BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian
Beliefs
- Buddhist
- Catholic
- Contemplative
- Evangelical
- General Christian
- Hindu
- Jewish
- Latter-day Saint
- More Voices
- Muslim
- New Visions
- Pagan
- Progressive Christian
Topics
- Religion News
- Food and Religion
- Sports and Religion
- Religious Art
- Religious Music and Entertainment
- Religious Events
- History and Religion
- Style and Religion
- Politics and Religion
- Women in Religion
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion
- Business Finance and Religion
- Careers Workplace and Religion
- Education and Religion
- Family Parenting and Religion
- Health Fitness and Religion
- Home and Religion
- Relationships and Religion
- Technology and Religion
- Travel and Religion
Columnists
- Buddhist Columnists
- Business Finance and Religion Columnists
- Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists
- Catholic Columnists
- Contemplative Columnists
- Education and Religion Columnists
- Evangelists Columnists
- Family Parenting and Religion Columnists
- General Christian Columnists
- Health Fitness and Religion Columnists
- Hindu Columnists
- History and Religion Columnists
- Home and Religion Columnists
- Jewish Columnists
- More Voices Columnists
- Latter Day Columnists
- Muslim Columnists
- New Visions Columnists
- Nonreligious Columnists
- Pagan Columnists
- Politics and Religion Columnists
- Progressive Columnists
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists
- Relationships and Religion Columnists
- Religion News Columnists
- Religious Art Columnists
- Religious Events Columnists
- Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists
- Sports and Religion Columnists
- Style and Religion Columnists
- Technology and Religion Columnists
- Travel and Religion Columnists
- Women in Religion Columnists
Resource Library
- 2026 Calendar
- Library of World Religions
- The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth
- Patheos Answers
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Faith Leaders Database
- Anglican Episcopalian
- Bahai
- Baptist
- Buddhism
- Christianity
- Confucianism
- Eastern Orthodoxy
- Hinduism
- Holiness and Pentecostal
- ISKCON
- Islam
- Judaism
- Lutheran
- Methodist
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- New Age
- Paganism
- Presbytarian and Reformed
- Protestantism
- Religion Behind the Scenes
- Roman Catholic
- Scientology
- Shia Islam
- Sikhism
- Sufism
- Sunni Islam
- Taoism
- Zen
- See all religions
Research Tools
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
Follow Patheos 
- Trending:
- Forgiveness
- |
- Marriage
- |
- Consciousness
- |
- Death Penalty
- |
- Election
- |
- Halloween
-
About
-
Catholic Apologetics
-
Church History
-
Great Apologists
-
Christian Worldview
-
Protestantism & Misc.
- Home
- Catholic
- History and Religion
2020-10-29T23:41:51-04:00
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.
Why Would a Sinless Mary Offer Sacrifices?
Last updated on: October 29, 2020 at 11:41 pm By Dave Armstrong
This is a reply to Matt Slick: Presbyterian pastor and head of the large and influential anti-Catholic Protestant CARM discussion forum. I am responding to his article, “If Mary was sinless, why was she unclean and had to offer a sacrifice for sin?” His words will be in blue. ***** Roman Catholics teach that Mary never sinned. But, if that is the case, why did she need to offer an atonement according to Old Testament Law (Lev. 12:1-8) after giving birth to Jesus? According to the Old Testament,... Read more
Old Testament animal sacrifices
2021-11-20T15:36:40-04:00
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.
Pope Francis, Same-Sex Unions, & Chicken Little Mass Hysteria
Last updated on: November 20, 2021 at 3:36 pm By Dave Armstrong
I’ve seen this process take place over and over, in my seven-and-a-half years of defending Pope Francis: now literally 176 times: 1) Pope Francis says something (for some people, virtually anything). 2) At first glance (and usually filtered through an increasingly untrustworthy and unbalanced Catholic media; and forget the secular media!), it sounds (especially to jaded cynical “ears”) like it is anti-traditional or downright subversive to the traditional Catholic faith. This accusation quickly becomes the norm in social media discourse, people... Read more
Pope Francis and same-sex civil unions
2020-10-20T15:43:22-04:00
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.
Three Popes & Capital Punishment (vs. Ed Feser)
Last updated on: October 20, 2020 at 3:43 pm By Dave Armstrong
(with Catholic Theologian Dr. Robert Fastiggi) From the combox of my article: Steve Skojec: Pope Sez Death Penalty is Intrinsically Evil (?) [10-8-20] Catholic philosopher Ed Feser’s words will be in blue; Dr. Robert Fastiggi’s in green. ***** Dave writes: Philosopher Ed Feser is a big proponent of it No, Dave, that is not what I have said. I have said that the pope’s statements on the subject are ambiguous. I have written a lot about this, most recently here. Dave also... Read more
2026-06-05T23:57:10-04:00
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.
“Quantum Entanglement” & the “Upholding” Power of God
Last updated on: June 5, 2026 at 11:57 pm By Dave Armstrong
Last night I watched a fascinating documentary through Amazon Prime: a NOVA episode entitled “Einstein’s Quantum Riddle”. It was about advances in the area of quantum mechanics; specifically what is called “quantum entanglement.” Wikipedia has a long, complicated article about it. But the gist of it (which the TV special summarized for the layperson) is as follows: Quantum entanglement is a physical phenomenon that occurs when a pair or group of particles are generated, interact, or share spatial proximity in a way such... Read more
God the sustainer of the universe
2020-11-07T20:10:24-04:00
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.
Peter’s Primacy is Disproved By His Personality?
Last updated on: November 7, 2020 at 8:10 pm By Dave Armstrong
Protestant Apologist Jason Engwer Continues His All-Out War on St. Peter & the Papacy Gotta give Protestant apologist Jason Engwer an E for effort and a C for cleverness and inventiveness. He has taken it upon himself to refute many scriptural arguments I have made in favor of Peter’s primacy (while not — in recent years — naming me, which is a frequent tactic of anti-Catholic polemicists). Four days ago, for a fleeting moment acknowledging my paltry existence, he stated... Read more
2020-10-17T15:45:04-04:00
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.
Jason Engwer, Hippolytus, & Mary’s Perpetual Virginity
Last updated on: October 17, 2020 at 3:45 pm By Dave Armstrong
Protestant apologist Jason Engwer wrote: Tertullian and Helvidius are often named as early opponents of Mary’s perpetual virginity, but other opponents of the concept seem to be mentioned less often. . . . What I want to do in this post is cite some other examples. In the West before Hilary – that is, up to the middle of the fourth century – there is no witness at all for the ‘semper virgo’ [perpetual virginity]; and that can hardly be... Read more
Hippolytus & perpetual virginity
2020-10-17T13:32:54-04:00
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.
Jason Engwer, Origen, & Intercession of Saints
Last updated on: October 17, 2020 at 1:32 pm By Dave Armstrong
Protestant apologist Jason Engwer (words in blue henceforth) stated on 5-28-15: [T]he evidence suggests that prayer to the dead wasn’t practiced by believers in the Biblical era, is sometimes contradicted by the Biblical authors, and was rejected in the earliest generations of patristic Christianity. And earlier on 6-9-08: The evidence from the earliest patristic sources is against the practice as well. Tertullian, Origen, and Cyprian wrote treatises on the subject of prayer without encouraging prayers to the dead. Instead, they... Read more
Origen & intercession of angels
Origen & intercession of saints
2020-10-15T12:01:36-04:00
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.
Jason Engwer, Origen, & the New Testament Canon
Last updated on: October 15, 2020 at 12:01 pm By Dave Armstrong
Protestant apologist Jason Engwer (words in blue below) recently wrote: It’s common to allege that the twenty-seven-book New Testament canon we have today doesn’t first appear in the historical record until around the middle of the fourth century, in Athanasius. But it probably was advocated in multiple locations prior to that time, including in Origen more than a century earlier. (10-14-20) He links to an 11-year-old paper of his where he fleshes this out: The earliest extant source I’m aware of who... Read more
2020-10-15T12:01:13-04:00
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.
Anti-Catholic Hypocrisy Re the Term “Anti-Catholic”
Last updated on: October 15, 2020 at 12:01 pm By Dave Armstrong
Jason Engwer Sez Catholicism is Not Christian & Teaches a False Gospel [Jason Engwer’s words will be in blue; those of Steve Hays in green; David T. King’s in purple] I’ve written about this times without number: so many times that many of the former posts are not even on my blog anymore. I deleted them. But the hypocrisy continues. Recently I replied to one such anti-Catholic, Jason Engwer: with whom I have debated off and on since 2000, in... Read more
2020-10-13T18:33:52-04:00
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.
St. Peter Listed First in Lists of Disciples: A Debate
Last updated on: October 13, 2020 at 6:33 pm By Dave Armstrong
Anti-Catholic Protestant polemicist Jason Engwer and I have debated questions like this several times. I wrote one of my better-known papers in 1994, as an article in The Catholic Answer. It was in my first book in 1996 and has been on my blog from its beginning in 1997: 50 New Testament Proofs for Peter’s Primacy & the Papacy Jason critiqued it and I counter-responded: Reply to Critique of “50 NT Proofs for the Papacy” [3-14-02] Then he did a semi-satirical... Read more
Follow Us!
TAKE THE
Religious Wisdom Quiz
Which Psalm contains the phrase, "Be still, and know that I am God"?
Select your answer to see how you score.
Psalm 100 Psalm 91 Psalm 8 Psalm 46
Books by This Author Books by Dave Armstrong
Browse Our Archives
Select a Category & Last Things About Me Anti-Catholicism Atheism & Agnosticism Baptism and Sacramentalism Bible and Tradition Blessed Virgin Mary Books by Dave Armstrong C. S. Lewis Calvinism & General Protestantism Catholic Apologetics Catholic Apologists Catholic conversion Catholic converts Christmas Church (Ecclesiology) Church History Conversion and Converts Development of Doctrine Eastern Orthodoxy Ecumenism & Christian Unity Eucharist & Liturgy Fathers of the Church French Translations G. K. Chesterton Hell Hell & Satan Hell & Satan & Last Things Heresies & Comparative Religion Holistic Health Inquisition & Crusades & Scandals James White Jews & Judaism & Old Testament John Calvin John Henry Newman Liberal / Modernist Theology Life Issues Literary Resume Lutheranism Mariology Martin Luther Music Orthodoxy Papacy & Infallibility Personal Page Philosophy & Science Political & Ethical & Moral Issues Protestant Persecution & Intolerance Protestantism Purgatory Purgatory & Penance Romantic & Imaginative Theology Saints & Purgatory & Penance Salvation Salvation & Justification Satan & Last Things Sexuality and Gender Issues Spanish Translations Traditionalism vs. Radical Catholic Reactionaries Traducciones al español / tradução para português Trinitarianism & Christology Uncategorized Videos
Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 April 2010 March 2010 December 2009 October 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 March 2009 February 2009 October 2008 September 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 May 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 October 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 July 2004 May 2004 April 2004
TRENDING AT PATHEOS Catholic
INNER CIRCLE: Separated In Our Minds (Not God's)
Colossians 1:15-22 “The Son is the image of the invisible God,...
Listen: TobyMac Releases 'The Hard Times,' Song of...
Seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner TobyMac has released his new single, “The Hard...
Colorado's Preschool Battle and Catholic Family Rights
Colorado's Universal Preschool (UPK) program was created to provide preschool access for...
Do American Christians Have a Christian Worldview?
According to researcher and cultural analyst George Barna most don’t. That is,...
Leadership: Empowerment or Subordination?
From a justice perspective, the essential question is whether leadership empowers people...
Forgiveness Brings Light Into Marriage
When Halloween stirs fear Forgiveness brings light into marriage when Halloween decorations...
view all Catholic blogs
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
- About Us
- 2026 Calendar
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Library of World Religions
- Faith In Media Tracker
- Advertise With Us
- Write for Us
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Do Not Sell My Data
- Contact Us
- Radiant Digital
- Manage Newsletter Subscriptions
- Unsubscribe From Notifications
- Sitemap
Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.
Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In
Follow Patheos