apologetics – Page 125 – Shameless Popery

The Real Debate On Faith and Works

I think C.S. Lewis said it best when he said, “Regarding the debate about faith and works: It’s like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most important.” There is a real difference between the sola fide position and the Catholic position, but not half as much as might be claimed. It seems… Continue reading The Real Debate On Faith and Works

Common Misunderstandings About Catholic Tradition

What do Catholics mean by the statement that they believe in Scripture plus Tradition? Here are some sources of common confusion amongst non-Catholics (and even some poorly catechized Catholics) that I’ve run into. I hope this helps:(1) Tradition is a Separate Deposit of Faith from Scripture. (Alternatively: Tradition and Scripture Are Identical).Neither view is correct.… Continue reading Common Misunderstandings About Catholic Tradition

Papal Lineage

Catholic Eye Candy, a blog which aims to depict the beauty of all things Catholic, had a very nice post on papal lineage, consisting of a series of popes meeting with their successors (e.g., Pope Paul VI meets with the future Pope John Paul I, JPI meets with the future JPII, JPII meets with the… Continue reading Papal Lineage

Does the Eucharist Deny Chalcedon?

C Michael Patton, over at Parchment and Pen, is one of the most lucid Calvinist bloggers I know of. He has a strong respect for the Early Church Fathers and for Church History, although he obviously understands it differently than Catholics do. In addition, he’s as irenic as he is intelligent, so even when I’m… Continue reading Does the Eucharist Deny Chalcedon?

“Athiest Pastor” Not Disciplined

This is technically old news (it’s from March), but I hadn’t heard about it before, and it’s worth the heads up. Klaas Hendrikse, a Dutch Protestant pastor, wrote a book in 2007 called “Believing in a God who does not exist: manifesto of an atheist pastor”. Yet he remains a pastor in good standing with… Continue reading “Athiest Pastor” Not Disciplined

If the Eucharist is a Miracle, Why Can’t We See It?

The objection that the Eucharist can’t actually be the Body and Blood of Christ is frequently rooted in a pretty logical objection: if the bread and wine are actually transformed into the Eucharistic Body and Blood, why can’t we see this transformation? After all, this is a miracle, and miracles are testaments to God’s glory:… Continue reading If the Eucharist is a Miracle, Why Can’t We See It?

Is the Eucharist Real or Symbolic? Or Both!

I think that Christians who believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist, and who believe in regenerative Baptism face an unnecessary obstacle when it comes to the “real or symbolic” debate. Namely, we don’t believe it’s “real or symbolic”; we believe it’s “real and symbolic.” The first Passover, for example, was quite real: if… Continue reading Is the Eucharist Real or Symbolic? Or Both!

Dr. Julian Simon, the Catholic Church, and “Overpopulation”

An economist from the Cato Institute by the name of Julian Simon was something of a legendary figure due to his work debunking the various overpopulation myths. He famously bet Paul Ehrlich, author of The Population Bomb, about the prices of various natural resources. Ehrlich’s theory was that as populations grew, scarcity would increase, and… Continue reading Dr. Julian Simon, the Catholic Church, and “Overpopulation”

Back-Handed Compliments from CRI Founder Dr. Walter Martin

I was reading criticisms of Catholicism by Dr. Walter R. Martin, founder of the Christian Research Institute. If you’re not familiar, CRI is the group that Hank “Bible Answer Man” Hanegraaff took over upon Martin’s death. Anyways, here’s what Martin has to say (these quotes, including emphasis and brackets, are from here; all I’ve done… Continue reading Back-Handed Compliments from CRI Founder Dr. Walter Martin