Ecclesiastes can’t be used to say that there is no consciousness after death, because the author, Solomon, explicitly states that he does not know.
Tag: Bible
Apr 02 2016
Col 2:16 – a weekly sabbath reference or not? Part 2
Several times in the Old Testament, and twice in the New Testament, we see Israel’s holy days listed in various time-based sequences, usually from frequent to infrequent (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, multi-annual). Not every list covers all 5 frequencies, but you see that they are listed in a logical order.
Mar 31 2016
Col 2:16 – a weekly sabbath reference or not? Part 1
Col 2:16 is therefore best interpreted as: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an [annual] holyday, or of the new moon, or of the [weekly] sabbath days” … thus following a time-line of annual, monthly, weekly.
Jun 21 2015
Adventism and the ordination of women
Adventism’s decision about the ordination of women is not really about the Bible – it’s about being part of the world, and that is why Adventism will eventually fall – it’s part of the world’s need to reject divine authority and do as it pleases, the essence of Protestantism, the itching ear syndrome (2 Timothy 4:3).
Jun 14 2015
Why I remain Catholic
It’s a current trend to post why one remains Catholic. There are many reasons, but I think mine are mostly historical. I believe that the first century Christians developed into the second century Christians, who developed into the third century Christians, and then into the 4th century Christians. …
Apr 25 2015
Laughable arguments – baptism, immersion, and Adventists
Often in discussion with Adventists, they will use strange ways to avoid answering a question, or to refute an argument in an imaginative (almost schizophrenic) way. Often they’ll just change the subject. But sometimes they make themselves look very, very weird. You sometimes wonder if they can even reason properly. I’m not sure why that …
Apr 24 2015
Baptism by immersion only?
Adventists baptise only by full immersion (submersion), and they don’t consider other forms of baptism to be real baptisms. They also don’t baptise infants, but that’s another story for another day. As with the Sabbath, Adventism’s doctrine is based on selected texts and not the entire biblical picture. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, …
Nov 14 2014
Bible Quiz: Are unclean meats still unclean for Christians?
Do you consider eating pork to be contrary to the Bible? Do you believe that the prohibition against eating pork applies to Christians under the New Covenant? Take this quiz and see what the Bible says.
Aug 30 2014
Shame on you – Adventists, dishonesty, and the Catholic Church
Adventists have a reputation for their dishonesty, and not just among Catholics. Out there in real life and on the internet there is a huge collection of anti-Catholic propaganda waiting for gullible Catholics, and others, to ensnare them. When a Catholic meets a certain type of Adventist, this sort of propaganda abounds.
Aug 30 2014
Dishonest Adventists
Here are some examples from recent Facebook conversations. Discussions are trimmed to include the relevant bits. Disgusting to read, and disgusting to have to deal with regularly. Not all the “Catholic” discussion is mine; where more than one person was involved in the discussion, they are numbered 1 and 2.
Aug 13 2014
We’re now on Facebook!
I have decided to start up a Facebook group that accompanies this blog. The group is called Catholic discussion of Adventism. This group is for Catholics, not Adventists. The statement of purpose is as follows …
Jun 18 2014
Whose truth is the real truth, and how can we know?
When Christians study the Bible and reach different conclusions, how can they figure out which conclusion is the correct one? Is there a way to know that one is right, apart from the conviction that the Holy Spirit has led one in one’s study of the Bible? When someone has a different interpretation of the Bible to ours, how do we know the Holy Spirit has led us, and not them? How can we be sure that we are right? Or is there a possibility that we’re wrong?
Oct 31 2013
Christian Halloween
No, Halloween is NOT a pagan holiday adopted by Catholics and passed on to Protestants. That’s a myth perpetuated by anti-Catholics and those who, contrary to the Bible, fear what has been offered to pagan gods. So, in reality, Halloween is a safe and fun secular practice with Christian origins. If you don’t believe that, or dislike the type of Christian faith it originated in, follow Paul’s advice. If you don’t feel you can go that far yet, don’t complain about those who have a stronger faith.
Oct 26 2013
What Catholics Believe – Mary, the Virgin Mother of God
As the symbol of the Church, and as the first Christian, Mary is now what we will become. She birthed God into the world; we are called to bring God to others. She was sinless; we will be made spotless. She was taken body and soul into heaven; we will ultimately be resurrected and our bodies reunited with our souls in heaven.
Aug 09 2013
What Catholics Believe – Sunday observance
Catholics (and most other Christians) believe Sunday is a special day to be celebrated, because it is the day Jesus rose from the dead. The Jews kept the Sabbath on Saturday, and this is reflected in the 10 Commandments. However, only the moral code of the Old Testament is applicable to Christians – we don’t need to sacrifice animals, keep Passover, Yom Kippur, or the Sabbath, and we are free from the dietary restrictions as well.
Aug 09 2013
What Catholics Believe – Introduction
I have been planning to write a series of posts over the next year or so that will cover some of the major points on which Catholics get hassled by non-Catholics, and in particular by Adventists and other Sabbath-keeping groups. Finally I have managed to get round to it. My intention is to present or explain what the Catholic Church believes, what the biblical evidence is, and why the commonly heard objections are faulty. I will not be writing a complete thesis on each topic, but hope to present the basics of what we believe and why we believe it. I will also not be producing a complete encyclopedia of Catholic teaching, and I will not necessarily be writing on the various topics in any specific order.
Jul 21 2013
Waking Up Catholic – Book review
In his new book, Waking Up Catholic, Chad Torgerson describes his journey into the Catholic Church. He discusses how his faith in Christ developed over the years, from Lutheran, to agnostic/atheist, to born-again Protestant, and finally Catholic. Specifically, he brings in how his relationship with Christ was influenced by his study of Catholic teachings and practices, and shows how they can bring one closer to Christ. The book is easy to read, but gets to the point of complex issues remarkably well without becoming too complex on the one hand, or being too simple on the other.
Mar 01 2013
Ellen White’s inspiration on a par with the Bible
The statement “the quality or degree of inspiration in the writings of Ellen White is different from that of Scripture” is one the Ellen G White Estate does not believe.
Jan 01 2013
Debate with André Reis
These comments were originally posted in the comments section of Dr Francis Beckwith comes home. They have been moved here. This is an example of a futile debate with an Adventist who only wishes to preach at Catholics. This is one of the reasons Adventists have little credibility with other Christians.
