Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
Jesus’ disciples ask him, in Matthew, chapter 24, what are the signs of the end of the age and of his second coming. After explaining those things, our Lord proceeds, in chapter 25, by presenting three great parables about the last judgement, one of which is an allegory about ten virgins or bridesmaids. This is …
Many churches speak of the bride of Christ. For new Christians, this is a bit unsettling because, despite what some novels and motion pictures depict, they are also taught that Jesus never married. So what does ‘bride of Christ’ actually mean? Evangelical denominations — those that believe the New Testament teaches the doctrine of salvation …
We hear Christian preachers talk about the Last Days a lot. Generally, many modern Christian denominations teach that the ‘last days’ are a short period of time prior to the end of the world. At that time, Jesus makes his promised return to rapture the righteous into heaven as angels where they join previous believers …
I had an interesting journey, recently. Because of an illness, I had EMTs1 visit my home three times, had three total visits to the emergency rooms of two different hospitals, and was finally admitted for a hospital stay in another city. Now, a couple of weeks later, I’m on the mend, but still have a …
The phrase, “something wicked this way comes,” is from Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.1 It is spoken by one of the three witches in Act 4, Scene 1, when she speaks of the war hero, Macbeth. By enticement and his own doing, he has become a monster of a man, because of his political ambition. These witches …
Not long ago, I received an email letter from a visitor to The Outlaw Bible Student website; it was from a lifelong research scientist, university professor, and author. This letter wasn’t positive or negative directly toward me, but from the tone of it, I knew it was unquestionably from an atheist.1 I have found that …
In ancient cultures, most practitioners of supernatural skills were men. They were the religious officials of various pagan cults, who were considered ritual specialists in the magical arts. It wasn’t until later, during medieval times, that a witch was considered a person who performed harmful supernatural acts against others. And, the introduction of demonic forces …
We have all been profoundly affected by the current coronavirus pandemic. Psychological surveys indicate one result of this global crisis is a growing mental health emergency, the consequences of which may be felt for years to come.1 And new medical problems, resulting from the untested, experimental, and sometimes forced mass vaccination of the population, compound …
While most Christians believe that the Ten Commandments are essential to their faith, some believe the other laws given in the Old Testament are irrelevant. They say that Christians are not bound by the Law of Moses. One person with this attitude raised the question, “What was the purpose of the law, if we no …
I received an email from one of my daughters the other day. She wrote, “Since riding a donkey when pregnant would have been so hard for Mary, do you think Jesus was born in the other Bethlehem, which is closer to Nazareth?” She was, of course, inquiring about the journey Joseph and Mary made just …