Knowing the answer before the question is asked is the privilege of the teacher. I taught a Bible Study some time ago where the Hebrew word elohim was discussed. The word can be translated either god, God, or gods. Aaron’s words in Exodus 32:4, “these are your gods, O Israel who brought you up out of the land of Egypt,” regarding one golden calf are the exact same as those used by Jereboam I in 1 Kings 12:28 about two calves.... Read more
I know today is Holy Cross. It is celebrated by the oldest traditions within Christianity. I want to celebrate something else. This is my 666th day of recovery. I have been sober almost 22 months. I am amazed by the changes in my life. In the spirit of the day, I can say, even though getting sober was my cross to bear, I had a lot of help carrying it. New Circumstances I face new situations in my life that... Read more
The King seethed with anger. The audacity of some people is astonishing. But this case was inconceivably unjust. What kind of man would do this? There was not a lot of monetary value attached to the loss. Who could set a price on this kind of loss? Well, he set a price for the perpetrator of the crime. “He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such thing without pity.” Before rendering this judgment he declared... Read more
American presidential elections are embarrassing to say the least. A friend recently asked me about candidates, “can’t we do better than what we have?” I answered, “No, we can’t. We are not any better.” He was surprised by my answer. But I have been in full blown Jeremiah mode recently. And like the weeping prophet, I do not understand why I see what other people can’t. It is really simple. We receive what we value as people. I once agreed... Read more
The hologram of a dead scientist stands before the detective investigating his death. It is only programmed to respond to the right questions. When the right questions are asked, it replies “that is the right question.” This annoying plot drive technique is used in the film I, Robot starring Will Smith. The scientist begins a “trail of bread crumbs” for the detective to follow. The detective seeks answers only to questions dubbed as “the right question” by the hologram. Life would... Read more
The world relies on myths. In fact, most of popular history is mythic. The power of myth in the modern world is no more or less than that of the ancient world. Shakespeare’s account of the Battle of Agincourt from Henry V is better known than the accounts given of it by people who were present. We should not be surprised by this. What happens in demythologizing our myths? Story And Events The story is more important than the event. The... Read more
My first grade teacher began every class with prayer. It was a trap. She did it illegally. And it obviously meant nothing to her. She was a child-beater. She despised me. I was forced to write right-handed. And I believe her actions had to do with the shock of desegregation. She never thought in her career that she would have to teach white students. Looking back, I see that many white teachers were equally astonished to be teaching black students.... Read more
Denominational leaders like to say that there are essentials and there are non-essentials to the faith. We all seem to agree with that. Where we disagree are about which issues fit into which category. We forget charity is the main essential. A United Methodist colleague recently said in a sermon, “We find ways to argue over about the amount of water in Baptism.” His point is well-taken. But it hit home for me. There was a time when I thought... Read more
I began this series with the conflict between science and theology. I called into question the belief that there should not be such a conflict. Truth is not unified. Human beings can know a lot of information. We can even divine connections within the body of information we have. We can hold differing viewpoints in tension But to know the absolute truth is elusive. The scientific mind considers the world to be quantifiable and predictable. While the theological mind considers... Read more
Many fundamentalists become atheists because the Bible fails them. Christian fundamentalist/evangelicals make the Bible the central focus of the belief system. The doctrine of Holy Scripture makes the Bible the one and only authority on every subject on which it speaks. Is the world only 6,000 years old? Archaeologists know of civilizations that existed before then. Where is the historic or archaeological evidence for the Exodus? There is none available. The Challenge Of The Inspiration Of The Bible The fundamentalists... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In