Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
My wife, Mary, tells me (many times) that I’m stuck in a rut; I guess that may be true in some cases, but I don’t think of it as a bad thing. I’m also a creature of habit (she says), because my life is based on many routines every day: making coffee at the same …
Throughout Egypt, from the beginning to the end of Egyptian history (circa 3000 B.C. – 400 B.C.), the sun was worshiped as the deity Ra (or Re). Ra was symbolized by a sun disk and thought to be the creator god, sun god, and god of the underworld. He was also god of the state, …
Over the years I’ve often been asked, by women, if I believed women should really be silent in religious instruction, as it says in the Bible. They were all seeking comment or advice in reference to 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, which states: “Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them …
Now that I’m older, and hopefully a bit wiser, I’ve decided I like a simple life. I’m seventy-five years’ old, so why has it taken me so long to figure this out, you might ask. Well, I guess it is because I can now compare my present slower life to that of my past hectic …
Specifically, the Ten Commandments,1 also known as the Decalogue, were given by God to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, after Moses led the people of Israel out of slavery from Egypt, about 1440 B.C. It was part of the covenant between them and Jehovah. Obeying this list of commandments was a heavy burden for the …
On our front door is a decal that says ‘Christians Unite, Luke 22:36.’ It is our “low key” Christian announcement that the residents of this home believe in the American right to own and carry a defensive weapon. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution1 protects the right of citizens to keep and bear …
When people ask me how old I am, my first response is to say I was born in the FIRST half of the LAST century. I have, therefore, been around for a long time and I’ve seen a lot of change. Being born in New Orleans during World War II and growing up in the …
When the question is asked about why did Jesus need to die, it is usually answered, “He died for our sins.” Few people ask for further explanation, but when some do they get such answers as: “So that we could be forgiven,” or “He gave his life for ours.” While those answers may be correct, …