The idea of original sin really is original, it’s not in the Bible. It’s a concept conceived by Augustine of Hippo. Augustine’s original sin says that you’re born a sinner as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve. Because you’re born a sinner, you need the Church to facilitate your salvation. Augustine’s concept of original sin served Church leaders well — salvation and connection to God could only be found in the sacraments provided by the Catholic Church.... Read more
I wrote about the Bible previously. So, this is a little more about the Bible. A great deal of energy is dedicated to the Bible. A collection of writings that didn’t exist in its current form for more than the first 300 years of Christianity. And for more than 1,200 years after that, the only Bibles were hand-worded in a world with nearly universal illiteracy. God and Jesus did just fine, for a very long time, without a commonly accessible... Read more
The Bible is a collection of 66 (or 73) different books, some history, some poetry, some songs, some letters, as well as the rules of an ancient religion . . . written over the span of 1,600 years. Problems arise when people can’t tell one from another, and confuse them into each other. Problems arise when you try to take a rule written for and by a certain group of people, and apply it to your life today (taking your... Read more
April 4 marks the 48th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. King has been dead nine years longer than he lived. Every year, I revisit the response of Robert Kennedy in Indianapolis, Indiana, following the assassination. This is one of the finest spontaneous speeches in history. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening, because I have some — some very sad news for all of you... Read more
I strongly recommend the 2016 film Risen. According to distributor Sony Pictures, Risen “follows the epic Biblical story of the resurrection, as told through the eyes of a non-believer. Clavius, a powerful Roman Military Tribune, and his aide Lucius, are tasked with solving the mystery of what happened to Yahshua in the weeks following the crucifixion, in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem.” Actually, the search only lasts a few days,... Read more
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