Norman Geisler's Christian Apologetics: Thoughts?

[jpelham]

The truth is that, like all Protestants, Calvinists are the ones who have been ‘deceived’. …If you ask our Eastern brethren, …CALVINISM IS HERESY:

fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/calvinism-as-heresy/

That is what I meant. Thank you for the link. The frankness of Met. Jonah’s address to the Anglicans is as heartening as was Pope Benedict’s Regensburg address.

I offer further that the fundament of Calvinism’s heresy is shared with all Protestant communities. They by no means eliminate the essential element of sacrifice; they merely replace the altar and Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with a sacrifice of the intellect on the altar of human pride.
Yet the Church teaches too that a Calvinist who follows Christ to the best of his or her knowledge is exonerated by ignorance, and not excluded from salvation.

 

[dcastlen50]

That is what I meant. Thank you for the link. The frankness of Met. Jonah’s address to the Anglicans is as heartening as was Pope Benedict’s Regensburg address.

I offer further that the fundament of Calvinism’s heresy is shared with all Protestant communities. They by no means eliminate the essential element of sacrifice; they merely replace the altar and Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with a sacrifice of the intellect on the altar of human pride.
Yet the Church teaches too that a Calvinist who follows Christ to the best of his or her knowledge is exonerated by ignorance, and not excluded from salvation.

Excellent, Pelman…Do you have articles, books whatever that you have written?

 

[jpelham]

Excellent, Pelman…Do you have articles, books whatever that you have written?

I’m flattered even if you retract your question. The answer is yes, but I keep everything in private files. And an almost endless abundance of more learned and eloquent Catholic writing on this and every other significant issue is readily available.

 

[zdon011]

That is what I meant. Thank you for the link. The frankness of Met. Jonah’s address to the Anglicans is as heartening as was Pope Benedict’s Regensburg address.

I offer further that the fundament of Calvinism’s heresy is shared with all Protestant communities. They by no means eliminate the essential element of sacrifice; they merely replace the altar and Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with a sacrifice of the intellect on the altar of human pride.
Yet the Church teaches too that a Calvinist who follows Christ to the best of his or her knowledge is exonerated by ignorance, and not excluded from salvation.

I agree with you, jpelham. I’m sure there most Calvinists are sincere Christians who are either misinformed, ignorant, or just indifferent regarding the Catholic Church.

I’m very pleased you found the link helpful.

 

[dcastlen50]

I’m flattered even if you retract your question. The answer is yes, but I keep everything in private files. And an almost endless abundance of more learned and eloquent Catholic writing on this and every other significant issue is readily available.

**
Sorry this is off-subject:
OK, I would love to get all you have on “Paternalism.” I would love to find a good thesis in defense of Paternalism. I have run into some CINOs that bring this up often; this: “Paternalism is the cause of many problems - many horrible problems.”
My contention is that they are being ambiguous with the term Paternalism and confusing it with abusive Machisimo, creating a straw dog. Anyway I need evidence that Paternalism has resulted in a better society;e.g., the old Roman Republic, the Catholic Church.**

 

[jpelham]

**
Sorry this is off-subject:
OK, I would love to get all you have on “Paternalism.” I would love to find a good thesis in defense of Paternalism. I have run into some CINOs that bring this up often; this: “Paternalism is the cause of many problems - many horrible problems.”
My contention is that they are being ambiguous with the term Paternalism and confusing it with abusive Machisimo, creating a straw dog. Anyway I need evidence that Paternalism has resulted in a better society;e.g., the old Roman Republic, the Catholic Church.**

I can only offer a suggestion. Perhaps you should start another thread on this. Many do equate paternalism with prideful machismo, a view which seems deeply rooted in formative personal experience. But if your CINO’s (Catholics in name only?) acknowledge that the net effect of the Church is good, which is to say they are rational and objective, then you have at your disposal the the preeminent example of beneficient paternalism, which you mention: the Chuch whose head is Jesus, followed by Peter et al. In general, sociological data show that a father’s presence in the nuclear family markedly decreases criminal behavior in children. But very likely no evidence will sway them. Then you can only smile warmly and ask about their summer recreations, and incidentally mention your summer reading of something like “How the Catholc Church Built Western Civilization,” by Woods.

 

[dcastlen50]

I can only offer a suggestion. Perhaps you should start another thread on this. Many do equate paternalism with prideful machismo, a view which seems deeply rooted in formative personal experience. But if your CINO’s (Catholics in name only?) acknowledge that the net effect of the Church is good, which is to say they are rational and objective, then you have at your disposal the the preeminent example of beneficient paternalism, which you mention: the Chuch whose head is Jesus, followed by Peter et al. In general, sociological data show that a father’s presence in the nuclear family markedly decreases criminal behavior in children. But very likely no evidence will sway them. Then you can only smile warmly and ask about their summer recreations, and incidentally mention your summer reading of something like “How the Catholc Church Built Western Civilization,” by Woods.

My goodness!!! I’m reading two of Wood’s books now. This is one of them. Excellent advice. I did try to get this going as a new thread. Right after I gave a whopping 50 bucks to CA. Obviously, it was not interesting enough. I know it is one of the main objections liberals use against orthodoxy. I am going way over being out of subject. Sorry. But where can I get the data that confirms “In general, sociological data show that a father’s presence in the nuclear family markedly decreases criminal behavior in children.” And, is this a Paternalistic family? Sorry, sorry for going out of subject…this is a big deal for me.

 

[jpelham]

… But where can I get the data that confirms “In general, sociological data show that a father’s presence in the nuclear family markedly decreases criminal behavior in children.” And, is this a Paternalistic family? …

I don’t know, but suspect that between Google, Cuil, and Bing you can find what you need.