Monday, June 05, 2006

Catholic Apologist Art Sippo Takes The Time To Thank Me For My Luther Research


Catholic apologist Art Sippo took some time recently to thank me for my work on Protestant reformer, Martin Luther. Note the warmth and care in Art's words. Perhaps there really is value in dialog with Catholic apologists.

Mr. Sippo commented,

"Please spare us all your ridiculous propaganda, James. Nothing you can say changes who and what Luther was. The most damning thing of all is that he was excommunicated by the Catholic Church and is formally condemned as a heretic. He was so condemned for a good reason: Luther taught false doctrine and by the sheer force of his will tried to destroy the Christian religion and replace it with his own man-made counterfeit. But even more importantly, he was a morally disordered man suffering from serious personality disorders and may have been frankly mad.

There is nothing so amusing and disturbing than have someone like you in serious and deprecating tones defending such a mad dog as a "reformer" of Christianity! I am reminded of Chance the gardener from the movie Being There being lauded as deep thinker when in reality he was a uneducated simpleton whose mental simplicity was confused with intellectual depth. You confuse Luther's insane ravings with spiritual zeal and his self-serving defense of his psychological catharsis with the spread of the Gospel.

If you were not so absurd I could pity you. As it stands I find you ridiculous and most damnably wilfully self deceived."

You're welcome Art.

Next installment: A look at using Psychohistory to understand Luther.

12 comments:

Oddball Pastor said...

I hope you are not surprised. Seriously, you ought not expect much more from a guy who cannot but speak in caricatures. The best thing is to not respond in kind to him. Let the contrast do its work.

Anonymous said...

James, I am really enjoying your presentation. I am wondering how long will it take before Sip. puts the heavy anvil in his boxing glove and accuses your parents of being Cross burners. This is always a sure way to enrich a conversation. Paul.

James Swan said...

Hi Brent-

I'm really trying to do as you suggest. Thank you so much for stopping by. See you over on CARM.

blessings,
James

James Swan said...

Hi Paul-

My latest response to mr sippo over on the envoy boards, is by far my favorite (on psychohistory). I will be posting it here tommorrow. It should be interesting to read Art's reply.

Blessings,
James

Anonymous said...

I see that Art is rising to his usual level of flatulance.

Good work, James!

James Swan said...

Robbie-

did you get you get Giovanni Miegge's book yet?

Churchmouse said...

Sippo is an embarrassment to his peers. The guy just gets lost in his diatribe and cannot function without belittling those he doesn’t agree with. The bad thing is that he seems to believe that, in some weird way, folks take him seriously—that he actually has something to offer and that one is edified by his nonsense. Even his book reviews contain the same rhetoric http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A7N7CY0WR7ZDQ/103-9081935-9143043

Jim, we all know you to be a humble, prudent, thoughtful individual who does his research even if it reveals more then we would like to admit and I believe that even the Catholics, past and present, who have dealt with you would agree with this estimation, but clowns like Sippo aren’t worth the time and effort to correct, because they are “infallible” in their own eyes, legends in their own minds, fools in their folly. They don’t deserve responses, just pity. Hopefully, those who participate on the forum will have to integrity to admit, even if only to themselves, that Sippo really doesn’t have much to offer and much too much to say. If anything, I do believe your objectivity in research and level-headedness will cause some of the Catholics out there to allow reason to be their guide and allow Luther to be Luther even if he turns out to be the Luther they don’t want to admit to. And I’m sure some will. But keep on keeping on, Jim. Keep up the good work and continue to fight the good fight.

BTW, I don’t know if he still works for Sparta Community Hospital in Sparta, Illinois or St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland, Illinois, but considering I’m an Illinoisan as well, I have half a mind to go ask him to stop sucking up the air and leave some for us lowly denizens :-)

Peace,
Ray

Anonymous said...

"did you get you get Giovanni Miegge's book yet?"

Yes. And it is EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!


Robbie

James Swan said...

Ray,

Thanks-

I really have never dialoged with Art in depth- but I knew from the beginning it wouldn't actually be a dialog.

Sippo's comments could keep me busy for the rest of the year. I have a few more things i'd like to comment on from him, time allowing. It may take him 5 minutes to type out a response to me, but it takes me a few hours to put together each response. This is ok, since I was looking for a good venue to explore psychohistory anyway.

I have no idea how the other Envoy folks are reading the dialog. It is strangely quiet. Perhaps they are just staying out of the way, or perhaps they're hoping Art will "start making sense" (Source: Talking Heads).

I believe it is necessary to defend Christian brothers. If someone attacks God's servants, it really gets me. I get livid when I read slander against James White, David King, Eric Svendsen,Turk,.. (and this applies to those in the past as well- Melanchthon, Calvin, Luther, etc).

JS

James Swan said...

Oddball pastor-

My apologies for not linking to your blog earlier, i had intended to do for quite some time. It's up now.

JS

Churchmouse said...

I believe it is necessary to defend Christian brothers. If someone attacks God's servants, it really gets me. I get livid when I read slander against James White, David King, Eric Svendsen,Turk,.. (and this applies to those in the past as well- Melanchthon, Calvin, Luther, etc).

Hi Jim,

Yes, I do as well. Eric, Dr. Oakley, Pastor David are like my brothers and mentors. Melanchthon, Calvin, and Luther are like my very wise ancestors. Frank Turk is like the older brother who punched you in the arm or gave you a "wedgie" everytime he got the chance :-), but you love him anyway.

Peace,
Ray

Anonymous said...

Art Sippo is right. Martin was an excommunicated heretic. To sing his praise is to sing the praise of Milingo 50 years or more from today.

Dozie