The Bible on Germs, Sanitation, & Infectious Diseases

March 16, 2020 By Dave Armstrong

[extracted from Vs. Atheist David Madison #37: Bible, Science, & Germs]

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Hippocrates, the pagan Greek “father of medicine” didn’t understand the causes of contagious disease. Nor did medical science until the 19th century. But the hygienic principles that would have prevented the spread of such diseases were in the Bible: in the Laws of Moses.

St. Augustine in the 5th century and St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th, both rejected astrology long before modern science, while even the most prominent modern scientists in the 16th-17th centuries, such as Galileo, Tycho Brahe, and Kepler firmly believed in it.

I could go on and on, but just a few examples suffice . . .

And of course, modern science (virtually the atheist’s religion: “scientism”), for all its admirable qualities and glories (I love science!) is not without much embarrassing error and foolishness, and skeletons in its own closet: like belief in the 41-year successful hoax of “Piltdown Man”. This is true even up to very recent times, as I have detailed for atheists’ convenience.

Here, then, is my reply to charges of alleged ignorance of God and the Bible regarding germs and their devastating effects:

The Bible Ask site has an article, “Did the Bible teach the germs theory?” (5-30-16):

The Bible writers did not write a medical textbook. However, there are numerous rules for sanitation, quarantine, and other medical procedures (found in the first 5 book of the OT) . . . Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (1818 –1865), who was a Hungarian physician, . . . proposed the practice of washing hands with chlorinated lime solutions in 1847 . . . He published a book of his findings in Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever. Despite various publications of his successful results, Semmelweis’s suggestions were not accepted by the medical community of his time.

Why was Semmelweis research rejected? Because germs were virtually a foreign concept for the Europeans in the middle-19th-century. . . .

Had the medical community paid attention to God’s instructions that were given 3000 years before, many lives would have been saved. The Lord gave the Israelites hygienic principles against the contamination of germs and taught the necessity to quarantine the sick (Numbers 19:11-12). And the book of Leviticus lists a host of diseases and ways where a person would come in contact with germs (Leviticus 13:46).

Germs were no new discovery in 1847. And for this fact, Roderick McGrew testified in the Encyclopedia of Medical History: “The idea of contagion was foreign to the classic medical tradition and found no place in the voluminous Hippocratic writings. The Old Testament, however, is a rich source for contagionist sentiment, especially in regard to leprosy and venereal disease” (1985, pp. 77-78).

Some other interesting facts regarding the Bible and germ theory:

1. The Bible contained instructions for the Israelites to wash their bodies and clothes in running water if they had a discharge, came in contact with someone else’s discharge, or had touched a dead body. They were also instructed about objects that had come into contact with dead things, and about purifying items with an unknown history with either fire or running water. They were also taught to bury human waste outside the camp, and to burn animal waste (Num 19:3-22; Lev. 11:1-47; 15:1-33; Deut 23:12).

2. Leviticus 13 and 14 mention leprosy on walls and on garments. Leprosy is a bacterial disease, and can survive for three weeks or longer apart from the human body. Thus, God commanded that the garments of leprosy victims should be burned (Lev 13:52).

3. It was not until 1873 that leprosy was shown to be an infectious disease rather than hereditary. Of course, the laws of Moses already were aware of that (Lev 13, 14, 22; Num 19:20). It contains instructions about quarantine and about quarantined persons needing to thoroughly shave and wash. Priests who cared for them also were instructed to change their clothes and wash thoroughly. The Israelites were the only culture to practice quarantine until the 19th century, when medical advances discovered the biblical medical principles and practices.

4. Hippocrates, the “father of medicine” (born 460 BC), thought “bad air” from swampy areas was the cause of disease.

The entry on “Health” in Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology reveals that ordinary medicinal remedies were widely practiced in Bible times. There wasn’t solely a belief that sin or demons caused all disease. There was also a natural cause-and-effect understanding:

Ordinary means of healing were of most diverse kinds. Balm ( Gen 37:25 ) is thought to have been an aromatic resin (or juice) with healing properties; oil was the universal emollient ( Isa 1:6 ), and was sometimes used for wounds with cleansing wine ( Luke 10:34 ). Isaiah recommended a fig poultice for a boil ( 38:21 ); healing springs and saliva were thought effectual ( Mark 8:23 ; John 5 ; 9:6-7 ). Medicine is mentioned ( Prov 17:22 ) and defended as “sensible” ( Sirach 38:4). Wine mixed with myrrh was considered sedative ( Mark 15:23 ); mint, dill, and cummin assisted digestion ( Matt 23:23 ); other herbs were recommended for particular disorders. Most food rules had both ritual and dietary purposes, while raisins, pomegranates, milk, and honey were believed to assist restoration. . . .

Luke’s constant care of Paul reminds us that nonmiraculous means of healing were not neglected in that apostolic circle. Wine is recommended for Timothy’s weak stomach, eye-salve for the Thyatiran church’s blindness (metaphorical, but significant).

Doctors today often note how the patient’s disposition and attitude has a strong effect on his health or recovery. The mind definitely influences the body. Solomon understood this in several of his Proverbs: written around 950 BC (Prov 14:30; 15:30; 16:24; 17:22).

Also, since Jesus observed Mosaic Law, including ritual washings, etc., He tacitly accepted (by His example of following it) the aspects of it that anticipated and “understood” germ theory. The knowledge was already in existence.

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Dialogue w Atheist on Christianity & the Scientific Method [7-19-01]

Dialogue on “Natural Evil” (Diseases, Hurricanes, Drought, etc.) [2-15-04]

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]

Atheist Myths: “Christianity vs. Science & Reason” (vs. “drunkentune”) [1-3-07]

Thoughts on Divine Healing [8-3-12]

Simultaneously Dumb & Smart Christians, Atheists, & Scientists [10-9-15]

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

Dialogue w Agnostic on Proof for Miracles (Lourdes) [9-9-18]

Seidensticker Folly #8: Physics Has Disproven Souls? [8-16-18]

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

Seidensticker Folly #21: Atheist “Bible Science” Absurdities [9-25-18]

Seidensticker Folly #23: Atheist “Bible Science” Inanities, Pt. 2 [10-2-18]

Miracles, Materialism, & Premises: Dialogue w Atheist [2-20-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #10: Universal Answered Prayer & Healing? [8-7-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #7: Christian Influence on Science [9-9-19]

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

Seidensticker Folly #36: Disease, Jesus, Paul, Miracles, & Demons [1-13-20]

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Photo credit: Pool of Bethesda – model in the Israel Museum; taken by deror avi (8-18-06) [Wikimedia Commons / The copyright holder of this file allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other use is permitted]

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The Sarxon Fallacy, Refuted (A Eucharistic Satire)

November 22, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

Reply to an Evangelical Spoof of Catholic Eucharistic Beliefs

Way back in 1991, the year I was received into the Catholic Church, an evangelical friend of mine (who was raised as a Catholic), who also worshiped at my non-denominational church, wrote a satirical spoof against Catholic belief in the Real, Substantial, Physical Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He did this by concentrating on Jesus saying “I am the door” (John 10:9).

By satirizing that as intending to be literal, he went after, by analogy, the literal interpretation of Catholics with regard to the Last Supper utterances of Jesus and the statements of Jesus in His discourse in John 6 about eating His flesh and drinking His blood (whereas earlier in the same chapter He spoke symbolically, as we agree, saying, “I am the bread of life”). It was clever, and well done, as satire goes, but ultimately flawed and fallacious, as I revealed, I think, in my counter-satire.

He called his piece, The Thuran Doctrine, Rediscovered (utilizing the Greek word for door: thura). It ran to nine single-spaced typed pages. Without missing a beat, I responded with The Sarxon Fallacy, Refuted (9-6-91): the Greek word for flesh being sarx. My piece was 14 pages of single-spaced handwriting (I was still writing with a typewriter back then, and was not yet online: that would be in 1996). It is probably my longest extended satire (and I’ve done a fair amount of that). I thought it was about time to post it on my site, after more than 16 years of sitting in a file.

My friend never responded back. Too bad. I think the next round of (non-satirical, substantive) discussion would have been very fascinating and interesting (and actually constructive), had he been willing to participate. Through the years I have repeatedly been frustrated by Protestants who might go “one round” in discussion over serious disagreements, but then suddenly stop if the Catholic comes up with any good arguments that don’t have a ready-made Protestant response.

Here is my summary of his satirical arguments (in blue), as I don’t have permission to post his words verbatim:

1) John 10:1-9:

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

2) Jesus used the word paroima (proverb) to describe His teaching; therefore, it was literal truth, not fiction.

3) Some of the Pharisees thought Jesus was mad by claiming to be a door.

4) To confirm this saying, Jesus passed through a “door” after His resurrection (John 20:19).

5) Noah’s Ark had a single door, for all to pass through (Gen 6:16).

6) The door theme reappears in the institution of Passover: Exodus 12:7:

Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them.

7) Similar motifs appear elsewhere in the Law: Deuteronomy 11:19-20:

And you shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates, (cf. Deut 29:12; 28:6; Ex 21:6)

8) The veil of the Tabernacle (Ex 26:31-33) functioned as a door and represented Jesus Himself, because it was torn when He died (Lk 23:45).

9) Various offerings were presented to God at the door of the Tabernacle (Lev 1:3-5; 3:1-2; 4:1-7; 16:7).

10) Lepers were brought to the door of the Tabernacle for cleansing (Lev 14:11, 23).

11) The similar notion of “gate” appears in the Psalms:

Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank thee that thou hast answered me and hast become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. (Psalm 118:19-22)

12) Jesus told us to enter by the narrow door (Lk 13:24).

13) The Bible speaks of “entering” into God’s rest and the Holy of Holies (Heb 4:5; 10:19).

14) The “Thuran Doctrine” was first given to Jews (Rom 1:16) and then Gentiles (Acts 14:27).

15) The door of the Temple even figures into the new age of the Church:

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at that gate of the temple which is called Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. (Acts 3:1-3; cf. 3:6)

16) Acts 14:27 refers to a “door of faith”.

17) Paul refers to a door that opened up to him in Ephesus (1 Cor 16:9) and speaks of “a door of the Word” (Col 4:3).

18) The doctrine seems to have been inexplicably lost to later Church history (after the third century), and the “door” motif was taken to be simple allegory. It’s notable, however, that Martin Luther began the Reformation and restoration of the Gospel by posting his 95 Theses on a door of a Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

19) But, truth be told, we must accept in faith the fact that Jesus Christ is really, truly and substantially present under the appearance of a door. As He became flesh in the incarnation, so He also remains as a door, to bless us and be with us for all times. To deny this is to also deny the incarnation. If there is no door, there is no way to enter heaven, and no resurrection, either.

20) A change of substance occurs in the door when Jesus becomes present. What was once wood, brass, or iron has become the flesh and blood of Jesus, under the form of a door. We can’t go by our senses. As Jesus changed water into wine, so He can transform a door into Himself. Knowing this, we must worship the Holy Door as God Himself.

21) The door should be made of wood (preferably olive wood) but any material is proper, as long as opaque.

22) The Thuran Doctrine is not illogical, as some charge, but rather, it is above logic. God’s ways are higher than our own, and some things are beyond our ability to comprehend.

23) Nature offers analogies: for example, the caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly. Matter can be transformed into energy. A thing is what God says it is. Who are we to question that?

24) Christ is whole and entire in every part of the door: wood, hinges, and knob.

25 Holy Communion could be said to closely parallel the Thuran Doctrine. What has been written above about the Holy Door may also be said about the Eucharist.

* * * * *

There you have the gist of my friend’s clever, hard-hitting satire. I trust that Catholics (and Protestants) will see exactly what he was driving at. This cynical, anti-sacramental presentation begged for a satirical response, and I provided it. First, I wrote a personal letter to my friend, explaining exactly what I would be attempting to do in my reply:

I commend you for a truly inventive, humorous, and original piece of satire. Far be it from me to deny your work’s value as satirical farce, from a strictly literary perspective. I’ve done some of this type of work too, in the past, as you probably know.

So inspired was I by your creative ability, that I wrote a response at a furious pace in the space of one day. At first I thought I would respond in a serious fashion, revealing the logical and exegetical fallacies which abound in your work (after all, you are trying to make a point by using the technique of argumentum ad absurdum). All good satire attempts to make a point, as I’m sure you’re aware.

Upon reflection, however, I decided to fight farce with farce, much like Rush Limbaugh’s philosophy of “illustrating the absurd by being absurd.” Two can play at this game. It is great fun, but the issue at hand is, after all, an important issue in theology, by anyone’s reckoning. I, too, will be making a point in my work, which, surely can’t be missed, given my flamboyant style.

I believe your underlying premise, as far as I can tell (that literalism in the Eucharist is well-nigh ridiculous), is fallacious by three standards: exegetically, logically, and historically: if Church history counts for anything. I have decided. I oppose ludicrosity with more of the same.

My countering satirical piece was to be devoted to a farce about Jesus not having a body at all: the logical opposite of a Bodily, Substantial Presence in the Eucharist, and to subtly show that anti-matter Gnosticism is the logical reduction of a denial of a Substantial Eucharist, just as the latter is a reflection of the incarnation: Christ taking on flesh. I “turned the tables,” and showed how a denial of same was unbiblical (by the method of extreme satirical argument and reductio ad absurdum). “Anti-physicality” can be satirized, after all, just as easily as “excessive dependence on matter” can be.

My counter-spoof may also serve an illustration of the ways in which many heretical groups (cults that deny the Trinity) can distort Holy Scripture by interpreting it wrongly, and according to a preconceived pattern, picking out what they like, with utter disregard for context and background and the latitude in meanings of biblical words (as my friend’s piece also showed). I hope you enjoy it, and remember, neither I nor any orthodox Catholic believes the following; it is a satire; a spoof.

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The Sarxon Fallacy, Refuted

by Dave “Pneuma” Armstrong

— all verses RSV —

Many are the struggles in the history of the thousands of brands of Christianity (possessed of a hidden, mystical, esoteric “oneness” and “unity” that is incomprehensible to obscurantists who speak of a “Church”), to assert the superiority of spirit over flesh. Fools and upstarts, in trying to flesh out the true doctrine of Christ, have forsaken the spirit of the Gospels, and have fallen into pernicious errors, that have misrepresented the very heart and soul of the many invisibly united Christianities.

Just as the Soviet Union, though it appears diverse and fragmented, is actually one (Yugoslavia is another clear example of this mystical unity), so are all the multitudinous Christianities now extant, in contradistinction to that dreaded, imbecilic dinosaur known as “Catholicism.” But we are straying from our intended subject matter.

There is a constant annoying tendency throughout history, among many so-called Christians, to emphasize the flesh at the expense of the spirit, which is self-evidently superior to not only flesh, but to all matter whatsoever. Thus we observe “Christians” building magnificent churches. shrines, etc., completely missing the point that matter is evil.

The Catholics, who seem to revel in this idolatrous orgy of matter-worship, have reached ridiculous heights of absurdity in this respect, even to the extent of worshiping statues, wafers, and pieces of hair, bones, etc., which they call “relics.” How could men have stooped to such a low level, when the truth is plain to see in the pages of Scripture? The gullibility of religious zealots is truly amazing and tragic.

Despite the Holy Scriptures being crystal clear in this (as it is in everything, so that any and all can interpret it with no need of assistance save that of the Holy Spirit), we shall condescend for the sake of the ignorant and offer the scriptural proof presently. The key verse is:

John 4:24 God is spirit . . .

Other verses concur. For example:

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit . . . the Lord who is the Spirit.

Those verses speak of God in His totality and wholeness. This is not to say that God does not subsist in three Persons. We must not deny the Trinity, which is central to Christian theology. To understand this mystery of the faith as much as possible, we will examine it more closely, by looking at each of the three Persons.

The Father

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God the Father is clearly an invisible Spirit:

John 5:37 . . . the Father . . . his form you have never seen;

1 Timothy 1:17 . . . the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, . . .

1 Timothy 6:16 who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. . . .

1 John 4:12 No man has ever seen God; . . .

The Holy Spirit

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The Holy Spirit, obviously, is also an invisible Spirit; by definition a spirit is invisible. We need not offer scriptural proof.

Jesus Christ

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It is here that corruption has crept into Christian theology. Most so-called Christians, especially the Catholics, fail to realize that Jesus, too, was a Spirit, since if He was not, this would introduce a contradiction into the trinitarian Godhead. Scriptural proof is simple enough to come by:

Acts 16:7 . . . the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;

Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

Philippians 1:19 . . . the Spirit of Jesus Christ . . .

We know that Jesus is God from many verses, such as John 1:1-4, 14, 18; 8:24, 28, 58; 10:30-33; Col 1:15-19; 2:9-10; Heb 1:3, 8. The above verses are the plainest proof of His being a Spirit, but there are also many more indirect proofs. For instance:

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God . . .

Now, since Jesus is God, then no one has seen Jesus. This is logically inescapable, as we shall diagram:

1) Bodies are visible and can be seen.

2) God is a Spirit and cannot be seen.

3) Jesus is God.

Ergo, Jesus is a spirit and cannot be seen, and cannot possess a body.

Some might object by saying that Colossians 1:15 proves otherwise (“He is the image of the invisible God”). The reasoning here presupposes that an image is visible. But this misunderstands the relationship between image and reality, which are not identical. A photographic image is not the same as the person who is photographed. Likewise, we speak of a person having a certain image, yet the image doesn’t contain the essence of someone in their totality.

Jesus states in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” Most commentators feel that “one” refers to essence and/or substance. But how could Jesus and the Father be “one” and yet differ in such a fundamental aspect as having a material body or not? Surely, this is nonsense, especially when we know that matter is evil. How could Christ take on that which is evil? The sinfulness of the material world is proven by Romans 8:21: “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God”).

Another proof among many of the spiritual nature of Jesus is afforded to us in John 20:26: ” The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them . . .” Here He is walking through walls. Obviously, then, He is a Spirit. The Bible also states that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever” (Heb 13:8). Therefore, since He is declared in Scripture to be a Spirit, God, and invisible, He cannot change in any of these respects:

1) Jesus cannot change.

2) Jesus is a Spirit (Acts 16; Rom 8; Gal 4; Phil 1).

3) A spirit becoming a body undergoes change.

Ergo: Jesus has no body.

Moving on, then, to the Eucharist, we shall put the last nail in the coffin of sacramental theology, that presupposes two fallacies: 1) matter is good, and 2) Jesus took on flesh (which is called the “incarnation”). The crux is the meaning of “flesh”. This word, like most others, can have different meanings in different contexts.

In John 6, where Catholics largely derive their ridiculous and primitive doctrine of a literal Eucharist of bread changing into the Body of Christ, the key is verse 63: “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” This gives us an interpretational principle that we need in order to make sense of an apparently difficult discourse. Without this material helping to flesh out the body of the text, we would certainly lose the spirit of what appears in this particular space. Jesus states in John 6:54: “he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (cf. 6:50-53, 55-58).

Catholics and Protestants alike err in interpreting this passage, which is clearly literal, both committing foolish logical fallacies. Catholics think that Christians are to eat Jesus’ actual flesh during communion at every “mass.” But they fail to recognize that Jesus had no flesh.

Protestants, slightly closer to the mark, at least think communion is symbolic, but err in considering the text symbolic rather than literal, and in believing with Catholics that Jesus possessed a physical body, which it is impossible for God to do. Thus, communion, for them, still represents something that is a nonentity.

Perhaps this will be made clearer by an examination of “flesh” in the Bible (sarx in Greek). As we approach this sacred truth, which only a few privileged elite initiates ever do, we will attain to the truth of the golden Sarxon Principle (its counterpart: the “Sarxon Fallacy,” was referred to in my title). The best way to show that sarx need not refer to literal, physical flesh and bones, is to trace it in Scripture:

Matthew 19:5 . . . the two shall become one flesh.

This refers to married couples. Clearly, they are not one flesh. Therefore, the sense is of mystical unity, just as when Jesus said He and the Father were “one.” Neither case requires a wooden physical interpretation.

Acts 2:26 . . . my flesh will dwell in hope.

Flesh cannot “hope,” only immaterial minds or spirits can do that, so this is clearly symbolic as well.

Romans 8:3 For God . . . sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh . . .

“Likeness” means that Jesus only appeared to have flesh. He was not seen in His essence, since God cannot be seen.

Romans 8:8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

If this meant “bones, blood,” etc., then we’d all be in trouble.

Galatians 1:16 . . . I did not confer with flesh and blood,

The literal sense would be absurd.

With this in mind, let us return to John 6. Surprisingly, the Jews here were very perceptive, since they correctly surmise, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52). They knew full well that Jesus had no physical flesh, and so saw the difficulty. But even they didn’t understand the use of the verb “eat” in Scripture. It is used many times as a synonym of “belief”:

Psalm 19:9-10 . . . the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. . . . sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I ate them, and thy words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; . . . (cf. Rev 10:10; Ezek 2:8; 3:1-3)

In these passages, it is “words” that are “eaten.” Jesus is called the Word in John 1:1. Both the Sarxon Principle and what we have seen of the meaning of “eat” in the Bible help us to know for sure that the incarnation is a blasphemous heresy. A “word” is not a physical specimen! Why can’t Christians figure this out? Yet Catholics persist in a childish practice of communion, where they ludicrously partake of bread that supposedly becomes the “body of Christ,” which He never even possessed!

As a last proof of Christ’s spiritual nature, we have Paul’s persistent use of the phrase “Body of Christ.” It is clearly not literal, either, since it refers to the collective group of Christian believers (see, e.g., Rom 7:4; 12:5, 12-14, 27; Eph 5:30, etc.).

All of these wonderful spiritual truths were quickly lost in Church history. But let it not be thought that the truth was utterly without its witnesses, too. Actually, the Golden “Sarxon Era” was the 2nd century, when great men like Valentinus, Basilides, Marcion (and in the next century, Mani) preached the truth that Christ had no body. They are known as Gnostics (meaning “knowledge”). The Protestant Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (p. 573) describes their belief:

Christ . . . neither assumed a properly human body nor died, but either temporarily inhabited a human being, Jesus, or assumed a merely phantasmal human appearance.

Although the Cathari and Albigensians tried to revive this truth, they were struck down by so-called “orthodox” fanatics, as were the noble men of old by such upstarts as Irenaeus and Augustine, who were arrogant triumphalists.

At first some hoped that Martin Luther might finally overcome the illusion that Jesus had a body, since he was highly critical of the Catholic Church, but he never stopped believing in the Real presence and consigned others to hell for disbelieving it. John Calvin approached a true doctrine of spiritual communion but accepted the foul belief of the incarnation.

The first “Christian” of note since Mani to deny any “presence” whatsoever in the Eucharist was Zwingli, who has the honor of being the forerunner of many of today’s “evangelical Protestants” (though surprisingly many of same forfeit Christian history as irrelevant and superfluous to theology). Followers of Zwingli can be found all around today at the halls of various Christianities. Yet in their deluded inconsistency they make the words of Jesus in John 6 a symbolic manner of speech about a true fleshly body, rather than literal expression about a spirit (proven beyond doubt above).

They have correctly surmised that wafers of bread cannot become God, but fail to see that even representing what is spirit is absurd. Anyone knows it is impossible for God to be present in bread, just as the incarnation and omnipresence are both logically impossible. But at least Protestants are closer to Gnostic truth and much more spiritual and non-materialistic and “sacramental” than spiritually ignorant, deluded Catholics.

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“Is This God?” (Treatise on the Eucharist) [January 2000]

Eucharistic Real Presence: Luther’s Magnificent Defense [6-21-04]

St. Paul on Profaning the Body and Blood of Jesus [2004]

Sacramentalism & Ex Opere Operato (vs. Calvin #37) [10-21-09]
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Eucharist: Physical, Symbolic, or “Mystical”? (vs. Calvin #41) [11-24-09]

Transubstantiation: Bible & the Fathers (vs. Calvin #42) [24-25 November 2009]
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Eucharist: Ubiquity, Signs, Lutheranism, Etc. (vs. Calvin #43) [11-27-09]
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Eucharist: Rationalism, Nestorianism, & Docetism (vs. Calvin #44) [11-30-09]
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Bizarre “Eucharistic Christology” vs. Tertullian (vs. Calvin #45) [12-1-09]
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Eucharist: Incoherent “Spiritual Presence” (vs. Calvin #46) [12-2-09]
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Eucharistic Adoration: Idolatry or Biblical? (vs. Calvin #47) [12-2-09]
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Eucharist: Radical Symbolism & Docetism (vs. Calvin #48) [12-3-09]

The Eucharist: A Different Kind of Miracle? [Seton Magazine, 7-2-14]

Transubstantiation, John 6, Faith and Rebellion [National Catholic Register, 12-3-17]

The Holy Eucharist and the Treachery of Judas [National Catholic Register, 4-6-18]

Transubstantiation is No More Inscrutable Than Many Doctrines [National Catholic Register, 9-26-18]
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Madison vs. Jesus #8: Holy Eucharist as “Grotesque Magic”? [8-7-19]

Vs. James White #5: Real Eucharistic Presence or Symbolism? [9-20-19]

Debate with a Protestant on John 6 & the Eucharist (vs. C. Michael Patton) [12-4-08]

John 6: Literal Eucharist Interpretation (Analogical Cross-Referencing and Insufficient Counter-Arguments) [8-15-09]

John 6, the Eucharist, & Parables (Dialogue) [8-16-09]

John 6 & Lack of Faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as a Parallel to Doubting Disciples [2-14-11]

Transubstantiation, John 6, Faith and Rebellion [National Catholic Register, 12-3-17]
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Did Jesus’ “Hard Saying” (Jn 6) Make Disciples Leave? [3-5-19]

Treatise on Transubstantiation in Reply to Protestants [2-4-05; abridged and very slightly edited on 12-7-17]

Transubstantiation & Church History: Dialogue w Lutheran [2-12-05; abridged on 10-23-18]
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John Calvin’s Erroneous Mystical View of the Eucharist [4-9-04, 9-7-05, abridged and re-edited on 11-30-17]

St. Augustine’s Belief in the Substantial Real Presence [1996]
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Patristic Eucharistic Doctrine: Nine Protestant Scholars [12-1-96]

John Calvin and St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Comparative Eucharistic Theology [6-14-04]

Dialogue on Calvin’s & Patristic Eucharistic Theology (Especially St. Cyril of Jerusalem’s Theology of the Eucharist) [6-19-04]
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Transubstantiation & Church History: Dialogue w Lutheran [2-12-05; abridged on 10-23-18]
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Eucharistic Sacrifice: The Witness of the Church Fathers [9-12-05]

St. Augustine’s Eucharistic Doctrine: Simultaneous Assertion of Realism and Symbolism [2-17-11]

Unfortunately, Money Trees Do Not Exist: If you have been aided in any way by my work, or think it is valuable and worthwhile, please strongly consider financially supporting it (even $10 / month — a mere 33 cents a day — would be very helpful). I have been a full-time Catholic apologist since Dec. 2001, and have been writing Christian apologetics since 1981 (see my Resume). My work has been proven (by God’s grace alone) to be fruitful, in terms of changing lives (see the tangible evidences from unsolicited “testimonies”). I have to pay my bills like all of you: and have a (homeschooling) wife and three children still at home to provide for, and a mortgage to pay.

My book royalties from three bestsellers in the field (published in 2003-2007) have been decreasing, as has my overall income, making it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. I provide over 2600 free articles here, for the purpose of your edification and education, and have written 50 books. It’ll literally be a struggle to survive financially until Dec. 2020, when both my wife and I will be receiving Social Security. If you cannot contribute, I ask for your prayers (and “likes” and links and shares). Thanks!

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(originally from 9-6-91; introduction and additional commentary added on 3-17-08)

Photo credit: Persian Gnostic teacher Mani (210-276), founder of Manichaeism and one of the key figures in the history of the Sarxon Principle [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

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Loftus Atheist Error #6: Is God “Love” or a “Moral Monster”?

September 9, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

I first ran across former Christian minister and atheist John W. Loftus back in 2006. We dialogued about the problem of evil, and whether God was in time. During that period I also replied to an online version of his deconversion: which (like my arguments about God and time) he didn’t care for at all. I’ve critiqued many atheist deconversion stories, and maintain a very extensive web page about atheism. In 2007 I critiqued his “Outsider Test of Faith” series: to which he gave no response. Loftus’ biggest objection to my critique of his descent into atheism was that I responded to what he called a “brief testimony.” He wrote in December 2006 (his words in blue henceforth):

Deconversion stories are piecemeal. They cannot give a full explanation for why someone left the faith. They only give hints at why they left the faith. It requires writing a whole book about why someone left the faith to understand why they did, and few people do that. I did. If you truly want to critique my deconversion story then critique my book. . . . I challenge you to really critique the one deconversion story that has been published in a book. . . . Do you accept my challenge?

I declined at that time, mainly (but not solely) for the following stated reason:

If you send me your book in an e-file for free, I’d be more than happy to critique it. I won’t buy it, and I refuse to type long portions of it when it is possible to cut-and-paste. That is an important factor since my methodology is Socratic and point-by-point. . . . You railed against that, saying that it was a “handout.” I responded that you could have any of my (14 completed) books in e-book form for free.

Throughout August 2019, I critiqued Dr. David Madison, a prominent contributor to Loftus’ website, Debunking Christianity, no less than 35 times. As of this writing, they remain completely unanswered. I was simply providing (as a courtesy) links to my critiques underneath each article of Dr. Madison’s, till Loftus decided I couldn’t do that (after having claimed that I “hate” atheists and indeed, everyone I disagree with). I replied at length regarding his censorship on his website. Loftus’ explanation for the complete non-reply to my 35 critiques was this: “We know we can respond. It’s just that we don’t have the time to do so. Plus, it’s pretty clear our time would be better spent doing something else than wrestling in the mud with you.” He also claimed that Dr. Madison was “planning to write something about one or more of these links in the near future.” Meanwhile, I discovered that Dr. Madison wrote glowingly about Loftus on 1-23-17:

When the history of Christianity’s demise is written (it will fade eventually away, as do all religions), your name will feature prominently as one who helped bring the world to its senses. Your legacy is secure and is much appreciated.

This was underneath an article where Loftus claimed: “I’ve kicked this dead rodent of the Christian faith into a lifeless blob so many times there is nothing left of it.” I hadn’t realized that Loftus had single-handedly managed to accomplish the stupendous feat of vanquishing the Hideous Beast of Christianity (something the Roman Empire, Muslims, Communists, and many others all miserably failed to do). Loftus waxed humbly and modestly ten days later: “I cannot resist the supposition that my books are among the best. . . . Every one of my books is unique, doing what few other atheist books have done, if any of them.”

These last three cited statements put me “over the edge” and I decided to buy a used copy of his book, Why I Became an Atheist (revised version, 2012, 536 pages) and critique it, as he wanted me to do in 2006. Moreover, on 8-27-07 he made a blanket challenge about the original version of this book: “I challenge someone to try this with my book. I might learn a few things, and that’s always a goal of mine. Pick it up and deal with as many arguments in it that you can. Deal with them all if you can.” His wish is granted (I think he will at length regret it), and this will be my primary project (as a professional apologist) in the coming weeks.

Despite all his confident bluster, I fully expect him to ignore my critiques. It’s what he’s always done with me (along with endless personal insults). I’m well used to empty (direct) challenges from atheists, based on my experience with Madison and “Bible Basher” Bob Seidensticker, who also has ignored 35 of my critiques (that he requested I do). If Loftus (for a change) decides to actually defend his views, I’m here; always have been. And I won’t flee for the hills, like atheists habitually do, when faced with substantive criticism.

The words of John Loftus will be in blue.

*****

John Loftus’ chapter 5 is entitled, “Does Morality Come from God?” (pp. 103-126).

Christians claim their moral foundation is superior to others in that their faith provides the only sufficient standard for morality. Other moral systems either do not, or cannot provide one. (p. 103)

This is simply untrue. To the contrary, we believe in natural law and conscience, and believe that it is innate in all human beings, and put there by God. St. Paul appears to teach this in Romans 2, and we have no less of an apologist than C. S. Lewis stating:

I send you back to your nurse and your father, to all the poets and sages and law givers, because, in a sense, I hold that you are already there whether you recognize it or not: that there is really no ethical alternative: that those who urge us to adopt new moralities are only offering us the mutilated or expurgated text of a book which we already possess in the original manuscript. (Christian Reflections, chapter four, “On Ethics” [1943?])

(1) The human mind has no more power of inventing a new value than of planting a new sun in the sky or a new primary colour in the spectrum.

(2) Every attempt to do so consists in arbitrarily selecting one maxim of traditional morality, isolating it from the rest, and erecting in into an unum necessarium. (Christian Reflections, chapter six, “The Poison of Subjectivism” [1943])

I noted in installment #4 of this series how Lewis compiled a list of common ethical precepts in different moral / religious systems:

All religions and indeed ethical systems (whether religious or not) have great commonalities. This was a central thesis of C. S. Lewis’s book The Abolition of Man. Anyone can word-search the free online version for “Appendix Illustrations of the Tao” to find many examples of commonalities in ethics. For example, Lewis found the Golden Rule in the Analects of Confucius: “Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you.”

It’s been argued that Confucianism is not even (technically) a religion, and that it is either a form of atheism, or that — for all practical purposes — an atheist could at least consistently practice it. The Wikipedia article “Confucianism” explains:

Tiān (天), a key concept in Chinese thought, refers to the God of Heaven, the northern culmen of the skies and its spinning stars, earthly nature and its laws which come from Heaven, to “Heaven and Earth” (that is, “all things”), and to the awe-inspiring forces beyond human control. . . .

The scholar Ronnie Littlejohn warns that Tian was not to be interpreted as personal God comparable to that of the Abrahamic faiths, in the sense of an otherworldly or transcendent creator. Rather it is similar to what Taoists meant by Dao: “the way things are” or “the regularities of the world”, which Stephan Feuchtwang equates with the ancient Greek concept of physis, “nature” as the generation and regenerations of things and of the moral order.

Lewis is very widely considered the greatest Christian apologist in the second third of the 20th century. G. K. Chesterton (most would agree) filled that role in the first third. And he concurs with Lewis:

It seems to me that the mass of men do agree on the mass of morality, but differ disastrously about the proportions of it. The difference between men is not in what merits they confess, but what merits they emphasise. Men do not differ much about what things they will call evils; they differ enormously about what evils they will call excusable. (Illustrated London News, “The Proper Emphasis in Morality,” 10-23-09)

Christianity satisfied the previous cravings of mankind. (Illustrated London News, “The Neglect of Christmas,” 1-13-06)

Nobody ever disputed that humanity was human before it was Christian; . . . One of the chief claims of Christian civilisation is to have preserved things of pagan origin. (The Superstition of Divorce, 1920, chapter six)

Now, if the great Chesterton and Lewis and even (I contend) St. Paul all agree with this natural law which is universal and innate in all human beings, and enshrined in the conscience, I think we can safely say that Loftus has grossly misunderstood, if not misrepresented, this aspect of Christian belief as regards morality.

Loftus’ caricature above might apply to the fundamentalist Christianity that he (and so many other atheists) came out of, but not to the vast mainstream of thinking man’s Christianity. He would do well to better comprehend the latter, or else he should change this book’s subtitle to “. . . Rejects Fundamentalism” rather than “. . . Rejects Christianity.”

I agree (over against divine command theory) with Christian philosopher J. P. Moreland, cited in the book (p. 105): “Morality is ultimately grounded in the nature of God, not independently of God.”

In a quick potshot against the Bible’s moral injunctions, Loftus notes, “the man would be the domineering patriarchal head of the house in which a wife is to ‘obey’ her husband just like Sarah obeyed Abraham (1 Pet. 3:6).” Of course, Loftus conveniently omits the next verse: “Likewise you husbands, live considerately with your wives, bestowing honor on the woman as the weaker sex, since you are joint heirs of the grace of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered” (RSV). Dr. Scott Hahn in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, comments:

Genesis gives no indication that Abraham, for his part, lacked respect for Sarah or considered her a mere slave under his authority. . . . the weaker sex: The statement is made in reference to a woman’s physical constitution, not her moral character or intellectual ability. Because a man’s natural strength exceeds that of a woman, the husband is called to honor his bride, lest he misuse his physical advantage to intimidate or abuse her.

And as to “submission” we should also briefly consider the “classic” passage: Ephesians 5:21-29. Paul makes a general statement to all Christians: “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ” (5:21). Then after saying “Wives, be subject to your husbands” (5:22): the passage so despised by radical feminists and atheists alike, we see what he commanded the husbands to do: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” (5:25).

This is a far more difficult command. The husband has to love the wife like Christ loved, which is the royal commandment: “love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). And how does Jesus love His disciples? He washed their feet (Jn 13:5). Then He explained to them:

John 13:13-17 You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. [14] If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. [15] For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. [16] Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. [17] If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

This is the furthest imaginable thing from a husband “lording it over his wife” or abusing her as an inferior. Jesus elaborated on this same theme:

Matthew 20:25-26 . . . “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. [26] It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant,”

This is true Christianity: not the caricatures of the skeptic and the atheist polemicist. Loftus took his shot by citing one passage out of its overall context of biblical teaching on marriage (which I provided in a nutshell form). He knew he could get “mileage” out of it. All he sees is legalistic bondage and oppression. The true teaching, on the other hand, is a beautiful partnership (not an ugly thing), with the husband (of the two partners) having the greater responsibility to serve his wife.

Now, do Christians husbands habitually fall short? Of course; this is the human condition (it’s why we continually need grace, the Holy Spirit, the sacraments, and a Savior). But Loftus attacked the biblical teaching on marriage, and I have shown how it was unwarranted.

Loftus soon moves onto a long laundry list of alleged characteristics of God (especially as revealed in the Old Testament), claiming that Yahweh, the God of the Bible, is a “moral monster” (section title on p. 108). It’s a full-fledged attack upon God Himself: arguing that He is evil and wicked (like Satan).

Since this sort of thing is often the “passionate heart” of much anti-theist atheist polemics (what they feel is one of their “silver bullets”), and because the portrayals are so unjust and outright twisting of biblical teachings, I would like to spend considerable time on it. Fortunately, I have already dealt in depth with many of these “anti-God” claims in other papers, and so can simply link to them, where applicable.

[T]he biblical God, Yahweh, is a hateful, racist, and sexist God . . . (p. 108)

He customarily punishes people, even babies, for the sins of others beginning in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:16-18) . . . (p. 108)

This gets into original sin, which is a long discussion, but suffice it to say that Christianity believes that the fall of man was a corporate one:

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

We all rebelled through Adam’s disobedience (Adam represented mankind), and we all can be saved (sufficient grace is available) through Christ our savior. So in that sense it is not judging one person for the sin of someone else. When it comes to the actual sin that each person commits, Scripture makes it clear that we’re all accountable for our own sin and no one else’s:

Deuteronomy 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor shall the children be put to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to death for his own sin. (cf. 2 Ki 14:6; 2 Chr 25:4)

Jeremiah 31:30 But every one shall die for his own sin . . .

Ezekiel 18:19-20 “Yet you say, `Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. [20] The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

[H]e punishes . . . the children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren of the parents who worship other gods (Exodus 20:3-5) . . . (p. 108)

I have dealt with this very passage in depth.

He even makes the parents of Jerusalem cannibalize their own children . . . (Jeremiah 19:9) (p. 108)

Jeremiah 19:9 And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and every one shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.

Bible scholar E. W. Bullinger explains this in his 1104-page tome, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (London: 1898). It’s also available for free, online. He explains the linguistic factors that explain this odd verse (pp. 823-824):

4. Active verbs were used by the Hebrews to express, not the doing of the thing, but the permission of the thing which the agent is said to do. Thus: . . .

Ex. iv. 21. — ” I will harden his heart (i.e., I will permit or suffer his heart to be hardened), that he shall not let the people go.” So in all the passages which speak of the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. . . .

[I have written about this at some length, showing how all the passages taken together indication God’s permission, not causation]

[ . . . ]

So the A.V. Jer. iv. 10. — ” Lord God, surely thou hast greatly deceived this people ” : i.e., thou hast suffered this People to be greatly deceived, by the false prophets, saying : Ye shall have peace, etc.

Ezek. xiv. 9. — ” If the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet “: i.e., I have permitted him to deceive himself.

[the previous chapter 13 describes the “foolish prophets” (13:3) who “prophesy out of their own minds” (13:2), who have “spoken falsehood and divined a lie; they say, ‘Says the LORD,’ when the LORD has not sent them” (13:6). God is “against” (13:8-9) “the prophets who see delusive visions and who give lying divinations” (13:9). Clearly God utterly opposes them, and 14:9 is non-literal metaphor for God allowing them to prophesy falsely]

Ezek. XX. 25. — ” Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good ” : i.e., I permitted them to follow the wicked statutes of the surrounding nations, mentioned and forbidden in Lev. xviii. 3.

Jeremiah 19:9 utilizes the same figure of speech. In similar cross-references (Dt 28:53-57; Lev 26:29; 2 Ki 6:26-29; Ezek 5:10; Lam 4:10), it’s clear that God is not in favor of cannibalism, but rather, is describing free will sinful actions of the Israelites. Jeremiah 19:9 has the same meaning, but contains the figure of speech, so it can be misinterpreted, as Loftus and other atheists have done for their purposes: not understanding this aspect of Hebrew literary genre.

Many other passages that Loftus cites in order to indict God have to do with judgment, including the death penalty in many cases regarding Jewish Law: which God as the prerogative to do. This is perfectly plausible and understandable, by the analogy of human laws and judges who enforce those laws. I’ve written about this many times:

God’s Judgment of Humans (Sometimes, Entire Nations) [2-16-07]

“How Can God Order the Massacre of Innocents?” (Amalekites, etc.) [11-10-07]

Did Moses (and God) Sin In Judging the Midianites (Numbers 31)? [5-21-08]

Israel as God’s Agent of Judgment [9-28-14]

Is God an Unjust Judge? Dialogue with an Atheist [10-30-17]

God’s Judgment of Sin: Analogies for an Atheist Inquirer [9-6-18]

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

Madison vs. Jesus #9: Clueless Re Rebellion & Judgment [8-7-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #11: Chapter 11 (“Scary” & “Vindictive” Yahweh? / Endless Stupefied Insults of God / Judgment Explained Yet Again) [8-30-19]

Loftus argues that hell is unjust and indefensible (pp. 108-109). I’ve written about that many times, too:

Dialogue w Agnostic on Basic Differences and Hell [5-17-05]

Replies to Some Skeptical Objections to the Christian Doctrine of Hell (“Religion Is Lies” website) [5-24-06]

Dialogue w Atheists on Hell & Whether God is Just [12-5-06]

Hell: Dialogue with a Philosophy Graduate Student [12-26-08]

Dialogue: Hell & God’s Justice, Part II [1-2-09]

Can Hell Actually be Defended? My Shot … [10-7-15]

A Defense of Hell: Philosophical Explanations of its Plausibility, Necessity, and Factuality [12-10-15]

Exchanges with an Atheist on Hell & Skepticism [12-17-15]

Hell as a Deterrent: Analogy to Our Legal Systems [10-3-18]

Loftus (p. 109) goes after references to slavery in the Bible. I’ve dealt with that, also:

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

Seidensticker Folly #11: Slavery & the New Testament [8-20-18]

Loftus claims that God favors rape (p. 109). No, He does not, as I have explained: Seidensticker Folly #6: God Has “No Problem with Rape”? On the same page, he attacks the divorce of foreign wives (Ezra 10:1-19, 44; cf. 9:1-2, 14-15). But God had forbidden this practice, due to the influence of false religions which the foreign wives adhered to (e.g., Dt 17:17, Neh 13:23-28). That‘s why they were sent away.

Loftus falsely claims that God commands child sacrifice (p. 110). This is sheer nonsense, which I have refuted. He cites Exodus 22:29-30 and Ezekiel 20:25-26 as supposed proofs of this. The argumentation here is among the most shoddy and embarrassing of Loftus’ long list of alleged errors and eisegesis of Holy Scripture. Amy K. Hall at the Stand to Reason blog demolishes this very argument (citing Loftus’ use of it), and shows that all that was meant was a dedication or consecration of the firstborn child to God.

The Ezekiel passage uses the same figure of speech seen above, in the discussion of Jeremiah 9:9, and in fact, the scholar and expert on biblical figures of speech, E. W. Bullinger, included this very passage, in what I cited from him (see above). See a long list of biblical condemnations of child sacrifice (and abortion, which is a species of that).

Loftus (p. 111) goes after the story of Abraham being willing to sacrifice Isaac. I’ve written about it. Nor can God be blamed for Jephthah’s daughter (same page). Loftus argues (p. 111) that the prophet Micah is advocating child sacrifice (Micah 6:6-8) . He’s not at all. Pulpit Commentary explains:

Micah exactly represents the people’s feeling; they would do anything but what God required; they would make the costliest sacrifice, even, in their exaggerated devotion, holding themselves ready to make a forbidden offering; but they would not attend to the moral requirements of the Law. It is probably by a mere hyperbole that the question in the text is asked. The practice of human sacrifice was founded on the notion that man ought to offer to God his dearest and costliest, and that the acceptability of an offering was proportioned to its preciousness. The Hebrews had learned the custom from their neighbours, e.g. the Phoenicians and Moabites (comp. 2 Kings 3:27), and had for centuries offered their children to Moloch, in defiance of the stern prohibitions of Moses and their prophets (Leviticus 18:21; 2 Kings 16:3; Isaiah 57:5). They might have learned, from many facts and inferences, that man’s self-surrender was not to be realized by this ritual; the sanctity of human life (Genesis 9:6), the substitution of the ram for Isaac (Genesis 22:13), the redemption of the firstborn (Exodus 13:13), all made for this truth. But the heathen idea retained its hold among them, so that the inquiry above is in strict keeping with the circumstances.

We even read where the King of Moab sacrificed his son, which caused the Israelites to retreat in defeat. Moab’s sacrifice created a great “wrath” (ketzef) . . . indicating that his sacrifice caused some divinity to act on behalf of Moab (2 Kings 3:26-27). (p. 111)

I dealt with this very passage when fellow Bible-bashing atheist Bob Seidensticker tried to eisegete it:

There is nothing whatsoever in the text about some supposed defeat of God (Yahweh) by a false Moabite god. . . . Nor is it proof that God turned against Israel / Judah simply because the word “wrath” (RSV) is present (KJV: “indignation”). Bob assumes that too. The Hebrew is qetseph, which is usually used of God’s wrath, but not always, and not necessarily. For example, Esther 1:18 (RSV): “This very day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s behavior will be telling it to all the king’s princes, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty” (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:17). It can also be plausibly interpreted as the wrath of the king of Moab against Israel. The Bible refers (RSV) to “a king’s wrath” twice (Proverbs 16:14; 19:12).

The translation of 2 Kings 3:27 that Bob uses is the NET Bible: a relatively obscure translation. It’s very unusual (perhaps even singular) in that it inserts “divine” into the passage, making it definitively a case of God’s wrath against Israel. But I can’t find any other translation that does this. No one need merely take my word on this. They can consult the online pages with multiple translations of the passage (one / two) just as I did.

God’s prohibition of child sacrifice as an outrageous abomination is very clear. I found 18 passages concerning this in my paper, The Bible’s Teaching on Abortion. Jesus compared the ancient sacrifice of children to hell itself (particularly, child sacrifice to Ba’al or Molech).

Seidensticker ignored this counter-argument, as he has 34 more of my papers that respond to his arguments. Loftus gets in a dig against Jesus, implying that He was a bigot, and he employs an old atheist chestnut (these things are simply recycled over and over) that distorts a Bible passage, as usual:

[H]e also called a Syrophoenician woman part of a race of “dogs” and only begrudgingly helped her (Mark 7:24-30). (p. 123)

Mark 7:25-30 But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. [26] Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoeni’cian by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. [27] And he said to her, “Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” [28] But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” [29] And he said to her, “For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” [30] And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone.

Apologists Eric Lyons and Kyle Butt thoroughly dispense of this “objection” (complete with a good dose of sorely needed humor) in their article, “Was Jesus Unkind to the Syrophoenician Woman?”:

To our 21^st-century ears, the idea that Jesus would refer to the Gentiles as “little dogs” has the potential to sound belittling and unkind. When we consider how we often use animal terms in illustrative or idiomatic ways, however, Jesus’ comments are much more benign. For instance, suppose a particular lawyer exhibits unyielding tenacity. We might say he is a “bulldog” when he deals with the evidence. Or we might say that a person is “as cute as a puppy” or has “puppy-dog eyes.” If someone has a lucky day, we might say something like “every dog has its day.” Or if an adult refuses to learn to use new technology, we might say that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” In addition, one might say that a person “works like a dog,” is the “top dog” at the office, or is “dog tired.” Obviously, to call someone “top dog” would convey no derogatory connotation.

For Jesus’ statement to be construed as unkind or wrong in some way, a person would be forced to prove that the illustration or idiom He used to refer to the Gentiles as “little dogs” must be taken in a derogatory fashion. Such cannot be proved. In fact, the term Jesus used for “little dogs” could easily be taken in an illustrative way without any type of unkind insinuation. In his commentary on Mark, renowned commentator R.C.H. Lenski translated the Greek term used by Jesus (kunaria) as “little pet dogs.” . . . Lenski goes on to write concerning Jesus’ statement: “All that Jesus does is to ask the disciples and the woman to accept the divine plan that Jesus must work out his mission among the Jews…. Any share of Gentile individuals in any of these blessings can only be incidental during Jesus’ ministry in Israel” . . .

Consider that Matthew had earlier recorded how a Roman centurion approached Jesus on behalf of his paralyzed servant. Jesus did not respond in that instance as He did with the Syrophoenician woman. He simply stated: “I will come and heal him” (8:7). After witnessing the centurion’s refreshing humility and great faith (pleading for Christ to “only speak a word” and his servant would be healed—vss. 8-9), Jesus responded: “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel” (vs. 10, emp. added). . . .

[see my related paper, David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #7: Ch. 7 (Gentiles) ]

What many people miss in this story is what is so evident in other parts of Scripture: Jesus was testing this Canaanite woman, while at the same time teaching His disciples how the tenderhearted respond to possibly offensive truths. . . .

Before people “dog” Jesus for the way He used an animal illustration, they might need to reconsider that “their bark is much worse than their bite” when it comes to insinuating that Jesus was unkind and intolerant. In truth, they are simply “barking up the wrong tree” by attempting to call Jesus’ character into question. They need to “call off the dogs” on this one and “let sleeping dogs lie.”

***

Photo credit: John Loftus at SASHAcon 2016 at the University of Missouri; Mark Schierbecker (3-19-16) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license]

***

“Angry Atheist” Ring-Around-the-Rosey Example #763

August 4, 2019 By Dave Armstrong

The following “replies” took place on the Debunking Christianity website in early August 2019, underneath the post, “Things We Wish Jesus Hadn’t Said” (7-21-19), by Dr. David Madison. The sky fell down because (lowly ignorant Christian that I am) I dared to write (and announce there) a refutation of one of twelve podcasts that Dr. Madison presented in his article (I’ll be writing many more, too: possibly replies to all twelve). Words of the attackers will be in various colors:

sir_russ = blue

Jim Mallett = green

Zeta = purple

Zarquon5 = brown

John W. Loftus = red

*****

I have now thoroughly replied to the supposed “embarrassment” of what Jesus said about “hating” families:

Dr. David Madison vs. Jesus #1: Hating One’s Family?

Let me say I am nowhere near as educated as most on this blog in refuting believers. But, in reading your “defense” on your blog. I can safely say all you have succeeded to accomplish is to quote bible verses to prove the bible true. Not impressed. Sorry bud, it doesn’t work that way with unbelievers Also, a little advice, don’t link your blog on Mr. Lofus’ blog. If you want traffic, do it somewhere else.

I’m not trying to prove the Bible to be true by citing it. That would be circular reasoning. I’m trying to prove that the Bible teaches x in verse y: a completely different thing. Dr. Madison claimed that Jesus taught believers that we ought to literally hate our families. I showed that He did no such thing.

Whether one believes that the Bible is inspired or that Jesus said these utterances is a completely separate question (as Dr. Madison himself acknowledged). It need not be presupposed in order to assert that the Bible teaches thus-and-so on topic z.

I linked to my reply to the piece above this combox. This is what I consider a courtesy. I do quite well in traffic. I’m generally in the top three on the Catholic Patheos channel.

Why should I or anyone else give a s*%$ about your interpretation of the bible? Convince me in ONE sentence why I should believe you. No bible quotes, just your own words. What makes you so special among the millions and millions of apologists who spout the same tired defense?

Why does god need your need help relaying what he really meant? That is the funniest part about preachers and apologists. Hilarious..

Eat another jesus wafer, then spend some time pondering why your Catholic church fathers have committed so many heinous crimes.

“Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.”

— Socrates

The fact that Armstrong’s god needs preachers and apologists to explain what he really wants to say is indeed hilarious. And in a big way too. Exhibits include

Norman L. Geisler’s 864-page (!) tome:
Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics

or his 672-page tome
The Big Book of Christian Apologetics: An A to Z Guide

All these just show that this god (if it exists) is truly an extremely poor communicator, not worthy of the fantastic attributes that it supposedly has. Lots of human authors have done or can do a much better job. Apologetics on this scale is a slap on the face (if it has one) of this god.

Yet another person who refuses to discuss the topic at hand. It’s equal parts ridiculous and entertaining.

[Mallett “responded” with this meme]:

Again, your defense is to site bible verses and quote other apologists. Is that supposed to impress anyone?

The word is “cite”, not “site.”

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Wow my phone used the wrong word. Never happen to you? What do you think of the pic? Try to defend your Big Papi and his cronies with all their billions of dollars, while millions live in squalor and starve to death.

“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

I think it’s more evidence that you are an intellectual coward. It’s still zero interaction with / refutation of my counter-reply from anyone.

You sir are typical arrogant, self delusional, who is blind to the horrible &*%$#@^ atrocities your own &*%$#@^ church has done for thousands of years. First, refute why your priests like to &*%$ little boys.

Deal with your anger issues, then come back and provide rational, on-topic replies to my reply to Dr. Madison. Thanks!

You might know this one. Just insert yourself where the word”fool” is used.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
Sending a message by the hands of a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.

***

Dr. David Madison replied to someone else:

The gospels are riddled with contradictions and bad theology, and Jesus is so frequently depicted as a cult fanatic—because cult fanatics wrote the gospels. We see Jesus only through their theological filters. I just want to grab hold of Christian heads (standing behind them, with a hand on each ear) and force them to look straight ahead, unflinchingly, at the gospels, and then ask “Tell me what you see!” uncoached by apologist specialists, i.e., priests and pastors, who’ve had a lot of practice making bad texts look good.

Richard Carrier rates the existence of Jesus, 1 chance in 3, and he is highly critical of shoddy arguments that have been advanced by some mythicists. I don’t say to Christians, “Aha, he never existed.” At the end of the day I never claim that. But I DO say, “Deal with the really bad stuff in the gospels.” Are you SURE you’ve not make a big mistake endorsing this particular Lord and Savior? That’s the whole point of this series of Flash Podcasts, because a helluva lot of Christians would agree, right away, that these quotes are bad news—if no one told then that they’ve been attributed to Jesus.

“Deal with the really bad stuff in the gospels.”

Not so much “bad” as wildly misunderstood and miscomprehended by critics. Usually, I’ve found that it is either misunderstanding linguistic genres and context, or so-called “contradictions” which really aren’t at all (from a strictly logical standpoint).

That’s what I have invariably found, in my scores and scores of replies to such charges. I have a very extensive web page of critiques of atheism, and I would like to tackle some of your claims here, over the next week or so, depending on how much is involved and time-permitting.

[Jim Mallett “replied” with this meme]:

Mock away. Meanwhile, I have just completed my counter-reply, which I shall post in this combox. You’re welcome (along with Dr. Madison) to overcome it with rational argument rather than memes. I surely won’t hold my breath.

2000 years have passed, yet YOU have the key to understanding the New Testament. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Yeah, I won’t hold my breath either.

Right. Well, I won’t expect any substance from you. But thanks for the chuckle.

Jesus wasn’t Divine because nobody is Divine. If God brought light to Judea, he would bring it again, today, practically everywhere, because there are now places worse than Jesus ever saw. There you go, not a meme in sight.

No meme, but also no interaction whatever with the topic at hand: whether the real Jesus or (as one might think) the fictional “Jesus” portrayed in the Bible taught folks to literally hate their families.

You said, “whether the real Jesus or (as one might think) the fictional “Jesus” portrayed in the Bible taught folks to literally hate their families.”

From my standpoint, what the Bible’s Jesus character said or did not say is not as important as, say, Christians today abusing and killing children as witches. [link given] Are you one of those Christians? Is that how you read the Bible? If you are not one of those Christians, do you realize that there really are Christians who kill children today as witches? Just as an idea maybe you could fix children being killed in the name of the Bible, and then work your way back to quibbling about what words are associated with the Bible’s Jesus character.

I’m sure that ironing out all the bugaboos of exactly what the Jesus character said is a real important way to spend one’s time. But, it seems to me that Christians have more urgent matters to address.

I ain’t gonna be distracted from the topic at hand. Nice try. If the topic is so utterly unimportant in your eyes, then take it up with Dr. Madison, who seems to think it was important enough to devote 12 podcasts to it.

I imagine you as one of those philosophical hacks who, like all the others, has nothing that would show anything Christian specific to be true. What you work from is the assumption: let’s pretend Christianity is true. Then, you beat the snot out of Biblical semantics. Fun, but really no point to it.

I think it’s really important to note that if the Bible was dictated, handed down, or inspired by the creator of the universe, then the creator of the universe is one piss poor author or muse. And, your need to fight over silly words put into the mouth of a fictional character in a book of fairy tales just underscores that.

A matter of much greater concern to all Christians should be that if Bible-God and Bible-Jesus were real and really cared about people, why did they write such a shit book. A book so s*&%$# that it has you, Dave Armstrong, up in arms over a trifle. You’re twisting yourself in knots, itching for a fight, about a few words in a book that the people who say they believe in it won’t even read. Not exactly a glowing endorsement.

Here are some links to Christians and others fighting about the same topic. Stop acting as if one has to see the world differently than you do to get “Jesus wants me to hate my family” from the Bible. [six links provided]

These are all from Christian or Jewish sites.

If I’m such an idiot and a hack, then by all means refute my counter-replies to Dr. Madison (which will be three after I post two more in the next 90 minutes). We’re all waiting with baited breath. Put up or shut up. Can’t you figure out by now that I don’t play your games?

You said, ” I have a very extensive web page of critiques of atheism,”

That is all well and good, but a criticism of one thing, here atheism, is not the same as proving that some other thing, here Christian theism(or any theism for that matter), is true, is it?

Before you try to impress or baffle or b&%^$#*@ us with your critiques of atheism, just do us the favor of showing us that anything Christian specific is true.

For instance, if Christian theism is true and there really is a god who answers prayers, we should see how the quality of life for those who are more faithful is observably better than the quality of life for those who are less faithful – especially atheists, but not excluding persons from other religious faiths and, of course, not excluding all those wrong types of Christians.

The most faithful of Christians in the US are found in the Bible Belt. Every year they rank at the top of religious observation among US states. So how do they rank for overall quality of life? That’s altogether different. Essentially every measure of personal and social well-being ranks them right at the bottom.

If a Christian god is real and the US Bible Belt Christians exemplify what it does for those who are the most faithful, I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with it anyway. It appears that those who believe most strongly get s%$# on the most. I like people; I don’t want that for anyone.

So have at it. Show us. If we’ve heard it all before, we’ll let you know.

I’m not here at the moment to prove that Christianity is true (though I’d be happy to do that in another context). I’m not here to do the “101 topics all at once” routine. I’m here to specifically critique Dr. Madison’s claims about Jesus. And I’ve only just begun.

So far, not one peep from him or anyone else here about my present argument. But that’s just how it usually goes with atheists, which is not particularly an indication that y’all (generally speaking) are confident about the criticisms of Christianity that you set forth. Otherwise you would defend them when they are scrutinized.

Now perhaps Dr. Madison has been detained and still intends to do so, and there can actually be intelligent, substantive atheist-Christian discussion about what Scripture teaches in specific passages. I hope so, and we’ll see. It very rarely happens once a Christian makes a plausible critique of atheist “exegesis.”

As Dr. Madison himself stated in this combox: “You have not addressed the issues that I raise, but move right away to obfuscation.” I know the feeling well!

The matter of what the Bible’s Jesus character said seems to be real important to you, but we know it’s essentially meaningless to Christians in general. How do we know?: Christians can’t even be bothered to read it. Christians literally spend more time reading horoscopes than they spend reading Bibles.

You said,

Now perhaps Dr. Madison has been detained and still intends to do so,
and there can actually be intelligent, substantive atheist-Christian
discussion about what Scripture teaches in specific passages. I hope so,
and we’ll see. It very rarely happens once a Christian makes a
plausible critique of atheist “exegesis.”

So do you imagine yourself to the “Christian answer man”? Let me clue you in: you’re not. You have your opinion, but the Bible is so confused, incoherent, and inscrutable that PhD’s from every seminary and school of divinity fight over everything associated with Christianity. What you say is nothing more than one more opinion among millions.

Some Christians say god is real; others, not so much.
Some Christians say Jesus answers prayers; others say nope.

No one need accept what you happen to imagine as the “God’s honest truth” about anything Christian.

As far as anyone can tell the Bible’s Jesus character is just one more fictional creature.

***

You said, “I have now thoroughly replied to the supposed “embarrassment” of what Jesus said about “hating” families:”
You obviously accept it as an embarrassment, that is why you responded with more than 3,000 words of that mental masturbation called apologetics. You cite opinion after opinion to justify your opinion concerning David Madison’s opinion. And, then you bring your whiny assed Christian apologist self here to piss and moan about not being engaged.

Oh, wow, I just looked at comment counts on your blog. You are really desperate for blog traffic aren’t you.

You should start a new blog, one that is more honestly titled: Dave Armstrong Whiny Assed Catholic-type Christian Apologist. It’s a far more catchy title, and much closer to the truth.

As I said earlier, if that oh-so-stupid self-appointed creator of the universe you call God didn’t want there to be confusion it should have written a better book. That’s what real entities do. Matters are even worse for your mythical God because it is also claimed that it knew all this confusion was going to happen before it wrote the book. Wow. How totally screwed is that. How screwed is the book? Let’s see now: lots of Judaisms comes from the book; numerous Islams comes from the book; and tens of thousands of Christianities, including a glut of Catholicisms. Yeah, the book is totally screwed.

Ain’t is lucky we got Dave Armstrong beating his head against a wall to sort it all out for us. Cuz Dave Armstrong really, really knows. Only about almost all of Christianity and the rest of humanity ignore or disagree with him. That puts him a pretty exclusive club. Imagine that!: a Christian apologist lost in his own little philosophical construction of a Christianity. We’ve only seen a few thousand of those before.

You show yourself quite the colorful figure and pompous ass. These techniques don’t work with me. If you know so much, then you’d simply respond rationally to what I wrote instead of immediately going to ad hominem and obfuscation and throwing tons of manure against the wall, hoping some of it will stick.

It’s terrifically entertaining, though. I do grant you that much.

***

Why don’t you explain why a supposedly omniscient god needs apologists like you to explain what he wants to tell humans? Can’t he do it properly in the first place? Why does he need people like you to act as a middle man?

Off-topic yet again, but just this once: Why We Should Fully Expect Many “Bible Difficulties”.

Thanks for the response. I have just read your post. Some of the points you made are laughable, especially when you attempt to compare your holy book to scientific theories.

Yahweh was a local war deity invented in the ancient Near East, later promoted by his believers to be the Creator god endowed with fantastic attributes. If the father god is imaginary, so is the son. So, to me, your holy book is largely fiction.

Since you are not going to continue this discussion, I’ll also stop here.

As expected. Be well. I continue to await even the slightest response to my three critiques. The fact that none has been forthcoming leads me to suspect that there are no good replies; that the ability to do so is lacking. Why not blow the lowly and ignorant Christian’s arguments out of the water? But no one has yet done so; no one has even tried at all.

Since this comment is a reply to my previous comment, I need to add on to what I said before: Your holy book is largely a work of fiction about an invented god. From my point of view, what is the point of wading through piles of word salad that seek to defend an embarrassing verse from a piece of fictional work?

Thus, the thought of “loving Jesus more than one’s own family” is expressed by the non-literal “hate [one’s family, in order to] be my disciple.”

This is just shameless whitewashing. Why was the very strong word ‘hate’ used in the first place when the intended meaning could be very easily expressed in another way? This is a confirmation of what I said before: “All these just show that this god (if it exists) is truly an extremely poor communicator, not worthy of the fantastic attributes that it supposedly has. “

***

You quoted Socrates: “Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.”

I think it odd that you would highlight a quote that automatically places Christians into the “stupid people” category. Christians think they have all the answers, and, thus, are stupid people. And, those like you, Dave Armstrong, who have a deep enough understanding to know that Christianity is false (many of your blog posts support this) and, yet, still defend it for money, power, authority or social status, are plainly immoral.

You seem so very butthurt in your statement: “Why not blow the lowly and ignorant Christian’s arguments out of the water? But no one has yet done so; no one has even tried at all.”

Until someone can show that anything Christian specific is true, Christianity remains no closer to truth than any other mythology. There is no reason at all for anyone to indulge your fetish for philosophically pounding the s%$# out of mythological trivialities.

The number [of] comments and visitors on your blog demonstrate how you are quite capable of delivering long-winded explications to an empty house. You need no one else to be involved.

As a matter of record, I have had my blog at Patheos almost exactly four years (since 4 August 2015), and according to Google Analytics, my total page views over that period is 2,132,645, or an average of 1461 views per day average, the entire time.

That’s a helluva lot of people for an “empty house” ain’t it?

To approach it another way: let’s descend down to your silly level of insults-only and fallacies, and see how well it works, in terms of this “argument” of yours. In your mentality, all that matters is how many page views and comments one can obtain (which is, of course, the ad populum fallacy). The actual strength or merits of one’s arguments or the amount of truth and facts in them don’t matter a hill of beans.

So, adopting this goofy outlook, we see that Dr. Madison garnered 923 views of his first podcast in this series of twelve. It was posted on April 10th. My critique of it, on the other hand, has gotten 203 views in four days, which is an average of about fifty per day, compared to Dr. Madison’s average of eight per day over the time it’s been up. Therefore (by your “reasoning”) my post is more than six times more truthful and worthy of attention than Dr. Madison’s.

Remember, you, Dave Armstrong, are already, as a Christian, one of the stupid people who has all the answers. Worse yet, you, Dave Armstrong, are on one of those really stupid who defines themselves as having all the answers.

You said, “As expected. Be well. I continue to await even the slightest response to my three critiques. The fact that none has been forthcoming leads me to suspect that there are no good replies; that the ability to do so is lacking.”

You are correct. There are no good replies to the application of philosophy to fairy tales.

When a book, in this case the Bible, includes talking snakes, witches, demons, resurrections, immoral dictates from a rather hollow “supreme being”, and many, many factual errors about the world, an intelligent critical thinker can only conclude that the book is a fairy tale. To then apply philosophy to it, seriously apply it as you, Dave Armstrong, do, is pure farce. It doesn’t deserve serious consideration. Yeah, one can play with the semantics as an intellectual game, just as with any book, but, you, Dave Armstrong, are waging jihad for Jesus. Sadly, though, since you, Dave Armstrong, are a stupid Christian who has all the answers already, you could have your ass handed to you, and you would go off and, nonetheless, declare victory, so playing your game would be of no value to anyone. Since you are a stupid Christian, you have lost the capacity to learn what’s true about the world.

If you could show anything Christian specific to be true, you would. But, you can’t show anything Christian specific to be true so you want someone to join you in a dive into the cesspool of philosophy over useless trivialities about the Bible’s Jesus character. Too bad the authors of the Bible were not more than ignorant, barbaric and superstitious people; maybe they would have written a better book; maybe even a “good” book.

You said, “You show yourself quite the colorful figure and pompous ass.”

Actually, no, I am not a pompous ass, though, I might be a bit colorful. I am, however, accustomed to reading apologists who have defined themselves as having all the answers, despite all the rest of us being able to recognize that they don’t. You, Dave Armstrong. and your silly church do not have all the answers. Fact is, you have almost none. Maybe Friday fish fries and Bingo are good ideas, but nothing Christian specific makes sense at all.

Show me that you can show anything Christian specific to be true and I will give full consideration to other Biblical topics. I don’t want to waste time fiddling with fairy tales.

***

What does it say that you have about 46 comments for your last 20 essays? Given your mean spirited attitude, one probable interpretation is that your headlines grab attention from the massive amount of readers attracted to Patheos. But when people see how you treat others they leave you to your anger. And you are angry. That is clear. You hate people who disagree with you, which actually proves Dr. Madison’s point, that Jesus wants you to hate others in deference to him. Readers see this quickly then they go away.

I wrote in one of my papers:

In our postmodern culture today, to disagree with someone is to “hate” them. It can’t possibly be otherwise, because now people are their opinions (x = y); not separate from them (x has opinion y).

The people who commit these horrible acts of tough love must have hidden nefarious motives: so we are informed by the upholders of the secularization zeitgeist and idol. There are no absolutes. We either agree with other people (in which case we “love” them), or we disagree, which is intolerance and hate. Those are the only two possible scenarios. We can’t disagree and love them. Disagreeing (by definition) is hatred and touchy-feely / warm fuzzy agreement is love.

I am not a postmodernist and so, must necessarily (so we’re told) be a hater in the postmodernist’s eyes, because (routinely, in the course of doing apologetics) I dare to disagree with someone, and beyond that, even outrageously dare to tell them sometimes that they are wrong, for their own good (and to accept the same criticism coming my way). Thus, the “bad guys” in this brave new thought-world are those who reject postmodernist subjective-mush-relativism.

I wish I had a dime for every time I’ve been accused of “hating” someone just because I had an honest disagreement concerning what they believe or do. But fuzzy, illogical thinking is also part and parcel of postmodernism.

Your speech betrays you. I can get a bit angry when purposely misunderstood by self-proclaimed know-it-alls like you. But you enter a debate angry! You write as if Dr. David Madison is a non-entity, a non-being, who is mere fodder for your supposed “superior” debate skills. I cannot convince you of this I’m sure, but that’s what I see, and it’s one good reason I ignore you.

Just like you’re doing now . . .

I don’t hate anyone, including you and Dr. Madison. If anyone is hating (and I don’t even claim it here, but am merely being rhetorical and turning the tables), it is the 100% ad hominem (minus any rational substance in reply to my arguments) insult-fest directed towards me here. Since it can’t be justified, and is an embarrassing farce, you decide to project all that idiocy onto me, as if I am exhibiting it. Nice try, but no cigar.

Self-respecting intellectuals and thinkers will defend their assertions over against serious counter-replies. Dr. Madison has not so far (he may be otherwise detained), and no one here has, either.

That speaks volumes . . .

***

Photo credit: Clker-Free-Vector-Images (7-5-14) [Pixabay / Pixabay License]

***

Jews, Judaism, and the Old Testament (Index Page)

December 7, 2007 By Dave Armstrong

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, on 23 October 2014]

*****

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

Resurrection Debate #1: Preliminaries & Premises [4-16-21]

Resurrection Debate #2: Date of Jesus’ Death . . . Including the Analogy of Historical Skepticism Against Many Renowned Persons from the Hebrew Bible [4-17-21]

Resurrection Debate #3: Did Jesus Publicly Claim to Be the Messiah? [4-19-21]

Resurrection Debate #4: No “Leafy Branches” on Palm Sunday? [4-19-21]

Resurrection (?) #5: Did Jesus Claim to be Our Savior? [4-20-21]

Resurrection (?) #6: “Three Days and Three Nights” [4-21-21]

Resurrection (?) #7: Crucified Thieves Taunting Jesus [4-21-21]

Resurrection (?) #8: Disciples Forsaking Jesus [4-23-21]

Resurrection (?) #9: The Women at the Crucifixion [4-23-21]

Resurrection (?) #10: “Blood & Water” & Medical Science [4-25-21]
*

Resurrection #11: “All the Council” / Joseph of Arimathea? [4-25-21]

Resurrection #12: Who Buried Jesus? [4-26-21]

Resurrection #13: Guards at the Tomb & Historiography [4-27-21]

Resurrection #14: When Was the Stone Rolled Away? [4-27-21]

Resurrection #15: Luke & Jesus’ Galilee Appearances [4-28-21]

Resurrection #16: Peter & John at the Empty Tomb [4-28-21]
*

Resurrection #17: Women Who Saw the Risen Jesus [4-29-21]

Resurrection #18: “Touch Me Not” & Mary Magdalene [4-29-21]

Resurrection #19: When Was Judas Paid? [4-30-21]

Resurrection #20: Motivation of Judas’ Betrayal [4-30-21]

Resurrection #21: Chronology of Judas’ Evil Plans [5-1-21]

Resurrection #22: Did Judas Repent Or Not? [5-2-21]

Resurrection #23: How Did Judas Die? [5-3-21]

Resurrection #24: Judas & the Potter’s Field [5-3-21]

Resurrection #25: NT Writers: Unethical Mythmakers? [5-4-21]

Resurrection #26: “Twelve” or Eleven Disciples? [5-4-21]

Resurrection #27: Jesus’ View of Unbelief & Evidence [5-5-21]

Resurrection #28: Remission of Sins “Contradictions”? [5-5-21]

Resurrection #29: Supposed Absence of the Ascension [5-6-21]

THE MESSIAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Messiah: Jewish / Old Testament Conceptions [1982; revised somewhat on 2-19-00]

Isaiah 53: Ancient & Medieval Jewish Messianic Interpretation [1982; revised 9-14-01]

Isaiah 53: Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Is the “Servant” the Messiah (Jesus) or Collective Israel? (vs. Ari G. [Orthodox] ) [9-14-01, with incorporation of much research from 1982]

Psalm 110: Examples of Jewish Commentators Who Regard it as Messianic / Reply to Rabbi Tovia Singer’s Charges of Christian “Tampering” with the Text [9-14-01]

Reply to Atheist on “Fabricated” OT Messianic Prophecies (ProfMTH”‘s Video Jesus Was Not the Messiah – Pt. I) [7-1-10]
*

Reply to Atheist on Isaiah 53 & “Dishonest” Christians [7-2-10]

Reply to Atheist on Messianic Prophecies (Zech 13:6, Ps 22) [7-3-10]

Caiaphas’ Unjust Accusation of Jesus as a Blasphemer [8-2-19]

Isaiah Foretells the Gospel & the Suffering Messiah [8-20-19]

Dialogue: Institutional Jewish Opposition to Jesus (Was it Based on His Claim to be the Messiah, or Because He Also Claimed to be God? Also, Further Discussion on Mary’s Knowledge — or Lack Thereof — of His Divinity) [11-23-21]

RELATIONSHIP OF OLD AND NEW COVENANTS / JEWS AND CHRISTIANS / DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINE: JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY

Sola Scriptura, the Old Testament, and Ancient Jewish Practice [1999]

Rabbinic Credentials of Jesus and St. Paul: Jewish-Christian Dialogue on Authority (vs. Ari G.) [9-14-01]

“Moses’ Seat” and Jesus vs. Sola Scriptura (vs. James White) [12-27-03]

Jewish and Old Testament Views of Hell and Eternal Punishment [4-14-04]
*

Refutation of James White: Moses’ Seat, the Bible, and Tradition (Introduction: #1) (+Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI) [5-12-05]
*

Levites and the Old Covenant System vs. Sola Scriptura [4-9-06]

OT Levites & Priests: Closer to Sola Scriptura or Catholicism? [4-9-06]

Old Testament Analogies to the Catholic Rule of Faith and Binding Authority / Disanalogies to Sola Scriptura [4-9-06]

Cardinal Newman: “The Principle of Continuity between the Jewish and Christian Churches” (Catholic Authority) [4-9-06; posted to Facebook on 2-15-17]

“High Places” in the OT: Were They Always Wicked? [4-9-06]

Apostles and Synagogue and Temple Worship [3-25-07; slight editing and minor additions on 8-8-16]

Were the “Judaizers” Jewish Christians (“Messianic Jews”)? [6-7-07]

Jesus the Jew / Jewish Law and the New Testament [12-4-07]

Christianity & Judaism, Messianic Jews, & Jewish Converts [12-4-07]

Anti-Semitism in the Church Fathers and Catholic History: Resources and Recent Catholic Repentance [7-7-08]

Judaism and Christianity: Profound Closeness in the New Testament [1-2-09]

Passover in Judaism & a Mass that Transcends Time (“Past Events Become Present Today”/ Survey of “Remember” in Scripture) [7-7-09]

Judaizers: “Proto-Catholics”? (Alleged Works-Salvation) [12-14-09]

Tonsure, Holy Oil, and “Judaizing”? (vs. Calvin #54) [12-22-09]

Reply to Atheist on “Fabricated” OT Messianic Prophecies (ProfMTH”‘s Video Jesus Was Not the Messiah – Pt. I) [7-1-10]

Reply to Atheist on Isaiah 53 & “Dishonest” Christians [7-2-10]

Reply to Atheist on Messianic Prophecies (Zech 13:6, Ps 22) [7-3-10]

Jewish 1st Century Belief in Purgatory (Paul Hoffer) [9-20-11]
*

Masturbation Reference in Sermon on the Mount? (Striking Talmudic Parallels) [10-18-11]

Biblical Evidence for the Oral Torah (Hence, by Analogy, Oral Apostolic Tradition) [10-18-11]

“Leaven” of the Pharisees: Hypocrisy or False Doctrine? [11-3-11]

Dialogue with a Lutheran on Ecclesiology & Old Testament Indefectibility Analogies [11-22-11]

New Testament on the Jewish Background of Christianity [2013]
*

“Shake the Dust Off of Your Feet”: Mean? [10-4-14]

Jesus Celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22-23), Which in Turn Was Derived from the Deuterocanon (So-Called “Apocrypha”) [3-13-17]

Temple Sacrifice & Offerings Sanctioned by Jesus & Apostles (and Practiced by St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. John After the Death of Jesus) [4-13-17]

Why is Melchizedek So Important? [National Catholic Register, 1-15-18]
*

Caiaphas’ Unjust Accusation of Jesus as a Blasphemer [8-2-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #12: Discipleship & Jewish Burial Customs [8-8-19]

Why Jesus Was So Unpopular (Parallel with Socrates) [8-17-19]

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

“Spiritual” Kingdom of God: Old Testament Precursors [8-18-19]

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

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

Did Jesus Heal and Preach to Only Jews? No! [National Catholic Register, 7-19-20]

“Difficulty” in Understanding the Bible: Hebrew Cultural Factors [2-5-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #15: Gospel of Matthew vs. Gospel of Mark? [2-7-21]

Groundless Gospel of Mark Bashing Systematically Refuted (vs. Vexen Crabtree) [2-9-21]

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

Reply #1 to J. Oliveira: Jesus & Extrabiblical Tradition [9-27-23]
*

MY PILGRIMAGE TO ISRAEL (2014)

“’Bethany Beyond the Jordan’: History, Archaeology and the Location of Jesus’ Baptism on the East Side of the Jordan” [8-11-14]

Archaeology: Jesus’ Crucifixion, Tomb, & the Via Dolorosa [9-18-14]

Introduction to Footsteps That Echo Forever: Anticipating & Reflecting Upon a Holy Land Pilgrimage [8-11-14]

Archaeology & St. Peter’s House in Capernaum [9-23-14]

Visiting the Mount of Transfiguration & Nazareth [10-20-14]

My Holy Land Journal: Church of the Holy Sepulchre [10-26-14]

Walking Where Jesus Walked [10-31-14]

Sermon on the Mount: Striking Topographical Facts [Nov. 2014]

Visiting Golgotha: A Sublimely Moving Spiritual Experience [Nov. 2014]

Books by Dave Armstrong: Footsteps that Echo Forever: My Holy Land Pilgrimage [11-8-14]

Description of My Book: Footsteps That Echo Forever: My Holy Land Pilgrimage [Nov. 2014]

Signs in Jerusalem: How God Can Speak to You Through ‘Coincidence’ [my visit to the Pool of Siloam, Seton Magazine, 12-17-14]

I Was Blessed to Visit Bethlehem in 2014. What Joy! [National Catholic Register, 12-31-17; originally 12-26-14]

Visiting Golgotha in Jerusalem is a Sublime Experience [National Catholic Register, 3-21-18]

GENESIS

Biblical Flat Earth (?) Cosmology: Dialogue w Atheist (vs. Matthew Green) [9-11-06]

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

Sodom & Gomorrah & Archaeology: North of the Dead Sea? [10-9-14]

Genesis Contradictory (?) Creation Accounts & Hebrew Time: +Refutation of a Clueless Atheist “Biblical Contradiction” [5-11-17]

The Genesis Creation Accounts and Hebrew Time [National Catholic Register, 7-2-17]

Modernism vs. History in Genesis & Biblical Inspiration [7-23-18]

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]

Ward’s Whoppers #1-3: Genesis 1 vs. 2 (Creation) [5-17-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #4: Which Tree Fruit In Eden to Eat? [5-17-20]

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

Pearce’s Potshots #39: Ignoring Chiastic Literary Genre in Genesis [7-5-21]

969-Year-Old Methuselah (?) & Genesis Numbers [7-12-21]

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]

Sodom Obliterated (Chapter Four from my book, The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science, and History Back up the Bible) [1-26-23]

The Tower of Babel, Archaeology, & Linguistics [4-13-23]

Linguistic Confusion and the Tower of Babel [National Catholic Register, 6-21-22]

Tower of Babel: Dialogue with a Linguist [6-26-23]

Tower of Babel & Linguistic Confusion: Possible Anthropological Explanation [Catholic365, 12-7-23]
*

ADAM AND EVE AND CAIN / GARDEN OF EDEN

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

Historicity of Adam and Eve [9-23-11; rev. 1-6-22]

Defending the Literal, Historical Adam of the Genesis Account (vs. Catholic Eric S. Giunta) [9-25-11]

“Where Did Cain Get His Wife?” [3-7-13]

Adam & Eve of Genesis: Historical & the Primal Human Pair [11-28-13]

Adam & Eve & Original Sin: Disproven by Science? [9-7-15]

Only Ignoramuses Believe in Adam & Eve? [9-9-15]

Dialogue on How Cain Found a Wife [6-22-18]

“Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?” [Dr. Dennis Bonnette, Crisis Magazine, 11-24-14]

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]

ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, AND JOSEPH (PATRIARCHS) / HEBREW BONDAGE IN EGYPT

Isaac and Abraham’s Agony: Dialogue with Agnostic [June 1999]

Why is Melchizedek So Important? [National Catholic Register, 1-15-18]

Ward’s Whoppers #5: Isaac: Abraham’s “Only” Son? [5-18-20]

Pearce’s Potshots #28: Pharaoh Didn’t Know Joseph?! [5-26-21]

Genesis, Joseph, Archaeology, & Biblical Accuracy (+ A Brief Survey of Evidence for “The King’s Highway” in Jordan in the Bronze Age: Prior to 1000 BC) [6-8-21]

Abraham, Warring Kings of Genesis 14, & History [7-31-21]

Ehrman Errors #1: Philistines, Beersheba, Bible Accuracy [3-18-22]

Sodom Obliterated (Chapter Four from my book, The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science, and History Back up the Bible) [1-26-23]

Egyptian Proof of Hebrew Slaves During Jacob’s Time [2-17-23]

Walking the Journey of Abraham (Chapter Three from my book, The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science, and History Back up the Bible) [3-2-23]

Evidence for Hebrews / Semites in Egypt: 2000-1200 B.C. [5-3-23]
*

Biblical Hebrew Names with an Egyptian Etymology [5-9-23]

Abraham: Justified Twice by Works & Once by Faith [8-30-23]

Abraham and Ongoing Justification by Faith and Works [National Catholic Register, 9-19-23]
*

Abraham’s Justification By Faith & Works (vs. Jordan Cooper) + Catholic Exegesis Regarding St. Paul’s Specific Meaning of “Works” in Romans 4 [3-1-24]

MOSES AND THE EXODUS

Documentary Theory of Biblical Authorship (JEPD): Dialogue [2-12-04]

Reply to a Calvinist: Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart (vs. Colin Smith) [10-14-06]

Did Moses (and God) Sin In Judging the Midianites (Numbers 31)? [5-21-08]

Righteous and Sinful Anger in Moses: Smashing the Tablets and the Rock at Meribah [5-22-08]

God “Hardening Hearts”: How Do We Interpret That? [12-18-08; expanded on 1-4-17]

Documentary Theory (Pentateuch): Critical Articles [6-21-10]

The Bronze Serpent: Example of Proper Use of Images [Feb. 2012]

Patterns of Evidence: Exodus: Superb Pop Archaeology [12-23-15]

Seidensticker Folly #5: Has Archaeology Disproven the Exodus? [8-15-18]

Seidensticker Folly #16: Two Sets of Ten Commandments? [9-10-18]

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]

Pearce Pablum #68: “Thou Shalt Not Kill” [Murder] [3-2-22]

A Pharaoh’s Death (Ex 2:23) & Exodus Chronology [7-27-22]

Fascinating Biblical Considerations About Mount Sinai [National Catholic Register, 11-23-22]

Does the Pentateuch Claim to be Inspired Revelation? + Do the Several Third-Person References to Moses in the Pentateuch Prove That He Didn’t Write It? [12-14-22]

Moses Wrote the Torah: 50 External Evidences (Reply to Atheist “Lex Lata”) [12-14-22]

When Was the Exodus: 15th or 13th Century B.C.? [4-15-23]

Manna: Possibly a Natural Phenomenon? [5-5-23]

Did the Hebrews Cross the Red Sea or the “Reed Sea”?: And Which Specific Body of Water Did They Cross, According to the Combined Deductions and Determinations of the Bible and Archaeology? [5-9-23]

Moses, Eyewitnesses, & 1st-Person Torah References [12-15-22; slightly revised on 8-7-23]

Two Quick Old Testament Proofs for the Oral Torah [Catholic365, 11-8-23]
*

Moses, Science, and Water from Rocks [Catholic365, 11-18-23]
*

Moses & Water From Rocks: A Closer Look [1-7-24]

Why Did God Get Angry at Moses for Striking the Rock? [National Catholic Register, 2-3-24]
*
JOSHUA AND THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN / ERA OF THE JUDGES

Pearce’s Potshots #32: No Evidence for Joshua’s Conquest? [5-28-21]

What Archaeology Tells Us About Joshua’s Conquest [National Catholic Register, 7-8-21]

Jericho and Archaeology — Disproof of the Bible? (Here is one possible explanation for the high level of erosion in Jericho) [National Catholic Register, 9-26-21]

Ehrman Errors #5: Hazor Battles “Contradictions”? (Including Possible Archaeological Evidence for the Battle of Deborah in Judges 4) [3-23-22]

Ehrman Errors #6: Joshua’s Conquest & Science [3-23-22]

Archaeology & Judges-Era Lead & Tin Trade [1-26-23]

Samson’s Death-Scene: Archaeological Confirmation [3-27-23]
*

Did Samson Really Destroy the Philistine Temple With His Bare Hands? [National Catholic Register, 4-28-23]

Joshua’s Conquest: Rapid, Always Violent, & Total? [5-1-23]
*
Jericho: Did the Walls Collapse Due to Resonance? [5-1-23]

What Made the Walls of Jericho Fall? [National Catholic Register, 5-20-23]

Archaeology and Samson’s Death-Scene [Catholic365, 12-8-23]

Jericho & Archaeology: Replies To Atheists [12-30-23]
*

SAUL, DAVID, AND SOLOMON / KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL

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

Ward’s Whoppers #13: How Did David Kill Goliath? [5-19-20]

Rarity of Non-Biblical Mentions of King David Explained [9-16-21]

King Hezekiah: Exciting New Archaeological Findings [12-13-22]
*

Archaeology & Solomon’s Temple-Period Ivory [1-28-23]

Archaeology & King Rehoboam’s Wall in Lachish [1-31-23]

Archaeology Confirms Dates of Five Biblical Battles: Battles at Beth She’an (c. 926 BC), Beth Shemesh (c. 790 BC), Bethsaida & Kinneret (732 BC), and Lachish (701 BC) [2-6-23]

King David: from “Myth” to History (excerpt from my 2023 book, The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science, and History Back Up the Bible) [3-14-23]
*

King Solomon’s “Mines” & Archaeological Evidence [3-24-23]
*

Ziklag (David’s Refuge from Saul) & Archaeology [3-29-23]
*

Archaeology & First-Temple Period Bethlehem [4-6-23]
*

King Ahab, Queen Jezebel, & Archaeology [4-7-23]
*

Fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.), Archaeology, & Biblical Accuracy [4-10-23]

Assyrian King Sennacherib, the Bible, & Archaeology [4-17-23]

Archaeology & Ten (More) Kings of Judah & Israel [4-20-23]
*

Solomon’s “Impossible” (?) Wealth & Archaeology [4-25-23]
*

Solomon’s Temple and its Archaeological Analogies (Also, Parallels to Solomon’s Palace) [4-25-23]

The Queen of Sheba, Solomon, & Archaeology [4-27-23]
*

Archaeology, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba [National Catholic Register, 6-2-23]

Archaeology and King Solomon’s Mines [National Catholic Register, 6-29-23]

Was King David Mythical or Historical? [National Catholic Register, 7-24-23]
*

Solomon’s Rebuilding Of Gezer & Archaeology [4-24-24]
*

Hazael’s Sack of Gath (2 Kgs 12:17) & Archaeology (+ Scientific Corroboration of the Biblical Data Regarding Kiln-Baked Bricks) [4-24-24]
*

EZRA, NEHEMIAH, AND JOB

Ezra: Archaeological & Historical Corroboration [3-31-23]
*
Nehemiah: Archaeological & Historical Corroboration [3-31-23]

Book of Job, Archaeology, History, & Geography [4-1-23]

Archaeology Supports the Book of Nehemiah [National Catholic Register, 11-30-23]

ANCIENT ISRAEL’S ENEMIES

“How Can God Order the Massacre of Innocents?” (Amalekites, etc.) [11-10-07]

Did Moses (and God) Sin In Judging the Midianites (Numbers 31)? [5-21-08]

“Higher” Hapless Haranguing of Hypothetical Hittites (19th C.) [10-21-11; abridged 7-7-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #13: How Did David Kill Goliath? [5-19-20]

“Love Your Enemies”: Old Testament Teaching Too? [9-7-20]

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

Arameans, Amorites, and Archaeological Accuracy [6-8-21]

Edomites: Archaeology Confirms the Bible (As Always) [6-10-21]

Moses, Kadesh, Negev, Bronze Age, & Archaeology [6-10-21]

Goliath’s Height: Six Feet 9 Inches, 7 Feet 8, or 9 Feet 9? [7-4-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #41: 13th c. BC Canaanite Iron Chariots [7-16-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #42: 12th c. BC Moabite & Ammonite Kings (The Broad Definition of “King” in the Ancient Near East, + Biblical Use of “Chiefs of Edom”) [7-19-21]

How Tall Was Goliath? [National Catholic Register, 8-30-21]

THE PROPHETS

Dialogue w Agnostic on Elijah & John the Baptist [9-24-06]

Catholics and the Historicity of Jonah the Prophet [6-27-08]

Loftus Atheist Error #10: Prophet Jeremiah vs. Mosaic Law? [9-11-19]

Prophet Elisha and Archaeology [4-4-22]

Prophet Elijah and Archaeology [4-13-22]

Is There Any Archaeological Support for the Prophet Daniel? [National Catholic Register, 4-25-22]

Daniel & the Lion’s Den & History [3-11-23]

Was Jonah in the Belly of a Whale? Yes, But . . . [3-27-23]
*

Did God Raise Jonah from the Dead? [National Catholic Register, 4-20-23]

Jeremiah’s Catholic & Very UnProtestant Soteriology [7-31-23]
*

Isaiah’s Catholic & UnProtestant Soteriology [8-1-23]
*

Minor Prophets: Their Theology of Salvation [8-2-23]
*

The Prophet Jeremiah Explains the Catholic Teaching on Salvation [National Catholic Register, 8-17-23]

The Prophet Isaiah Explains How God Saves Us [National Catholic Register, 8-30-23]
*

Nebuchadnezzar As A Cow: Curable Or Not? [12-31-23]
*

OLD TESTAMENT: DOCTRINE OF GOD / YHWH

Seidensticker Folly #19: Torah & OT Teach Polytheism? [9-18-18]

Seidensticker Folly #20: An Evolving God in the OT? (God’s Omnipotence, Omniscience, & Omnipresence in Early Bible Books & Ancient Jewish Understanding) [9-18-18]

Loftus Atheist Error #8: Ancient Jews, “Body” of God, & Polytheism [9-10-19]

Do the OT & NT Teach Polytheism or Henotheism? [7-1-20]

Seidensticker Folly #70: Biblical “Henotheism” [?] Redux [1-31-21]

OLD TESTAMENT: GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS

FEATURED: Bible & Archaeology / Bible & Science (A Collection) [6-30-21]

FEATURED: OT & Archaeology: 25 Fascinating Confirmations (From Noah to Joshua”: the Hebrew Scripture is Extraordinarily Accurate & True to History) [9-21-21]

Judgment of Nations: A Collection of Biblical Passages [9-21-01]

Judgment of Nations: Biblical Commentary and Reflections [9-21-01]

Why Did God Kill Onan? (The Bible on Contraception) [2-9-04]

Dialogue: Why Did God Kill Onan? (Contraception) [2-13-04]

God’s Judgment of Humans (Sometimes, Entire Nations) [2-16-07]

Did God Command Jephthah to Burn His Daughter? [6-8-09]

God’s “Punishing” of Descendants: Unjust? [7-8-10]

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]

ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS

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]

***

Practical Matters: Perhaps some of my 4,600+ free online articles (the most comprehensive “one-stop” Catholic apologetics site) or fifty-five 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.

Or you may believe my work is worthy to support for the purpose of apologetics and evangelism in general. If so, please seriously consider a much-needed financial contribution. I’m always in need of more funds: especially monthly support. “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV). 1 December 2021 was my 20th anniversary as a full-time Catholic apologist, and February 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of my blog.

PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. 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), see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information. Thanks a million from the bottom of my heart!

Last updated on 24 April 2024

***

Atheism, Agnosticism, & Secularism (Index Page)

November 9, 2006 By Dave Armstrong

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:

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

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]

GENERAL

Me Me Me (My Earliest “Apologetics”) [6-5-81]

The Class Struggle [cartoon tract; art by Dan Grajek, 1985]

Dialogue w Agnostic on Common Objections to Christianity (vs. Matt Fahrner) [8-3-00]

Bad or Absent Fathers as a Strong Indicator of Atheism [7-4-01; rev. 1-14-02]

Silent Night: A “Progressive” and “Enlightened” Reinterpretation [12-10-04; additionally edited for publication at National Catholic Register: 12-21-17]

Dialogue with an Atheist on the “Basic” Issues: Creation, Freedom, Rebellion, Suffering, Etc. (vs. Daniel Morgan) [10-15-06]

Replies to Atheists’ & Skeptics’ Garden Variety Objections [3-24-08]

G. K. Chesterton on Atheism, Skepticism, Etc. [2009]

Must Christianity be Empirically Falsifiable in Order to be Rationally Held?: Positivist Myths and Fallacies Debunked by Philosophers and Mathematicians [7-14-10; abridged and re-edited on 9-7-15]

Jesus’ Death: Proof of a “Bloodthirsty” God, or Loving Sacrifice? (primarily written to and for atheists) [7-21-10]

Myths About the Murder of the Philosopher, Hypatia and the Burning of the Library of Alexandria [1-19-13]

Exchange: Definitions of Deism & Atheism / Twain the Atheist? [4-24-14]

Dialogue with an Atheist Concerning My Semi-Satirical Critique of Atheism [7-10-15]

Atheism: A Remarkably Strong, Impervious Faith in “Atomism” [8-19-15]

Clarifications Regarding My Atheist Reductio Paper (referring to the immediately preceding, vastly misunderstood satirical piece) [8-20-15]

Dialogue with an Atheist on First Premises (vs. Ben McGrew) [9-17-15]

Replying to Atheist Analytical Philosophy Word Games [9-26-15]

Atheist Premise-Driven Misunderstandings of Theistic Arguments [10-10-15]

Christian Devotion to Jesus Explained to Atheists [10-10-15]

Non-Empirical “Basic” Warrant for Theism & Christianity [10-15-15]

“Tooth Fairyology” vs. Theology (vs. an Atheist) [11-17-15]

Theist & Atheist Burdens of Proof [11-18-15]

Atheists’ Worldviews (Deep Mystery?) [11-19-15]

Real Discussion with an Ex-Catholic Gay Atheist [11-21-15]

Exchanges with an Atheist on Hell & Skepticism [12-17-15]

Debate with an Atheist on Evidences & Belief [1-28-16]

Atheists Seem to Have Almost a Childlike Faith in the Omnipotence of Atoms [National Catholic Register, 10-16-16]

“Hated by All”, Catholic Evangelism, & the Fullness of Truth: Is it Possible for an Orthodox, Morally Traditional Catholic, Who Shares the “Unabridged” Catholic Message, to be Rapturously Loved and Liked by One and All Radically Secularist Leftists and Atheists? [2-13-17]

Brief Exchange with an Atheist Regarding my “Hated by All” Post [Facebook, 2-13-17]

What Really Moves and Persuades Atheists [7-21-17]

50 Atheists vs. Me and the 101 Topics Routine [7-21-17]

Atheist Double-Standard Demands for (Empirical-Only) “Evidence” [7-24-17]

Atheist: What Evidence is Required to Change Religions? [5-11-18]

Exchange: Atheists & Beating “Christianity” Straw Men [5-12-18]

Evidence for God & Inconsistent, Endless Atheist Demands [6-8-18]

Dialogue w Agnostic/Deist on God’s Revelation & Character [7-22-18]

Brief Answers to 11 Atheist’s Questions About Christianity [8-13-18]

The Nature & Function of Prayer: Reply to Two Atheists [8-14-18]

Atheist Claims That I am a “Hostile and Uncharitable” Debater (Brief Exchange) [Facebook, 12-16-18]

Dialogue: Bad Fathers as a Prime Cause of Atheism [2-24-19]

On Online vs. “Real Life” Behavior (Both Atheists and Christians) [Facebook, 8-6-19]

Question from Inquiring Atheist: “Why Were the Incarnation and Atonement Necessary?” [Facebook, 3-23-20]

Atheist-Christian Discussion: Centrality of Premises [5-25-20]

Dialogue with a “Christian Atheist / Gnostic” [11-2-20]

Atheist Ignorance of Christianity: Typical Example (Calvinists make up only some 5% of all Christians, so why do atheists so often think that Calvinist double predestination is the only accepted view in Christian theology?) [12-12-20]

Reply to the Nonsense of “Atheists Have No Worldview” [2-13-21]

Proverbs on Today’s Anti-Theist Atheists [Facebook, 3-11-21]

Dialogue w 4 Atheists Re Bible “Contradictions” Etc. [3-12-21]

Brilliant Analysis of Atheist Groupthink, Intellectual Insecurity, and Unwillingness (+ Inability?) to Dialogue with Christians (by Anjasha Freed) [Facebook, 3-14-21]

Reply to a Bible-Challenged, Judgmental (?) Atheist [3-15-21]

Debate w Atheists: Doubting Thomas & an “Unfair” God [3-17-21]

Debate w Atheists on the Allegedly “Unfair” & “Hidden” God [3-21-21]

Yes, Virginia, Atheists Have a Worldview [National Catholic Register, 3-23-21]

Atheist Unwittingly (?) Confirms the Usual Atheist Worldview [7-6-21]

Brief Exchange with Atheists (Including Archaeology) [9-22-21]

“Would Jesus Get Vaccinated?”: Reply to Cynical Atheists [9-24-21]

What Anti-Theist Atheists Think of Us (meme) [Facebook, 9-29-21]

Are Christians Uniquely Averse to Criticism? [10-17-21]

Secularist, Atheist Nations = More “Happy” People? [12-1-21]

Largest Atheist Venue Online (OnlySky), Bans Me for No Reason [Facebook, 9-1-23]
*

***

War and the Divine: Is Religion the Cause of Most Wars? (Dr. Andrew Holt)

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]

God and “Natural Evil”: A Thought Experiment [2002]

Replies to the Problem of Evil as Set Forth by Atheists [10-10-06]

The Problem of Evil: Dialogue with an Atheist (vs. “drunken tune”) [10-11-06]

Dialogue w Atheist John Loftus on the Problem of Evil [10-11-06]

“Logical” Problem of Evil: Alvin Plantinga’s Decisive Refutation [10-12-06]

Reply to Agnostic Ed Babinski’s “Emotional” Argument from Evil [10-23-06]

“Strong” Logical Argument from Evil Against God: RIP? [11-26-06]

Why Did a Perfect God Create an Imperfect World? [8-18-15]

Atheists, Miracles, & the Problem of Evil: Contradictions [8-15-18]

Alvin Plantinga: Reply to the Evidential Problem of Evil [9-13-19]

God, the Natural World and Pain [National Catholic Register, 9-19-20]

Seidensticker Folly #78: “Natural Evil” & Uniformitarianism [1-27-22]

[see more in the “Problem of Evil” section of my Philosophy & Science web page]

THE “PROBLEM OF GOOD”

The “Problem of Good”: Great Dialogue with an Atheist (vs. Mike Hardie) (+ Part Two) [this is my favorite debate ever, with anyone] [6-5-01]

Dialogue w Agnostic/Deist on the “Problem of Good” [7-18-18]

The “Problem of Good”: Dialogue w Atheist Academic [9-11-19]

Problem of Good: More Difficult than Problem of Evil? [4-3-21]

Problem of Good: Further Discussions with Atheists [4-5-21]

Problem of Good: Childkilling & Genocide (Logical End of Atheism) [4-8-21]

Dialogue w Atheist: Problem of Good & Miscellany [4-9-21]

AARON ADAIR

Star of Bethlehem: Reply to Obnoxious Atheist Aaron Adair (Plus Further Related Exchanges with Aaron and a Few Others in an Atheist Combox) [1-14-21]

Star of Bethlehem: 2nd Reply to Arrogant Aaron Adair[1-18-21]

Star Researcher Aaron Adair: “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!” [1-19-21]

LIBBY ANNE

Jesus Said He Was God: Reply to Ex-Christian Atheist [7-30-19]

“ANTHROTHEIST”

Dialogue with an Atheist on “God of the Gaps” [6-24-18]

Thought Experiments w an Atheist About God / No God [6-26-18]

Thought Experiments (Christianity vs. Atheism), Part 2 [6-28-18]

Response to the Deconversion Story of “Anthrotheist” [8-13-18]

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

Atheists, Miracles, & the Problem of Evil: Contradictions [8-15-18]

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

Hell as a Deterrent: Analogy to Our Legal Systems [10-3-18]

Miracles, Materialism, & Premises: Dialogue w Atheist [2-20-19]

Catholic Sex Scandal & Homosexuality: Reply to Atheist [2-21-19]

Contraception, Natural Law, & the Analogy to Nutrition [2-21-19]

Miracles & Scientific Method: Dialogue with Atheist [2-22-19]

“AXELBEINGCIVIL”
*
Dialogue w Atheist on the Borders of Science & Theology [1-16-23]
*

Dialogue w Atheist on Mutations & Evolutionary Change [1-16-23]
*

Secularization & Tolerance: Heart 2 Heart w Atheist [7-19-23]
*

ED BABINSKI

Dialogue w Agnostic on Basic Differences and Hell [5-17-05]

Debate with an Agnostic on the Meaning of “Last Days” and Whether the Author of Hebrews Was a False Prophet [9-13-06]

Flat Earth: Biblical Teaching? [9-17-06]

Reply to Agnostic Ed Babinski’s “Emotional” Argument from Evil [10-23-06]

Abortion in the Bible?: Debate w Zealous Agnostic [12-15-10]

RICHARD CARRIER

Paul Knew the Gospels (vs. Richard Carrier) [1-30-22]

Carrier Critique #2: Crucifixion Eclipse? [3-30-22]

Carrier Critique #3: Bible Teaches a Flat Earth? [3-31-22]

Carrier Critique #4: Bible & Disease & Medicine (+ Medical Advances Made in the Christian-Dominated Middle Ages) [3-31-22]

NEIL CARTER

Seidensticker Folly #45: “Zombies” & Clueless Atheists (Atheist Neil Carter Joins in on the Silliness and Tomfoolery as Well) [8-29-20]

Seidensticker Folly #46: Ridiculous 5-Minute Exchange (Atheist Neil Carter Promptly Banned Me During the Discussion on His Blog) [8-30-20]

STEVE CONIFER

Dialogue w Atheist on Premises & Axioms of Atheism [1-13-02]

Debate: Argument from Non-Belief (ANB) (vs. Atheist) [2-26-03]

VEXEN CRABTREE

Groundless Gospel of Mark Bashing Systematically Refuted [2-9-21]

Gospel of Matthew Bashing Refuted Point-by-Point [2-10-21]

Herod’s Slaughter of the Innocents: Myth & Fiction? [2-10-21]

Gospel of Luke Bashing Examined & Found Wanting [2-12-21]

JON CURRY

The Galileo Fiasco & Catholic Infallibility [8-11-10]

16 Atheists / Agnostics & Me (At a Meeting): Further Adventures at an Atheist “Bible Study” Group [11-24-10]

Reply to Atheists: Defining a [Biblical] “Contradiction” [1-7-11]

“Blind Faith” (?): Dialogue with an Atheist, Challenged to Produce Any “Positive” Rational Evidence for Atheism [4-6-12]

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

On My Reason for Critiquing Atheist “Deconversion” Stories [9-16-15]

On Reducing Abortion (w Atheist Pro-Lifer) [4-7-17]

Atheist Friend Jon Curry Absurdly Blasts Me for Supposedly Not Defending Free Speech [Facebook, 4-29-17]

Response to Jon Curry’s Charge that I Only Criticize Liberals for Bad Behavior and Not Folks on My “Side” (Hypocrisy and Double Standards)[Facebook, 6-3-17]

Dialogue w Atheist on Bible Difficulties & Plausibility Structures [6-10-17]

Empiricism: Only Valid & Objective Knowledge? Two Atheists “Reply” [7-18-17]

LeBron Declines One-on-One Challenge w Laura Ingraham [2-18-18]

Atheist Desire for Amazing Divine Miracles / Incorruptibles [2-23-19]

Debate w Atheist on Consistent Ethical Vegetarianism [3-18-19]

Debate w Atheist on Contraception, Abortion, & Sex Ed [3-15-21]

“DAGOODS”

Theistic Argument from Desire: Dialogue w Atheist [12-2-06]

Dialogue w Atheists on Hell & Whether God is Just [12-5-06]

12 Disciples of Jesus: Alleged Contradictions Debunked [12-9-06]

“DagoodS” Deconversion Story: Critique and Truncated Dialogue [9-20-07]

16 Atheists and Me: Further Adventures at an Atheist “Bible Study” Group [11-24-10]

Biblical Knowledge of Atheist “DagoodS” as a Christian (Specifically, the Biblical [and Patristic] Teaching on Abortion) [12-13-10; expanded on 3-14-19]

Dialogue with an Atheist on Miracles & First Premises [12-18-10]

Dialogue w Atheist: Joseph of Arimathea “Contradictions” (??) (Lousy Atheist Exegesis Example #5672) [1-7-11]

Reply to Atheists: Defining a [Biblical] “Contradiction” [1-7-11]

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

Exchange w Atheist on Premises, Evidence, & Methodology [1-10-11]

The Hittites: Atheist “DagoodS” Lies About Christian Apologists Supposedly Lying About How Biblical Critics Once Doubted Their Historical Existence [1-10-11, at Internet Archive]

Habitually “Lying” Christian Apologists?: 19th Century “Hittites Didn’t Exist” Radical Skepticism and Examination of Atheist DagoodS’ Replies and Charges [1-15-11, at Internet Archive]

Hittite Skeptics Chronicles, Part III: Specific Citations of Denial (Budge, Sumner, & Conder) and Biblical Historical Accuracy (in the Time of Elisha) [1-19-11, at Internet Archive]

Great Hittite Wars, Part IV: Lying Christian Egyptologist M. G. Kyle?: Atheist DagoodS Disputes Sir A. E. Wallis Budge’s Reported Hittite Skepticism [1-21-11, at Internet Archive]

Dialogue w Atheist on Post-Resurrection “Contradictions” [1-26-11]

RICHARD DAWKINS [THE GOD DELUSION]

Richard Dawkins & “Religion vs. Science” Mentality (+ Galileo Redux) [3-20-08]

Richard Dawkins’ Outrageous Hypocrisy on Abortion [5-21-18]

Richard Dawkins: D- Grade for Science & Christianity [5-23-18]

Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion: General Critique [5-25-18]

Richard Dawkins’ “Bible Whoppers” Are the “Delusion” [5-25-18]

DR. TED DRANGE

Reply to Atheist Queries Re God (Esp. Trinity & Salvation) [late April 2001]

Atheist Argument From Non-Belief [2-26-03]

Biblical Annihilationism or Universalism? [9-30-06]

BART EHRMAN
*

Ehrman Errors #1: Philistines, Beersheba, Bible Accuracy [3-18-22]

Ehrman Errors #2: Jesus is God in the Synoptics (With Emphasis on the Term “Son of God” Applied to Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and Its Implications) [3-19-22]

Ehrman Errors #3: Jesus vs. Paul on Salvation? [3-22-22]

Ehrman Errors #4: Paul’s “Neglect” of the Life of Jesus [3-22-22]

Ehrman Errors #5: Hazor Battles “Contradictions”? (Including Possible Archaeological Evidence for the Battle of Deborah in Judges 4) [3-23-22]

Ehrman Errors #6: Joshua’s Conquest & Science [3-23-22]

Ehrman Errors #7: “Other Side” of the Sea of Galilee [3-24-22]

Ehrman Errors #8: Jesus: Synoptics vs. John? (Jesus “Scarcely” Talks About Himself in the Synoptics? No Parables At All in John?) [3-24-22]

Ehrman Errors #9: Star Stopping Over a House?! [3-25-22]

Ehrman Errors #10: Jesus is God in Mark (“Receiving” Jesus is Receiving God the Father, from Whom He Was “Sent”) [3-25-22]

Ehrman Errors #11: Luke the Unreliable Historian? (Debunking Yet More of the Endless Pseudo-“Contradictions” Supposedly All Over the Bible) [3-28-22]

“EPRONOVOST”

Debate On Miracles Vs. An Atheist [1-6-23]
*

“ERIC”

Dialogue: Atheist Skepticism Re the Gospels (. . . and Christian Epistemology) [2-15-22]

JD EVELAND

Dialogue with a Polymath Agnostic on Root Premises [9-1-15]

Friendly Dialogue with an Agnostic on Revelation [10-3-15]

Dialogue with an Agnostic: God as a “Properly Basic Belief” [10-5-15]

Christianity: To Blame for Allegedly “Christian” Lunatics? [10-29-15]

Dialogue: Is Catholic Virginity an “Anti-Sex” Viewpoint? [11-6-15]

Catholic Sexuality: Cordial Dialogue with an Agnostic [12-30-15]

STEWART JAMES FELKER

Only Ignoramuses Believe in Adam & Eve? [9-9-15]

Bible “Contradictions” & Plausibility (Dialogue w Atheist) [12-17-18]

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

“GRIMLOCK”

Dialogue w Atheist: Jesus, Thor, & “Evidence” for God [5-22-18]

Omnipotent & Omniscient God & “Absolute Proof” of Same [5-22-18]

Dialogue w Atheist on the Origin of the Universe [6-23-18]

Dialogue w Atheist on Jesus, Demons, Pigs, & Animal Rights [7-5-18]

Atheist vs. Christian Ignorance of the Bible: A Brief Observation [7-5-18]

Predestination and Salvation: Q & A with an Atheist [7-24-18]

Predestination Mysteries: Dialogue with an Atheist [7-24-18]

Am I the Christian Equivalent of the “Angry Atheist”? [8-9-18]

Hysterical Frenzy vs. Me on Atheist Seidensticker’s Blog [8-10-18]

“GUSBOVONA”

Dialogue w Atheist on Biblical Exegesis & Christian Ignorance [5-26-19]

Dialogue with Atheist: Are Christians “Unscientific”? [5-27-19]

“HELENINEDINBURGH”

God’s Judgment of Sin: Analogies for an Atheist Inquirer [9-6-18]

Dialogue w Agnostic on Proof for Miracles (Lourdes) [9-9-18]

ADAM LEE

Genesis, Joseph, Archaeology, & Biblical Accuracy (+ A Brief Survey of Evidence for “The King’s Highway” in Jordan in the Bronze Age: Prior to 1000 BC) [6-8-21]

Arameans, Amorites, and Archaeological Accuracy [6-8-21]

Abraham & Beersheba, the Bible, & Archaeology [6-9-21]
*

Moses, Kadesh, Negev, Bronze Age, & Archaeology [6-10-21]

Edomites: Archaeology Confirms the Bible (As Always) [6-10-21]

*
LEX LATA

Pearce’s Potshots #62: Gadarenes & Gerasenes #3 [2-17-22]

Pearce’s Potshots #63: Lex, NT Texts, & the Next Town Over [2-18-22]

Moses Wrote the Torah: 50 External Evidences (Reply to Atheist “Lex Lata”) [12-14-22]

Joshua’s Conquest: Rapid, Always Violent, & Total? [5-1-23]
*

JOHN LOFTUS [DEBUNKING CHRISTIANITY BLOG]

Dialogue w Atheist John Loftus on the Problem of Evil [10-11-06]

Critique of Atheist John W. Loftus’ “Deconversion” Story [10-15-06]

Critiquing Atheist Deconversions = “Spiritual Predator”? [10-28-06]

Is God in Time? [11-30-06]

Critique of Atheist John Loftus Regarding a Timeless God . . . And of Course, “Jittery John” Again Explodes [11-30-06]

Atheist John Loftus Reacts to My Analysis of His “Deconversion” [12-6-06]

Reply to Atheist John Loftus’ “Outsider Test of Faith” Series [9-30-07]

Silly, Foolish Atheist John Loftus (Debunking Christianity) [10-4-07]

The Census, Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem, & History: Reply to Atheist John W. Loftus’ Irrational Criticisms of the Biblical Accounts [2-3-11]

Atheist John Loftus: “Christians R Idiots” / “Buy My Books!” [2-4-11]

Debunking Christianity: Never-Ending Insults of Christianity [2-7-11]

John Loftus’ Deconversion & Feuds with Atheists [10-9-15]

Do I “Hate” Atheists (or, Anyone)? Here’s the Record . . . [8-21-19]

Atheist Loftus “Answers” & Censors My 34 Replies to Dr. Madison [8-30-19]

Delusions of Grandeur and Groupthink Ecstasies: Apostate Atheist David Madison on the Supreme Global Importance of Apostate Atheist John Loftus [Facebook, 8-31-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #1: Intro: “Why [He] Became an Atheist” [9-3-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #2: 16-Page Deconversion Story [9-4-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #3: Scientism & a “Better [Pascal’s] Wager” [9-5-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #4: The Outsider Test for Faith [9-5-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #5: Origins, Flew’s Deism, Anthropomorphism [9-9-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #6: Is God “Love” or a “Moral Monster”? [9-9-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #7: Christian Influence on Science [9-9-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #8: Ancient Jews, “Body” of God, & Polytheism [9-10-19]

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

Loftus Atheist Error #10: Prophet Jeremiah vs. Mosaic Law? [9-11-19]

“Big Name” Anti-Theist Atheist Intellectual Cowardice Rolls On as Always (John Loftus) [Facebook, 1-6-21]

Loftus Lies #22: Paine, Stanton, & Twain Were Not Atheists [1-18-21]

Loftus Lies #23: Hypocrisy Re Deconversion Stories [1-19-21]

Loftus Lies #24: David Madison & Atheist Cowardice [3-26-21]

DR. DAVID MADISON

Dr. David Madison vs. Jesus #1: Hating One’s Family? [8-1-19]

Dr. David Madison vs. Jesus #2: Weird & Fictional Mark 16? [8-3-19]

Dr. David Madison vs. Jesus #3: Nature & Time of 2nd Coming [8-3-19]

“Angry Atheist” Ring-Around-the-Rosey Example #763 [8-4-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #4: Jesus Causes a Bad Marriage? [8-5-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #5: Cultlike Forsaking of Family? [8-5-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #6: Narcissistic, Love-Starved God? [8-6-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #7: God Prohibits Some Folks’ Repentance? [8-6-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #8: Holy Eucharist as “Grotesque Magic”? [8-7-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #9: Clueless Re Rebellion & Judgment [8-7-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #10: Universal Answered Prayer & Healing? [8-7-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #11: He’s Not the Prince of Peace? [8-8-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #12: Discipleship & Jewish Burial Customs [8-8-19]

Former Methodist Minister Dr. David Madison: The Ultimate Atheist Bible-Basher: Many More Rebuttals to Come [Facebook, 8-8-19]

Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #1: Intro. & Overview (Gospels as “Con Job”? / Parables & Repentance / Old Testament Sacrifices & Jesus / “Weird” Mark 16 / Why Jesus Was Killed) [8-13-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #2: Chapter 1 (Why Did Mark Omit Jesus’ Baptism? / Why Was Jesus Baptized? / “Suffering Servant” & Messiah in Isaiah / Spiritual “Kingdom of God” / Archaeological Support) [8-14-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #3: Chapter 2 (Archaeological Support / Sin, Illness, Healing, & Faith / “Word” & “Gospel”) [8-15-19]

The Remarkable Arrogance and Folly of the Atheist Biblical “Exegete” (Example from Dr. David Madison) [Facebook, 8-15-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #4: Chapter 3 (Unforgivable Sin [Blaspheming the Holy Spirit] / Plots to Kill Jesus / Rude Jesus? [“Who is My Mother?”]) [8-16-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #5: Chapter 4 (Parables) [8-16-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #6: Chapters 5-6 (Supernatural & Miracles / Biblical Literary Genres & Figures / Perpetual Virginity / Healing & Belief / Persecution of Jesus in Nazareth) [8-18-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #7: Ch. 7 (Gentiles) [8-19-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #8: Ch. 9 (“Mean” Jesus) [8-19-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #9: Chapter 10 (Christian Biblical Ignorance / Jesus vs. Marriage & Family? / Divinity of Jesus) [8-20-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #10: Chapter 11 (Two Donkeys? / Fig Tree / Moneychangers) [8-20-19]

David Madison vs. the Gospel of Mark #11: Chapter 12 (Jesus Predicts His Passion & Death / Judgment Day / God’s Mercy / God as Cosmic Narcissist?) [8-21-19]

David Madison: Synoptics vs. John Re Jesus’ Will & Passion? [8-22-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #1: Chapter 1 (Virgin Birth / God in Creation / Human Rebelliousness / Paul’s Loving Tolerance / God’s Forgiveness / Paul on Sex & Marriage / God’s Just Judgment) [8-22-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #2: Chapter 2 (God’s Fair Judgment / Soteriology / God Knowing Our Thoughts / Chosen People) [8-26-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #3: Chapter 3 (Pauline / Biblical Soteriology: Faith and Works, Grace and Merit / Hyperbole [“No one is good”]) [8-27-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #4: Chapter 4 (Development: Law & Grace & Faith / Circumcision & Abortion / Eternal Salvation & Damnation in the Old Testament) [8-27-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #5: Chapter 5 (Conversion & Apostolic Credentials / Pre-Pauline Evangelism / “Rogue Apostle”? / Falsely Alleged Fears / Universal Atonement / Foolishness of the Cross / Unspiritual Persons) [8-28-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #6: Chapter 6 (Baptismal Regeneration / Is Paul a Killjoy? / Paul & the Last Days) [8-28-19]

Dr. David Madison quickly overtaking “Bible-Basher” Bob Seidensticker as the biggest atheist intellectual coward on the Internet [Facebook, 8-28-19]

One Pathetic Example of Atheist Apostate Dr. David Madison Being Dead-Wrong About St. Paul: His Knowledge of Pagan Greek Culture [Facebook, 8-28-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #7: Chapter 7 (Stock Atheist Insults / Flesh vs. Spirit / Did Paul Wallow in “Personal Torment”?) [8-29-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #8: Chapter 8 (Meaning of “Flesh” / Original Sin & Man’s Rebellion / Paul’s Triumphant Solution / Paul & Greek Culture) [8-29-19]

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

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #10: Chapter 10 (“Circumcision of the Heart” & the Law / “Being Saved” in Ancient Jewish Scripture) [8-30-19]

David Madison vs. Paul and Romans #11: Chapter 11 (“Scary” & “Vindictive” Yahweh? / Endless Stupefied Insults of God / Judgment Explained Yet Again) [8-30-19]

Atheist Loftus “Answers” & Censors My 34 Replies to Dr. Madison [8-30-19]

Delusions of Grandeur and Groupthink Ecstasies: Apostate Atheist David Madison on the Supreme Global Importance of Apostate Atheist John Loftus [Facebook, 8-31-19]

Teenage “Aversion” to Paul & “Diminishing” Belief in God in Seminary? (What a Surprise that David Madison Became an Apostate!!!) [9-4-19]

Atheist David Madison Rationalizes His Intellectual Cowardice . . . and Ignoring of 35 of My Critiques of His Anti-Christian Polemics [9-7-19]

Vs. Atheist David Madison #36: Matthew & Christmas [12-10-19]

Vs. Atheist David Madison #37: Bible, Science, & Germs [12-10-19]

Vs. Atheist David Madison #38: Who is Insulting Intelligence? (. . . with emphasis on the vexing and complex question of the ultimate origins of matter and life) [12-11-19]

Vs. Atheist David Madison #39: Jesus the Xenophobic Bigot? (And did Jesus minister exclusively to Jews and not Gentiles at all: an alleged Gospel inconsistency)? [12-12-19]

Vs. Atheist David Madison #40: Jesus: All Sexual Desire is Lust? (Replies to some of the most clueless atheist “arguments” to ever enter the mind of a sentient human being . . .) [12-18-19]

Vs. Atheist David Madison #41: God’s a Sadistic Tyrant (Hell)? [12-18-19]

Vs. Atheist David Madison #42: Jesus vs. Financial Responsibility? [12-19-19]

Madison Malarkey #43: Recycled Lies & Closed Ears [12-29-20]

Madison Malarkey #44: Gospel Gish Gallop Garbage [12-30-20]

Loftus Lies #24: David Madison & Atheist Cowardice [3-26-21]

Madison Malarkey #45: Biblical Proverbial Language: Mark 16:17-18 and the Various Sign Miracles [4-10-21]

Madison Malarkey #46: How Can Mary Verify the Virgin Birth? [4-10-21]

JONATHAN M. S. PEARCE

Atheist Deconversion: Dialogue #2: Jonathan MS Pearce [7-20-17]

Gadarenes, Gerasenes, Swine, & Atheist Skeptics [7-25-17]

Reply to Atheist Jonathan MS Pearce: Herod’s Death & Alleged “Contradictions” (with Jimmy Akin) [7-25-17]

Reply to Atheist Jonathan MS Pearce: “Mistranslation” of “Virgin”? (Isaiah 7:14) (with Glenn Miller) [7-26-17]

Reply to Atheist Jonathan MS Pearce: “Contradictory” Genealogies of Christ? [7-27-17]

Reply to Atheist Jonathan MS Pearce: Bethlehem & Nazareth “Contradictions” (Including Extensive Exegetical Analysis of Micah 5:2) [7-28-17]

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

Demons, Gadara, & Biblical Numbers (vs. JMS Pearce) [12-18-20]

Jesus the “Nazarene” Redux (vs. Jonathan M. S. Pearce) [12-19-20]

Pearce’s Potshots #11: 28 Defenses of Jesus’ Nativity (Featuring Confirmatory Historical Tidbits About the Magi and Herod the Great) [1-9-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #12: Supernatural Star of Bethlehem? (Biblical View of Astronomy, Laws of Nature, and the Natural World) [1-11-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #13: Resurrection “Contradictions” (?) [2-2-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #14: Resurrection “Contradictions” #2 [2-4-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #15: Gospel of Matthew vs. Gospel of Mark? [2-7-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #16: Does St. Paul Justify Lying? [2-12-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #17: Doubting Thomas & an “Unfair” God [3-17-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #18: Doubting Thomas & Evidence [3-18-21]

How Anti-Theist Atheists “Argue” Online (I.e., Insult) (Examples from Pearce’s Blog) [3-18-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #19: Doubting Thomas & a “Mean God” [3-19-21]

Farewell to Jonathan M. S. Pearce’s A Tippling Philosopher Forum (and Probably to All Atheist Forums) [Facebook, 4-14-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #20: Unfair Meanie God & Unfree Will [5-7-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #21: Sufficient Evidence for Theism [5-8-21]

Sociology: Undeniably, Religion Makes Us Better Human Beings (Pearce’s Potshots #22) [5-10-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #23: God’s True Mercy & Grace [5-10-21]

Atheist JMS Pearce Sez His Combox Will Be Civil (Right!) [5-20-21]

Abraham, Moses, Camels, & Archaeological Evidence [5-22-21]

OT Camels & Biblically Illiterate Archaeologists [5-24-21]

When Were Camels Domesticated in Egypt & Israel? [5-25-21]

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

Pearce’s Potshots #28: Pharaoh Didn’t Know Joseph?! [5-26-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #29: No Pitch / Bitumen in Moses’ Egypt? [5-26-21]
*

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

Pearce’s Potshots #31: How Many Israelites in the Exodus? [5-27-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #32: No Evidence for Joshua’s Conquest? [5-28-21]

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

Jonathan M.S. Pearce: Typical Case of Anti-Theist Atheists Being Unwilling to Defend Their Ludicrous Anti-Biblical Pseudo-“Arguments” [Facebook, 6-10-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #34: Atheist Throws a Screwball Pitch (Part II of “Pitch / Bitumen in Moses’ Egypt”) [6-12-21]

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]
*

Atheist Pearce Agrees: Let’s Stop Mutual “Dishonest” Charges [6-18-21]
*

Criterion of Catholic Orthodoxy: Degree of “Pearcianism” [6-22-21]

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

Have Atheists Found the Key to Defeating Me in Debate? (No . . .) [Facebook, 7-2-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #37: Length of Noah’s Flood Redux [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]

Jonathan Pearce the Atheist Sez Folks Who Believe in Biblical Infallibility R Nuts [Facebook, 7-4-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #39: Ignoring Chiastic Literary Genre in Genesis [7-5-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #40: Manure-Comments on His Blog [7-10-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #41: 13th c. BC Canaanite Iron Chariots [7-16-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #42: 12th c. BC Moabite & Ammonite Kings (The Broad Definition of “King” in the Ancient Near East, + Biblical Use of “Chiefs of Edom”) [7-19-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #43: Joshua’s Conquest & Archaeology (Including a Plausible Theory as to Why Late Bronze Age Jericho (after 1550 BC) has Virtually Completely Eroded) [8-3-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #44: Jairus’ Daughter “Contradiction”? [8-17-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #45: “Unholy Questions” for God [8-29-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #46: Who Wrote the Gospel of John? [9-2-21]

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]

Pearce’s Potshots #49: Homer & the Gospels (Mythmaking Scholar Suggests the Story of Priam in the Iliad as the Model for a Fictional Joseph of Arimathea) [10-15-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #50: Obsession w NT Imitation (?) of Homer (Once Again, Archaeology and Legitimate Historiography [i.e., Known Historical Facts] Refute These Ridiculous Claims [10-18-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #51: “ANB” + “Unfair God” Argument [10-21-21]
*

Pearce’s Potshots #52: No Tomb for Jesus? (Skeptical Fairy Tales and Fables vs. the Physical Corroborating Evidence of Archaeology in Jerusalem) [11-10-21]

Exchanges with Atheists About God’s Attributes (Pearce’s Potshots #53: Omniscience, Omnipotence, Foreknowledge, Judgment, Animals & Humans, Free Will, Anthropomorphism, & Anthropopathism) [11-12-21]

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

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

Pearce’s Potshots #56: Paul & Jesus’ Resurrection [12-10-21]

Well-Known Atheist Graciously Thanks Me for Challenging Him [Facebook, 12-14-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #57: Matthew & the Tomb Guards (Including the Analogy of Xenophon and Plato as Biographers of Socrates) [1-28-22]

Pearce’s Potshots #58: Paul & Jesus’ “Empty” Tomb [1-29-22]

Pearce’s Potshots #59: Fairy-Tale Atheist Eisegesis (1) [1-31-22]

Pearce’s Potshots #60: Fairy-Tale Atheist Eisegesis (2) [2-1-22]
*

Pearce’s Potshots #61: The Rationale for Prayer [2-5-22]

Pearce’s Potshots #62: Gadarenes & Gerasenes #3 [2-17-22]

Pearce’s Potshots #63: Lex, NT Texts, & the Next Town Over [2-18-22]

Pearce’s Potshots #64: Archaeology & 1st Century Nazareth [2-25-22]
*

Pearce’s Potshots #65: Who First Visited Baby Jesus? [2-26-22]

Pearce’s Potshots #66: Bethlehem Joseph / Census Issues [2-28-22]

Atheist & Anti-Theist Polemicist Jonathan MS Pearce Melts Down in the Face of My Critiques [Facebook, 3-1-22]

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

Pearce Pablum #68: “Thou Shalt Not Kill” [Murder] [3-2-22]

Pearce Pablum #69: Straw-Man, Mythical “Nativity” [3-2-22]

Pearce Pablum #70: Nativity Book Errors [3-4-22]

Pearce Pablum #71: Dragons in the Bible? [3-4-22]

Atheist Jonathan MS Pearce Claims That He Always Wants to Open-Mindedly Interact with Critiques (Except When I Offer Them) [Facebook, 3-7-22]

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

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

Jonathan MS Pearce: a Former “Christian” Who Was and Still Largely is Woefully Ignorant of Christian Theology: Like Seemingly 90% of all Anti-Theist Atheists I Have Encountered [Facebook, 12-14-22]

The Uneven Evidence Debate: A Reply to Jonathan MS Pearce [Paul Hoffer, 4-17-21]

“PROF MTH” (MITCH)

Reply to Atheist on “Fabricated” OT Messianic Prophecies (ProfMTH”‘s Video Jesus Was Not the Messiah – Pt. I) [7-1-10]

Reply to Atheist on Isaiah 53 & “Dishonest” Christians [7-2-10]

Reply to Atheist on Messianic Prophecies (Zech 13:6, Ps 22) [7-3-10]

Old Testament Citations in the NT Defended (Jn 7:38) [7-4-10]

St. Paul: Two-Faced Re Unbelief? (Romans 1 “vs.” Epistles) [7-5-10]

WARD RICKER

Reply to Atheist Ward Ricker Re “Biblical Contradictions” [5-15-20]

Dialogues on “Contradictions” w Bible-Bashing Atheists[ 5-16-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #1-3: Genesis 1 vs. 2 (Creation) [5-17-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #4: Which Tree Fruit In Eden to Eat? [5-17-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #5: Isaac: Abraham’s “Only” Son? [5-18-20]

Ward’s Whoppers #6: Meaning of “Knowing” God’s Name [5-18-20]

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]

Ward’s Whoppers #13: How Did David Kill Goliath? [5-19-20]

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

Ward’s Whoppers #15-16: God & Omniscience / Worship [5-20-20]

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

DR. JAN SCHREURS

Dialogue w Agnostic: Relativist vs. Absolute Morality (vs. Dr. Jan Schreurs) [June 1999]

Isaac and Abraham’s Agony: Dialogue with Agnostic (vs. Dr. Jan Schreurs) [June 1999]

Dialogue w Agnostic Scientist on God’s Logic, Axioms, & Biases (vs. Dr. Jan Schreurs) [June 1999]

BOB SEIDENSTICKER [CROSS EXAMINED BLOG]

Why Do We Worship God? Dialogue with an Atheist [5-11-18]

Seidensticker: Christians R Intellectually Dishonest Idiots [5-12-18]

Reply to Atheist Seidensticker on Demands for “Evidence” [5-21-18]

Why I Blocked Anti-Theist Atheist Bob Seidensticker [8-8-18]

Science: “only discipline that tells us new things about reality” [???]: Scientism or Near-Scientism as a Very Common Shortcoming of Atheist Epistemology [8-9-18]

Hysterical Frenzy vs. Me on Atheist Seidensticker’s Blog [8-10-18]

Atheist Falsely Claims I Troll Atheist Site to Get Traffic (Google Analytics Blows That Out of the Water) [8-11-18]

Seidensticker Folly #1: Atheist vs. Christian Generosity [8-12-18]

Rank anti-Christian bigotry and cultural stupidity on Seidensticker’s blog. Chartres and Hagia Sophia as “absolute crap artwork”? [Facebook, 8-13-18]

Seidensticker Folly #2: Atheist vs. Christian Mental Health [8-13-18]

Seidensticker Folly #3: Falsehoods About God & Free Will [8-14-18]

Seidensticker Folly #4: Jesus Never Existed, Huh? [8-14-18]

Seidensticker Folly #5: Has Archaeology Disproven the Exodus? [8-15-18]

Seidensticker Folly #6: God Has “No Problem with Rape”? [8-15-18]

Seidensticker Folly #7: No Conditional Prayer in Scripture? [8-16-18]

Seidensticker Folly #8: Physics Has Disproven Souls? [8-16-18]

Seidensticker Folly #9: Trinity Unclear in the Bible? [8-17-18]

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

Seidensticker Folly #11: Slavery & the New Testament [8-20-18]

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

Seidensticker Folly #13: God Hasta Prove He Exists! [8-29-18]

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

Seidensticker Folly #15: Jesus’ Ascension: One or 40 Days? [9-10-18]

Seidensticker Folly #16: Two Sets of Ten Commandments? [9-10-18]

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

Seidensticker Folly #18: Resurrection “Contradictions”? [9-17-18]

Seidensticker Folly #19: Torah & OT Teach Polytheism? [9-18-18]

Seidensticker Folly #20: An Evolving God in the OT? [9-18-18]

Seidensticker Folly #21: Atheist “Bible Science” Absurdities [9-25-18]

Seidensticker Folly #22: Contradiction? Saved by Faith or Works? [10-1-18]

Seidensticker Folly #23: Atheist “Bible Science” Inanities, Pt. 2 [10-2-18]

Atheist Bob Seidensticker Ain’t Afraid to Debate, and I Am? Really?! [10-3-18]

Seidensticker Folly #24: Paul’s Massive Ignorance of Jesus (?) [10-5-18]

Low IQ Comments Flourish on Bob Seidensticker’s Anti-Theist Blog [what banning from a Patheos blog means and doesn’t mean, and ability to counter-reply] [Facebook, 10-5-18]

Seidensticker Folly #25: Jesus’ Alleged Mustard Seed Error [10-8-18]

Seidensticker Folly #26: Spiritual Bodies R Still Bodies! [10-9-18]

Seidensticker Folly #27: Confusion Re John the Baptist [10-9-18]

Seidensticker Folly #28: Lies About Bible “Contradictions” (1. Christians don’t sin? 2. Universalism? 3. “Tomb evangelism”. 4. Can human beings see God or not?) [10-23-18]

Seidensticker Folly #29: Repentance: Part of Salvation [10-26-18]

Seidensticker Folly #30: Small vs. Great Commission? [10-26-18]

Seidensticker Folly #31: Jesus’ Burial Spices Contradiction? [4-20-19]

Seidensticker Folly #32: Sophistically Redefining “Contradiction” [4-20-19]

Atheist Bob Seidensticker: Intellectual Coward (My 32 Critiques) [7-20-19]

Seidensticker Folly #33: Clueless Re Biblical Anthropopathism [7-24-19]

Seidensticker Folly #34: Does God “Regret” or “Repent”? [7-25-19]

Seidensticker Folly #35: Is God an Inveterate Liar? [7-25-19]

Seidensticker Folly #36: Disease, Jesus, Paul, Miracles, & Demons [1-13-20]

Seidensticker Folly #37: “What is a Contradiction?” 0101 [4-15-20]

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

Seidensticker Folly #39: “The Sun Stood Still” (Joshua) [4-16-20]

Seidensticker Folly #40: Craig, Trinity Definition, & Analogies [4-17-20]

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

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

Seidensticker Folly #43: Intellectual Cowardice & Hypocrisy [8-28-20]

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

Seidensticker Folly #45: “Zombies” & Clueless Atheists (Atheist Neil Carter Joins in on the Silliness and Tomfoolery as Well) [8-29-20]

Seidensticker Folly #46: Ridiculous 5-Minute Exchange (Atheist Neil Carter Promptly Banned Me During the Discussion on His Blog) [8-30-20]

Seidensticker Folly #47: Does God Need Praise? [8-31-20]

Seidensticker Folly #48: Peter’s Denials & Accusers [8-31-20]

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

Seidensticker Folly #50: Mary Thought Jesus Was Crazy? (And Does the Gospel of Mark Radically Differ from the Other Gospels in the “Family vs. Following Jesus” Aspect?) [9-8-20]

Seidensticker Folly #51: God and Praise, Part II [9-8-20]

Seidensticker Folly #52: Spiritual Bodies R Physical [9-10-20]

Seidensticker Folly #53: Matthew Cited the Wrong Prophet? [9-11-20]

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

Seidensticker Folly #55: Godhood of Jesus in the Synoptics [9-12-20]

Seidensticker Folly #56: Many Jesuses in the New Testament? [9-13-20]

Seidensticker Folly #57: Male Witnesses of the Dead Jesus [9-14-20]

Seidensticker Folly #58: Jesus Erred on Time of 2nd Coming? (with David Palm) [10-7-20]

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

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

Seidensticker Folly #61: Catholic Censorship: Justified? Unique? (Guest post by Paul Hoffer) [11-6-20]

Seidensticker Folly #62: Bible & Personhood of Fetuses [11-10-20]

Seidensticker Folly #63: Answer Comfort But Never Armstrong? (ditto for Dr. William Lane Craig) [11-24-20]

Seidensticker Folly #64: A Saved Dahmer & Damned Anne Frank? [11-24-20]

Seidensticker Folly #65: “Hear No Evil, See No Evil . . .” [11-25-20]

Jesus Didn’t Die “For Real” and “Didn’t Even Have Any Mental Anguish”. Didja Know That? [Facebook, 11-25-20]

Seidensticker Folly #66: Biblical “Evidence-Less Faith”? [12-9-20]

Seidensticker Folly #67: Atheism’s Logical End: Nihilism [12-10-20]

Seidensticker Folly #68: Atheist Fairy Tales & Dogmas [12-20-20]

Seidensticker Folly #69: “Difficulties” Aren’t Contradictions [1-4-21]

Seidensticker Folly #70: Biblical “Henotheism” [?] Redux [1-31-21]

Seidensticker Folly #71: Spirit-God “Magic”; 68% Dark Energy Isn’t? [2-2-21]

Seidensticker Folly #72: Why an Eight-Week Fetus Is a Baby [3-3-21]

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

Seidensticker Folly #74: Omniscient God & Clueless Bob [9-17-21]

Seidensticker Folly #75: Why a Universe at All? [11-5-21]
*

Seidensticker Folly #76: Resurrection Eyewitnesses [12-7-21]

Seidensticker Folly #77: Free Will & the Bible [1-25-22]

Seidensticker Folly #78: “Natural Evil” & Uniformitarianism [1-27-22]

Seidensticker Folly #79: Christians Misquoting Atheists [2-9-22]

Seidensticker Folly #80: Non-“Conversations” with BS [2-15-22]

Reply to Seidensticker’s 50 “2-Minute” Anti-Christian Arguments [12-15-22]

Did the Star of Bethlehem Move Like Tinker Bell? (+ Discussion of Micah 5:2: The Prophecy of Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem) [12-19-22]

Star of Bethlehem: Scientific Verification (vs. an Atheist) [12-20-22]
*

Was the Star of Bethlehem a Natural Celestial Event? [12-21-22]

Who Seized Jesus & Struck Him During His Trial? (vs. Bob Seidensticker) [2-15-23]

SUSAN STRANDBERG

Secular Humanism & Christianity: Seeking Common Ground [5-25-01]

Dialogue w Atheist on Epistemology of Disbelief in God [7-19-01]

Dialogue w Atheist on Christianity & the Scientific Method [7-19-01]

EXTENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF SCHOLARLY LINKS DEALING WITH THE QUESTIONS AND CHALLENGES OF ATHEISTS

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

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

Teleological (Design) Argument for God (Resources) [10-27-15]

15 Theistic Arguments (Copious Resources) [11-3-15]

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

Atheism & Atheology (Copious Resources) [11-5-15]

God: Historical Arguments (Copious Resources) [11-9-15]

Why I Collect Scholarly Links for Atheists [12-18-15]

CHRISTIANITY, ATHEISM, SCIENCE, AND PHILOSOPHY

Dialogue w Atheist on Christianity & the Scientific Method [7-19-01]

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

Biblical Flat Earth (?) Cosmology: Dialogue w Atheist (vs. Matthew Green) [9-11-06]

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

Atheist Myths: “Christianity vs. Science & Reason” [1-3-07]

Richard Dawkins & “Religion vs. Science” Mentality (+ Galileo Redux) [3-20-08]

Reply to Atheist Scientist Jerry Coyne: Science vs. Religion? [7-13-10]

Must Christianity be Empirically Falsifiable in Order to be Rationally Held?: Positivist Myths and Fallacies Debunked by Philosophers and Mathematicians [7-14-10; abridged and re-edited on 9-7-15]

Christian Influence on Science (Copious Resources) [8-4-10]

The Galileo Fiasco & Catholic Infallibility (vs. Jon Curry) [8-11-10]

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

Surveys of Religious Beliefs of Scientists [10-18-10]

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

Only Ignoramuses Believe in Adam & Eve? [9-9-15]

Dialogue with an Atheist on Evolution [9-17-15]

Simultaneously Dumb & Smart Christians, Atheists, & Scientists [10-9-15]

God, Empiricism, & Atheist Demands for “Evidence” [10-9-15]

My Claims Regarding Piltdown Man & the Scopes Trial Twisted [10-10-15]

On Whether Atheism is Inherently More Rational and Scientific, and Less Dogmatic and Axiomatic Than Christianity [10-27-15]

Dogmatic Materialist Scientists vs. Intelligent Design [10-29-15]

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

Exchanges with Atheists on Ultimate Origins [11-19-15]

Cause of the Big Bang: Atheist Geologist Challenged [4-21-17]

Empiricism: Only Valid & Objective Knowledge? Two Atheists “Reply” [7-18-17]

Reason, Science, & Logic Not the Exclusive Possessions of Atheists (+ Double Standards in How Christian Conversions are Treated, Compared to the Often Chilly Reception of Critiques of Atheist Deconversion Stories / Atheist “Exegesis” of the “Doubting Thomas” Passage) [7-24-17]

Atheists & Inherent “Omnipotent” Creative Qualities of Godless Matter [7-26-17]

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

Dialogue w Atheist on the Origin of the Universe [6-23-18]

Dialogue with an Atheist on “God of the Gaps” [6-24-18]

Reply to a Condescending Agnostic Re Science [6-25-18]

Science: “only discipline that tells us new things about reality” [???]: Scientism or Near-Scientism as a Very Common Shortcoming of Atheist Epistemology [8-9-18]

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

Dialogue w Agnostic on Proof for Miracles (Lourdes) [9-9-18]

Seidensticker Folly #21: Atheist “Bible Science” Absurdities [9-25-18]

Miracles, Materialism, & Premises: Dialogue w Atheist [2-20-19]

Miracles & Scientific Method: Dialogue with Atheist [2-22-19]

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

Theistic Argument from Longing or Beauty, & Einstein [3-27-08; rev. 3-14-19]

Short Reply to Jeffrey Taylor’s Article, “How Does an Atheist Disprove God?” [Facebook, 4-12-19]

Dialogue with Atheist: Are Christians “Unscientific”? [5-27-19]

Replies to Atheists on Souls and the Galileo Fiasco [4-30-20]

God the Designer?: Dialogue with an Atheist [8-27-20]

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

Star of Bethlehem: Refuting Silly Atheist Objections [12-26-20]

Star of Bethlehem: More Silly Atheist “Objections” [12-29-20]

Star of Bethlehem: Reply to Obnoxious Atheist Aaron Adair (Plus Further Related Exchanges with Aaron and a Few Others in an Atheist Combox) [1-14-21]

Star of Bethlehem: 2nd Reply to Arrogant Aaron Adair [1-18-21]

Bible on Germ Theory: An Atheist Hems & Haws (. . . while I offer a serious answer to his caricature regarding the Bible and genetics) [8-31-21]

Books by Dave Armstrong: The Word Set in Stone: How Science, History, and Archaeology Prove Biblical Truth [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]

ANTI-THEISM AND THE SUB-GROUP OF “ANGRY ATHEISTS”

Debunking Christianity: Never-Ending Insults of Christianity [2-7-11]

The Atheist Obsession with Insulting Christians [9-15-15]

New Atheist Low: Mythical “Jesus” Like Charles Manson? [11-10-15]

Atheist Insulter Extraordinaire: Pete Migdale: Lies About What I Do from an Acid-Mouthed Type of Atheist [11-19-15]

Dialogue with an Atheist as to Whether or Not Mormons are Christians + Textbook “Angry Atheist” Parting Shots [Facebook, 1-15-17]

How Many Atheists and Agnostics Are Angry, Irrational, Anti-Theist, or Anti-Christian (Online and in “Real Life”)? [Facebook, 3-2-17]

Brief Encounter with a Typical Angry, Patronizing, Anti-Theist-Type of Atheist [Facebook, 3-7-17]

Angry Anti-Theism Strikes Again! (“Dave Armstrong is Delusional”) [3-31-17]

Is Christianity Proof-Free Belief & “Ridiculous”? (vs. Atheist) [4-13-17]

Illogical Angry Atheists: Five Typical Examples [7-21-17]

Not Many “Angry Atheists” Online? You be the Judge [7-22-17]

Atheist Botched Biblical Exegesis: Example #4,974 [7-23-17; expanded on 7-3-18]

Atheist Blogs Delete & Block Insulters & Idiots, Too! [7-31-17]

Reply to a Condescending Agnostic Re Science [6-25-18]

Atheist Demands “Evidence” But Mocks & Dismisses It [6-29-18]

Why I Blocked Anti-Theist Atheist Bob Seidensticker [8-8-18]

Am I the Christian Equivalent of the “Angry Atheist”? [8-9-18]

Hysterical Frenzy vs. Me on Atheist Seidensticker’s Blog [8-10-18]

Rank anti-Christian bigotry and cultural stupidity on Seidensticker’s blog. Chartres and Hagia Sophia as “absolute crap artwork”? [Facebook, 8-13-18]

Christians & the Stupidity of Satan (vs. Insulting Humanist) [11-9-18]

Sex, Lies, & Videotape (“Discussion” w Angry Atheist) [2-15-19]

Atheist Eloquently & Admirably Denounces Anti-Theism [4-12-19]

“Angry Atheist” Ring-Around-the-Rosey Example #763 [8-4-19]

Do I “Hate” Atheists (or, Anyone)? Here’s the Record . . . [8-21-19]

All in a day’s work (sadly typical [online] angry, slanderous atheist) [Facebook, 4-14-20]

Anti-Theist Atheist Snobfest & Insult Extravaganza [12-7-20]

Atheist Blogger Renounces Angry Anti-Theist Obsessions [3-16-21]

How Anti-Theist Atheists “Argue” Online (I.e., Insult) [3-18-21]

Spot-On Analysis of the “Angry Anti-Theist Atheist Mentality” [Facebook, 3-26-21]

Pearce’s Potshots #40: Manure-Comments on His Blog [7-10-21]

All in a Day’s Work (Atheist Insults Sent My Way) [Facebook, 8-30-22]

MIRACLES

The Resurrection: Hoax or History? [cartoon tract; art by Dan Grajek, 1985]

Silly Atheist Arguments vs. the Resurrection & Miracles [2002]

Dialogue with an Atheist on Miracles & First Premises [12-18-10]

Exchange on Miracles & Hyper-Rationalism [12-7-15]

Dialogues with Atheists on Miracles [6-8-16]

Omnipotent & Omniscient God & “Absolute Proof” of Same [5-22-18]

Does God Still Perform Miracles? (Some Evidence) [5-26-18]

Atheists, Miracles, & the Problem of Evil: Contradictions [8-15-18]

Dialogue w Agnostic on Proof for Miracles (Lourdes) [9-9-18]

Miracles, Materialism, & Premises: Dialogue w Atheist [2-20-19]

Miracles & Scientific Method: Dialogue with Atheist [2-22-19]

Atheist Demands for a Miracle to “Prove” God (Dialogue) [2-22-19]

Atheist Desire for Amazing Divine Miracles / Incorruptibles [2-23-19]

God’s Proof of Himself Via Miracles (vs. an Atheist) [3-6-19]

Jesus’ Resurrection: Scholarly Defenses of its Historicity [4-12-20]

Debate On Miracles Vs. An Atheist [1-6-23]

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]

Clarifications Regarding My Atheist Reductio Paper [8-20-15]

Dialogue: Constructive Atheist-Christian Discussion [9-17-15]

Legitimate Atheist Anger [10-7-15]

New Testament on God-Rejecters vs. Open-Minded Agnostics [10-9-15]

How Many Atheists and Agnostics Are Angry, Irrational, Anti-Theist, or Anti-Christian (Online and in “Real Life”)? [Facebook, 3-2-17]

Atheists Preach to the Choir, Just like Apologists Do [7-16-17]

Atheist Blogs Delete & Block Insulters & Idiots, Too! [7-31-17]

Dialogue with a Friendly Atheist #1: My Pagan / Occultic Period (+ Circumstances and Factors Regarding my Evangelical Conversion in 1977 at Age 18 and Catholic Conversion at Age 32) [8-3-17]

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

Argument for God from Desire: Atheist-Christian Dialogue [8-7-17]

Am I the Christian Equivalent of the “Angry Atheist”? [8-9-18]

Do All Atheists Hate My Guts and Get Banned from My Blog at the Slightest Disagreement? [Facebook, 9-3-18]

Atheist Eloquently & Admirably Denounces Anti-Theism [4-12-19]

Do I “Hate” Atheists (or, Anyone)? Here’s the Record . . . [8-21-19]

How Christians Should Approach Atheists [Facebook, 1-2-24]
*
New Testament Inclusivity and Atheists [Facebook, 1-2-24]
*GOD (ATHEIST OBSESSION WITH THE SUPPOSEDLY NONEXISTENT)

God as Cosmic Santa Claus & the Bible as Fairy-Tale: Reply to Common Atheist Critiques Concerning the Christian Epistemology of Belief in the Bible and God [11-13-02]

Atheist Argument From Non-Belief (vs. Dr. Ted Drange) [2-26-03]

Debate: Argument from Non-Belief (ANB) (vs. Steve Conifer) [2-26-03]

“Blind Faith” (?): Dialogue with an Atheist, Challenged to Produce Any “Positive” Rational Evidence for Atheism (vs. Jon) [4-6-12]

Why Did a Perfect God Create an Imperfect World? [8-18-15]

God: No More Reasonable than Leprechauns? [8-30-15]

Defending God (The Atheist Blame Game) [8-31-15]

God: No More Believable than Santa Claus? [9-16-15]

Vigorous Critique of Irrational, Incoherent, Excessive, Arbitrary, & Relentless Atheist Demands for “Empirical” Proofs of God’s Existence [10-27-15]

Fairies, Atheism, God, & the Ad Populum Fallacy [11-13-15]

Is God an Unjust Judge? Dialogue with an Atheist [10-30-17]

Omnipotent & Omniscient God & “Absolute Proof” of Same [5-22-18]

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

Jesus Said He Was God: Reply to Ex-Christian Atheist [7-30-19]

Deconstructing a Typical Atheist “Santa Claus” Argument [9-25-21]

ABORTION / ANIMAL RIGHTS

Biblical Knowledge of Atheist “DagoodS” as a Christian (Specifically, the Biblical [and Patristic] Teaching on Abortion) [12-13-10; expanded on 3-14-19]

Abortion in the Bible?: Debate w Zealous Agnostic [12-15-10]

Civil Dialogue with a Humanist on Abortion [2-7-16]

Relative Value of Gorillas vs. Humans [6-5-16]

Does God Cause Miscarriages?: A Farcical Exchange [8-23-20]

SEX, MARRIAGE, AND WOMEN

Christian Sexual Views and Support from Sociology (Discussions About Christian Sexual Morality and Marriage with Atheists) [12-8-06]

Dialogue: Sexist, Misogynist Bible and Christianity? (Debate with Five Atheists. Are Christian Women Abused as “Sheep”?) [9-20-10; abridged a bit on 2-12-20]

Dialogue: “Anthropological Advocacy” of Same-Sex Marriage (+ Part II) [7-26-15]

Friendly Dialogue with a Transgender Atheist & Satanist [7-26-15]

Woman-Hating Catholic Church?: Reply to an Atheist [10-1-15]

Catholic Sexuality: Cordial Dialogue with an Agnostic [12-30-15]

SECULARISM AND SOCIETY

Are Coercion & Persecution Coming Soon for Catholics? [9-2-15]

Is America a “Moral Sewer” (Due to Secularism)? [9-5-15]

“Forced” Morality & Ubiquitous “Bigotry” [6-9-16]

Bathroom Insanity, “Gay Marriage”, Abortion, & Legal Coercion [6-10-16]

Bathroom Laws Redux (Dialogue with an Atheist) [6-23-16]

Secularism & the Destruction of America Since 1965 [6-24-16]

12 Ways God-Rejecters Murder, Attack, & Abuse Children (The Devil, Those Who Have Rejected God & Christianity, & the Radical Secularists Always Attack, Abuse, or Murder Children) [7-12-23]

“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”]

Atheist Bible “Scholarship” & “Exegesis” [3-18-03]

Old Earth, Flood Geology, Local Flood, & Uniformitarianism (vs. Kevin Rice) [5-25-04; rev. 5-10-17]

Biblical Flat Earth (?) Cosmology: Dialogue w Atheist (vs. Matthew Green) [9-11-06]

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

Dialogue w Agnostic on Elijah and John the Baptist [9-24-06]

Biblical Annihilationism or Universalism? (w Atheist Ted Drange) [9-30-06]

12 Disciples of Jesus: Alleged Contradictions Debunked [12-9-06]

Death of Judas: Alleged Bible Contradictions Debunked (vs. Dave Van Allen and Dr. Jim Arvo) [9-27-07]

Old Testament Citations in the NT Defended (Jn 7:38) [7-4-10]

St. Paul: Two-Faced Re Unbelief? (Romans 1 “vs.” Epistles) [7-5-10]

Alleged Bible “Contradictions” & “Difficulties” (Resources) [7-19-10]

Dialogue: Sexist, Misogynist Bible and Christianity? (Debate with Five Atheists. Are Christian Women Abused as “Sheep”?) [9-20-10; abridged a bit on 2-12-20]

Dialogue w Atheist: Joseph of Arimathea “Contradictions” (??) (Lousy Atheist Exegesis Example #5672) [1-7-11]

Reply to Atheists: Defining a [Biblical] “Contradiction” [1-7-11]

Dialogue w Atheist on Post-Resurrection “Contradictions” [1-26-11]

The Census, Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem, & History: Reply to Atheist John W. Loftus’ Irrational Criticisms of the Biblical Accounts [2-3-11]

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

Win a Few, Lose a Few (Atheists / Agnostics & Me) [9-1-15]

Only Ignoramuses Believe in Adam & Eve? [9-9-15]

“Butcher & Hog”: On Relentless Biblical Skepticism [9-21-15]

Manuscript Evidence: New Testament vs. Plato, Etc. [10-10-15]

Review of The Book of Non-Contradiction (Phillip Campbell) [5-9-17]

Genesis Contradictory (?) Creation Accounts & Hebrew Time: + Refutation of a Clueless Atheist “Biblical Contradiction” [5-11-17]

Alleged “Bible Contradictions”: Most Are Actually Not So [6-8-17]

Dialogue with an Atheist on Bible Difficulties, Plausibility Structures, & Deconversion [6-10-17]

Why We Should Fully Expect Many “Bible Difficulties” [7-17-17]

Atheist “Refutes” Sermon on the Mount (Or Does He?) [National Catholic Register, 7-23-17]

Atheist Botched Biblical Exegesis: Example #4,974 [7-23-17; expanded on 7-3-18]

Richard Dawkins’ “Bible Whoppers” Are the “Delusion” [5-25-18]

Biblical Interpretation & Clarity: Dialogue w an Atheist [5-26-18]

Atheist vs. Christian Ignorance of the Bible: A Brief Observation [7-5-18]

Atheist Inventions of Many Bogus “Bible Contradictions” [National Catholic Register, 9-4-18]

Bible “Contradictions” & Plausibility (Dialogue w Atheist) [12-17-18]

Atheist Lectures Me on the Dead Sea Scrolls; Steps In It [Facebook, 12-20-18]

Reply to Flimsy Atheist Biblical “Exegesis” #145,298 [4-5-19]

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

Dialogue w Atheist on Biblical Exegesis & Christian Ignorance [5-26-19]

Jesus Said He Was God: Reply to Ex-Christian Atheist [7-30-19]

Biblical Hyperbole, Masturbation, & Intransigent Atheists [9-3-19]

Star of Bethlehem: Refuting Silly Atheist Objections [12-26-20]

Atheists, Biblical “Contradictions” & the Plausibility Issue [2-4-21]

Why Do I Defend the Bible Against Atheist Attacks? (The Purposes and Goals of Contra-Atheist Christian Apologetics) [2-10-21]

Why Should We Bother Defending the Bible Against Atheists? [National Catholic Register, 4-1-21]

Refutation of Atheist Paul Carlson’s 51 Bible “Contradictions” [4-6-21]

Jesus’ Last Words: Biblical “Contradictions”? [4-8-21]

How Do Atheists Define an Alleged “Biblical Contradiction”?: . . . And What is a So-Called “Bible Difficulty”? [1-9-23]

How Do Atheists Define a “Biblical Contradiction”? (Ch. 1 of my book, Inspired!: 191 Supposed Biblical Contradictions Resolved — available for free online) [6-3-23]

*
Inspired!: 191 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]

ATHEIST “DECONVERSIONS”

Response to “Religion & How I Lost It” (Bob Hypes) [8-31-04]

Dialogue on Atheist Bob Hypes’ Deconversion Story [3-23-05; abridged on 6-27-18]

Atheist Joe E. Holman’s Deconversion Story Critiqued [10-2-06]

Critique of Atheist John W. Loftus’ “Deconversion” Story [10-15-06]

Dialogue on Deconversion & Losing One’s Faith in College [10-16-06]

Critiquing Atheist Deconversions = “Spiritual Predator”? [10-28-06]

Reply to the “Deconversion Story” of a Pastor’s Wife [11-13-06]

Atheist John Loftus Reacts to My Analysis of His “Deconversion” [12-6-06]

“DagoodS” Deconversion Story: Critique and Truncated Dialogue [9-20-07]

Deconversion of Dave Van Allen (ExChristian.Net) [9-27-07]

Dialogue with Atheist Dr. Jim Arvo, on Deconversion [9-28-07]

“Former Christian” Atheists & Theological Ignorance [7-21-10]

Novelist Anne Rice’s Deconversion: Straw Men & “Baby / Bathwater” (conversion to humanism but not atheism) [7-30-10 and 8-9-10]

Biblical Knowledge of Atheist “DagoodS” as a Christian (Specifically, the Biblical [and Patristic] Teaching on Abortion) [12-13-10; expanded on 3-14-19]

On Critiquing Atheist “Deconversion” Stories [9-16-15]

John Loftus’ Deconversion & Feuds with Atheists [10-9-15]

Dialogue with an Atheist on Bible Difficulties, Plausibility Structures, & Deconversion [6-10-17]

Reply to Daniel Fincke’s Analyses of His Deconversion [7-15-17]

Atheist Deconversion Story Series #1: Anthony Toohey [7-17-17]

Atheist Deconversion Story Series #2: Lorna [7-17-17]

Atheist-Christian Dialogue on Conversion & Deconversion [7-18-17]

“We Are What We Eat”: Atheist Belief & Surroundings [7-18-17]

Deconversion: Mini-Debates with Several Zealous Atheists [7-19-17]

Atheist Deconversion: Dialogue #1 with Dr. Daniel Fincke [7-19-17]

Atheist Deconversion: Dialogue #2: Jonathan MS Pearce [7-20-17]

Atheist Anthony Toohey Defends His Deconversion (Pt. 1) [7-21-17]

Dialogues w Two Atheists on My Critiques of Deconversions [7-23-17]

Response to the Deconversion Story of “Anthrotheist” [8-13-18]

We Can’t Demand That God Directly Communicate to Us or Answer Prayer Exactly as We Want Him to (and God’s non-answer is no reason to leave the faith) [blog combox, 2-23-19]

Typical Exchange with an Insulting Atheist Regarding Atheist Deconversion Stories [Facebook, 3-15-19]

Typical Deconversion Story: False Dilemmas & Incoherence [3-28-19]

Unanswered Questions for a Former Catholic Atheist [4-28-19]

Dialogue w Agnostic on my Critiques of Deconversions [5-2-19]

Critique of Deconversion Sound Bites of Dave Gass [5-2-19]

Reply to Anthony Toohey Re: His Deconversion (Part II) [6-26-19]

Teenage “Aversion” to Paul & “Diminishing” Belief in God in Seminary? (What a Surprise that David Madison Became an Apostate!!!) [9-4-19]

Loftus Atheist Error #2: 16-Page Deconversion Story [9-4-19]

Cordial Dialogue with a Deconvert on Deconversion [10-7-19]

Dialogue with a Deconvert on Deconversion, Part II [10-9-19]

Loftus Lies #23: Hypocrisy Re Deconversion Stories [1-19-21]

Why Do I (or How DARE I?!) Critique Deconversions? [10-5-21]

Two of the Most Ridiculous Things Ever Said About Me, Concerning Why People Leave the Faith, & Whether I Have Ever Had a Crisis of Faith (and Their Refutations) [Facebook, 10-7-21]

FAMOUS ATHEISTS (REAL AND IMAGINED)

Was Philosopher David Hume an Atheist? [2-17-03]

Famed Atheist Champion Antony Flew Became a Deist (Studies in Flew’s Justification of His Change of Mind and the Predictable Reaction of Atheists) [1-18-05]

Were Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain Atheists? [11-16-06]

Albert Einstein’s “Cosmic Religion”: In His Own Words [originally 2-17-03; expanded greatly on 8-26-10]

Exchange: Definitions of Deism & Atheism / Twain the Atheist? [4-24-14]

Loftus Lies #22: Paine, Stanton, & Twain Were Not Atheists [1-18-21]

***

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

[For much related reading, see: Philosophy, Science, and Christianity Page]

***

Last updated on 6 January 2024

***

Sexuality, Gender, Feminism, & Divorce (Index Page)

November 9, 2006 By Dave Armstrong

Image by “OpenClipArtVectors” [Pixabay / CC0 public domain]

*****

SEXUALITY (GENERAL)

Sexual Revolution: Not “Liberation” But Societal Tragedy [8-6-01]

Christian Sexual Views and Support from Sociology (Discussions About Christian Sexual Morality and Marriage with Atheists) [12-8-06]

Q & A: Catholic Sexual Morality and Contraception [1-1-08]

Condoms as a Solution to AIDS & Other STDs? [6-1-09]

Is Bestiality a Secular Sex Reductio ad Absurdum? [12-21-15]

Catholic Sexuality: A Concise Explanation & Defense [12-29-15]

Catholic Sexuality: Cordial Dialogue with an Agnostic [12-30-15]

Natural Family Planning: Anti-Sex & Anti-Pleasure? [1-23-17]

Women Have No Sexual Desire During Infertility? (+ Natural Family Planning [NFP] and Sexual Desire) [1-26-17]

Dialogue on Rebecca Bratten Weiss’ Teaching on Sexuality [9-20-17]

Dialogues on the Sexual Revolution & Weinstein’s Victims [10-14-17]

Epstein and Weinstein: The Fruit of the Sexual Revolution [11-4-17; rev. 7-19-19]

I Excoriated Society-Wide Sexual Abuse in 2007 [11-17-17]

Dialogue on Roy Moore: Sex, Facts, Ruined Lives, & Law [11-17-17]

Does President Trump = Frankenweinstein? [11-20-17]

Sex and Catholics: Our Views Briefly Explained [National Catholic Register, 2-2-18]

Seidensticker Folly #6: God Has “No Problem with Rape”? [8-15-18]

Sex, Lies, & Videotape (“Discussion” w Angry Atheist) [2-15-19]

Mini-Debate on Libertarianism and Laws About Sex [3-7-19]

Vs. Atheist David Madison #40: Jesus: All Sexual Desire is Lust? (Replies to some of the most clueless atheist “arguments” to ever enter the mind of a sentient human being . . .) [12-18-19]

Dialogue: Are Paul, the Bible, & Catholicism Against Sex? [2-11-20]

Dialogue: Paul, Bible, & Catholicism R Anti-Sex? (Pt. 2) [2-22-20]

Sociology: Devout Married Christians Have Best Sex [2-29-20]

Debate: Trump, Sexual Misconduct, & the Christian Vote [4-28-20]

Dialogue: Groupies & Parameters of Sexual Consent [4-29-20]

Secular English Liberal Writes an Extraordinary Description of the Destructive Sexual and Revolutionary Aspects of the 1960s [Facebook, 9-5-20]

Debate w Atheist on Contraception, Abortion, & Sex Ed [3-15-21]

Rihanna & Christians Kowtowing to the World-System (Regarding Rihanna’s Performance During Half-Time at the Super Bowl and How Christians Are Responding to it) [2-14-23]

PREMARITAL / EXTRAMARITAL SEX / COHABITATION

Is Premarital Sex Morally Wrong? Why? (A Dialogue) [3-18-00]

Does St. Paul Sanction Premarital Sex (1 Cor 7:36)? [11-21-09]

Dialogue: Is Catholic Virginity an “Anti-Sex” Viewpoint? [11-6-15]

Dialogues on the Sexual Revolution & Weinstein’s Victims [10-14-17]

Pope Francis: Pro-Marriage & Contra “Marital Skepticism” [1-29-18]

Sex and Catholics: Our Views Briefly Explained [National Catholic Register, 2-2-18]

Sociology: Devout Married Christians Have Best Sex [2-29-20]

The Bible on Why Premarital Sex Is Wrong [National Catholic Register, 5-26-21]

RADICAL FEMINISM AND FEMALE “PRIESTS”

Radical Feminism: Replies to “Critiques” from Enlightened Ones [8-8-06]

Is Catholic Male-Only Priesthood Inherently Sexist? [2007; slight revision: 4-5-16]

Dialogue: Sexist, Misogynist Bible and Christianity? (Debate with Five Atheists. Are Christian Women Abused as “Sheep”?) [9-20-10; abridged a bit on 2-12-20]

Unisexism vs. New Feminism (+ Links) [11-14-11]

On Feminine Metaphors, Pronouns, & Attributes of God [9-22-17]
*

Now I’m a Radical Feminist and an Anti-Catholic?! [1-8-18]
*

Dialogue: Are Jesus, the Bible, & the Church “Sexist”? [11-4-19]

Dialogue w a Woman on Abortion, Female Priests, Menstruation, Etc. [2-1-21]

DEACONESSES

Deaconesses: Examination of Biblical & Patristic Data [5-12-16]

Dialogue with a Traditionalist Regarding Deaconesses [5-13-16]

MEN, WOMEN, MASCULINITY, FEMININITY, SEXISM, GENDER, MARRIAGE, FAMILY, PARENTING

My Book: Family Matters: Catholic Theology of the Family [2002]

High Praise for my Wife Judy (20th Anniversary) (. . . and a bit of unsolicited advice to young couples, if I may . . .) [10-6-04]
*

Dialogue with Atheists: Christian Marriage & Sexuality [12-8-06]

Spanking, Properly Used, is Not “Beating” & is Sanctioned by the Bible, the Catechism, Christian Family Advocates, & American College of Pediatricians (+ Part II) [1-26-08, at Internet Archive]

The Ideal Mother (Poem for My Wife) [5-11-08]

Should Catholic Women Teach Men? Yes! [1-16-09]

Sacrament of Matrimony: Bible & Fathers (vs. Calvin #55) [12-23-09]
*

Seeking a Spouse & Happy Marriage? Be Friends First [6-10-13]

1 Corinthians 7:36-38: Is it About a Fiancee or a Daughter? [1-31-14]

The Great Spanking Debate Revisited [2-6-14]

Matrimony or Bust – Another Glimpse at the Why and How of Traditional Marriage’s Demise [Msgr. Charles Pope, 12-7-14]

A “Beautiful Woman” According to God [9-11-15]

Woman-Hating Catholic Church?: Reply to an Atheist [10-1-15]

Mutual Submission & Headship: Contraries? [5-3-16]

Dialogue: Amoris Laetitia: Confusing or No? [5-3-16]

Amoris Laetitia, “Trads” & Reactionaries [5-4-16]

Sociology: Absence of Mother or Father Harms Children [6-23-16]

Cussing Women, Chivalry, Etc. (+ very extensive and vigorous Facebook discussion) [8-24-16]

Natural Family Planning: Anti-Sex & Anti-Pleasure? [1-23-17]

A Thought on Marriage Vows [Facebook, 4-26-17]
*

Do Women Have Less of God’s Image? (Catholic Teaching) [6-14-17]

Consecrated Virginity & Catholic “Both / And” [9-13-17]
*

Dialogues on the Sexual Revolution & Weinstein’s Victims [10-14-17]
*

Pope Francis: Pro-Marriage & Contra “Marital Skepticism” [1-29-18]

Sex and Catholics: Our Views Briefly Explained [National Catholic Register, 2-2-18]
*

Hillary Clinton: The Ultimate Enabler of Sexual Abuse [Facebook, 10-15-18]
*

Roberto de Mattei Misrepresents Gaudium Et Spes on Procreation [6-19-19]

Dr. David Madison vs. Jesus #1: Hating One’s Family? [8-1-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #4: Jesus Causes a Bad Marriage? [8-5-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #5: Cultlike Forsaking of Family? [8-5-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #11: He’s Not the Prince of Peace? [8-8-19]

What is “Traditional Femininity”? (Attempted Definition) [5-21-18; expanded on 12-4-19]
*

Secular English Liberal Writes an Extraordinary Description of the Destructive Sexual and Revolutionary Aspects of the 1960s [Facebook, 9-5-20]

Dialogue w a Woman on Abortion, Female Priests, Menstruation, Etc. [2-1-21]

Overly Strict Parenting: Catholic Traditionalist Self-Critique [8-13-21]

Short Statement on Women Working Outside the Home [Facebook, 6-16-23]
*

Bible On Marriage And Sexuality (Ch. 14 of my book, Bible Truths for Catholic Truths: A Source Book for Apologists and Inquirers) [12-11-23]
*

DIVORCE

Divorce: Early Church Teaching [Oct. 1998]

Dialogue on Annulment & Divorce: Essentially Different? [1997-1999]
*

Biblical Evidence for the Prohibition of Divorce [2004]

Dysfunctional Families Key to Understanding Hip Hop Lyrics and Angst [Facebook, 2-6-06]

Matthew 19:9 “Divorce Exception” Translation Bias [11-6-08]

Dialogue on the Matthew 19:19 Exception Clause & Divorce [11-10-08]

Orthodoxy & Divorce: Biblical & Apostolic Teaching? [2015]

Divorced & Remarried (Etc.) & Holy Communion [10-19-15]

Taylor Marshall Lies About Pope Francis & Divorce [6-8-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #4: Jesus Causes a Bad Marriage? [8-5-19]

Pope Francis: Indissoluble Marriage & No Divorce (+ Analysis of Ed Feser’s “Doctrinally Problematic” Criticisms) [6-1-21]

Ed Feser, Pope Francis, Divorce, “Ambiguity”, & Implosion [6-3-21]

Review: The Orthodoxy of Amoris Laetitia (Pedro Gabriel) [5-10-22]

ANNULMENT

Dialogue on Annulment & Divorce: Essentially Different? [1997-1999]

Biblical Evidence for Annulments [2002]

Annulment is Not “Catholic Divorce” [11-17-15]

Annulments are Fundamentally Different from Divorce [National Catholic Register, 4-6-17]
*

Taylor Marshall Lies About Pope Francis & Divorce [6-8-19]

C. S. Lewis May Have Accepted the Catholic Belief in Annulments [Facebook, 9-1-20]

HOMOSEXUALITY: GENERAL

The Church Opposes Homosexual Acts, Not Homosexuals [7-16-08]

“Forced” Morality & Ubiquitous “Bigotry” [6-9-16]

My Supposed “Conflation” of LGBTQ Rights & Pedophilia [6-14-16]

Orlando, “Homophobia”, Terrorism, & Slander [6-23-16]

Defense of Bishop Barron (Rubin Interview): Did He Do Anything Wrong? Was it a Missed Opportunity (Particularly Regarding the “Gay Marriage” Issue)? (+ Facebook discussion) [2-13-17]

Lawler vs. Pope Francis #2: Homosexuality & “Judging” [1-2-18]

Is the Catholic Church “Against” Gay Priests? [8-24-18]

Wacko Reactionary Fanatic Claims That I Endorse Homosexual Acts and “Pachamama” Idolatry [Case Study of Fantastically Out-of-Context Citations] / He Sanctions Hatred [Facebook, 12-17-19]

Pope Francis, Same-Sex Unions, & Chicken Little Mass Hysteria [10-22-20]

HOMOSEXUALITY: DEBATES

Homosexual Sex: Dialogue with a Liberal Christian [11-11-98]
*

Dialogue with a Hostile, Anti-Christian Gay Activist [4-24-99]

Homosexual Sex: Dialogue with a Bisexual Agnostic [12-27-05]

Homosexual Sex: In-Depth Dialogue with an Atheist [2-10-07]

Friendly Dialogue with a Transgender Atheist & Satanist [7-26-15]

Debate on Catholicism & Homosexuality (vs. a Lawyer) [11-3-16]

Defense of Bishop Barron (Rubin Interview): Did He Do Anything Wrong? Was it a Missed Opportunity (Particularly Regarding the “Gay Marriage” Issue)? [2-13-17]
*

LGBTQ Activist Intolerance on Display Again [6-1-17]

Dialogue on Christians Hating Gays & Gays Hating Christianity [9-25-18]
*

Catholic Sex Scandal & Homosexuality: Reply to Atheist [2-21-19]
*

Dialogue on Homosexuality & What’s “Natural” [11-6-20]

HOMOSEXUALITY: TEACHING OF THE BIBLE

Homosexual Sex and St. Paul’s “Nature” Argument [1998]

Did Jesus Believe That Homosexual Acts Were Immoral? [10-22-08]

Romans 1:26-27 Condemns Homosexual Sex [12-21-13]

Does the Bible Prohibit Homosexual (Non-Procreative) Sex? [9-17-06; expanded on 8-27-18]

How Did Jesus View Active Homosexuality? [National Catholic Register, 9-16-19]

Fr. James Martin, SJ, grants that the Bible “condemns” same-sex sexual behavior but questions “whether the biblical judgment is correct.” [Facebook, 10-28-19]

Amy Grant Hosts Her Niece’s Same-Sex “Marriage” on Her Farm [Facebook, 12-21-22]

Bible & Catholicism on Homosexuality & Procreation [6-5-23]

HOMOSEXUALITY: HEALTH RISKS

Dialogue on the Health Risks of Homosexual Sex [12-21-05]

The Health Risks of Gay Sex (John R. Diggs, Jr., M.D.; see also my Facebook cross-posting and discussion) [5-25-15]

Health Risks of Homosexual Sex: That Which Must Never be Uttered / Analogy to Smoking [Facebook, 11-6-16]

More Lies About My Views: Does Homosexuality Alone “Cause” AIDS? [Facebook, 7-1-19]
*

HOMOSEXUALITY: SAME-SEX “MARRIAGE”

Was Same-Sex “Marriage” a Christian Rite? (Jimmy Akin; video) [May 2012]

Study on Homosexual Parenting + Lengthy Combox Discussion [Facebook, 6-26-12]

Vigorous Discussion on Jody Bottum’s Controversial “Compromises” on Same-Sex “Marriage” [Facebook, 8-28-13]

Why We’re on the Brink of Legal “Gay Marriage” Now [Facebook, 4-1-15]

How Legal Same-Sex Unions Came About [7-9-15]

Dialogue: “Anthropological Advocacy” of Same-Sex Marriage (+ Part II) [7-26-15]

Sociology: Absence of Mother or Father Harms Children [6-23-16]

The Data on Children in Same-Sex Households Get More Depressing [Mark Regnerus, 6-29-16]

History of the False Ideas Leading to Same-Sex “Marriage” [National Catholic Register, 11-2-16]
*

Short Exchange on Homosexual “Marriage” / The Tired “Projection” Theory of Christianity Turned Upside Down / The Usual End with the Charge of Bigotry [Facebook, 5-31-17]
*

Lawler vs. Pope Francis #2: Homosexuality & “Judging” [1-2-18]

Mini-Debate on Libertarianism and Laws About Sex [3-7-19]

“Gay Unions”: Leftist & Reactionary Catholics vs. Pope & CDF [3-23-21]

Pope Francis vs. Same-Sex “Marriage”: The Record [3-25-21]

Pope Francis’ “Endorsement” of Fr. James Martin, SJ (Does it Entail a Denial of Church Teaching on Gravely Disordered Homosexual Sex?) [6-30-21]

Has Lutheranism Avoided Denominationalism? (Widespread Lutheran Compromise & Caving on Abortion & Same-Sex “Marriage”) [8-10-22]

Fiducia Supplicans (On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings) (12-18-23) [Facebook, 12-18-23]
*

TRANS IDEOLOGY / BATHROOM CONTROVERSIES

Bathroom Insanity, “Gay Marriage”, Abortion, & Legal Coercion [6-10-16]

Bathroom Laws Redux (Dialogue with an Atheist) [6-23-16]

Megyn Kelly Explains Why She Will No Longer Use “Preferred Pronouns” as Trans Ideology Grows

MASTURBATION

Why Did God Kill Onan? (Bible and Contraception) [2-9-04]

Dialogue: Why Did God Kill Onan? (Contraception) [2-13-04]

Onan, Contraception, & Two Protestant Bible Dictionaries [2-21-04]

Masturbation: Thoughts on Why it is as Wrong as it Ever Was [3-14-04 and 9-7-05; abridged, edited, and slightly modified on 8-14-19]

Masturbation Remains a Grave Sin (Debate w Steve Hays) [1-6-07; links added on 8-13-19]

Martin Luther Condemned Masturbation (“Secret Sin”) [6-2-10]

Masturbation & the Sermon on the Mount (Talmudic Parallels) [10-18-11]

Biblical Data Against Contraception: Onan’s Sin and Punishment: a Concise “Catholic” Argument [3-7-14]

Bible vs. Contraception: Onan’s Sin and Punishment [National Catholic Register, 5-30-17]

Masturbation: Gravely Disordered According to Catholicism [8-16-19]

Biblical Hyperbole, Masturbation, & Intransigent Atheists [9-3-19]

Masturbation: C. S. Lewis Explains Why it is Wrong [10-28-19]

Debate: Masturbation Okay in Moderation or Intrinsically Wrong? [10-31-19]

C. S. Lewis Left Christianity Due to Masturbation? (Case Study of the Saying, “Heresy Begins Below the Belt”) [8-11-20]

More Proof That ‘Heresy Begins Below the Belt’ (Even for Young C. S. Lewis) [National Catholic Register, 8-30-20]

Masturbation & Blindness?: Fascinating Investigation [1-21-22]

CHILD TRAFFICKING AND SEX SLAVERY

12 Ways God-Rejecters Murder, Attack, & Abuse Children (The Devil, Those Who Have Rejected God & Christianity, & the Radical Secularists Always Attack, Abuse, or Murder Children) [7-12-23]

***

Last updated: 18 December 2023

***

Hell and the Devil / Last Things (Index Page)

November 9, 2006 By Dave Armstrong

Gila National Forest, New Mexico (May 2012). Photo by Kari Greer [Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license]

*****

Hell and Sheol (Hades) / Damnation & Reprobation / Heretical Annihilationism

***

Biblical Evidence for an Eternal Hell [1998]

Jewish and Old Testament Views of Hell and Eternal Punishment [4-14-04]

Dialogue w Agnostic on Basic Differences and Hell [5-17-05]

Replies to Some Skeptical Objections to the Christian Doctrine of Hell (“Religion Is Lies” website) [5-24-06]

Biblical Annihilationism or Universalism? (w Atheist Ted Drange) [9-30-06]

Dialogue w Atheists on Hell & Whether God is Just [12-5-06]

Dialogue on Sheol / Hades (Limbo of the Fathers) and Luke 16 (the Rich Man and Lazarus) with a Baptist (vs. “Grubb”) [2-28-08]

“The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail” Against the Church [11-11-08]

Hell: Dialogue with a Philosophy Graduate Student [12-26-08]

Dialogue: Hell & God’s Justice, Part II [1-2-09]

Purgatory is the Waiting Room for Heaven [4-25-09]

Luke 23:43 (Thief on the Cross): “Paradise” = Sheol, Not Heaven, According to Many Reputable Protestant Scholars [5-25-09]

Our Prayers and Souls Ending Up in Heaven or Hell [3-26-14]

Catholic Mystics & Contemplatives on Hell [2014]

Can Hell Actually be Defended? My Shot … [10-7-15]

Atheism & Atheology (Copious Resources, including on hell) [11-5-15]

A Defense of Hell: Philosophical Explanations of its Plausibility, Necessity, and Factuality [12-10-15]

Exchanges with an Atheist on Hell & Skepticism [12-17-15]

Did Jesus Descend to Hell, Sheol, or Paradise After His Death? [National Catholic Register, 4-17-17]

How to Annihilate Three Skeptical Fallacies Regarding Hell [National Catholic Register, 6-10-17]

Lawler vs. Pope Francis #3: The Pope Annihilated Hell? [1-2-18]

Pope Francis, Hell, Phil Lawler, Lies, Damned Lies, . . . [3-30-18]

Hell as a Deterrent: Analogy to Our Legal Systems [10-3-18]

Taylor Marshall’s Whopper: Pope Francis Denies Hellfire? [6-7-19]

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

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

Vs. Atheist David Madison #41: God’s a Sadistic Tyrant (Hell)? [12-18-19]

Luke 16 Doesn’t Describe Hell or Purgatory, But Hades [1-16-20]

The Bible Teaches that Hell is Eternal [National Catholic Register, 4-16-20]

Pope Francis’ Satanic, Demonic, & Hellish Views [6-7-21]

Christ’s Descent Into Hades (vs. Francois Turretin) (Biblical and Patristic Support Examined) [9-1-22]

Defense of Immortal, Conscious Souls (vs. Lucas Banzoli): #11 (“Second Death” = “Lake of Fire” = Eternal Torment in Hell. Jesus & Luke Believed in Both Hades and Hell) [11-25-22]

Eternal Hell: 125 Biblical Evidences [12-2-24]

Universalism / “Hoping All Will be Saved”

***

Dialogue on Hell & the “Possibility” of Universalism [May 2004]

Biblical Annihilationism or Universalism? (w Atheist Ted Drange) [9-30-06]

Did Pope St. John Paul II Teach Universalism? [4-26-11]

Did Julian of Norwich Teach Universalism & Deny Hell? [3-24-14]

Analysis of “Hoping All Will be Saved” / …Hell is Empty” [8-20-15]

Book of Revelation Annihilates Universalism [8-31-15]

Universalism is Annihilated by the Book of Revelation [National Catholic Register, 6-23-19]

Wishing & Desiring For All To Be Saved, Like God Does [1-29-24]

The Devil (Satan) and Demons

***

The Stupidity and Idiocy of the Devil (Dialogue) [2-23-97 and 4-10-97]

Unbiblical Antipathy to Miracles & Exorcism (vs. Calvin #53) [12-22-09]

Satan Tempting Jesus as a Proof of His Divinity [2015]

Demonic Possession or Epilepsy? (Bible & Science) [2015]

The Devil’s Stupidity & Vanity [3-4-16]

Screwtape on the Neutralization of Effective Apologetics and Divine Callings (National Catholic Register, 2-5-17) [see also, the original 20% longer Facebook version] [1-25-17]

“Withstand”! Satan Exploits Errors & Falsehood for His Nefarious Ends [3-4-17]

Satan is Highly Intelligent—and an Arrogant Idiot [National Catholic Register, 11-27-17]

Are We Allowed to Rebuke and/or Mock the Devil? [11-30-17]

Satan Referenced 24 Times in Gaudete et Exsultate [4-9-18]

Christians & the Stupidity of Satan (vs. Insulting Humanist) [11-9-18]

7 Takes on Satan’s Persecutions and the Balanced Christian Life [National Catholic Register, 11-24-18]

Seidensticker Folly #36: Disease, Jesus, Paul, Miracles, & Demons [1-13-20]
*

Pope Francis’ Satanic, Demonic, & Hellish Views [6-7-21]

Judgment / Second Coming

Judgment of Nations: A Collection of Biblical Passages [9-21-01]

Judgment of Nations: Biblical Commentary and Reflections [9-21-01]

Reflections on Judgment and Sufficient Knowledge for Salvation [6-7-02]

“If You Died Tonight”: Debate w Matt Slick of CARM [5-22-03]

God’s Judgment of Humans (Sometimes, Entire Nations) [2-16-07]
*

Final Judgment & Works (Not Faith): 50 Passages [2-10-08]

Origen (c. 185 – c. 254 ) on Faith, Works, and Judgment [Facebook, 2-27-08]

God’s “Punishing” of Descendants: Unjust? [7-8-10]
*

Our Prayers and Souls Ending Up in Heaven or Hell [3-26-14]

Final Judgment Always Has to Do with Works and Never with “Faith Alone” [9-5-14]

Israel as God’s Agent of Judgment [9-28-14]

Dr. David Madison vs. Jesus #3: Nature & Time of 2nd Coming [8-3-19]

Seidensticker Folly #58: Jesus Erred on Time of 2nd Coming? (with David Palm) [10-7-20]

“The Day” (1 Cor 3:13) & Purgatory (Vs. James White) [2-27-24]
*

Last Things (Eschatology) / Prophecies

Debate with an Agnostic on the Meaning of “Last Days” and Whether the Author of Hebrews Was a False Prophet (vs. Ed Babinski) [9-13-06]

“The Last Days”: Meaning in Hebrew, Biblical Thought [12-5-08]
*
Suggested View on Bible Prophecy & Eschatology [2-13-17]

The Rapture End-Times Scenario: Catholic Refutations (Links Page) [5-8-17]
*

Dr. David Madison vs. Jesus #3: Nature & Time of 2nd Coming [8-3-19]

Heaven / Souls (Theological Anthropology) / “Soul Sleep” / Resurrection

Bible and Catholicism on Ghosts and Messages from God in Dreams [2-7-06]
*

My Daughter (at 5) on Heaven & Salvation: “Out of the Mouths of Babes” [5-24-07]

“Soul Sleep”: A Thorough Biblical Refutation [11-28-07]

Luther Believed in Soul Sleep; Thus He Rejected Purgatory [2-9-08]

Will We See Our Pets in Heaven? [3-12-08]

“Will We See Each Other in Heaven?” Yes (General Resurrection and Glorified Bodies) [1-22-10]

Our Prayers and Souls Ending Up in Heaven or Hell [3-26-14]
*

Multiple Meanings of “Paradise” in Scripture [12-2-14]

Seidensticker Folly #8: Physics Has Disproven Souls? [8-16-18]

Seidensticker Folly #26: Spiritual Bodies R Still Bodies! [10-9-18]
*

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

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

Replies to Atheists on Souls and the Galileo Fiasco [4-30-20]

Seidensticker Folly #52: Spiritual Bodies R Physical [9-10-20]

Defense of Immortal, Conscious Souls (vs. Lucas Banzoli) [17-Part Series]:

#1 (Preliminaries) [11-1-22]

#2 (Genesis 2:7 and the Hebrew / Biblical Idiom of Synecdoche) [11-4-22]

#3 (Hebrew, Nephesh [Soul]: Massive Figurative Biblical Use) [11-7-22]

#4 (Revelation 6:9: “Souls” in Heaven / 16 Biblical Proofs for Conscious Souls After Death) [11-9-22]

#5 (Revelation 6:9: “Souls” in Heaven Redux) [11-11-22]

#6 (Conspiracy Theories About Bibles and the Many Meanings of “Soul” in Holy Scripture) [11-12-22]

#7 (Banzoli Decides — At Last! — to Reply to My Second Post [#5] About Souls Under the Altar in Heaven) [11-14-22]

#8 (Banzoli’s Soul Sleep Leads Him to Believe That the Soul of Jesus Christ “Died” — Didn’t Exist — Between His Death and Resurrection, and That He was Unconscious in His Human Nature During That Time ) [11-14-22]

#9 (Matthew 10:28: Did Jesus Teach That a Soul Could be Annihilated?) [11-18-22]

#10 (The Story of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Lk 16:19-31) in Relation to the Doctrine of Immortal Souls [11-22-22]

#11 (“Second Death” = “Lake of Fire” = Eternal Torment in Hell. Jesus & Luke Believed in Both Hades and Hell) [11-25-22]

#12 (Paul Affirms Three Times That Souls Continue Outside of the Body / Banzoli Claims That Angels Are Material Beings) [11-29-22]

#13 (Dead Biblical Heroes Return to Earth!: Samuel & Saul / Moses & Elijah at Jesus’ Transfiguration) [12-1-22]

#14: Jesus’ Visit (After He Died) to Hades, Preaching to the “Spirits in Prison” and Setting “Captives” Free [12-2-22]

#15: Hebrews 12:23: “the spirits of just men made perfect” [12-3-22]

#16: Sheol (Hades): Merely the “Grave” or “Underground” or the Conscious Abode of Dead Souls? [12-5-22]

#17: Ecclesiastes 9:5: “The Dead Know Nothing” / Psalm 146:4: “His Thoughts Perish,” Etc. [12-6-22]

Lucas Banzoli Holds to a Seventh-Day Adventist Eschatology and Christology [11-22-22]

Dead Saints Interceding (vs. Lucas Banzoli) [2-8-23]

Weird Lucas Banzoli Errors: Jesus’ References to Heaven [Facebook, 2-21-23]

Saints Can Hear “Millions” Of Prayers? (Vs. Jordan Cooper): Including a Summary of the Extraordinary, Unfathomable Characteristics of Redeemed Human Beings in Heaven [3-20-24]

Luther vs. Scripture: All Ghosts R Satanic Deceivers? [6-28-24]

Limbo

Has Limbo Been Relegated to Limbo?: It Never Was Definitive Teaching [12-28-07]

Jay Dyer: Intellectual Limbo Re Catholic Belief in Limbo (with Dr. Robert Fastiggi) [7-24-20]

Fate of Unbaptized Infants, Dogma, & Infallibility: Refutation of the Polemical Claims of Brazilian Calvinists Francisco Tourinho & Frankle Brunno [8-11-23]

***

Practical Matters: Perhaps some of my 5,000+ free online articles (the most comprehensive “one-stop” Catholic apologetics site) 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.

Last updated on 2 December 2024

*****

Baptism and Sacramentalism (Index Page)

November 9, 2006 By Dave Armstrong

The Baptism of Christ, by Joachim Patinir (c. 1480-1524) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

* * *

BAPTISM

Infant Baptism: A Fictional Dialogue [1995]

Baptismal Regeneration: Central Doctrine, According to Luther & Lutheranism [1996]

Baptism & the Analogy of Circumcision (John Calvin) [1998]

Dialogue: Bible on Infant Baptism & Baptismal Regeneration [3-13-02]

Baptism of Entire Households in the NT (Infant Baptism) [2004]

Baptismal Regeneration vs. Calvin’s “Sign & Seal” [2004]

Apostolic and Early Church Teaching on Baptism [3-8-06]

Old Testament Analogies & Precursors to Infant Baptism [3-8-06]

Relation of Baptism to Baptism of Desire [3-3-07]

Bible on Salvation via Baptism & Eucharist [5-28-08]

Baptismal Formula: Trinitarian or in Jesus’ Name Only? [3-10-08; rev. 3-2-10]

Bible on Infant Baptism & Infants as Covenant Members [2009]

Sacraments: Bible & Church Fathers (vs. Calvin #34) [9-25-09]
*

Sacraments & the Church Fathers (vs. Calvin #36) [10-19-09]
*

Baptism, Regeneration, Assurance? of Salvation (vs. Calvin #39) [11-16-09]
*

Original Sin, Imputation, & Baptism (vs. Calvin #40) [11-17-09]

Early Protestant “Unity”: Calvin vs. Westphal vs. Luther / Calvin Denies Baptismal Regeneration [11-6-11]

Mass Baptisms in Acts & Future Binding Church Decrees (Cardinal Wiseman) [1-10-12]

Dialogue with a Baptist: Infant Baptism in the New Testament? [4-29-15]

The Bible: “Clear” & “Self-Interpreting”? [9-27-15]

John 3:5 & Titus 3:5: Baptismal Regeneration? [12-1-15]

Baptismal Regeneration: More Biblical Evidence [4-3-16]

Protestant Unity on “Central” Doctrines?: Baptism as Test Case (vs. Methodist Philosophy professor Jerry Walls) [1-9-17]

What the New Testament’s Baptisms Teach Us About the Magisterium: Christians remain bound to Church doctrine through its development [National Catholic Register, 1-29-17]

The Holy Spirit, Cornelius, Baptism, & Confirmation [4-10-17]

What the Bible Reveals About Infant Baptism [National Catholic Register, 7-27-17]
*

Baptismal Ecumenism: A New Evangelistic Paradigm (Rod Bennett) [8-11-17]

John 3:5: Baptism or No? [Facebook, 2-17-18]

Reply to Protestant on Infant Baptism & Miscellany [6-23-18]
*

Vs. Pasqualucci Re Vatican II #2: Unitatis Redintegratio (Salvation) [7-11-19]

Baptismal Regeneration and Justification (vs. Jason Engwer) [6-4-20]

Baptismal Regeneration: Refutation of James White [8-27-21]

What Were the Baptized “Added” to? (Acts 2:41; vs. James White) (“Dr.” [???] White Rejects Catholic & Infant Baptism, Even Though the Church Fathers, Luther, & Calvin Do Not) [9-10-21]

14 Bible Verses That Show We’re Saved Through Baptism [National Catholic Register, 11-30-21] [see also my video commentary on the article, from 10-25-24]

Debate: Is Baptism Necessary to Salvation? (vs. Jerome Smith) [1-15-22]

Explicit Biblical Instruction on Saving Souls [1-24-22]

Debate: Baptism & Salvation (vs. Jerry Smith), Pt. 2 [2-24-22]

God’s Promised Guidance is Different from the Ad Populum Fallacy (Baptism as a Test Case) [Facebook, 2-25-22]

Explicit Biblical Instruction on Saving Souls [National Catholic Register, 2-28-22]

Symbolic Adult Baptism? (vs. Mike Winger) [5-2-22]

Reply to Baptist Gavin Ortlund on Baptism [5-20-22]

Baptismal Regeneration: How Much More Bible Proof Could There Be? [Facebook, 5-21-22]

NT Baptism of Whole “Households” (vs. Lucas Banzoli) [9-26-22]

In the New Testament, ‘Household’ Baptism Includes Infant Baptism [National Catholic Register, 10-28-22]

“Jesus Revolution” Film & the Sacrament of Baptism [3-1-23]

Fate of Unbaptized Infants, Dogma, & Infallibility: Refutation of the Polemical Claims of Brazilian Calvinists Francisco Tourinho & Frankle Brunno [8-11-23]

Does Baptism Save or Only Sanctify (1 Pet 3:21)? (vs. Jason Engwer) [9-19-23]

The Sacrament of Baptism (chapter seven of my 2009 book, Bible Truths for Catholic Truths: A Source Book for Apologists and Inquirers) [11-3-23]

Baptism Brings About Ten Things, According to Scripture [Catholic365, 11-30-23]
*

Reply to a Gavin Ortlund Argument Against Infant Baptism [1-26-24]

Catholicism & Non-Catholic Salvation (Vs. Gavin Ortlund) + How Early Protestants Widely Damned Other Protestants Who Held Different Theological Views [2-9-24]
*

Jason Engwer on the Lack of a Mention of Baptism in Romans 10 (Silly Word Games) [Facebook, 5-14-24]

Jesus & Baptism: Jason Engwer’s Ridiculous View [5-28-24]
*

Millions of Christians Think Baptism Is Unrelated to Justification — Here’s Why They’re Wrong [National Catholic Register, 6-22-24]
*

Martin Luther: Infant Baptism is True Despite No Scriptural Proof [Facebook, 7-6-24]

VIDEO: BAPTISM NOW SAVES YOU – Fridays With Dave!! [I appear on Catholic Bible Highlights with Kenny Burchard, in a 49-minute discussion, 10-25-24]

Baptism: Was Mengele Saved By It? (Also, Other Related Issues Such as the Thief on the Cross) [10-28-24]
*

Baptismal Regeneration & “Washing” (vs. Jason Engwer): Prominent Scholarly Protestant Reference Sources (Kittel, Robertson, Vincent) Largely Support Baptismal Regeneration Views [10-28-24]
*

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Born Again: Baptism in the Early Fathers (Evangelical Catholic Apologetics)

Church Fathers on Baptism (Armchair Theologian; Lutheran site)

The Church Fathers on Baptismal Regeneration (Bryan Cross, Called to Communion)

HOLY EUCHARIST

(see Eucharist, Sacrifice of the Mass, & Liturgy Index Page)

RECONCILIATION / PENANCE / CONFESSION / ABSOLUTION

(see Saints, Purgatory, and Penance Index Page)

CONFIRMATION

“Optional” Confirmation Class & Mass for Teenagers? [11-13-07]

Luther: Confirmation is a Sacramental, Not a Sacrament [4-14-08]

Sacrament of Confirmation: The Biblical Evidence [5-6-08]

Confirmation in the Bible & the Fathers (vs. Calvin #50) [12-17-09]
*

Biblical Teaching on the Sacrament of Confirmation [2013]

The Holy Spirit, Cornelius, Baptism, & Confirmation [4-10-17]

C. S. Lewis Believed in the Sacrament of Confirmation [10-10-19]

“Jesus Revolution” Film & the Sacrament of Baptism [3-1-23]

The Sacrament of Confirmation (chapter eight of my 2009 book, Bible Truths for Catholic Truths: A Source Book for Apologists and Inquirers) [11-3-23]

HOLY ORDERS / ORDINATION

(see Church and Papacy Index Pages)

MATRIMONY

(see Sexuality, Gender, Feminism, and Divorce and Life Issues Pages)

ANOINTING / EXTREME UNCTION

Sacrament of Anointing / Extreme Unction: The Biblical Evidence [2009; Addendum added on 1-10-17]

Sacrament of Anointing: Yay or Nay? (vs. Calvin #52) [12-21-09]

Bible on the Sacrament of Anointing (Ch. 9 of my book, Bible Truths for Catholic Truths: A Source Book for Apologists and Inquirers) [12-8-23]

SACRAMENTS (GENERAL), SACRAMENTALISM, AND SACRAMENTALS

Heartfelt Sacramentalism (Not Mere Charms) [1996]

Thief on the Cross (Are Sacraments Unnecessary?) [1996]

Why do Catholics Believe that Sacraments are Necessary? [2002]

“Man-Centered” Sacramentalism: The Remarkable Incoherence of James White: How Can Martin Luther and St. Augustine Be Christians According to His Definition? [11-26-03]

Sacraments & the Moral Responsibility of Their Recipients [8-26-06]

Are Relics & Sacraments Mere Magical Charms? [2007]

Luther on Crucifixes, Images, & Sign of the Cross [4-15-08]

Bible on Candles, Incense, & Symbolism for Prayer [2-16-09]

Dialogue on Sacramentalism, Holy Objects, and Relics [2-26-09]

Bible on Physical Objects as Aids in Worship [4-7-09]

Unbiblical Antipathy to Holy Water (vs. Calvin #29) [8-25-09]

Sacraments: Bible & Church Fathers (vs. Calvin #34) [9-25-09]

Sacraments & the Church Fathers (vs. Calvin #36) [10-19-09]

Sacramentalism & Ex Opere Operato (vs. Calvin #37) [10-21-09]

Radically Anti-Traditional Sacramentalism (vs. Calvin #38) [10-27-09]

Crucifixes: Abominable Idols or Devotional Aids? [11-10-09]

Tonsure, Holy Oil, and “Judaizing”? (vs. Calvin #54) [12-22-09]

St. Augustine Accepted All Seven Catholic Sacraments [9-25-10]

Sacraments vs. Jesus?: Unbiblical False Dichotomies [3-20-17]

The Biblical Understanding of Holy Places and Things [National Catholic Register, 4-11-17]

Biblical Evidence for Sacramentalism [National Catholic Register, 8-29-17]

Did St. Augustine Accept All Seven Sacraments? [National Catholic Register, 11-15-17]

How Many Sacraments: According to Martin Luther? (+ Luther Expert James Swan’s and Luther’s Works Editors’ Confusion as to Luther’s Position) [11-17-18]

Madison vs. Jesus #8: Holy Eucharist as “Grotesque Magic”? [8-7-19]

Sacraments and Our Moral Responsibility [National Catholic Register, 1-7-20]

Is it Biblical to Say That We Are Saved & Redeemed by Jesus’ Blood? [Facebook, 6-6-23]

Reply to Hays’ “Catholicism” #27: Historic Exodus; NT & Jesus’ Blood; Hays vs. Omnipresence; God & Matter; Hays’ Anti-Biblical Hyper-Rationalism; Holy Eucharist & Other Miracles; Luther & the Real Presence; Manna & the Eucharist [6-7-23]

Does the Catholic Church Claim Sole Possession of the Sacraments? [Catholic365, 11-28-23]

Bible on Sacramentals, Liturgy, & Devotions (Ch. 10 of my book, Bible Truths for Catholic Truths: A Source Book for Apologists and Inquirers) [12-10-23]

Martin Luther Didn’t “Condemn” the Seven Sacraments; He Only Denied “That They Can Be Proved From the Scriptures” / True Effects of Sacraments [Facebook, 8-21-24]

***
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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 4,800+ free online articles or fifty-five 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.

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***
*

Last updated on 28 October 2024

*****

Eucharist, Sacrifice of the Mass, & Liturgical Issues

November 9, 2006 By Dave Armstrong

[published in February 2011, 222 pages]

[see full book and purchase information]

***

THE HOLY EUCHARIST: GENERAL / TRANSUBSTANTIATION

The Sarxon Fallacy, Refuted: A Eucharistic Satire (Reply to an Evangelical Spoof of Catholic Eucharistic Beliefs) [9-6-91; commentary added on 3-17-08]

Reflections on the Holy Eucharist & Transubstantiation [3-8-92; slightly revised on 2-26-94]

The Eucharist, Incarnation, and Reason: Reflections [1994]

Fictional Dialogue on Eucharistic Real Presence [1995]

The Eucharist: This is My Body [3-8-92; rev. May 1996]

Transubstantiation: A Philosophical & Rational Defense [1996]

“Is This God?” (Treatise on the Eucharist) [January 2000]

Sacramentarian Controversies (Calvin vs. Luther vs. Zwingli) [3-29-04]

Eucharistic Real Presence: Luther’s Magnificent Defense [6-21-04]

St. Paul on Profaning the Body and Blood of Jesus [2004]

Sacraments & the Moral Responsibility of Their Recipients [8-26-06]

Bible on Holy Places & Things [1-8-08]

Bible on Salvation via Baptism & Eucharist [5-28-08]

Bible on Physical Objects as Aids in Worship [4-7-09]

Do 70% of Catholics Deny Transubstantiation? NO! [4-18-09]

Quiz on Early Protestant / “Reformation” Eucharistic Harmony [8-23-09]

Sacramentalism & Ex Opere Operato (vs. Calvin #37) [10-21-09]
*

Eucharist: Physical, Symbolic, or “Mystical”? (vs. Calvin #41) [11-24-09]

Transubstantiation: Bible & the Fathers (vs. Calvin #42) [24-25 November 2009]
*

Eucharist: Ubiquity, Signs, Lutheranism, Etc. (vs. Calvin #43) [11-27-09]
*

Eucharist: Rationalism, Nestorianism, & Docetism (vs. Calvin #44) [11-30-09]
*

Bizarre “Eucharistic Christology” vs. Tertullian (vs. Calvin #45) [12-1-09]
*

Eucharist: Incoherent “Spiritual Presence” (vs. Calvin #46) [12-2-09]
*

Eucharistic Adoration: Idolatry or Biblical? (vs. Calvin #47) [12-2-09]
*

Eucharist: Radical Symbolism & Docetism (vs. Calvin #48) [12-3-09]
*

Thoughts on Philosophical Theology & the Eucharist [Feb. 2011]

Books by Dave Armstrong: Biblical Catholic Eucharistic Theology [2-22-11]

Biblical Evidence for Worship of God Via an Image [6-24-11]

Bible On God’s Special Presence Prior to the Incarnation [2011]

Luther & Lutherans on the Duration of Real Presence in the Eucharist, the Elevation, and Adoration (Bishop Bossuet) [1-27-12]

The Eucharist: A Different Kind of Miracle? [Seton Magazine, 7-2-14]

Luther: Ex Opere Operato Eucharistic Principle is True [11-12-14]
*

Eucharist: Orthodox and Catholic Views [5-3-13 and 15 and 20 September 2016]

The Biblical Understanding of Holy Places and Things [National Catholic Register, 4-11-17]
*

Transubstantiation, John 6, Faith and Rebellion [National Catholic Register, 12-3-17]

The Holy Eucharist and the Treachery of Judas [National Catholic Register, 4-6-18]
*

Does the Holy Eucharist Give Us Spiritual “Power”? [7-26-18]

Transubstantiation is No More Inscrutable Than Many Doctrines [National Catholic Register, 9-26-18]
*

No, Pope Francis Did Not Deny Transubstantiation (Phenomenological Language in Holy Scripture and in the Addresses of Pope Francis) [6-25-19]

Pope Francis & Transubstantiation (vs. Sedevacantists) [7-2-19]

Vs. Pasqualucci Re Vatican II #11: Sacrosanctum Concilium & Sacrifice of the Mass [7-22-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #8: Holy Eucharist as “Grotesque Magic”? [8-7-19]

Vs. James White #5: Real Eucharistic Presence or Symbolism? [9-20-19]

Refuting Jason Engwer’s “Real Absence” Argument (Including Biblical Evidence of Analogous Miracles of a Supernatural Change of a Substance Minus Outward Physical Evidence) [11-18-21]

If You Believe in Miracles, You Should Believe in the Real Presence [National Catholic Register, 12-31-21]

Refuting the “Real Absence” Anti-Transubstantiation Argument [National Catholic Register, 1-10-22]

Holy Eucharist & Sacrifice of the Mass (chapter six [pp. 255-270] of my 2009 book, Bible Truths for Catholic Truths: A Source Book for Apologists and Inquirers) [10-19-23]

Two Quick Arguments from St. Paul Regarding Transubstantiation / Real Presence [Facebook, 6-24-24]

1 Corinthians 11:27 Can Only be Reasonably Explained by the Real Presence (and I Think, Also, Transubstantiation) [Facebook, 7-17-24]
*

Real Presence, 1 Cor 11:27, & Protestant Commentary + Martin Luther’s Superb Exegesis of the Passage [7-22-24]
*

THE HOLY EUCHARIST: JOHN, CHAPTER 6 IN PARTICULAR

“Catholicism Refuted”? (K. Cauley): Pt. IV: Mary / Eucharist [12-11-04]
*

Debate with a Protestant on John 6 & the Eucharist (vs. C. Michael Patton) [12-4-08]

John 6: Literal Eucharist Interpretation (Analogical Cross-Referencing and Insufficient Counter-Arguments) [8-15-09]

John 6, the Eucharist, & Parables (Dialogue) [8-16-09]

John 6 & Lack of Faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as a Parallel to Doubting Disciples [2-14-11]

An undesigned coincidence involving John 6 (Dr. Lydia McGrew [Anglican]) [5-3-15]

Is John 6 About Holy Communion?: A Brief Summary for Those Who Deny the Eucharistic Connection Altogether [3-2-16]

Transubstantiation, John 6, Faith and Rebellion [National Catholic Register, 12-3-17]
*

Did Jesus’ “Hard Saying” (Jn 6) Make Disciples Leave? [3-5-19]

Madison vs. Jesus #8: Holy Eucharist as “Grotesque Magic”? [8-7-19]

Vs. James White #5: Real Eucharistic Presence or Symbolism? [9-20-19]

Apostasy of Disciples (Jn 6:66) & Protestant Commentaries [1-28-21]

Was Jesus Unclear in John 6 (Eucharist)? (vs. Jason Engwer) [11-16-21]

Was Jesus Unclear in John Chapter 6? [National Catholic Register, 1-25-22]

Implausibility of Non-Literal, Non-Eucharistic Exegesis of John 6 [Catholic 365, 11-3-23]

John 6 & the Eucharist: Reply to Collin Brooks [5-27-24]
*

THE HOLY EUCHARIST: WINE AND GRAPE JUICE

Alcohol: Biblical / Catholic Teaching [1999]

Grape Juice in Holy Communion? [2011]

THE HOLY EUCHARIST: DIALOGUES WITH PROTESTANTS

The Sarxon Fallacy, Refuted: A Eucharistic Satire (Reply to an Evangelical Spoof of Catholic Eucharistic Beliefs) [9-6-91; commentary added on 3-17-08]

John Calvin and St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Comparative Eucharistic Theology [6-14-04]

Dialogue on Calvin’s & Patristic Eucharistic Theology (Especially St. Cyril of Jerusalem’s Theology of the Eucharist) [6-19-04]
*

“Catholicism Refuted”? (K. Cauley): Pt. IV: Mary / Eucharist [12-11-04]
*

Treatise on Transubstantiation in Reply to Protestants [2-4-05; abridged and very slightly edited on 12-7-17]

Transubstantiation & Church History: Dialogue w Lutheran [2-12-05; abridged on 10-23-18]
*

John Calvin’s Erroneous Mystical View of the Eucharist [4-9-04, 9-7-05, abridged and re-edited on 11-30-17]

Development of Sacrifice of the Mass: Dialogue w Lutheran [9-22-05]
*

Answers for Protestant Eucharist Questions [7-18-07]

Holy Eucharist: Replies to a Protestant Inquirer [5-29-08]

Dialogue: Real Presence vs. [?] Holy Spirit’s Indwelling [8-15-09]

Eucharist: Physical, Symbolic, or “Mystical”? (vs. Calvin #41) [11-24-09]
*

Transubstantiation: Bible & the Fathers (vs. Calvin #42) [24-25 November 2009]
*

Eucharist: Ubiquity, Signs, Lutheranism, Etc. (vs. Calvin #43) [11-27-09]
*

Eucharist: Rationalism, Nestorianism, & Docetism (vs. Calvin #44) [11-30-09]
*

Bizarre “Eucharistic Christology” vs. Tertullian (vs. Calvin #45) [12-1-09]

Eucharist: Incoherent “Spiritual Presence” (vs. Calvin #46) [12-2-09]
*

Eucharistic Adoration: Idolatry or Biblical? (vs. Calvin #47) [12-2-09]
*

Eucharist: Radical Symbolism & Docetism (vs. Calvin #48) [12-3-09]
*

Quibble About Lutheran Dislike of the Term “Consubstantiation” and the Absence of a Similarly Descriptive Word [4-20-11]

Already 200 Views of the Eucharist by 1577 (???!!!) [Facebook, 11-10-18]

Vs. James White #5: Real Eucharistic Presence or Symbolism? [9-20-19]

Catholic Transubstantiation vs. Lutheran Consubstantiation [4-2-20]

Refuting Jason Engwer’s “Real Absence” Argument (Including Biblical Evidence of Analogous Miracles of a Supernatural Change of a Substance Minus Outward Physical Evidence) [11-18-21]

Reply to Hays’ “Catholicism” #28: Nicodemus & Baptism; Symbolic Baptism?; Universal Atonement; Relics; Hay’s Disbelief & Jn 6; Biblical Analogies to Transubstantiation; God & the Supernatural Eucharist; Eucharist & Dark Matter [6-9-23]

THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND SACRIFICE OF THE MASS: CHURCH FATHERS, AND PROTESTANT SCHOLARS

St. Augustine’s Belief in the Substantial Real Presence [1996]
*

Patristic Eucharistic Doctrine: Nine Protestant Scholars [12-1-96]

John Calvin and St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Comparative Eucharistic Theology [6-14-04]

Dialogue on Calvin’s & Patristic Eucharistic Theology (Especially St. Cyril of Jerusalem’s Theology of the Eucharist) [6-19-04]
*

Transubstantiation & Church History: Dialogue w Lutheran [2-12-05; abridged on 10-23-18]
*

Eucharistic Sacrifice: The Witness of the Church Fathers [9-12-05]

Sacrifice of the Mass: Reflections on Theology & Patristics [9-22-05]

Development of Sacrifice of the Mass: Dialogue w Lutheran [9-22-05]
*

“New” / Ordinary Form / Pauline Mass: a Traditional Defense (with Massive Historical Documentation, + Summary of Vatican II on Liturgical Reform) [6-18-08]

Sacrifice of the Mass / Cyprian’s Ecclesiology (vs. Calvin #11) [5-19-09]
*

Transubstantiation: Bible & the Fathers (vs. Calvin #42) [24-25 November 2009]
*

Eucharist: Rationalism, Nestorianism, & Docetism (vs. Calvin #44) [11-30-09]
*

Bizarre “Eucharistic Christology” vs. Tertullian (vs. Calvin #45) [12-1-09]
*

Eucharistic Adoration: Idolatry or Biblical? (vs. Calvin #47) [12-2-09]
*

Church Fathers and the Sacrifice of the Mass (Thoroughly Catholic!) [12-11-09]
*

St. Augustine’s Eucharistic Doctrine and Protestant “Co-Opting” [9-25-10]
*

St. Augustine Accepted All Seven Catholic Sacraments [9-25-10]

St. Augustine’s Eucharistic Doctrine: Simultaneous Assertion of Realism and Symbolism [2-17-11]

What Saint Augustine, Bishop, Saint and Doctor of the Catholic Church Actually Held Pertaining to Transubstantiation: A Response to Turretinfan (+ Part Two) (Paul Hoffer) [8-20-11]
*

Holy Communion in the Hand (Norm till 500-900 AD) [9-3-15; some additions on 3-13-20]
*

St. Augustine’s Communion (Standing, in the Hand) [10-4-15]

“Re-Presentation” vs. “Re-Sacrifice” in the Mass: Doctrinal History [4-4-18]

Vs. James White #5: Real Eucharistic Presence or Symbolism? [9-20-19]

Did Pope Gelasius (r. 492-496) Deny Transubstantiation? [3-24-21]

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS: GENERAL / EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Sacrifice of the Mass: A Biblical Overview [1994]

The Sacrifice of the Mass: Classic Catholic Reflections [1994]

The Sacrifice of the Mass: A Lamb . . . Slain [3-8-92; rev. May 1996]

Sacrifice of the Mass & Hebrews 8 (vs. James White) [3-31-04]

Passover in Judaism & a Mass that Transcends Time (“Past Events Become Present Today”/ Survey of “Remember” in Scripture) [7-7-09]

The Timeless Crucifixion & the Sacrifice of the Mass [9-25-09]

Sacrifice of the Mass and NT Altars (vs. Calvin #49) [12-9-09]
*

“Altar”: Inconsistent Protestant Use of the Word [7-31-10]

Sacrifice of the Mass in the Synoptic and Pauline Consecration Formulas from the Last Supper [Ferdinand Prat, S. J., Facebook, 2-1-12]

Mass: Re-Sacrifice? (vs. Lutheran Pastor Ken Howes) [4-2-12]
*

What Does This Instance of Old Testament Worship Remind You of? (1 Chronicles 16:1-3) [Facebook, 9-7-13]
*

The Book of Revelation and the Holy Mass (Lots of Parallels) [Facebook, 10-9-14]
*

Catholic Mass: “Re-Sacrifice” of Jesus? [11-19-15]

Is Jesus “Re-Sacrificed” at Every Mass? [National Catholic Register, 8-19-17]

Why is Melchizedek So Important? [National Catholic Register, 1-15-18]

“Re-Presentation” vs. “Re-Sacrifice” in the Mass: Doctrinal History [4-4-18]

Time-Transcending Mass and the Hebrew “Remember” [National Catholic Register, 8-3-18]

Vs. Pasqualucci Re Vatican II #11: Sacrosanctum Concilium & Sacrifice of the Mass [7-22-19]

Crucifixes & Worship Images: “New” (?) Biblical Arguments [1-18-20]

Hebrews 10:12, Vulgate, & the Mass (James White’s Lie) [9-3-21]

Holy Eucharist & Sacrifice of the Mass (chapter six [pp. 255-270] of my 2009 book, Bible Truths for Catholic Truths: A Source Book for Apologists and Inquirers) [10-19-23]

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS: EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Lutherans, Corpus Christi, & Eucharistic Adoration [6-18-07]

Luther Espoused Eucharistic Adoration [9-17-15]

Eucharistic Adoration: Explicit & Undeniable Biblical Analogies [2-1-19]

Intriguing Biblical Analogies to Eucharistic Adoration [National Catholic Register, 2-13-19]

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS: PRIESTHOOD AND PRIESTS

Biblical Evidence for the Continuation of Priests as an Office [9-13-15]

St. Paul Was a Priest [9-15-15]

Was the Apostle Paul a Priest? [National Catholic Register, 4-2-17]

Reply to a Protestant: Misc. Protestant Errors (Includes Biblical Arguments for the Catholic Priesthood) [8-17-24]

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS: THE IDOLATRY CHARGE

Is the Mass Equivalent to OT Golden Calf Worship? [1996]

Why Transubstantiation Isn’t Idolatry At All [11-22-96]

Dialogue: Is the Mass Similar to Jeroboam’s Idolatry? [8-7-04]

Ten Commandments: Changed by Catholics to Uphold Idolatry? [9-4-04]

Is Lutheranism Officially Anti-Catholic? [4-26-05]

Lutheran View of the Mass / Catholics & Lutheran Worship [11-19-07]

Martin Luther on Crucifixes, Images and Statues of Saints, and the Sign of the Cross [4-15-08]

Catholic Mass: Can’t Possibly be Idolatrous [12-15-08]

Crucifixes: Abominable Idols or Devotional Aids? [11-10-09]

Anti-Catholics & Alleged Catholic Idol-Worship at Mass [4-11-11]

Biblical Evidence for Worship of God Via an Image [6-24-11]

Biblical Idolatry: Authentic & Counterfeit Conceptions[2015]

Newsflash!: Catholicism Utterly Opposes Idolatry, Too[1-18-17]

Catholic Mass as “Idolatry” Reductio ad Absurdum [12-7-17]
*

Eucharistic Adoration: Explicit & Undeniable Biblical Analogies [2-1-19]

The Absurdity of Claiming That the Mass is Idolatrous [National Catholic Register, 6-17-19]
*

Catholicism = Unbiblical Idolatrous Worship? [5-21-24]
*

LITURGICAL ISSUES: TRIDENTINE MASS / “NEW” / PAULINE MASS

“New” / Ordinary Form / Pauline Mass: a Traditional Defense (with Massive Historical Documentation, + Summary of Vatican II on Liturgical Reform) [6-18-08]
*

Reactionary & Traditionalist Reaction to Summorum Pontificum [6-23-08]

Michael Voris vs. the New (OF) Mass & Pope Benedict XVI [11-16-12]

Books by Dave Armstrong: Mass Movements: Radical Catholic Reactionaries, the New Mass, and Ecumenism [12-20-12]

Peter Kwasniewski, Fr. Thomas Kocik and a Growing Chorus Disagree with Pope Benedict XVI Regarding the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite Mass (Or, Reports of the Death of the Reform of the Reform are Greatly Exaggerated) [+ Part Two] [2-26-14]

Who’s Defending Pope Benedict’s Summorum Pontificum Now? [2-26-14]

You Prefer the Tridentine / EF Mass? Great! You Prefer Novus Ordo / OF (like me)? Great! [8-14-15]

Two Forms of One Rite (Pope Benedict XVI) [11-4-15]

Critique of Criticisms of the New Mass [11-5-15]

Worshiping the TLM vs. Worshiping God Through It [12-16-15]

Ratzinger “Banal” Quote: Traditionalist & Reactionary Misuse [12-17-15]

Chris Ferrara vs. Pope Benedict XVI (New Mass) [12-18-15]

Superstition About the “Preserved” High Altar at Notre Dame (And Continued Cynical, Highly Selective, “Pick and Choose” Acceptance of the Teaching of Pope Benedict XVI) [4-17-19]

Vs. Pasqualucci Re Vatican II #12: Sacrosanctum Concilium & Liturgical “Creativity” [7-22-19]

Discussion on Extraordinary vs. Ordinary Form Mass (Matt Fradd’s Comment) [Facebook, 8-18-20]

We Attended an Extraordinary Form [Tridentine] Mass Today [Facebook, 8-30-20]

Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes is for the Sake of Unity [7-16-21]

Skojec Loathes Traditionis; Illustrates Why it is Necessary [7-19-21]

Catholics (?) Trash, Judge, & Mind-Read the Pope (In 1968, “all” the liberal Catholics rejected Humanae Vitae. Now in 2021, “all” the self-described “conservative” Catholics reject Traditionis Custodes — and none see the outright absurdity and irony of this) [7-20-21]

Traditionis Custodes Results: No Fallen Sky (I Called It) [9-6-21]

The Pauline (“New”) Mass [Ch. 14 of my book, Reflections on Radical Catholic Reactionaries (December 2002; revised in November 2023 for the purpose of the free online version) [11-27-23]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: COMMUNION IN THE HAND / REVERENCE AND SOLEMNITY / POSTURE

How to Receive Communion: Tradition & Abuses [1-28-00]

Dialogue on Method of Communion & Liturgical Development (vs. David Palm) [6-25-08]

Can Communion in the Hand be Equally Reverent? [7-13-11]

Bible on Reverent Posture for Worship & Communion [1-23-13]

Further Thoughts on Communion in the Hand [6-20-13]

Clarification of My Nuanced Position on Hand-Communion [7-8-13]

Communion in the Hand: More Reflections & Opinions [7-8-13]

Michael Voris & Historic Communion in the Hand (Standing) [8-8-13]

Catholic Worship & Beauty, Imagination [11-25-13]

St. Catherine of Siena Received Communion in the Hand [3-25-14]

Holy Communion in the Hand (Norm till 500-900 AD) [9-3-15; some additions on 3-13-20]

Thoughts: Communion in the Hand & Reverence [9-4-15]

Communion in the Hand & Biblical Reverence & Piety [9-5-15]

St. Augustine’s Communion (Standing, in the Hand) [10-4-15]

Taylor Marshall: Better No Jesus at All Than By Hand [+ vigorous Facebook discussion] [3-14-20]

Bishop Schneider: No Jesus Better than Hand-Communion [3-14-20]

Communion in the Hand: Reactionaries vs. St. Cyril [3-15-20]

Is God Judging the World for Communion in the Hand? [4-13-20]

Communion Posture: Examples from the Book of Revelation [4-14-20]

“Eucharistic Pharisees” (Communion in the Hand) (Original Facebook title: “Do People Choose Communion in the Hand Because They Think They Are Receiving a ‘Snack’?”) [8-8-22]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: ABUSES OF THE RUBRICS / ORANS AND HAND-HOLDING DURING THE OUR FATHER

What Can Laypeople Do Regarding Liturgical Abuses? [2-19-08]

Posture During the “Our Father” Over Against the Rubrics [7-7-08]

Gettin’ Lousy, Milky Homilies at Mass? Start Readin’! [5-2-13]

Holding Hands at Mass During the “Our Father” [2-19-14]

What to Do About Mediocre, Milky Homilies at Mass [8-11-15]

Dialogues on Church Rubrics (Laws) & Hand-Holding at Mass [11-15-17]

Comment on the “Holding Hands During the Our Father” Controversy (in Reply to a Critical Comment) [Facebook, 11-21-17]

Debate: Teach & Enforce Liturgical Rubrics Or No? [7-15-19]

Dialogue w Two Canonists on Our Father Posture [7-16-19]
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On the “Controversy” Over “Our Father” Posture [6-30-23]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: ALTAR GIRLS

Do Altar Girls Alter Intentions of Would-Be Altar Boys? [5-19-14]

Altar Girls: Consideration of Pro & Con Arguments [May 2014]

Dialogue on Altar Girls and Altar Boys [3-16-18]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION

Extraordinarily Excessive Use of Extraordinary Ministers [11-20-08]

Dialogue with Priests on “Eucharistic Ministers” [12-1-08]

The Preference of Receiving Holy Communion from a Priest [12-18-13]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: “VAIN REPETITION” AND “DEAD” FORMAL WORSHIP CHARGES / THE ROSARY

Fictional Dialogue: “Vain Repetition” & Liturgy [1995]

Heartfelt Sacramentalism (Not Mere Charms) [1996]

Mary: Spiritual Motherhood & Rosary: Dialogue w Protestant [1-21-02]

Catholic Converts’ Qualms: Mariology, Formal Worship, Etc. [2-11-04; some new recommended links added on 5-2-17]
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Biblical Evidence: Formal Prayer Isn’t “Vain Repetition” [2009]
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“Vain Repetition”: Jesus Shows What it’s Not (Did Jesus Condemn All Formal and/or Repetitious Prayers: Like the Rosary and the Mass?) [7-22-10]

Cardinal Gibbons on the False, Unbiblical Dichotomy Between Interior Pious Disposition and External Formal Ceremony, Liturgy, and Ritual [Facebook, 1-23-12]

Informal Worship vs. Formal Catholic Liturgy [3-4-13]

Bible on Wholehearted Formal Worship [6-4-07; revised and expanded 1-22-16]

The Rosary: “Vain Repetition” or Biblical Devotion? [5-24-16]

Is the Rosary Christ-Centered? [5-25-16]

Ritualistic, Formal Worship is a Good and Biblical Practice [National Catholic Register, 12-4-16]
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The Rosary: ‘Vain Repetition’ or Biblical Prayer? [National Catholic Register, 3-16-18]

5 Replies to Questions About Catholic (and Biblical) Prayer [National Catholic Register, 11-30-22]

Bible on Sacramentals, Liturgy, & Devotions (Ch. 10 of my book, Bible Truths for Catholic Truths: A Source Book for Apologists and Inquirers) [12-10-23]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: HEARING THE GOSPEL AT MASS

Catholics Never Hear About the Gospel or Jesus at Mass? [6-4-07]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: AD ORIENTEM

Ad Orientem (Facing the Altar at Mass): A Defense [11-20-13]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: MASS OBLIGATION, SUNDAY WORSHIP, AND HOLY DAYS

“Optional” Confirmation Class & Mass for Teenagers? [11-13-07]

Sunday Worship vs. Sabbatarianism (Links) [1-19-08; expanded 6-28-18]

Sunday Mass Obligation: Brief Explanation and Rationale [10-7-08]

Biblical Evidences and Arguments Regarding Holy Days [9-21-09]

Biblical Evidence for Sunday Worship [12-1-15]

Reply on Reasons for the Sunday Mass Obligation [6-26-18]
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Reasons for the Sunday Mass Obligation [National Catholic Register, 11-14-18]
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Debate on JW Antipathy to Holy Days & Christmas [12-21-18]
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LITURGICAL ISSUES: COMMUNION IN ONE KIND OR SPECIES

Bible on Receiving One Species in Communion [3-11-08 and 6-24-11]
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Does Communion in One Kind “Trivialize” the Sacrament? [1-31-12]
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Chalice or Host Only Contain the Body & Blood of Christ (Reply to Two Direct Challenges from the Calvinist Anti-Catholic Sophist and Polemicist, “Turretinfan”) [11-21-19]

The Host and Chalice Both Contain Christ’s Body and Blood [National Catholic Register, 12-10-19]

Augsburg Confession Dialogues: Communion In One Kind [5-6-24]
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Martin Luther: Christ Didn’t Require Both Kinds in Holy Communion [Facebook, 8-20-24]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: CLOSED / RESTRICTED COMMUNION

Exclusion of Non-Catholics from Communion: Why? [1-30-03]

Catholic Closed Communion: A Defense [10-30-08]

Divorced & Remarried (Etc.) & Holy Communion [10-19-15]

Catholic Closed Communion: Reply to a Foolish Objection [12-9-17; extra note added on 3-23-18]

Why Are Non-Catholics Excluded from Holy Communion? [National Catholic Register, 7-3-19]

On Denying Communion to Pro-Abort Politicians and Other Notorious Figures: Not Quite as Clear-Cut in Catholic History as we Might Suppose [Facebook: Fr. Angel Sotelo, 11-1-19]

Cowardly (?) Bishops, Pro-Abort Biden, & Holy Communion [6-22-21]

Review: The Orthodoxy of Amoris Laetitia (Pedro Gabriel) [5-10-22]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: MUSIC AT MASS

Musical Instruments in Worship: Biblical Evidence [3-22-10]

Is Modern Catholic Church Music Aesthetically Mediocre? [6-10-15; with slight revisions and additions on 3-23-18]

Church Music & Hymns in the New Testament? [1-28-16]

LITURGICAL ISSUES: MISCELLANEOUS

Communitarian Aspects of Catholic Worship at Mass [11-29-07]

Women’s Head Veils in Church [7-31-08]

Our Father (Lord’s Prayer): “Debts” or “Trespasses”? [11-7-08]

Bible on Candles, Incense, & Symbolism for Prayer [2-16-09]

Sunny Optimism Regarding God’s Guidance of His Church Now and Always (Including Liturgical Discussion) [7-22-11]

Biblical Evidence Regarding Calling Priests “Father” [2-24-16]

Pope Francis Foot-Washing Controversy Redux [3-26-16]

The Art and Science of Lectoring [Facebook, 7-16-18]

Bible on Sacramentals, Liturgy, & Devotions (Ch. 10 of my book, Bible Truths for Catholic Truths: A Source Book for Apologists and Inquirers) [12-10-23]

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Last updated on 20 August 2024

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