Dave Armstrong.
http://ic.net/~erasmus/ and http://socrates58.blogspot.com

There’s a name I don’t mention much because I don’t feel like responding back to a 30-page ‘debate’ where he’ll cite one article about 700 words in length, divide it up by sentences and type 200-1000 words in response to each sentence and call it a ‘debate’. I first encountered Dave in 1998, when he joined my apologetics discussion list in my pre-Calvinistic days. Discussions with Dave are part of the reason I created the RCC-Evangelical discussion list on the site. If you check the 99 archives, you’ll see many articles from his site dumped on the list as well as much argumentation from him during the life of the list.

Dave’s generally a nice guy most of the time. I’ve seen him get quite nasty with folks, likewise, I’ve seen folks get nasty back at him. Likewise, I’ve seen some of his arguments have truck-sized holes in them (and no, I haven’t taken the time to interact with them because I don’t have the time to…), but that’s typical of most Catholic apologists whose works and articles I’ve read through.

Anyway, hitting his blog and his apostolate website tonight, I looked at the amount of endorsements from both Catholic and non-Catholic folks that he had posted in the margins of his blog as well as on separate pages dating all the way back to 98 on his site. Some of the ellipses on some of the comments draw a raised eyebrow from me (because folks…can make… you say…. anything…. with dots in-between….), but that aside, I was reminded of a conversation I had with Tony earlier today.

In his wisdom, he told me that one of the major fights that most pastors have is against pride. “Watch out for people who love you TOO much” he told me. Watch out for it because what they’re doing is elevating you and treating you like you can do no wrong. Likewise, if people start to ‘like you’…. be careful. It’s only one small step between being liked and believing it. He told me “Once you start believing that you ARE good, you’ll begin your downfall and it will be a very fast one at that.”

Pondered these thoughts much, I did. Read portions of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith at Borders’ today, I did. Many parallels between Anakin and what Tony told me, did I see.

And Dave’s blog reminded me of them tonight.

Whether Dave is saved or not isn’t my place to pass judgment. I do highly doubt that someone who fights so ardently against sola fide can be saved, but that’s just my scripture from my soteriological grid talking.

Me, being a natural attention seeker, I do have a bit of an ability to spot pride – even pride shrouded in false humility (“Look at how HUMBLE and willing to dialogue I am! Look at what others say about me! My writings speak for themselves!”). Just an observation – and a right one, I think. If Dave’s unregenerate….well, that would explain a lot. If he is regenerate, but just woefully misled and misleading others into Catholicism… that would explain a lot too.

I debated recently (but decided not to) on putting up comments I get via e-mail from folks praising my work on TC dot Com and givin’ me props. After all, what man doesn’t need affirmation ? I decided no. Though the site is my ministry given to me by the Lord for the purpose of spreading His name and glory, it’s not my ministry. It ain’t about me at all.

The first duty of the Christian – to serve God and enjoy Him forever. It’s all about Him. So Glory to God alone for whatever help my ministry site can be to folks. If I died in an accident today, the advancement of the kingdom is no way dependent upon me nor am I not replacable. God will and can raise up people from the ashes of the books on my shelves who can do a much better job than I.