tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post7518342711274440927..comments2023-10-05T08:25:13.232-04:00Comments on Biblical Evidence for Catholicism: Thoughts on Protestant Lack of Understanding of the Truths About Contraception, the Pill as an Abortifacient, and NFPDave Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-1008878195929814482011-08-14T22:28:47.039-04:002011-08-14T22:28:47.039-04:00Dave wrote:
"Jesus didn't cease calling ...Dave wrote:<br /><br />"Jesus didn't cease calling the seven churches in Revelation "churches" despite a host of very serious sins."<br /><br />Excellent point! <br /><br />And if only our Protestant friends would note the <i>biblical</i> pattern here: Jesus is <i>constantly active</i> in reforming and guiding his Church. There is not a shred of evidence -Scriptural or historical- to suggest that Jesus would allow centuries (let alone 15 centuries!) to pass before sending some latter-day "apostle" to begin "reforming" his Church!<br /><br />None whatsoever.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16971132944684765473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-10615971797760990532011-08-13T01:28:21.480-04:002011-08-13T01:28:21.480-04:00Okay, thanks. I left a reply on your blog.Okay, thanks. I left a reply on your blog.Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-84681803583233115992011-08-12T21:09:08.959-04:002011-08-12T21:09:08.959-04:00Hi Dave,
I'm not quite ready to jump into full...Hi Dave,<br />I'm not quite ready to jump into full agreement with you over the Hays incident regarding cathmom5's comments on my blog. I've left you a couple questions which I'd like to see your comments on.<br /> <br />In JMJ,<br />Scott<<<CathApolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17762504684024359557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-72130028148203999932011-08-12T19:12:25.094-04:002011-08-12T19:12:25.094-04:00..Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-24439375007595084062011-08-12T19:12:21.234-04:002011-08-12T19:12:21.234-04:00..Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-67042751488389688342011-08-12T19:11:42.796-04:002011-08-12T19:11:42.796-04:00..Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-71240967726619966812011-08-12T19:11:34.604-04:002011-08-12T19:11:34.604-04:00..Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-69811828503410201432011-08-12T19:10:24.812-04:002011-08-12T19:10:24.812-04:00And a second reply of mine, with the person's ...And a second reply of mine, with the person's name removed:<br /><br />===========================<br /><br />Another related thought:<br /><br />I'm so used to NOT persuading people, as an apologist, because of always having to deal with those of a different viewpoint, that it surprises me whenever I actually convince someone.<br /><br />But any overtly harsh language on my part probably largely flows, in part, at least, from that. One has to be "tough" in a sense to try to persuade such hostile parties in any given argument.<br /><br />Now you come along and actually accept my reasoning, and I realize that I must have come off sounding very harsh and overbearing. Sometimes we apologists forget that there are human beings on the other end of our arguments. We get so caught up in all the back-and-forth argumentation.<br /><br />I am sorry, [Name]. I'm trying to make it up to you now by removing most of the critical material I have written about it.Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-7197723234496173382011-08-12T19:08:13.736-04:002011-08-12T19:08:13.736-04:00Here is my reply, minus her name:
===============...Here is my reply, minus her name:<br /><br />===============================<br /><br />[Name], my dear sister in Christ,<br /><br />You have done the right thing, but it is over now and you mustn't beat yourself up too badly over it. We all make mistakes. Believe me, I have often been in the same position and have eaten humble pie on many occasions.<br /><br />I know how vigorously I can argue, and perhaps a little about how it feels to many on the opposing side of one of my discussions (because they tell me!). I was simply dealing with the language and the logic of some aspects, not trying to run you down personally. I admire your zeal, and now I have great admiration for your expressed humility.<br /><br />PLEASE do not stop doing apologetics because you may have stumbled a little bit here. I accept your report of what you intended to convey. If you made a mistake, you have now rectified it, and you need to forgive yourself (just as you were forgiven in confession) and move forward.<br /><br />I have so much admiration for that. If I were there with you I'd give you a huge hug and give you some flowers to try to make you feel better. :-)<br /><br />I will also greatly restructure this paper to reflect the fact that you retracted and apologized (and not even mention your name at all), so that you won't be held out as any sort of "bad example." Quite the contrary.<br /><br />I was much too harsh, in making my criticisms and even in how I titled my paper. This is my own fault that I need to work on (see, I don't have this apologetics stuff perfectly down pat, either). I fear that I have hurt you, and I offer my sincere apology for that.<br /><br />But you can learn from this mistake to do better (just as I hopefully will, myself). That's what God wants from us. He doesn't want us to quit the good thing altogether just because we weren't perfect in conduct or argument. That's the devil's victory.<br /><br />Okay? Please write back as I am now concerned that I sort of "crushed your spirit" and that wasn't my intention, either. It saddens me. I've learned about myself as well, in this.<br /><br />It will all end up for the better (Romans 8:28).<br /><br />((((((([Name])))))))Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-79908947953299756972011-08-12T19:06:20.070-04:002011-08-12T19:06:20.070-04:00I have reposted the following remarks, that were i...I have reposted the following remarks, that were in this combox, so as to uphold the anonymity of the woman who made them, out of respect for her apology (having to do with the previous version of this post, that is now revised because of the apology), and to also avoid reference to the anti-Catholic site involved:<br /><br />===============================<br /><br />I have apologized on [a Catholic site] for my uncharitable remarks. It was not my intent to insult . . .<br /><br />If someone whom I respect as much as I do you says that I may have committed serious sin, I have to consider it seriously. You have no idea how your words have pierced me. I highly respect you and I have been reading your books for years. I am not angry about what you said, and, while I don't agree with every one of your criticisms of me, I do feel that if my words came off as uncharitable, then they were uncharitable.<br /><br />I am sufficiently humbled and I have gone to confession.<br /><br />Catholic apologetics has been close to my heart since my own conversion 13 years ago. However, after being beaten up so extensively as a bad example, I may step back for a while and contemplate my future in this medium. <br /><br />(Fri Aug 12, 05:21:00 PM EDT)Dave Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771661758539438173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6422857.post-83019104991866621212011-08-12T16:00:32.613-04:002011-08-12T16:00:32.613-04:00Excellent post. Thank you.Excellent post. Thank you.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06146312371165996392noreply@blogger.com