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History and Religion

2026-03-14T13:17:34-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Reply to Protestants: Invalid Catholic Authority?

Last updated on: March 14, 2026 at 1:17 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Sean Luke, who runs the YouTube channel, Anglican Aesthetics, made a video, “This ONE Issue Debunks Roman Catholicism” (7-1-25), in which he made the gigantic claim that certain proclamations and practices of a local council in 1022 and some other related ones, brought about binding Catholic proclamations that were intrinsically evil, which in turn inexorably leads — so he argued — to the conclusion that Catholic authority is null and void. I critiqued it in my article, “History of Required Celibacy Disproves... Read more

Church (Ecclesiology)

Catholic authority

consecrated virginity

eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom

heroic sacrifice

priestly celibacy

undistracted devotion to the Lord

2026-03-15T14:35:47-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

2nd Reply to Anglican Sean Luke on Catholicism & Celibacy

Last updated on: March 15, 2026 at 2:35 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Sean Luke obtained Masters of Divinity and Masters of Systematic Theology degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He runs the YouTube channel, Anglican Aesthetics, which includes a video, “This ONE Issue Debunks Roman Catholicism” (7-1-25), in which he made the gigantic claim that certain proclamations and practices of a local council in 1022 and some other related ones, brought about binding Catholic proclamations that were intrinsically evil, which in turn inexorably leads — so he argued — to the conclusion... Read more

Church (Ecclesiology)

Inquisition & Crusades & Scandals

Sexuality and Gender Issues

consecrated virginity

eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom

evangelical counsels

heroic sacrifice

priestly celibacy

undistracted devotion to the Lord

2026-06-06T00:05:58-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

History of Required Celibacy Disproves Catholicism?

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:05 am By Dave Armstrong

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Sean Luke obtained Masters of Divinity and Masters of Systematic Theology degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He runs the YouTube channel, Anglican Aesthetics, which includes a video, “This ONE Issue Debunks Roman Catholicism” (7-1-25). It’s a clever historical + ecclesiological argument, but I believe that it totally fails in its aim, as I will explain. His words will be in blue. ***** See the entire four-part debate: History of Required Celibacy Disproves [the Authority of] Catholicism? [3-11-26] * 2nd... Read more

Church (Ecclesiology)

Sexuality and Gender Issues

consecrated virginity

eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom

evangelical counsels

heroic sacrifice

priestly celibacy

undistracted devotion to the Lord

2026-06-06T00:54:32-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

NT: 70 Specific Good Works Contribute to Salvation

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:54 am By Dave Armstrong

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Nor are our works of any kind the ground of justification . . . The ground of justification is the righteousness of Christ . . . Grace and works are antithetical . . . Grace of necessity excludes works of every kind, . . . merit of any degree is of necessity excluded if our salvation be by grace . . . Good works are not necessary to our justification; they are consequences and indirectly the fruits of justification... Read more

Salvation & Justification

Catholic soteriology

Faith Alone

Good Works Contribute to Salvation

imputed justification

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Salvation Via Sanctification & Merit

2026-06-13T13:10:45-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jesus the Unique Mediator + “Mini-Mediators”

Last updated on: June 13, 2026 at 1:10 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Human Beings on Earth & in Heaven, & Angels Help to Spread God’s Grace & Salvation, Including Through Intercession The following exchange was formerly in the combox of the short video, Did Peter, James, and John Speak to the Dead? (3-3-26, Catholic Bible Highlights). Words of Protestant commenter @el-dorado507 will be in blue. He was eventually banned as a troll. I wanted to preserve his comments as an example of how not to argue, but unfortunately when you ban someone... Read more

Saints & Purgatory & Penance

Salvation & Justification

2026-06-13T13:10:27-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Biblically Permissible Contact Between Heaven & Earth

Last updated on: June 13, 2026 at 1:10 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Fifteen Biblical Examples This is a transcript of the main presentation (minus our spontaneous discussion at the end) for the video, “Does The Bible Forbid ALL Contact Between The Living And The Dead?” (Catholic Bible Highlights with Kenny Burchard, 2-27-26). ***** During my lengthy recent debates about Luke 16 (the rich man and Abraham), a Protestant stated on my Facebook page: “Scripture forbids the living from speaking to the dead, but it does not forbid the dead from speaking... Read more

Saints & Purgatory & Penance

Videos

communion of saints

Contact Between Heaven & Earth

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2026-06-13T13:10:46-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

God’s Presence, the Ark, the Eucharist, & Death

Last updated on: June 13, 2026 at 1:10 pm By Dave Armstrong

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This was inspired by a recent video that my YouTube partner Kenny Burchard made with former Protestant pastor Justin Hibbard, in which he discussed the relationship between the ark of the covenant and people dying due to touching it or being irreverent, and a similar reference regarding the Holy Eucharist in 1 Corinthians 11:30. I thought I would “flesh out” the argument with more Bible passages, as is my wont, and so I came up with 25 altogether. ***** God... Read more

Eucharist & Liturgy

Jews & Judaism & Old Testament

1 Corinthians 11:30

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Real presence

2026-06-06T00:05:58-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

C. S. Lewis’ Argument for God from Desire

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:05 am By Dave Armstrong

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C. S. Lewis, the popular author of The Chronicles of Narnia and other works of fantasy-fiction, and widely considered the most influential defender of Christianity in the 20th century, thought that this experience of ecstasy, that he called “joy” in a particular sense, was of the utmost importance in his life, and indeed – when all is said and done — in everyone’s. We know that because he gave his autobiography the title, Surprised by Joy. It had a... Read more

Romantic & Imaginative Theology

argument from desire

argument from longing

C. S. Lewis

Christian romanticism

sehnsucht

Theistic Arguments

2026-06-13T13:10:46-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Mortal Sin & the Classic Protestant Criticism

Last updated on: June 13, 2026 at 1:10 pm By Dave Armstrong

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We’ve all heard it at one time or another. I probably made this argument a time or two as a Protestant. It runs as follows (I’m loosely but substantially paraphrasing an actual hypothetical scenario that I heard recently from a Reformed Protestant): A man who was baptized, thus regenerated, and justified initially — as Catholics say — lived to age 80, and on the last day of his life he skipped going to Mass, because he wanted to attend... Read more

Salvation & Justification

2026-06-06T00:11:18-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Catholic Salvation: Explanation for Protestants

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:11 am By Dave Armstrong

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. . . With Many Links for Further Study, and Clarification That Catholic Anathemas Against Fellow Christian Protestants Are No Longer in Force Catholics believe in an initial justification that comes entirely by God’s grace (apart from our doing anything, at this stage). It’s given to those (above the age of reason) who accept the free grace of God in their free will (the acceptance itself being caused by God). It regenerates us (particularly, baptism does this, including even... Read more

Ecumenism & Christian Unity

Salvation & Justification

infused justification

synergy

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