Retroactive first-strike

“But then, we have seen (in what I documented) that you freely questioned Catholic teachings about the nature of the Godhead, even while being a Catholic. So I seriously question whether you ever gave up private judgment totally, at any time.”

http://articulifidei.blogspot.com/2010/02/original-nicene-creed-and-semantic.html?showComment=1265744040538#c5963210276903060529

Catholics love to trumpet conversions from Evangelicalism to Catholicism. But, of course, that cuts both ways. So it puts them in a bit of the bind when a Catholic deconverts from Catholicism.

For example, David Waltz recently defected from Roman Catholicism. And this is more conspicuous since he had been a Catholic epologist.

So this creates a dilemma for some other Catholic epologists. Back when he was a loyal comrade, bashing evangelicalism in general and Calvinism in particular, he was a valued member of the brigade.

But when he defects, he then poses a threat. So Dave Armstrong tries to contain the damage by staging a preemptive strike. However, Armstrong’s tactic labors under the handicap of relative chronology, since his “preemptive strike” is ex post facto.

He therefore tries to sidestep the anachronism by backdating his preemptive strike. As it turns out, Waltz was never “really” a good Catholic. He was always a closet Protestant or Arian or whatever. A ticking timebomb just waiting to go off.

Of course, this would be a tad more convincing if Armstrong had made this discovery before Waltz flew the coop. As long as Waltz was a stalwart defender of Rome, his Catholic credentials were impeccable. But once he defected, Armstrong suddenly uncovers a hitherto unsuspected fault-line in the foundation of his erstwhile Catholicism.

If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think the timing of Armstrong’s revelation is a little too convenient to be credible.