Available on Audio CD and in mp3 format on ARM's Storefront
The very word "philosophy" can make people uneasy, inducing visions of dry, boring, academic and trivial discussions on silly questions. Fortunately ARM also dislikes that approach. Philosophy simply means the proper use of right reason to determine what is true. ARM has managed to make this simple, clear, easy to understand, and useful. Some philosophy is very helpful in understanding, religious issues … and “polemics” simply means presenting the true side of a contested position in a valid fashion. Both evangelization and apologetics involve this.
This is perhaps ARM's most interesting selection. By using the "argument of necessity" (when a statement is false, the alterative must be true), an irrefutable argument is developed that Papal Infallibility must exist as a part of nature. Also the Incarnation is likewise shown to be a necessity based upon a correct understanding of the natures of God and man ...this selection also serves as a devastating proof for the existence of God.
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This selection examines the difference between knowledge and belief, which is an essential distinction in properly understanding religious matters. It provides the proper basis for the evaluation of opinions, and the correct methods of validating knowledge.
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This selection presents the methods of correctly understanding, presenting and evaluating any type of argument (NOT merely religious types). This selection is free from technical terms and makes the relevant principles clear and simple to understand and master ... great starting point for novice defenders of the Faith.
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Logic is merely the proper usage of reason to arrive at one truth after a previous truth has been established. It is merely a tool, but a VERY useful one … when used correctly. Logic has its own consistent laws to give proper operation. This selection gives you a clear understanding of the basics, and exposes some of the common fallacies.
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Rhetoric has a “bad name” these days. This is unfortunate, because the term really only means a persuasive and pleasing way of presenting a position. This selection teaches you the method of the incomparable Cicero, and includes a brief sample talk illustrating the principle involved.
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Immanuel Kant was one of the most influential philosophers in the field of knowledge and religion. But his works are not always clearly taught. As a result he is not properly understood and his tools of analysis not used. This selection makes simple some of his key ideas and shows how they apply to religious issues.
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Saint Thomas Aquinas was one of the greatest Catholic thinkers of all time. Unfortunately, today he is far too often ignored, and his influence is therefore lessened. This selection introduces you to a few of his more useful concepts and teachings.
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An argument need not be a nasty disagreement. Actually an argument is no more than presenting and defending a position against opposition. This selection shows you how to do this by avoiding the most common errors and using the techniques of the experts. Do you really know the key elements of listening critically? Few do. This selection is useful in any field.
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This particular selection was developed to enable anyone to expose the errors and dishonesty of the Jehovah Witness cult. However, it’s very easy to learn techniques may be used to expose the faults of ANY invalid religious belief system. Yet it requires NO special knowledge or extended study. It simply shows you how to ask key questions in one of three vital areas: Authority; Consequence; Timeliness. This has proven to be ARM's most successful and popular apologetic selection. This selection was an instant success from the moment of its introduction.
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Some philosophy is useful in religious understanding, and most of it is quite basic, when it is explained correctly. Sometimes, all you need to know is what a particular term actually means. This selection does exactly this in simple, clear language. It also gives you the main themes of the thoughts of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, as well as explaining the conflicting “schools” of “idealism” and “materialism”. This is the only philosophical reference source you will probably ever need.
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Gerry Matatics is not only a convert from Protestantism but also a skilled apologist and evangelist His own journey into the Faith gave him insights in dealing with Protestants which most of us could not imagine. In this selection Gerry shares those insights with you. Gerry analyzes the nature of apologetics (art or science?), and an overall view of what works and what does not. He gives a simple practical five step program by which any Catholic can become an effective apologist. He also explains the role and use of “professional” apologists. Also, as Catholics are called to be evangelists, the mentality and personality of the Protestant is essential for us to understand. Here Gerry names and explains ten tips on how to approach the Protestant, and why these tips will work. This includes methods both Gerry and Scott Hahn used to come into the Faith.
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This is another in those “how to” selections which makes apologetics easy, and ARM famous for producing them. In this easy four step program (designed to help ANYONE keep focused upon the subjects at hand) you will team how to examine and defeat any attack on the Faith by always keeping attention on what is actually being said. The LARE program teaches you to to Listen – Analyze – Respond – Explain. This program will without doubt prevent the most common mistakes which most Catholics make.
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Here is a presentation of two additional techniques: (1) the “German Dictionary” shows you how substituting a working definition of a key term will often show how the term itself is being used in a dishonest and invalid manner. This very simple technique is devastating in effect. (2) The “By your own standards” is most useful when an attack is based upon some factual error. This method shows that by using the attacker's standards many attacks on the Faith can be exposed as pure bigotry and turned back on the attackers themselves.
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In this live talk (given to the Holy Name Society of St. Columba church) a new technique is outlined. This simple three step program (“separate refine define”) is intended to refute a very common objection raised by the Jehovah Witnesses (“why do Catholics kill each other in wars?”). However, it may be used to refute nearly any attack against the Faith. This technique can be mastered and used by anyone.
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Doing what is right is one thing ... avoiding the most common mistakes is another. In this selection, several of these errors are specified, and suggestions given as to how you can avoid them. Among those dealt with: when to avoid answering questions; why you should avoid comparisons; how NOT to make the argument for an attacker. You'll be surprised how many of these mistakes you would make, if you did not listen to this selection.
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P11 Hot Lines Selections
These selections are listed here.
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This selection explains how central the concept of authority is to both religion and philosophy. It develops the fact that all authority must be based upon God. Among other aspects, it shows: that authority can not be forced; how it differs from power and influence; why it must be morally based; why it can function only in freedom; the limitations of human authority. This selection provides a basic grounding in understanding this most important concept.
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This highly original and provocative argument holds that the existence of God may be established by examining the natures of existence and knowledge. By showing that each is separate and by examining how knowledge is achieved the position is established that existing things must be known, and this means that the ALL knowing God MUST exist. This is most useful to refute the “intellectual” atheists.
Listen to the first six minutes for free here!
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“Prescott” is actually Vin Lewis pretending to be a “main line” Protestant. In this selection he confronts Gerry Matatics in an example of the worst attacks against the Faith which you will ever hear, this side of Hell. Gerry defends, and then they reverse roles. This is a great test for your own skill level.
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In understanding religion the substance and nature of principles are essential. Yet few works actually attempt to explain what a principle is, what it is not, and how it differs from a general rule. This selection (a live conversation which took place at an ARM supporter’s home) deals with the nature of principles and how to determine them, and their value in apologetics, etc.
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This three selection set is a live audio recording of a seminar given at Holy Family Monastery in West Berlin, NJ. The goal was to give some of the philosophical foundations which increase apologetic effectiveness. Among the subjects explored were: the nature and use of language; God centered point of view; directions of development; laws of inference, syllogisms, more.
Listen to the first six minutes for free here!
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Face it: debating is one way to determine the truth and, as the Apostles showed us, an approved way of defending the Faith. Yet, debating was a lost art … until now. This TWO-Selection set gives you a great deal of expert and practical advice on how to debate, and, perhaps, more important, what to avoid. The first selection is primarily a critical analysis of the (ineffective) efforts of another apologist. The second selection is a series of specific principles which will make anyone a more effective debater.
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One problem in apologetics is defining words. In this one selection you will learn not only HOW to define virtually any word, but also you will have dozens of key religious terms defined for you. This selection can serve as both a compact and very usefull “dictionary”, but also as a compact catechism of Catholicism.
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Humans communicate by means of language. This obvious fact may well obscure that fact that language is seldom understood as a tool. Understanding how to use a tool will make its use far more effective.
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The Law of identity is the basis of understanding ALL truth. Its simple formulation (something cannot be itself and its opposite at once) tends to belie its vast power as a philosophical and apologetic tool. This selection explains how to use this law as a foundation for examining and determining truth.
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In this selection which was recorded live, a Catholic married to a Jehovah Witness receives a great deal of practical advice on how to defend and explain the true Faith … and so will you. Among the topics developed: how to avoid the “hooking question”, how to stay on the subject; how to focus upon the objection until it self-destructs; how to use the obligation to witness both offensively and defensively; how to use grammar as a weapon … much more.
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This selection emphasizes how, and why, you should: make truth meaningful in a personal way; get a commitment to accept truth; shift arguments from the academic to the personal; … more.
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Thomistic scholastic philosophy is effective and valid … in its place, and apologetics is NOT its place. This selection, which centers around a discussion with a Jehovah Witness Elder shows why apologetics/evangelism must be personal and non-abstract, and shows how to keep it that way. By analyzing the elements of the conversation, the right way and wrong way to approach apologetics are illustrated.
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One of the uniquely human attributes is the human mind. In this selection the very nature of the human mind is explained as a three fold mechanism. By introducing the SE (“something else”) this work demonstrates how the will works, why people will disagree on the same facts, how to distinguish between the ignorant and the evil, a theory of knowledge, and how to grow in both wisdom and intelligence, HIGHLY original.
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This term means what happens when you defeat an attack by turning it around and using it on the attacker, following the old USMC dictum: the best defense is a good offense. This selection consists of advice given to a caller to the ARM “hot line”. You will learn when, how and why to do this. One key aspect is centering the discussion around salvation, and determining the values of formal religious positions.
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In this live talk Vin gives some rules on how to understand the evasions and tricks which the liberal “Catholic” uses and how to defeat them. VERY entertaining!
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This technique, by detailing the specific defense of why the Catholic Church “changed” the Lord’s Day from Saturday to Sunday, shows how to reverse an attack by first a step by step destruction and then a detailed counter attack. This is VERY useful when confronted with a very aggressive or detailed attack.
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A live recording of an Apologetics Workshop at the 2000 Saint Joseph Conference between Adam Miller and Vin. Vin and Adam role-play in apologetics situations. For each situation, Adam plays both an unreasonable and a “reasonable” protestant—Vin shows how to handle both. You’ll hear the correct refutations to the most common anti-Catholic attacks. Also, Vin and Gerry Matatics have some fun role-playing. Gerry is a conventional protestant raising the normal silly objections. Educational and entertaining.
Listen to the first six minutes for free here!
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In this live talk, Vin uses the analogy of a shop manual to illustrate how to be effective in religious discussions. Vin breaks it down into a few simple, yet powerful rules and tools using layman’s terms on how to win. Learn how the “end justifies the means,” why to “start at the end.” Learn “one verse victory” Scripture passages that protestants do not expect, are not prepared for and ultimately can not refute; also learn when to attribute honesty to a protestant (never!) and more.
Listen to the first six minutes for free here!
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