Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
Although there are several minor Christian sects that do not celebrate birthdays, the only major denomination that does not is Jehovah’s Witnesses. Of the organizations that do not, often cited as a reason, is that only two instances of birthdays are mentioned in the Bible and both represented rather gruesome situations that were related to …
Our Lord Jesus, gave us a model prayer1 in his Sermon on the Mount, and most Christians follow his example when petitioning God, either privately or publically. In steps, we pray to: (1) praise and bring honor to God, (2) ask that his will and kingdom be forthcoming, (3) give thanks for the necessities of …
The weather has been kind in the Pacific northwest recently and Spring has brought the area into full bloom. All through winter I dreamed of the warm and sunny days ahead, when I could take comfortable slow walks around the neighborhood and watch as people spent more time in the outdoors. During my first glorious …
Many debates have been started over two verses of scripture in the Holy Bible which describes, what seems to be, a pretty straight-forward command. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority …
Here is some news about a strange new technology that seems like it is right out of a science fiction movie. Scientists in Israel have made a remarkable discovery that may unlock memories after people die. Dr. Ami Citri of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem was part of a team researching memory formation in mice. …
All during the dreary winter, I daydream about the coming Spring season, when the weather turns warmer and the trees are budding out. I daydream about lunches in the park on a carpet of rich green grass in the open shade, under a large tree with brand-new leaves, and flowers blooming in patches all around. …
There is a new feature listed in the main menu bar at the top of all pages. This feature is the ‘Bible Versions Chart’ which lists the translations used in our articles and posts. It is not complete by any means, but is a list of most of the English language Bibles used on The …
Our country, like many others, is divided over the issue of abortion. You may be pregnant and thinking of getting one, or you may know someone who is, and you want to know what God thinks about this avenue to problem solving. Many people will try to decide this problem for you, but they all …
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 …
George was an older gentleman who lived in a southern state not too far away from me. He was retired and alone – his wife having died several years previously – and lived in a shotgun house1 which was sandwiched between the homes of two religious-minded people. One day, George confessed to me how he …