July 2014 - To Give a Defense

Three reasons to take John 6 literally.

BY: Henry Matthew Alt • July 30, 2014 • Apologetics; Transubstantiation

Who shall dare to doubt? Who shall hesitate? It is not enough to simply show that metaphor exists elsewhere in the Bible, or even elsewhere in the same passage, if you can not show that metaphor exists here. Y is metaphorical because x is is no argument. It is sophomoric reasoning — a cop-out, an attempt to avoid the real hard work of honest exegesis and historical inquiry. And exegesis and historical inquiry do run counter to the notion that the body and blood of Christ are merely symbolic in the Eucharist.

Mr. X struggles with metaphor, transubstantiation, and John 6.

BY: Henry Matthew Alt • July 29, 2014 • Apologetics; Exegesis; Transubstantiation

Of late, the anonymous blogger, five-pointer, and crack theologian TurretinFan — known on this blog as Mr. X—has been struggling with the concept of metaphor as it applies to John 6. And a very hard struggle it has been, too. He argues that the expression “this cup is my blood” should be a clear sign that the text is not meant to be taken literally. For not even Roman Catholics will say that the cup itself is Christ’s blood. The poor man apparently needs the help of an English teacher.

In defense of Ben Seewald and his freedom to say dumb stuff.

BY: Henry Matthew Alt • July 26, 2014 • Anti Catholicism; In the News

It is a reflection of how badly addicted we have become to outrage porn that anyone at all was outraged over what the nineteen-year-old boyfriend of Jessa Duggar had to say on Facebook about Catholicism. I read the excerpts; later, I read the full post. I wasn’t outraged. I was bored. They certainly were no great reflection on the originality of Mr. Seewald, but they shouldn’t have been. He’s nineteen. He’s repeating what he has heard elsewhere: likely, from his pastor, his parents, and his friends; and what he’s repeating are ignorant clichés that have been repeated to the point of slumber.