When I was growing up my brothers and I frequently heard admonitions to be ‘courteous to others’ which meant, for my brothers, lessons on how to be a “gentleman.” My mother frequently reminded my brothers to stand when a woman entered or left a room, to take off their hats indoors, give up their seats...
Year: 2018
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Female Sexual Predators
When I was in my twenties, I had never heard the term “female sexual predators,” perhaps because it had not yet been coined. When I met some, I was shocked. I grew up in a small California town of 15,000, founded by Quakers. It had a lot of Christian churches and the bars were outside...
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Marian Apparitions: Garabandal, Spain
I have had this book in my library and finally decided to read it this week. (Our Lady Comes to Garabandal by Joseph A Pelletier, AA, 1st printing, 1971, 4th printing 1979) Propitious? Timely? It suggests a knowledge of the behavior of priests and prelates that have come to light recently through the Vigano letter...
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An introduction to G. K. Chesterton by Dale Ahlquist: A Synopsis
A genius and a giant in literature, G. K. Chesterton is almost entirely neglected today. He is rarely quoted or studied, yet his works are monuments to logical, everyday common sense. A convert from atheism to the thinking and beliefs of the Catholic faith, he did not actually become a Catholic until after he had...
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English Translations of the Biblical Passage John 1:1
As a follow up of my last post, I decided to look up one Biblical passage to see how different English translation Bibles would present the same sentence. I assumed before I began that there would be different translations, but I had no idea which would differ or how. For “Bible Christians” who believe in...
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The Origin and Organization of the Christian Bible
Some North American Christians refer to themselves as “Bible Christians.” In other words, if it isn’t in the Bible, it isn’t so. They say the Bible is “the Word of God,” meaning it is to be taken literally. They believe the King James English version is only true translation and that it has never changed...
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What do Christians mean by free will?
The concept of ‘free will refers to the human ability to make choices from either an unlimited or a restricted number of options. Free will implies a rational choice between two or more things based upon which the individual believes is more important. The classic example of limited choice is: “Your money or your life!”...
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Research on the Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin is arguably the most scientifically tested artifact in history. The debate as to whether it is a true relic or a hoax continues unabated. New tests and articles are constantly in the news. For those who believe in the authenticity of the Shroud, no further evidence is necessary. For those who...
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The Stolen Miracle: Mark 5:24-34
A brief incident, sandwiched in the middle of a story of another of Jesus’ miracles (Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:22-43) is unusual in that it tells of a stolen miracle. Unlike other miracles that Jesus freely gave away for the asking (Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:24-34, Luke 8:42-48), it was stolen because the woman who stole it...
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