Angry Anti-Theism Strikes Again! (“Dave Armstrong is Delusional”)

Photograph by Jessica Flavin (2-6-08) [Wikimedia Commons /  Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license] ***** I ran across a typical [former Catholic] “angry atheist” sub-type on my blog (note that I’m not saying that all atheists are angry and anti-theist, but there is a large group that is). I immediately banned him when I saw [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/angry-anti-theism-strikes-dave-armstrong-delusional.html

Poetry Friday: “Exile with Fox” by Chelsea Wagenaar

This poem draws me in with its opening sounds: “Midnight, mid-May.” With those urgent, humming Ms, we are situated in a lush environment thick with potential, growth, and energy. Midnight is a hidden time, an hour when reader and speaker should be asleep. Instead, in this poem we stand alert to a late spring night [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/poetry-friday-exile-fox-chelsea-wagenaar/

Mark Shea: Let’s Hear Dr. Feser on Your Podcast (Death Penalty)

. . .  The Tendency of Merely Preaching to the Choir Online, Rather Than Directly (Amiably) Engaging Different Viewpoints Image by “geralt” (6-6-15) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] ***** [response to Mark’s Connecting the Dots podcast of 3-22-17 with guest Rod Bennett] *** Why not have Dr. Edward Feser on the show, so there can [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/mark-shea-lets-hear-dr-feser-on-your-podcast-death-penalty.html

Share If You Agree

I have had it with the rage. It might drive me off social media. At first, I thought it might just be a problem of living in metropolitan Washington, D.C., where the strident opinions held by many are usually interlinked with what they do for a living. No such luck, though: I’ve been on trips [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/share-if-you-agree/

Overcoming Negativity

Fighting negativity is a constant battle. We live in a world full of inspirational quotes and Instagram captions about positivity, and while these can be helpful, they are not the only—and maybe not even the best—way to truly overcome negativity. Theology of the Body helps us challenge negativity by reminding us of who we truly [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2017/03/overcoming-negativity/

My Bad Italy Novel

February is offseason in Rome, so today the city is a little gray, a little quiet, if ever it could be such a thing. I’m standing on the steps of San Luigi Dei Francesi church, buzzing a little from a sugary espresso. I’m gearing up to enter the church and see, for the fourth time [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/bad-italy-novel/

Mysteries Sherlock Holmes Can’t Solve

“No, you should definitely major in English,” I told our babysitter, a high-school senior from our church who is considering an English or Communications degree. “Fiction is just like faith,” I said, “it’s its own kind of knowledge that makes our lives richer.” I really believe that, though I have to renew my conviction from [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/mysteries-sherlock-holmes-cant-solve/

Heisenberg and the A-Bomb: Just Say No

I read through the article breathlessly, astonished at the moral implications of what I was learning. When I got to the end, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, trying to begin to take in the import of what I’d just read. The article was “The Private Heisenberg and the Absent Bomb,” by Thomas Powers, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/heisenberg-bomb-just-say-no/

Poetry Friday: “Love’s Last” by Christian Wiman

The spring equinox was on Monday. I am slowly seeing a flush of new life around me, like plum tree blossoms and nettles, while winter’s dank decay is still lamentably present. Christian Wiman’s haunting and tender poem “Love’s Last” from his collection Once in the West (originally published in Image issue 81) echoes loudly for [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/poetry-friday-loves-last-christian-wiman/

Mary Mediatrix and the Church Fathers (vs. James White)

+ Documentation That White Accepts the Scholarship of the Protestant Church Historians I Cite (J. N. D. Kelly and Philip Schaff) Assumption of the Virgin (1637), by Guido Reni (1575-1642) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (9-7-05) *** James White wrote a book called, Mary — Another Redeemer? His words will be in blue. *** Evidence of the Mary [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/mary-mediatrix-church-fathers-vs-james-white.html

Purgatory: Refutation of James White (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

Photograph by “Zauberin” (3-17-13) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] *** (3-3-07) *** Reformed Baptist, anti-Catholic apologist James White wrote an article entitled, “1 Cor 3:10-15: Exegesis and Rebuttal of Roman Catholic Misuse”. This is my reply. His words will be italicized. The starting Bible passage is from his article. *** [1 Corinthians 3] 10 According [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/purgatory-refutation-of-james-white-1-corinthians-310-15.html

Love Nailed to the Doorpost

The commandment to love is nailed to my doorpost. Ritualistically written on a little piece of parchment, rolled up, tucked inside a beautifully painted ceramic case, and nailed aslant to the doorpost. I almost never notice it. Not when I’m rushing out of the house in the morning, book bag and gym bag slung over [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/love-nailed-doorpost/

Council of Nicea: Reply to James White

Its Relationship to Pope Sylvester, Athanasius’ Views, & the Unique Preeminence of Catholic Authority Icon depicting Emperor Constantine, center, accompanied by the Church Fathers of the 325 First Council of Nicaea, holding the Nicene Creed in its 381 form [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (4-2-07) *** This was a reply to Mr. White’s article, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/council-nicaea-reply-james-white.html

Only Catholics Issue Anathemas Against Dissenters?

Protestants Also Issue Plenty of Them (vs. James White) Synod of Dort (1618-1619), in which Reformed Protestants anathematized the Arminian Protestants who disagreed with them [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (3-12-04) *** White wrote in his book, Mary — Another Redeemer? (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1998), in chapter four, devoted to the Immaculate Conception: But just how [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/catholics-issue-anathemas-dissenters.html

The Landscape of Grief

Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape. —C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed I drag my three children outside for a walk. They are too young to understand how desperately I need to take advantage of the warm weather even if it’s a landscape of [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/the-landscape-of-grief/

Calling the Lapsed

The parish party was a bust. As a member of the Parish Council, I had promised—yet not followed through—on calling the database of lapsed Catholics the Council had acquired by asking parishioners to fill out notecards during Sunday Mass, listing friends and family members who had fallen away. Of the targeted invitees, the lapsed Catholics, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/calling-the-lapsed/

Myths & Facts Re: Tetzel & Indulgences

Johann Tetzel (1465-1519): the German Dominican friar who was a central figure in the “Reformation” debate about indulgences and their abuses [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** [originally published in Catholic Herald, 25 November 2016] *** Johann Tetzel (1465-1519): German Dominican friar and preacher of indulgences, is a favorite “whipping boy” for students of the [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/myths-facts-re-tetzel-indulgences.html

3 Ways To Guarantee You’ll Be Your Spouse’s BFF

Many people question whether husbands and wives should expect to be each other’s best friends. Spouses are often faced with difficulties throughout their lives and marriage, so how can they still be best friends with one another? While it may come as a surprise to some, over 83% of married couples report being best friends [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2017/03/3-ways-guarantee-youll-spouses-bff/

Development of Doctrine: Patristic & Historical Development

Featuring Much Documentation from St. Augustine, St. Vincent of Lerins, St. Thomas Aquinas. Vatican I, Popes Pius IX, Pius X, Etc. Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890): 1844 crayon portrait by George Richmond (1809-1896) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (3-19-02) ***** St. Irenaeus (c. 140 – c. 202) Against Heresies, 3, 24, 1 The [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/development-doctrine-patristic-historical-development.html

Inheriting Trauma

Until a few months ago, I thought Aleppo, Syria was one word. I’d never seen it in print, only heard it, and just once, from the lips of my grandmother. “I was born in Aleppo, Syria,” she said, and since there was no pause between the “o” and the “s” I figured she was referring [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/inheriting-trauma/

James White’s Ten Questions for “Romanist” Converts Answered

St. Peter’s Basilica and that old Tiber River that converts have to cross. Photograph by “992829” (11-21-12) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] *** (9-4-07) ***** Anti-Catholic Reformed Baptist apologist James White has been having a great deal of fun with this deliberately provocative David Letterman-like (minus any trace of humor) “Top Ten list”, first introduced [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/james-whites-ten-questions-for-romanist-converts-answered.html

Reply to James White on Communion of Saints

[see full book and purchase information] *** James White (the most influential anti-Catholic apologist in our time) critiqued my book, The One-Minute Apologist , in a post entitled, “A Quick Example of Armstrong’s Argumentation (#1)” [6-19-07]. This is my comprehensive reply. His words will be in blue. ***** Under the broad topic of Mary and [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/reply-james-white-communion-saints.html

“Moses’ Seat” & Tradition #6 (vs. James White)

Moses with the Ten Commandments (1648), by Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (5-12-05) *** [see all the other installments of this multi-part debate on my James White web page: second section] *** Mr. White’s words will be in blue; my former words in green. *** My reply to White’s Part VI: * Dave [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/moses-seat-tradition-6-vs-james-white.html

“Moses’ Seat” & Tradition #5 (vs. James White)

  Moses with the Ten Commandments (1648), by Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (5-12-05) *** [see all the other installments of this multi-part debate on my James White web page: second section] *** Mr. White’s words will be in blue; my former words in green. *** Reply to White’s Part IV: I would [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/moses-seat-tradition-5-vs-james-white.html

“Moses’ Seat” & Tradition #4 (vs. James White)

Moses with the Ten Commandments (1648), by Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (5-11-05) *** [see all the other installments of this multi-part debate on my James White web page: second section] *** Mr. White’s words will be in blue; my former words in green. *** The eight parts of my reply are in [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/moses-seat-tradition-4-vs-james-white.html

“Moses’ Seat” & Tradition #3 (vs. James White)

Moses with the Ten Commandments (1648), by Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (5-7-05) *** [see all the other installments of this multi-part debate on my James White web page: second section] *** Mr. White’s words will be in blue; my former words in green. *** In the previous installment of this series I [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/moses-seat-tradition-3-vs-james-white.html

Poetry Friday: “In Tandem”

Here is a poem that takes aim at our clichés about aging and death. It does so with subtle cleverness, by putting “in tandem” an old spruce tree and the nursing home resident to whom the poem is addressed. Though there’s no stanza break, the poem divides into two parts, each of nine lines. The [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/poetry-friday-tandem/

“Moses’ Seat” & Tradition #2 (vs. James White)

Moses with the Ten Commandments (1648), by Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (5-5-05) *** [see all the other installments of this multi-part debate on my James White web page: second section] *** Mr. White’s words will be in blue; my former words in green. *** Let’s Get the Word Games Out of the [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/moses-seat-tradition-2-vs-james-white.html

“Moses’ Seat” & Tradition #1 (vs. James White)

Original title: “White House of Cards”: James White’s Critique of My Argument Concerning Moses’ Seat Shall Now be Thoroughly Answered   Moses with the Ten Commandments (1648), by Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (5-5-05) *** [see all the other installments of this multi-part debate on my James White web page: second section] [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/moses-seat-tradition-1-vs-james-white.html

The Beauty Dialogues, Part 1

Today Morgan Meis continues his periodic exchanges with Image founder Gregory Wolfe.  Dear Greg, When we first started our conversation (see posts here, here and here for background), I thought we were having a debate about the declining relevance of religious intellectuals in today’s public realm. But that’s not what it was really about. At [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/beauty-dialogues-part-1/

The Beauty Dialogues, Part 2

The following is a response to Morgan Meis’s letter posted yesterday. Dear Morgan: Thanks for throwing down this particular gauntlet. Yes, we adopted Dostoevsky’s phrase from The Idiot, where one of the characters attributes the saying “beauty will save the world” to the eponymous hero of the novel, Prince Myshkin. I’m well aware that any [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/beauty-dialogues-part-2/

James White’s Bogus “Doctorate” Degree, Part II

vs. Jamin Hubner Image by “Ener6” [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license] ***** (6-29-10) ***** I’ve already treated at great length the question of James White’s bogus “Th.D.”. The question was raised anew, due to the latest post on James White’s blog (7-6-10): The [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/james-whites-bogus-doctorate-degree-part-ii.html

James White’s Bogus “Doctorate” Degree

Pinocchio. Photograph by “sferrario1968” (1-3-16) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] ***** (9-16-04) ***** Heretofore, I have stayed out of this controversy about anti-Catholic Baptist apologist James White’s doctorate, or lack thereof. But it has been pointed out by several folks that if a person hasn’t really earned his “doctorate” degree with the usual amount of work [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/james-whites-bogus-doctorate-degree.html

7 Keys to Raising Caring Kids

  At times, being a parent can feel extremely overwhelming. It can feel like so much work to help our kids be the  intelligent, happy, ambitious, and overall successful individuals we want them to be. The good news is that research shows that there is one quality—caring— we can parent toward that gives our kids [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2017/03/7-keys-raising-caring-kids/

Souvenirs from the Waste Land: An Interview with Alastair John Gordon, Part 2

Continued from yesterday.  Alastair John Gordon’s newest exhibit, “Souvenirs from the Waste Land,” draws on the postcard collection of Howard and Roberta Ahmanson, philanthropists and art collectors in L.A. Their collection includes mementos from their travels, scenes of architectural interest, and reproductions of works of art—over 18,500 postcards in all. I spoke with Gordon by [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/souvenirs-waste-land-interview-alastair-john-gordon-part-2/

Jesus Celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22-23)

. . . Which in Turn Was Derived from the Deuterocanon (So-Called “Apocrypha”) Jesus among the Doctors (1884), by Heinrich Hofmann (1824-1911) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** John 10:22-23 (RSV) It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; [23] it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.   [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/jesus-celebrated-hanukkah.html

Rabbinic Credentials of Jesus and St. Paul

Jewish-Christian Dialogue on Authority (vs. Ari G.) Jesus Teaches in the Synagogues, by James Tissot (1836-1902) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (9-14-01) *** This exchange took place on a public Catholic Internet bulletin board. Ari’s words will be in blue: *** A woman who used to be Catholic and is strongly considering converting to [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/rabbinic-credentials-jesus-apostle-paul-vs-ari-g.html

Judaizers: “Proto-Catholics”? (Alleged Works-Salvation)

Saint Paul, by Philippe de Champagne (1602-1674) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (12-14-09) *** The thought here that I respond to is that the Judaizers were non-Christian Jews who believed in salvation by works (aka Pelagianism). Anti-Catholics see a parallel between that and Catholics, whom they falsely portray as also believing in works-salvation. In fact, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/judaizers-proto-catholics-alleged-works-salvation.html

Souvenirs from the Waste Land: An Interview with Alastair John Gordon, Part 1

Historically, modern art has prized originality and authenticity. But alongside this tradition runs another set of practices: replication and tactics of illusion. The Romans made copies of Greek sculptures; Northern Europeans in the seventeenth century practiced an illusionistic approach to still life painting called quodlibet, or “what you will”; American pop art reproduced images of [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/souvenirs-waste-land-interview-alastair-john-gordon-part-1/

“Podunk” & Self-Publishing Efforts of Leading Anti-Catholics

David T. King, William Webster, and Eric Svendsen [Max Pixel / CC0 public domain] *** (4-17-09) *** Recently, some prominent anti-Catholics online have tried to make out that I am merely a “self-published” author, when in fact I now have four of my books published by two major Catholic publishers: Our Sunday Visitor (the largest Catholic [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/podunk-self-publishing-efforts-of-leading-anti-catholics.html

Is Purgatory a “Place” or a “Condition”?

Original Title: Is Purgatory a “Place”?: Misconceptions From [Eastern Orthodox] Fr. Ambrose About My Opinion (and the Church’s View) / Also: Development and Alleged Historical Revisionism Photograph by “Bergadder” (2-22-14) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] *** (7-24-05) *** One Fr Ambrose (Orthodox — his words will be in blue) has been on my case yet [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/purgatory-place-condition.html

Dialogues on Objections to the Communion of Saints

Photograph by Dr Dawn Tames (3-9-04) [Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license] *** (1996) *** My friendly dialogical opponents were evangelical Protestants. Their words will be in blue. ***** We have the historical fact that Christians prayed to the dead, and Dave says they did this because the apostles told them to. 1. We have [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/dialogues-objections-communion-saints.html

Poetry Friday: “Grief Daybook: A Love Supreme”

It’s fairly common for a poem to be inspired by (or be in conversation with) a famous painting. Less often, though, do we find poems engaging with a musical work. Yet that’s just what happens in Carol Davis’s poem “Grief Daybook: A Love Supreme.” Fans of the brilliant jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane will [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/poetry-friday-grief-daybook-love-supreme/

Reply to James White: Penance & Redemptive Suffering

Original Title: James White’s Critique of My Book, The Catholic Verses: Part VI: Penance [full book and purchase information] *** (1-2-05) *** See the Introduction and first five installments of “Dr” [???] White’s “critique” of my book (one / two / three / four / five). *** [White’s URL’s: Part I / Part II / [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/reply-to-james-white-penance-redemptive-suffering.html

The BeDADitudes: 8 Ways to Be An Awesome Dad

Pope Francis has called Jesus’ Beatitudes  our “guide on the path of Christian life.”   Of course, God leads by example.  As such, in addition to being a call to Christian discipleship, the Beatitudes also could be said to reveal something about the ways God the Father relates to us, his children.  Seen in this [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2017/03/bedaditudes-8-ways-awesome-dad/

Do Your Kids Have Problem Friends? 3 Things YOU Can Do

Check out my interview with Chloe Mooradian of Aleteia’s For Her. Your son comes home from school with a new word that his friend taught him. Your little girl’s playmates are teaching her to be a little bit sassier than you’d like. Or maybe your child was caught cheating on a test with his friend, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2017/03/kids-problem-friends-3-things-can/

Reply to James White on Binding Tradition

Original Title: James White’s Critique of My Book, The Catholic Verses: Part I: The Binding Authority of Tradition [full book and purchase information] *** (12-30-04) *** [White’s URL] I reproduce his entire argument (in blue): *** The Catholic Verses: 95 Reduced to 91 Dave Armstrong lists four verses that “confound Protestants” under the subtitle of “The [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/reply-to-james-white-on-binding-tradition.html

Distorted Reality and FX’s Taboo

It’s been said that human beings warp everything that they touch as a consequence of original sin. Like Midas, whatever we come in contact with, we distort, however slightly, either through some degree of ignoble intention or some incapacity to effectuate what is pure. In other words, even our best achievements are tainted by motives [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/distorted-reality-fxs-taboo/

More2Life Hack: Living A More Joyful Life

It seems as though so many things in life are constantly trying to steal our joy. From politics, to work stress, to the craziness of daily life, it can be hard to find the joy in each day. We tend to think that joy is a product of stepping away from life and finding little [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2017/03/more2life-hack-living-joyful-life/

Photos, Love, and Karyotypes

I recently found remnants from college and grad school genetics classes: karyotypes—sheets of paper with photos of chromosomes clumsily glued to their forty-six places. My professors would usually hand us an envelope filled with tiny chromosome photos on Friday to be assembled over the weekend. I sat in the sun on Saturday afternoons, poring over [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/photos-love-karyotypes/

Total Depravity (“None is Righteous”): Reply to James White

Calvinism and Romans 3:10-11 (“None is Righteous . . . No One Seeks For God”) Photo of James White in the You Tube video, “Dr. James White Can’t Respond To Our Documentary” (3-11-15) [standard You Tube license] *** (4-15-07) *** See James White’s article, C. Gordon Olson and the Many “Mistranslated” Texts on Calvinism (4-15-07) Before [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/total-depravity-none-righteous-reply-james-white.html

Reply to James White on the Papacy & Soteriology

. . . His So-Called “Review” of My Book, The One-Minute Apologist [see full book and purchase information] ***** Previously, I wished to press home a point of not responding to White’s critique unless and until he was willing, for a change, to have a bona fide discussion about it. But since he has made [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/reply-james-white-papacy-soteriology.html

For Anxiety Disorders, CBT May Restore Brain’s Structural Balance

Do you struggle with anxiety on a regular basis—particularly anxiety induced by social situations? Well, you’re not alone. Experts have found that one in ten people are affected by social anxiety at some point during their lifetime. “Social anxiety disorder is diagnosed if fears and anxiety in social situations significantly impair everyday life and cause [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2017/03/anxiety-disorders-cbt-may-restore-brains-structural-balance/

An Interview with George Saunders, Part 2

Beloved fiction writer George Saunders just published his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, an unconventional work of historical fiction about the moment when Abraham Lincoln was embroiled in the Civil War and lost his son Willie to typhoid fever. I recently spoke to George Saunders on the phone from his home in California about [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/interview-george-saunders-part-2/

“Luther” Film (2003): Detailed Catholic Critique

Luther at the Diet of Worms (1877), by Anton von Werner (1843-1915) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***(10-28-03; abridged with revised links on 3-6-17) ***I. Cinematically Excellent ***I watched Luther a few hours ago. Some visitors to my blog might be familiar with my many articles about Martin Luther, from the Catholic perspective. I would like [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/luther-film-2003-detailed-catholic-critique.html

Heads Up on the #Ashtag Controversy

Atlantic Ocean (Feb. 6, 2008) Electronics Technician 3rd Class Leila Tardieu receives the sacramental ashes during an Ash Wednesday celebration aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian May (Released) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** At the beginning of Lent, in recent years, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/heads-ashtag-controversy.html

An Interview with George Saunders, Part 1

Beloved fiction writer George Saunders has long been known for his daring short stories, collected most recently in 2013’s Story Prize-winning Tenth of December, and his keen interest in moral introspection, highlighted by his much-shared commencement speech for 2013 Syracuse University graduates about the importance of kindness. Saunders just published his first novel, Lincoln in [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/interview-george-saunders-part-1/

Importance of Interpreting Martin Luther in Context

(For example, His Views on Marriage and Sexuality) Diptych with the Portraits of Luther and his Wife (1529), by Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (2-22-07) *** A friend of mine wrote me a letter, asking: Where can I find the context of this quote from Luther? I [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/importance-interpreting-martin-luther-context.html

Critiquing Martin Luther (My Motivations & Purposes)

Portrait of Martin Luther (1570), by Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (9-19-04) *** Protestant historian Roland H. Bainton (Here I Stand) is obviously very fond of Martin Luther (biographers generally are fond of their subjects). But he (like all fair and thorough historians) is not averse to reporting facts [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/critiquing-martin-luther-motivations-purposes.html

“Reply to Calvin” #2: Infallible Church Authority

Historical mixed media figure of John Calvin produced by artist/historian George S. Stuart and photographed by Peter d’Aprix: from the George S. Stuart Gallery of Historical Figures archive [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] *** This is an installment of a series of replies (see the Introduction and Master List) to all [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/reply-calvin-2.html

“Reply to Calvin” #1: The Elect

Historical mixed media figure of John Calvin produced by artist/historian George S. Stuart and photographed by Peter d’Aprix: from the George S. Stuart Gallery of Historical Figures archive [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] *** This is an installment of a series of replies (see the Introduction and Master List) to all [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/reply-calvin-1.html

Poetry Friday: “Ghazal: Woman at the Well”

I’ve always found the ghazal form intriguing. Its couplets, all discrete, are linked by  a phrase repeated in each couplet’s second line. The changes rung on this repeated phrase are where much of a ghazal’s action takes place. In “Ghazal: Woman at the Well,” Carolyne Wright takes “the woman at the well” as her repeated phrase—the [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/poetry-friday-ghazal-woman-well/

“Armstrong vs. Geisler” #10: Ecclesiology (Jerusalem Council)

Photograph by “jclk8888” (7-7-13) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] ***** [This is an installment of an extensive series of mine, in which I interact with the book that I believe is the best Protestant critique of Catholicism in our times: Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences, by Norman L. Geisler and Ralph E. Mackenzie (Grand Rapids, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/armstrong-vs-geisler-10-ecclesiology-jerusalem-council.html

More2Life Hacks: Stop Blaming And Start Reclaiming Your Power in Grace

In today’s world, placing blame is easier than ever. Outlets such as the news and social media allow us to say “it’s their fault!” without a second thought. Because of this, placing blame on others—or even yourself—is a trap that is all too easy to fall into. However, figuring out “who’s to blame” is not [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2017/03/more2life-hacks-stop-blaming-start-reclaiming-power-grace/

“Armstrong vs. Geisler” #9: Images & Relics

Photograph by “jclk8888” (7-7-13) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] ***** [This is an installment of an extensive series of mine, in which I interact with the book that I believe is the best Protestant critique of Catholicism in our times: Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences, by Norman L. Geisler and Ralph E. Mackenzie (Grand Rapids, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/armstrong-vs-geisler-9-images-relics.html

“Armstrong vs. Geisler” #8: Veneration; Bowing to Creatures

Photograph by “jclk8888” (7-7-13) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] ***** [This is an installment of an extensive series of mine, in which I interact with the book that I believe is the best Protestant critique of Catholicism in our times: Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences, by Norman L. Geisler and Ralph E. Mackenzie (Grand Rapids, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/armstrong-vs-geisler-8-veneration-bowing-to-creatures.html

I Am an American

I refresh the page, I refresh the page, I turn away for a few minutes, I teach a class for seventy-five minutes, I sit in a meeting for sixty minutes, and on the way to the meeting, on the way back to my office from the class, with my iPhone in my palm, at the [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/i-am-an-american/

Bible on Suffering & Hope in the Midst of It

Job Speaks with His Friends (Job 2:1-13) [1866], by Gustave Doré (1832-1883) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (1981) *** [all verses: RSV] *** I’ve been inevitably encouraged and spiritually elevated and blessed by reading these passages during times of suffering, for over 35 years now . . . * * * * * Genesis 50:20 [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/bible-suffering-hope-midst.html

Ash Wednesday: When Mercy Rains Down

It’s raining here, today. Hard. When I first woke up this morning and my eyes blinked open, I heard the rain pounding on my roof and the winds slapping against my window. My first thought was, “So gloomy.  What perfect Lenten weather.” My second thought was, “With how hard it’s raining, those ashes won’t stay [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2017/03/ash-wednesday-mercy-rains/

“Armstrong vs. Geisler” #7: Mary’s Assumption

Photograph by “jclk8888” (7-7-13) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] ***** [This is an installment of an extensive series of mine, in which I interact with the book that I believe is the best Protestant critique of Catholicism in our times: Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences, by Norman L. Geisler and Ralph E. Mackenzie (Grand Rapids, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/armstrong-vs-geisler-7-marys-assumption.html

“Armstrong vs. Geisler” #6: Sinless Mary

Photograph by “jclk8888” (7-7-13) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] ***** [This is an installment of an extensive series of mine, in which I interact with the book that I believe is the best Protestant critique of Catholicism in our times: Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences, by Norman L. Geisler and Ralph E. Mackenzie (Grand Rapids, [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2017/03/armstrong-vs-geisler-6-sinless-mary.html

Bible Thumping

Guest Post I once saw a girl beaned in the head with a Bible. Her attacker was a well-muscled star of our middle school football team, so his throw was hard, accurate, and had a bit of a spiral. To be fair, the weapon wasn’t a full Bible, neither was it large. Someone in this [Read More...]

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/goodletters/2017/03/bible-thumping-2/