Now for a quick comparison of the monotheistic religions. I want to do this to highlight differences in the belief systems and especially the differences in the societal outcomes of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. It is often falsely assumed that these religions are really essentially the same because they hold as a primary…
Let’s focus our attention now on the church. But there are actually 3 questions to discuss here: What is church? Is it a necessary part of a healthy society? If it is necessary, then what is its role and how do we distinguish it from the roles of family and government? Religion has been a…
As I consider the natural disaster in Haiti this month, several things come to mind. Most of the e-mails I have received focus on the desperation of the people without any means of helping or supporting themselves, the terrible loss of life (and miraculous rescues) and the huge response of the global community in sending…
So let’s think about this model a little more. Maybe the family circle is the best one to begin with. This is actually the foundational building block of any society because it is the first set of relationships that any individual has. Those relationships, for good or bad, influence the character and the values of…
I’ve been thinking a bit about society as a whole during the Christmas vacation – what makes it work and what leads to collapse. It is interesting that the 10 commandments actually lay out rules for a healthy society, one that honors God first, parents/family second, and then others.A Ven Diagram is a good visual…
“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” Albert Einstein And what is the name of that tree? That is the real question. When I imagine this tree, I see a bright, full, strong tree growing beside a river. It is set apart from others, having privileged access to the water, its roots…
Everywhere I look there are people debating the existence of God. Many discussion boards have some faith related topic as well. And though many posts are not worth anyone’s time or energy, there are a few interesting thoughts. So, since I haven’t written here in a while let me respond to one of them: “And…
One of my goals this summer is to catch up on the reading that I never can get to during the school year. Part of that, of course, is current events. It is amazing to see how inconsistent people can be in their ideas and it shows up at all levels of society. Probably it…
From his first steps, back in April, there has been a huge change in his security and stability. Yesterday he was pushing his stroller around on the grass. But he still can’t do steps going up or down. Running isn’t too far off though! He loves to carry things too. The other day he had…
I enjoy very much my walks with my dog after a long day of teaching. He is so excited to see me when I get home, whining and following me around the house until I’m changed and ready to go. Sometimes I play or run with him, but usually he’s content to just walk and…
I was watching “King Arthur” a while back, with Richard Gere and Sean Connery and was again impressed by the misconception of what “freedom” means and how the fallacy is consistently taught by the media. When I think of freedom, I think of the ability to interact with people and inpact each other’s lives because…
Paul went to Spain in 1998 and, because I was single, I used the title “Paul’s Journeys” for my newsletters. I liked it a lot because it made a reference in my mind to the great apostle Paul and his famous missionary journeys described in the book of Acts. That Paul also had a dream…
