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THE PROTESTANT’S DILEMMA BY DEVIN ROSE: A REVIEW
Just a writer, who refuses to typecast his blog by giving it a title ^ | March 18, 2014 | Scott Eric Alt

Posted on 03/19/2014 1:32:10 PM PDT by rwa265

If a Protes­tant look­ing into the claims of Catholi­cism were to ask me, “What one book should I read, where I can find a quick answer to any ques­tion I have?” I would tell him to read Devin Rose’s new book The Protestant’s Dilemma. I would also rec­om­mend this book to Protes­tant apol­o­gists, even those of many years, well-skilled in polemics. It will remind them of the heavy bur­den of proof they face, and the weak­ness of their posi­tion on point after point. The truth may set them free and bring them home too. (It has happened.)

All this may seem like over­state­ment — the oblig­a­tory praise from one Catholic blog­ger to another. But it is not.

Con­sider first the range of issues this book takes up. There are thirty-six chap­ters, each one on a dif­fer­ent topic, from the papacy to sola scrip­tura, from the canon of the Bible to Pur­ga­tory, from con­fes­sion to Eucharist to infant bap­tism. If some­thing about the Catholic Church trou­bles you, this book has the answer. If you think you have found the point on which Catholi­cism fails, this book will show you why it is one more point upon which Protes­tantism fails.

Con­sider also the brevity. The book is just over 200 pages long, which means that Mr. Rose’s answers get to the root of the ques­tion with­out a knot of aca­d­e­mic detail. It is harder to do than it might seem. This is the book of a man who has spent a long time study­ing the ques­tions that divide Protes­tants and Catholics, and who knows how to present his case in a way that is easy for any­one to under­stand. At the same time, the book is use­ful for the pro­fes­sional apol­o­gist, for it recalls his mind to the basics.

(Excerpt) Read more at scottericalt.com ...


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic
KEYWORDS: bookreview
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To: redleghunter
Would you like to discuss?


I'd rather put the shot.


801 posted on 03/27/2014 4:22:43 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: redleghunter; teppe
Wow an entire Mormon policy addressing your use of their products:)

They get a bit huffy over the use of their NICKname; too!


Media Letter   
26 June 2008 — Salt Lake City  (http://newsroom.lds.org/additional-resource/media-letter)

*The following is a letter from Elder Lance B. Wickman, General Counsel of the Church to publishers of major newspapers, TV stations and magazines. It was sent out on Tuesday, June 24, 2008.




Recent events have focused the media spotlight on a polygamous sect near San Angelo, Texas, calling itself the “Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.” As you probably know, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has absolutely no affiliation with this polygamous sect. Decades ago, the founders of that sect rejected the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were excommunicated, and then started their own religion. To the best of our knowledge, no one at the Texas compound has ever been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Unfortunately, however, some of the media coverage of the recent events in Texas has caused members of the public to confuse the doctrines and members of that group and our church. We have received numerous inquiries from confused members of the public who, by listening to less than careful media reports, have come to a grave misunderstanding about our respective doctrines and faith. Based on these media reports many have erroneously concluded that there is some affiliation between the two – or even worse, that they are one and the same.

Over the years, in a careful effort to distinguish itself, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has gone to significant lengths to protect its rights in the name of the church and related matters. Specifically, we have obtained registrations for the name “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” “Mormon,” “Book of Mormon” and related trade and service marks from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and corresponding agencies in a significant number of foreign countries.

We are confident that you are committed to avoiding misleading statements that cause unwarranted confusion and that may disparage or infringe the intellectual property rights discussed above. Accordingly, we respectfully request the following:

  1. As reflected in the AP Style Guide, we ask that you and your organization refrain from referring to members of that polygamous sect as “fundamentalist Mormons” or “fundamentalist” members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  2. We ask that, when reporting about this Texas-based polygamous sect or any other polygamous group, you avoid either explicitly or implicitly any inference that these groups are affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  3. On those occasions when it may be necessary in your reporting to refer to the historical practice of plural marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that you make very clear that the Church does not condone the practice of polygamy and that it has been forbidden in the Church for over one hundred years. Moreover, we absolutely condemn arranged or forced “marriages” of underage girls to anyone under any circumstances.

Stated simply, we would like to be known and recognized for whom we are and what we believe, and not be inaccurately associated with beliefs and practices that we condemn in the strongest terms. We would be grateful if you could circulate or copy this letter to your editorial staff and to your legal counsel.

We thank you for your consideration of these important matters.

Sincerely,

Lance B. Wickman

General Counsel

802 posted on 03/27/2014 4:25:37 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: redleghunter

I have no repository of good ones at my finger tips.

The ones I post are usually printed in the paper the very day I use them.

I’m am convinced that a lot of these artists monitor FR for ideas!


803 posted on 03/27/2014 4:28:50 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: daniel1212; teppe
The rest of the Catholic priests simply broke their vows of celibacy and fornicated.


What is your church doing to help the male to stay true?
 




prophet kimball"All of this should be conveyed without having priesthood leaders focus upon intimate matters which are a part of husband and wife relationships. Skillful interviewing and counseling can occur without discussion of clinical details by placing firm responsibility on individual members of the Church to put their lives in order before exercising the privilege of entering a house of the Lord. The First Presidency has interpreted oral sex as constituting an unnatural, impure, or unholy practice. If a person is engaged in a practice which troubles him enough to ask about it, he should discontinue it."
- Official Declaration of the First Presidency of the Church, January 5th, 1982


spencer kimball"Prophets anciently and today condemn masturbation. It induces feelings of guilt and shame. It is detrimental to spirituality. It indicates slavery to the flesh, not that mastery of it and the growth toward godhood which is the object of our mortal life. Our modern prophet has indicated that no young man should be called on a mission who is not free from this practice. What is more, it too often leads to grievous sin, even to that sin against nature, homosexuality. For, done in private, it evolves often into mutual masturbation-practiced with another person of the same sex and thence into total homosexuality...."
- Prophet Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, Pages 77-79, 81-82

"Among the most common sexual sins our young people commit are necking and petting. Not only do these improper relations often lead to fornication, [unwed] pregnancy, and abortions - all ugly sins - but in and of themselves they are pernicious evils, and it is often difficult for youth to distinguish where one ends and another begins. They awaken lust and stir evil thoughts and sex desires. They are but parts of the whole family of related sins and indiscretions. Almost like twins, 'petting' and fornication are alike."
- Prophet Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, page 65


spencer kimball"Also far-reaching is the effect of the loss of chastity. Once given or taken or stolen it can never be regained. Even in a forced contact such as rape or incest, the injured one is greatly outraged. If she has not cooperated and contributed to the foul deed, she is of course in a more favorable position. There is no condemnation where there is no voluntary participation. It is better to die in defending one's virtue than to live having lost it without a struggle."
-
Prophet Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, page 196


"And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth." (Genesis 4:9-14.) That was true of murder. It is also true of illicit sex, which, of course, includes all petting, fornication, adultery, homosexual acts, and all other perversions. The Lord may say to offenders, as He did to Cain, "What hast thou done?" The children thus conceived make damning charges against you; the companions who have been frustrated and violated condemn you; the body that has been defiled cries out against you; the spirit which has been dwarfed convicts you. You will have difficulty throughout the ages in totally forgiving yourself."
-Prophet Spencer W. Kimball, "Love Versus Lust", BYU Speech January 5, 1965. Often-used quote still used today in LDS seminary classes.


kimball"I do not find in the Bible the modern terms "petting" nor "homosexuality," yet I found numerous scriptures which forbade such acts under by whatever names they might be called. I could not find the term "homosexuality," but I did find numerous places where the Lord condemned such a practice with such vigor that even the death penalty was assessed."
- Apostle Spencer W. Kimball, "Love Versus Lust", BYU Speech January 5, 1965


"If adultery or fornication justified the death penalty in the old days, and still in Christ's day, is the sin any less today because the laws of the land do not assess the death penalty for it? Is the act less grievous? There must be a washing, a purging, a changing of attitudes, a correcting of appraisals, a strengthening toward self-mastery. There must be many prayers, and volumes of tears. There must be an inner conviction giving to the sin its full diabolical weight. There must be increased devotion and much thought and study. And this takes energy and time and often is accompanied with sore embarrassment, heavy deprivations and deep trials, even if indeed one is not excommunicated from the Church, losing all spiritual blessings."
-Prophet Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, Page 155


"How like the mistletoe is immorality. The killer plant starts with a sticky sweet berry. Little indiscretions are the berries -- indiscretions like sex thoughts sex discussions, passionate kissing, pornography. The leaves and little twigs are masturbation and necking and such, growing with every exercise. The full-grown plant is petting and sex looseness. It confounds, frustrates, and destroys like the parasite if it is not cut out and destroyed, for, in time it robs the tree, bleeds its life, and leaves it barren and dry; and, strangely enough, the parasite dies with its host."
- Apostle Spencer W. Kimball, General Conference Address, April 1, 1967.

804 posted on 03/27/2014 4:30:37 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

But didn’t Smith marry other men’s wives?


805 posted on 03/27/2014 5:58:42 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: daniel1212

yup


806 posted on 03/27/2014 10:21:39 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: daniel1212
No Escape from Circularity

Excellent read. After reading it I am reminded of this:

John 18:

“You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

807 posted on 03/27/2014 1:50:11 PM PDT by redleghunter (But let your word 'yes be 'yes,' and your 'no be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one.)
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To: redleghunter
Was it error or correct practice when St. Teresa was dismembered and parts sent to various churches as relics?

can I assume that she was dead and therefore through with her earthly body?? some are buried, some are burnt, some are dumped in the sea, some are donated to medical schools for research.....whatever, they are dead bodies...as long as they are treated with respect, what's the difference???

808 posted on 03/27/2014 2:32:45 PM PDT by terycarl (common sense prevails over all else)
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To: metmom
Interesting. That puts even God subservient to the Catholic church.

wrong once again!!!! Christ Himself (God)made the promise thereby guaranteeing that they could never be in error....whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.....do you suppose that He would allow the Catholics to err in this enormous responsibility????....please

809 posted on 03/27/2014 2:37:36 PM PDT by terycarl (common sense prevails over all else)
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To: terycarl

FOTFLOL!!!!

No way that verse gives Catholic priests that kind of unmitigated power. Catholics has said that God must do what Catholic priests bind. That makes God subservient to the Catholic church. Can’t happen because GOD is sovereign, not the Catholic church.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and with the Catholic church’s track record in immorality and corruption, that saying is proved true more than ever.


810 posted on 03/27/2014 2:41:21 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith....)
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To: metmom
The priest has no such power. What delusions of grandeur

"Do THIS, in memory of Me"....pretty clear to me!

811 posted on 03/27/2014 2:43:22 PM PDT by terycarl (common sense prevails over all else)
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To: metmom
I was taught by the Catholic Church that Christ was God.

Well, the Catholic church teaches wrong then

the Catholic church teaches that Christ is God and you refute that statement....very interesting

812 posted on 03/27/2014 2:54:21 PM PDT by terycarl (common sense prevails over all else)
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To: metmom
No way that verse gives Catholic priests that kind of unmitigated power. Catholics has said that God must do what Catholic priests bind.

the verse means EXACTLY what it says, nothing less. Christ promised the church that she could not err, therefore any decision made by the church would agree with His....therefore, He is still in charge and agrees with the church decisions which He guides....pretty simple.

813 posted on 03/27/2014 3:04:18 PM PDT by terycarl (common sense prevails over all else)
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To: terycarl
some are buried, some are burnt, some are dumped in the sea, some are donated to medical schools for research.....whatever, they are dead bodies...as long as they are treated with respect, what's the difference???

Interesting answer.

814 posted on 03/27/2014 3:19:21 PM PDT by redleghunter (But let your word 'yes be 'yes,' and your 'no be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one.)
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To: terycarl
the Catholic church teaches that Christ is God and you refute that statement....very interesting

Post link please. I believe this is a bearing false witness moment. I never saw from the posts of metmom any indication she denies the Deity of Jesus Christ. So please the link. And not Vlad's links where he falsely accuses her of such.

815 posted on 03/27/2014 3:23:10 PM PDT by redleghunter (But let your word 'yes be 'yes,' and your 'no be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one.)
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To: terycarl; redleghunter
rlh:Was it error or correct practice when St. Teresa was dismembered and parts sent to various churches as relics?

tc:can I assume that she was dead and therefore through with her earthly body?? some are buried, some are burnt, some are dumped in the sea, some are donated to medical schools for research.....whatever, they are dead bodies...as long as they are treated with respect, what's the difference???

Dismembering it and sending the pieces around the world is *treating a body with "respect"*??????????

What do they put in that incense?

816 posted on 03/27/2014 4:01:39 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith....)
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To: terycarl

That’s not what I refuted and it was plainly stated.

When you don’t cherry pick quotes from someone, you can understand that.


817 posted on 03/27/2014 4:02:59 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith....)
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To: terycarl

Pretty convoluted reasoning and still wrong.


818 posted on 03/27/2014 4:03:34 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith....)
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To: terycarl; metmom
the verse means EXACTLY what it says, nothing less. Christ promised the church that she could not err, therefore any decision made by the church would agree with His....therefore, He is still in charge and agrees with the church decisions which He guides....pretty simple.

That is the Roman Catholic religions' interpretation of that verse but it doesn't mean that is what Christ really meant. The fact that Christians have known the truth and CONTINUE to know it and preach it is confirmation that the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. The fact that the Roman Catholic Church HAS on numerous occasions been wrong on certain things she has decreed proves that her interpretation that the Catholic church would NEVER err because God would agree with them on everything is in error. This also proves that the Roman Catholic Church is NOT the one, true church established by Jesus Christ - as she so frequently proclaims and demands everyone accept. Yep...THAT simple!

819 posted on 03/27/2014 8:26:41 PM PDT by boatbums (Simul justis et peccator.)
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To: boatbums
This also proves that the Roman Catholic Church is NOT the one, true church established by Jesus Christ - as she so frequently proclaims and demands everyone accept. Yep...THAT simple!

you stick with that theory of yours....2,014 years of history PROVE you wrong, but what the heck, protestants have been changing things to suit themselves for about 500 years now and have yet to prove a thing.

you can practice any religion that you choose, but don't try to justify your choice by downgrading the true church of Christ and the ONLY one that has existed since the time of Christ.....

820 posted on 03/29/2014 5:49:42 PM PDT by terycarl (common sense prevails over all else)
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