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

[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.

[Elsie]

Instead, we ask her to pray for us, and to pass our needs on to her Son.

Why?

Can't Jesus handle the load all by Himself?

Why would GOD need a HUMAN to block for Him?

[Elsie]

Details...

Da debble is in ‘em.

[Elsie]

Catholics do not give a divine status to Mary and the saints.

Merely a Superhuman status.

I see the difference!

[Elsie]

tradition has nothing to do with eating meat on Friday, it was a church rule and did not apply in every country.....

How the hell did THAT happen?

[Elsie]

The Pope is, and always has been, infallible in matters of faith and morals.....he has NEVER blown it, even once, in over 2,000 years. Christ promised that he couldn't.

Thanks for the reassurance.

Too bad they can't be counted upon to be a great ROLE MODEL!

[Elsie]

Goodness, the linguistic gymnastics you go through to try to say that you “pray” to God but don’t “pray” to Mary ...

Let's try math then...

1,200,000,000 Catholics world wide.

800,000,000 awake 400,000,000 asleep at any one time.

if 1% of the awake ones (8,000,000) 'ask' Mary for help, and it takes, say, 10 seconds to pray..

that means that 80 million seconds of prayer are headed Mary's direction every day.

24 hours times 60 minutes times 60 seconds equals...

86,400 seconds per day.

Therefore Mary has to handle approximately 1000 'requests' per second!

Purty good fer someone NOT 'devine'!

[Elsie]

FAIRRCC comes to mind...

[strider44]

Thank god! Another thread devolving into Freeper Catholics v Protestants. Awesome. It must have been almost 10 minutes since the last one...

[Elsie]

You KNOW you are to LEAD with the cereal; THEN the Catholic teaching comes along!

[Elsie]

Mary is dead and in her grave.

[Elsie]

I have already read through a few of the posts and to tell you the truth, those posting here are not worth the time or the trouble of a response.

[Elsie]

I have already read through a few of the posts and to tell you the truth, those posting here are not worth the time or the trouble of a response.

#14...

Logical fallacies hide the truth, so pointing them out is very useful.

 

1. Ad Hominem - Attacking the individual instead of the argument.
Example: You are so stupid your argument couldn't possibly be true.
Example: I figured that you couldn't possibly get it right, so I ignored your comment.

 

2. Appeal to Force - Telling the hearer that something bad will happen to him if he does not accept the argument.
Example: If you don't want to get beaten up, you will agree with what I say.
Example: Convert or die.
 
3. Appeal to Pity - Urging the hearer to accept the argument based upon an appeal to emotions, sympathy, etc.
Example: You owe me big time because I really stuck my neck out for you.
Example: Oh come on, I've been sick. That's why I missed the deadline.

 

4. Appeal to the Popular - Urging the hearer to accept a position because a majority of people hold to it.
Example: The majority of people like soda. Therefore, soda is good.
Example: Everyone else is doing it. Why shouldn't you?

 

5. Appeal to Tradition - Trying to get someone to accept something because it has been done or believed for a long time.
Example: This is the way we've always done it. Therefore, it is the right way.
Example: The Catholic church's tradition demonstrates that this doctrine is true.
 
6. Begging the Question - Assuming the thing to be true that you are trying to prove. It is circular.
Example: God exists because the Bible says so. The Bible is inspired. Therefore, we know that God exists.
Example: I am a good worker because Frank says so. How can we trust Frank? Simple: I will vouch for him.

 

7. Cause and Effect - Assuming that the effect is related to a cause because the events occur together.
Example: When the rooster crows, the sun rises. Therefore, the rooster causes the sun to rise.
Example: When the fuel light goes on in my car, I soon run out of gas. Therefore, the fuel light causes my car to run out of gas.
 
8. Circular Argument - See Begging the Question
Fallacy of Division - Assuming that what is true of the whole is true for the parts.
Example: That car is blue. Therefore, its engine is blue.
Example: Your family is weird. That means that you are weird too.

 

9. Fallacy of Equivocation - Using the same term in an argument in different places but the word has different meanings.
Example: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Therefore, a bird is worth more than President Bush.
Example: Evolution states that one species can change into another. We see that cars have evolved into different styles. Therefore, since evolution is a fact in cars, it is true in species.

 

10. False Dilemma - Giving two choices when in actuality there could be more choices possible.
Example: You either did knock the glass over or you did not. Which is it? (Someone else could have knocked the glass over)
Example: Do you still beat your wife?

 

11. Genetic Fallacy - Attempting to endorse or disqualify a claim because of the origin or irrelevant history of the claim.
Example: The Nazi regime developed the Volkswagen Beetle. Therefore, you should not buy a VW Beetle because of who started it.
Example: Frank just got out of jail last year; since it was his idea to start the hardware store, I can't trust him.

 

12. Guilt by Association - Rejecting an argument or claim because the person proposing it likes someone whom is disliked by another.
Example: Hitler liked dogs. Therefore dogs are bad.
Example: Your friend is a thief. Therefore, I cannot trust you.

 

13. Non Sequitur - Comments or information that do not logically follow from a premise or the conclusion.
Example: We know why it rained today: because I washed my car.
Example: I don't care what you say. We don't need any more bookshelves. As long as the carpet is clean, we are fine.

 

14. Poisoning the Well - Presenting negative information about a person before he/she speaks so as to discredit the person's argument.
Example: Frank is pompous, arrogant, and thinks he knows everything. So, let's hear what Frank has to say about the subject.
Example: Don't listen to him because he is a loser.

 

15. Red Herring - Introducing a topic not related to the subject at hand.
Example: I know your car isn't working right. But, if you had gone to the store one day earlier, you'd not be having problems.
Example: I know I forgot to deposit the check into the bank yesterday. But, nothing I do pleases you.

 

16. Special Pleading (double standard) - Applying a standard to another that is different from a standard applied to oneself.
Example: You can't possibly understand menopause because you are a man.
Example: Those rules don't apply to me since I am older than you.

 

17. Straw Man Argument - Producing an argument about a weaker representation of the truth and attacking it.
Example: The government doesn't take care of the poor because it doesn't have a tax specifically to support the poor.
Example: We know that evolution is false because we did not evolve from monkeys.

 

18. Category Mistake - Attributing a property to something that could not possibly have that property. Attributing facts of one kind are attributed to another kind. Attributing to one category that which can only be properly attributed to another.

Example: Blue sleeps faster than Wednesday.
Example: Saying logic is transcendental is like saying cars would exist if matter didn't.

[Elsie]

(Hint: like it or not, I have no doubt she actually IS praying for you, as will I and I hope you do the same for me.)

[mgist]

I never realized until I was an adult that there were other “”christian” religions that were actually taught false concepts about Catholicism. It’s that awkward “why are Americans such war mongers?” surprise question you get from a foreigner, that leaves you so perplexed you just don’t know how to answer.

Sadly too many Americans who don’t know their history are influenced by deception and end up faithless.

[Elsie]

At least when I go to Confession, I know my sins are forgiven and I know God has forgotten them too.

Save yourself a trip.

1 John 2:12
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

[Elsie]

Sometimes a quick attack can overrun the enemy camp.

[Elsie]

Do you have this verse in your Bible: Matthew 18:19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

Yes, we do!

[Elsie]

You noticed, too?

[verga]

Seriously; you don’t have to keep proving you are not Christian.

[mgist]

I sincerely wish that everyone dealing with other Chrisitan faiths, pray that we don’t offend God in professing our faith.

I literally cringe when I read post that treat Jesus’ mother as if she were some loathesome animal that is being worshipped by pagans. She was a special woman in God’s plan for salvation. The greatest ills in our society stems from a lack of respect. A lack of respect of motherhood, a lack of respect for family, and most importantly a lack of respect for God. The Blessed Mother reminds us of what women are called to be. That gift that God gave us is more important than ever.

God chose her, there are many valid reasons for that. Anyone who truly knows Jesus, knows that he would not be jealous of His mother. There is a spiritual battle and the saints that have gone before us are still fighting the good fight.

Those who think they are “sleeping”, can say so respectfully. right?

I cringe not just for myself, but the disrespect to anything associated with God is an offense to our souls, and our Father.

Please pray for wisdom and understanding before demeaning God’s people.