The vote must be ratified by 2/3 of the church’s 171 regional presbyteries. It also voted 491-26 to establish a policy on sexual misconduct, advising local churches to set up “sexual misconduct response teams” & notify secular authorities “when appropriate”. The adopted policy said there is evidence that “10-23 percent of clergy nationwide have engaged in sexualized behavior or sexual contact with parishioners, clients, employees, etc., within a professional relationship”. Source: AP 6/12/92.

C) TASKER Donald Gilbert, 61 Melbourne trainee Presbyterian minister and school teacher. Receives 6 year jail sentence in Melbourne County Court after being convicted on 29 child sex charges, including 12 counts of indecent assault, 5 of attempting indecent assault, 7 of gross indecency with aggravating circumstances and 5 of committing unlawful sexual intercourse with aggravating circumstances, against 4 boys, aged 5 to 11, between 1986 and 1991 at Melbourne home and suburban swimming pool. Court hears Tasker, of Croydon, abused his victims after volunteering to become surrogate parent with Melbourne community welfare agency. (Victoria, Australia, 1992).

D) LOS ANGELES – Ronald Reagan’s former pastor returned to active ministry two years after he was disciplined for sexual misconduct with 5 women. Presbyterian minister Rev. Donn Moomaw,66, accepted an interim position in a San Diego church after the presbytery had determined he had fulfilled all the requirements, including signs of full repentance. (7/27/97)

E) PRESBYTERY REMOVES PASTOR. The Pittsburgh Presbytery removed the associate pastor of the prominent East Liberty Presbyterian Church on charges of sexual misconduct. Rev. Howard Eybers, 43, is accused by 3 women of making sexual overtures. Source: _Pittsburgh Post- Gazette_ 3/7/92.

Related Articles

Protecting the Church from the Legal liabilites of Ministers

The Christian Science Monitor – Sex abuse spans spectrum of churches

San Fransisco Chronicle – Sex scandals also affect Protestant clergy

Los Angeles Times – Sex Abuse by Clerics, A Crisis of Many Faiths

CNN – Abuse ‘not simply a church problem’

Catholic News Service – Catholic Church not only religion facing problems

Nando Times – Bashing the Catholic Church

Dee Miller, Victim Advocate – Collusion Act of the Southern Baptist Convention

Pastors: Sexual abuse by clergy hurts all of Christianity

Speakers at Southern Baptist Convention sympathize with Roman Catholics

*****

Clergy Sexual Misconduct: Just a Catholic Problem?

Clergy Abuse Scandals

Child Sexual Molestation by Various Protestant Clergy

Clergy Child Molesters

Clergy abuse problem plaguing many denominations: Victims can’t forget: Issue not confined to Catholic Church

*****

Christianity Today (an evangelical Protestant magazine) noted that there were “70 child abuse allegations reported against American Protestant churches each week during the last ten years,” a quarter of which were against pastors. (“Go Figure” May 21, 2002)

In a 1983 doctoral thesis by Richard Blackmon, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner. See: Clergy Sexual Abuse.

17 percent of laywomen said that their own pastor had harassed them…. 10% of Protestant pastors had been sexually active with an adult parishioner… only 6.1 percent of Southern Baptist pastors admitted to having sexual contact with a parishioner. See: Denominations Sexual Abuse.

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