James White’s #1 fanboy recently took on Catholic Answers with an Alpha and Omega Ministries blog post titled “Shattering Catholic Answers’ Wedge“. The post responds to the Catholic claim that, “Jesus told his apostles to establish a church, not write a book.” It’s hardly his (or any other Protestant polemicist’s) best work, and I am…
Introduction The two foundational Protestant doctrines are those of Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) and Sola Fide (faith alone). These two “solas” are known, respectively, as the formal and material causes of the Reformation. Sola Scriptura might be thought of as the methodological doctrine of the Reformation, for Protestantism is said to be founded on Scripture Alone (as…
Introduction The Reformation’s unparalleled rupture of the unity of Christ’s Church is said to have begun on Oct. 31, 1517, when a monk named Martin Luther nailed his soon-to-be-famous 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg. These theses were a list of religious complaints Luther wished to debate with any who would do so. Although…
Introduction Some time ago, one of the guests on a friend’s podcast was asked for his thoughts on the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation (that the bread and wine used in Mass communion actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ). The guest’s reply was brief (86:30 – 90:00), but in that time he managed to make several…
Introduction State recognition of homosexual civil unions (“gay marriages”) is now the law of the land, and the ongoing discussion has revealed that the views of various Christians on the issue are themselves varied. What I wish to look at here is not which one is correct (that has been, and is being, done ad nauseum), but rather…
Introduction It is not unusual to hear the complaint from Protestants that Catholics cannot prove their beliefs from Scripture. While it is admitted that Catholics do OK with the Trinity, deity of Christ, and obvious stuff like that, when it comes to Catholicism’s distinctive doctrines (e.g.,baptism, the Eucharist, Mary, the Pope, prayers to the saints,…
Introduction One of the most ridiculous anti-Catholic propaganda claims on the interwebs today is the charge that Satan is worshiped in the Catholic Mass. A quick web search on “Lucifer Worship in Catholic Mass” revealed that this silliness is ubiquitous online – and thus, incredibly, seems to warrant a response. Lucifer Worship? The Latin Mass referred to here is the Easter Exsultet, which one video…
Introduction Several years before becoming Catholic, a friend of mine mentioned an incident concerning praying the rosary – specifically, whether or not it was “biblical.” At the time I did not even know what exactly the rosary was, so I looked it up and recorded my initial thoughts as a Protestant. These are presented below with some additional…
Introduction Although non-Catholics from the original Reformer Martin Luther, to evangelical hero C. S. Lewis, to modern Protestant scholars like Jerry Walls and Roger Olson, affirm the possibility of a purgatorial state between Heaven and Hell, the idea remains generally unpopular among most non-Catholics. Some do not agree that Purgatory can be found anywhere in Scripture, and reject it on…
Introduction Many religious groups send out door-to-door missionaries to spread their message. Sometimes they just want to “plant a few seeds” or hand out literature – other times they seek on-the-spot conversion or to start an ongoing “Bible study.” Regardless of one’s ability to define and defend one’s faith, preparing for all the different groups…
Douglas Beaumont 