{"id":72642,"date":"2023-04-20T18:15:40","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T22:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?p=72642"},"modified":"2023-05-05T15:05:58","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T19:05:58","slug":"gods-providence-miracles-natural-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2023\/04\/gods-providence-miracles-natural-events.html","title":{"rendered":"God’s Providence, Miracles & Natural Events"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In my book,\u00a0The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science and History Back Up the Bible<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(Catholic Answers Press, 2023), I suggest quite a few possible<\/em> scenarios whereby biblical events usually assumed to be miraculous may have a plausible natural explanation. I repeatedly explain my precise position in my book, especially (and in the most sustained detail) in the Introduction. For anyone who has an e-book version, the relevant words can be searched. \u201cMiraculous\u201d appears fifteen times, \u201cmiracle\u201d 21 times (not counting its appearance in one of the chapter titles), and \u201csupernatural\u201d 18 times.<\/p>\n

My (excellent) editor, Drew Belsky, passed on to me some concerns that have been expressed, and asked me if I could clarify my position. I\u2019m more than happy to do so. He wrote: \u201cI know of people who say approaches like yours diminish the majesty of God because they reduce every alleged miracle to mere natural phenomena, meaning the atheist is even\u00a0less\u00a0<\/em>convinced of the supernatural.\u201d Well, this is what is called a \u201cstraw man\u201d in logic. That is, the question presupposes that I hold a position that I don\u2019t<\/em> in fact hold.\u00a0I actually fully agree<\/em> with the concern expressed by these people, and stated as much in my book, in the last two paragraphs of my Introduction (p. 15):<\/p>\n

A theologically liberal or skeptical mentality does exist, whereby every miracle in the Bible is \u201cexplained away\u201d by natural processes because of disbelief in all<\/em> miracles from the outset. I detest that, and it\u2019s\u00a0not at all\u00a0my own position.<\/p>\n

Rather, mine is a view that fully accepts the possibility and factuality of actual divine, supernatural\u00a0miracles, while at the same time recognizing that God\u2019s omniscience and omnipotence, providence and sovereignty are such that he\u00a0can and does also<\/em>\u00a0incorporate natural events into his divine plans for the human race and the accomplishment of his will.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The claim was that \u201capproaches\u201d like mine \u201creduce every alleged miracle to mere natural phenomena.\u201d But as I explained in the book already, I \u201cdetest\u201d such a position, which flows from disbelief in all miracles. That\u2019s why there is an urge in such people to dismiss every miracle in the Bible or in Christianity, because they have ruled out the possibility of them from the outset<\/em>, as philosopher David Hume famously \u2013 or infamously \u2013 and irrationally did. In other words, my position may be summed up as:<\/p>\n

God can and does accomplish his purposes and incorporate into his providence both miraculous acts and natural events. I gave several examples of the latter in my book: God using the Assyrians and Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar to judge his own people when they strayed, and Persian King Cyrus to aid them, and using a meteor to judge Sodom and Gomorrah (see p. 14). And I gave several examples of things that could only be totally or partially supernatural, such as four of the ten plagues upon Egypt, and Christian beliefs such as the raising of the dead, walking on water and through walls, Balaam\u2019s talking\u00a0donkey, the Incarnation, the Virgin Birth, the atonement, and Jesus\u2019 resurrection and ascension (see pp. 13-14). Moreover, I stated: \u201cI throw out interesting possibilities or theories, not necessarily taking\u00a0a\u00a0position. I never claim that things\u00a0must\u00a0have been\u00a0the way I suggest\u201d (p. 14).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The skeptical \/ agnostic \/ atheist position regarding miracles, on the other hand, can be accurately summarized as follows:<\/p>\n

If indeed there is a God, he doesn\u2019t perform miracles, because they are impossible, and if there is no God, the impossibility is all the more<\/em> certain, because everything reduces to natural laws that govern the behavior of matter: God not being present to contravene or \u201coverrule\u201d any of these laws.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These two positions are as different as night and day or east and west. Anyone who attributes anything remotely like the second position to me either hasn\u2019t read my book, or if he or she has<\/em> done so, has vastly misunderstood what I made crystal clear over and over. My position is not at all \u201canti-supernatural.\u201d Rather, it is against a position that appears to think that everything<\/em> God does is supernatural or that every act he performs to aid human beings is supernatural.<\/p>\n

One person who responded to an article of mine at National Catholic Register<\/em><\/a> that consisted of excerpts from my book, was far more blunt, as well as slanderous:<\/p>\n

What is most disturbing is that the author seems completely devoid of supernatural faith. The view he presents is that of liberal Protestantism. It completely denies the miraculous and infers God is deceptive, factually ignorant, or a writer of myths. It\u2019s offensive to see this in a supposedly Catholic publication.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This article (especially the Addendum) disposes of this nonsense ten times over. As for an atheist being less convinced of the supernatural because of a possible<\/em> (not necessary or undeniable!) natural explanation of some acts that are largely assumed to be miraculous, I\u2019m not convinced this is the case, or that it is more often than not. Again, I deny the assumed premise in the criticism. St. Paul said, \u201cI have become\u00a0<\/strong>all things to\u00a0all men, that I might by all means save some\u201d (1 Cor 9:22, RSV). Now, I am not seeking to think like an atheist in order to convince the atheist of Christianity. That would be both self-contradictory and absurd. \u00a0What I\u2019m doing is attempting to persuade them in areas where there might be common ground to be had.<\/p>\n

The atheist (we must remember) denies all miracles by definition, because there is no God to perform them, and they are senseless from the perspective of natural scientific laws. Therefore, I merely throw out possibilities<\/em> of natural explanations of some things in the Bible. This may<\/em> have the effect of causing the atheist to consider the Bible more seriously than before, because he or she can comprehend things in a way that is not immediately contrary to their presuppositions. But in doing so I remain uncommitted to the notion that these things \u201cmust\u201d be natural. I say they might possibly be<\/em>, and by the same token, that they may be miraculous.<\/p>\n

The second (falsely) alleged \u201cproblem\u201d in my thinking was passed along to me by Drew Belsky as follows: \u201cChristians will say that every\u00a0<\/em>miracle must be naturally plausible, or else it shouldn\u2019t be believed.\u201d Again, this is not my position, which makes clear that many beliefs in Christianity are clearly miraculous or supernatural, and could hardly be otherwise. How could something like the Incarnation of Jesus or his being conceived by the Holy Spirit, or our being saved as a result of his sacrifice on the cross not<\/em> be miraculous? The concern as expressed or its supposed description of my view is viciously self-contradictory, because miracles (such as the three examples I just mentioned) are by definition other than natural (!). That\u2019s why we have the term \u201csupernatural\u201d: meaning \u201cbeyond the natural.\u201d<\/p>\n

The concern is even phrased<\/em> wrongly. I never stated (nor ever thought) that any given miracle must have a possible natural explanation in order to be believed. Rather, I am contending that some biblical events<\/em> assumed by many to be miraculous may have been in fact, natural events: the timing of which was coordinated by God in his foreknowledge and providence. I think the strongest cases for this that I made are the Hebrews being fed by quail in the wilderness, and Moses drawing water from rock. It\u2019s very plausible that both things were natural, as I argued in the book, from scientific findings. But why should that be thought of as an \u201canti-miraculous\u201d mentality on my part? To suggest that one particular thing was perhaps not miraculous is not to extend that speculation to all <\/em>things.<\/p>\n

ADDENDUM<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Fifty Things That I Believe Can Only<\/em> be Regarded as Miraculous \/ Supernatural in the Old Testament<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lest someone make the unfounded charge that I supposedly deny all miraculous events in the Old Testament (something I have never stated nor believed in the 46 years that I have been seriously seeking to follow Jesus Christ as his disciple, and over the 42 years I have written about apologetics), here is a list of things in the Old Testament that I consider miraculous, and would never attempt to offer even a possible<\/em> natural explanation:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. God\u2019s creation of Adam and Eve (i.e., male and female human beings with souls, made in his image: Gen. 1:27).<\/li>\n
  2. The devil as a real spiritual being.<\/li>\n
  3. Demons as real spiritual beings.<\/li>\n
  4. Angels as real spiritual beings.<\/li>\n
  5. God\u2019s creation of the universe (at least in the initial stages; e.g., one may hold that he initiated the Big Bang, and then it was all natural processes: Gen. 1:1).<\/li>\n
  6. God\u2019s creation of the earth (at least in the initial stages): Gen. 1:1.<\/li>\n
  7. God\u2019s omnipotence (Job 42:2; Jer. 32:17).<\/li>\n
  8. God\u2019s omniscience (1 Chron. 28:9; Ps. 147:5).<\/li>\n
  9. God\u2019s omnipresence (Ps. 139:7-8; Jer. 23:24).<\/li>\n
  10. God\u2019s eternal existence (Gen. 21:33; Exod. 3:14).<\/li>\n
  11. The Holy Trinity.<\/li>\n
  12. God\u2019s immutability (inability to change): Mal. 3:6.<\/li>\n
  13. Original sin \/ the fall of man as a cosmic catastrophe, requiring supernatural grace to overcome (Gen. 3:22-24).<\/li>\n
  14. God\u2019s prediction of the Flood (Gen. 7:4).<\/li>\n
  15. God\u2019s Covenant with Noah (Gen. 9:8-17).<\/li>\n
  16. God\u2019s Covenant[s] with Abraham (Gen. 15:18-21; 17:1-14).<\/li>\n
  17. God\u2019s Covenant with Isaac (Gen. 17:19-21; 26:24).<\/li>\n
  18. Theophanies in which God appeared as a man or an angel in the OT (e.g., Gen. 18:1-2).<\/li>\n
  19. Sarah giving birth to Isaac at age 90 (Gen. 17:17).<\/li>\n
  20. God calling to Hagar from heaven (Gen. 21:17).<\/li>\n
  21. Whenever God communicates to human beings in any fashion (e.g., Gen. 22:1-2).<\/li>\n
  22. Whenever angels communicate to human beings in any fashion (e.g., Gen. 22:15).<\/li>\n
  23. Heaven.<\/li>\n
  24. Sheol or Hades.<\/li>\n
  25. Balaam\u2019s talking donkey (Num. 22:28).<\/li>\n
  26. Joshua\u2019s long day (Josh. 10:12-15).<\/li>\n
  27. The burning bush on Mt. Sinai (Exod. 3:2-6).<\/li>\n
  28. God writing and carving the Ten Commandments (Exod. 24:12; 31:18; 34:1).<\/li>\n
  29. Moses\u2019 rod becoming a serpent (Exod. 4:2-4).<\/li>\n
  30. Moses\u2019 hand becoming leprous (Exod. 4:6-7).<\/li>\n
  31. The killing of the first-born Egyptian children and the first-born of the Egyptians\u2019 cattle (Exod. 11:5, 7; 12:29).<\/li>\n
  32. God\u2019s protection of the Hebrews during the first Passover (Exod. 12:22-23).<\/li>\n
  33. God making the water become sweet (Exod. 15:25).<\/li>\n
  34. Jonah being raised from the dead in the belly of the whale (Jon. 2:1-7).<\/li>\n
  35. God\u2019s presence in the pillar of smoke (Exod. 13:21).<\/li>\n
  36. God\u2019s presence in the pillar of fire (Exod. 13:21).<\/li>\n
  37. God\u2019s special presence between the wings of the cherubim on top of the ark of the covenant (Exod. 25:22).<\/li>\n
  38. The OT sacrificial system as a way to extend God\u2019s forgiveness to human beings (e.g., Lev. 4:27-31).<\/li>\n
  39. Elijah raising the dead (1 Kings 17:21-22).<\/li>\n
  40. Elisha raising the dead (2 Kings 4:32-35).<\/li>\n
  41. The prophet Samuel coming back from the dead to appear to Saul (1 Sam. 28:12-19).<\/li>\n
  42. The fire on Mt. Carmel that came down from God to burn up a hundred false prophets of Baal (2 Kings 1:10-12).<\/li>\n
  43. Elijah going up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11).<\/li>\n
  44. The three Hebrew children saved in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:8-27).<\/li>\n
  45. All prophecies made by the prophets that came true.<\/li>\n
  46. Isaiah seeing God in heaven (Isa. 6:1-5).<\/li>\n
  47. Daniel\u2019s vision of God (Dan. 7:9-10).<\/li>\n
  48. Daniel saved from the lions (Dan. 6:16-23).<\/li>\n
  49. The angels killing of thousands of Assyrian soldiers (2 Kings 19:35).<\/li>\n
  50. Moses\u2019 prayer as part of the process of God forgiving the sinning Israelites (Num. 14:19-20).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    ***<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n

    Practical Matters<\/em><\/strong>: Perhaps some of my 4,200+ free online articles (the most comprehensive \u201cone-stop\u201d Catholic apologetics site) or\u00a0fifty-one books<\/a>\u00a0have helped you (by God\u2019s grace) to decide to\u00a0become Catholic<\/a>\u00a0or to\u00a0return to the Church<\/a>,\u00a0or better understand some doctrines and\u00a0why<\/em>\u00a0we believe them<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \n

    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\u2019m always in need of more funds: especially\u00a0monthly<\/em>\u00a0support. \u201cThe laborer is worthy of his wages\u201d (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV). 1 December 2021 was my 20th anniversary as a\u00a0full-time Catholic apologist<\/a>,\u00a0and February 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of my blog.<\/p>\n

    PayPal donations<\/a>\u00a0are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. You\u2019ll see the term \u201cCatholic Used Book Service\u201d, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing, including 100% tax deduction, etc., see my page:\u00a0About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong \/ Donation Information<\/a>.\u00a0Thanks a million<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0from the bottom of my heart!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    ***<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    Photo credit:<\/strong> The Ancient of Days<\/i> (1794), by William Blake (1757-1827)<\/span> [public domain \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a>]<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    ***<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    Summary<\/em>: Some people suspect that I am \u201canti-miracle\u201d because in my latest book on biblical archaeology I offer several POSSIBLE natural explanations. They\u2019re dead wrong.<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In my book,\u00a0The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science and History Back Up the Bible\u00a0(Catholic Answers Press, 2023), I suggest quite a few possible scenarios whereby biblical events usually assumed to be miraculous may have a plausible natural explanation. I repeatedly explain my precise position in my book, especially (and in the most sustained […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":72645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[638,17583,17589,17586,5582,16899],"class_list":["post-72642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trinitarianism-christology","tag-biblical-archaeology","tag-god-miracles","tag-miracles-natural-events","tag-ot-miracles","tag-science-the-bible","tag-the-word-set-in-stone"],"yoast_head":"\nGod's Providence, Miracles & Natural Events God's Providence, Miracles & Natural Events<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In my book,\u00a0The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science and History Back Up the Bible\u00a0(Catholic Answers Press, 2023), I suggest quite a few possible Some people suspect that I am "anti-miracle" because in my latest book on biblical archaeology I offer several POSSIBLE natural explanations. 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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \\\"This Rock\\\" (now called \\\"Catholic Answers Magazine\\\"), \\\"Envoy Magazine\\\" (Patrick Madrid), \\\"The Catholic Answer,\\\" \\\"The Coming Home Journal,\\\" \\\"Gilbert Magazine\\\" (American Chesterton Society), and \\\"The Latin Mass.\\\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \\\"The Michigan Catholic\\\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \\\"Catholic Answers Live\\\" (twice), \\\"Faith and Family Live\\\" (Steve Wood), \\\"Kresta in the Afternoon,\\\" \\\"Son Rise Morning Show,\\\" \\\"Catholic Connection\\\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \\\"The Catholics Next Door.\\\" His large and popular website, \\\"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\\\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \\\"index\\\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \\\"Surprised by Truth\\\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \\\"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\\\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \\\"The Catholic Verses\\\" (2004), \\\"The One-Minute Apologist\\\" (2007), \\\"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\\\" (2009), \\\"The Quotable Newman\\\" (editor: 2012), and \\\"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\\\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \\\"The New Catholic Answer Bible\\\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \\\"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\\\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \\\"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\\\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \\\"Quotable Wesley\\\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"God's Providence, Miracles & Natural Events God's Providence, Miracles & Natural Events","description":"In my book,\u00a0The Word Set in Stone: How Archaeology, Science and History Back Up the Bible\u00a0(Catholic Answers Press, 2023), I suggest quite a few possible Some people suspect that I am \"anti-miracle\" because in my latest book on biblical archaeology I offer several POSSIBLE natural explanations. 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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \"This Rock\" (now called \"Catholic Answers Magazine\"), \"Envoy Magazine\" (Patrick Madrid), \"The Catholic Answer,\" \"The Coming Home Journal,\" \"Gilbert Magazine\" (American Chesterton Society), and \"The Latin Mass.\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \"The Michigan Catholic\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \"Envoy Magazine.\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \"Catholic Answers Live\" (twice), \"Faith and Family Live\" (Steve Wood), \"Kresta in the Afternoon,\" \"Son Rise Morning Show,\" \"Catholic Connection\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \"The Catholics Next Door.\" His large and popular website, \"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \"Envoy Magazine.\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \"index\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \"Surprised by Truth\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).","sameAs":["https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72642\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}