Former President Jimmy Carter, 98, has lived a remarkable life in which his faith has been front and center. As he nears the end of his life and begins hospice care, Americans should take a moment to recognize his service to the country and the world. Carter has lived longer than any previous president and is currently the oldest living president. He has not wasted those years, but we will get to that in a minute. Switching Gears My original... Read more
What role did Christian faith have in the decisions of our earliest presidents? Did their faith guide them, or did the constitution constrain them? Why does it matter? (Courtesy of Pixaby / raheel9630) The religious beliefs of America’s earliest presidents are still relevant, and Presidents’ Day ’23 — Feb. 20 — is a good time to look at them. Why? Because the rise of Christian nationalism in the United States has renewed the debate over separation of church and state.... Read more
Was He a Heroic Christian, Misguided Zealot or Cold-hearted Father? James Cameron’s epic movie Titanic was released a little over 25 years ago this month. But I’m not going to talk about the blockbuster movie. Instead, I want to tell you the true story of three passengers – a Protestant minister and widower, his young daughter and his adult niece – who were aboard the Titanic in 1912. The minister will remain nameless for the moment because I want to... Read more
Why? Keep Reading Feb. 1 may be one of the most significant – but barely remembered days — in U.S. history. Let me explain. National Freedom Day isn’t celebrated the way Americans celebrate July 4th, but it’s a pivotal day in our nation’s history. It’s an independence day of sorts for a large segment of the population. How so? It’s the day in 1865 when President Abraham Lincoln signed a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would outlaw slavery.... Read more
But Anti-semitism Rears Its Ugly Head in 21st Century America People of good faith and conscience saw films of unspeakable carnage after Allied soldiers liberated Nazi concentration camps across Europe in 1945. “Never again!” they said in genuine horror. The films showed footage of corpse-like figures in prison uniforms stumbling along in slow motion if they could move at all. Their faces were hollow and their eyes empty. In many cases, the backdrops to these scenes of horror were large... Read more
And You May Find a Few Surprises… Religious conflicts have turned the soil red with the blood of believers since ancient times. The world’s religions have extremely complicated histories and relationships that make peaceful solutions difficult. Yet, their similarities might serve as common ground. In my last post, “The World’s Religions Have More in Common than You Might Think,” I delved into the three major Western or Abrahamic religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. These religions trace their roots to Abraham,... Read more
… or do they? Go below the surface, and you may find some surprises. Religion is important to billions of people across the globe – so much so that humankind’s differences over religion have caused one conflict after another since ancient times. But what about the similarities? Is there any common ground upon which the major religions can find more peaceful solutions to their disagreements. Read the headlines and you might think not. It’s been Christian against Jew. Jew... Read more
What Is It? Who Celebrates It? Why Should I Care? I hesitated about writing an article on Kwanzaa. I know very little about the holiday. It has nothing to do with me. Why should I care? Granted, I’m American, but my ancestry is primarily Scottish and English. My eyes are green. My skin is very light, and my hair is blonde with gray streaks that become decidedly more prominent the longer I neglect the Clairol bottle. In other words, you will never... Read more
My family is struggling to get through Christmas. My son-in-law suddenly died in April, and the pain is still deep and sharp. It hurts. And the holidays don’t help. If you recently lost someone special, you know what I mean about surviving the holidays after loss. How do you navigate the holidays when you’re grieving? What do you do to cope when “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” have temporarily replaced “Hello” and “Hi”? Can you fake a cheery mood long... Read more
The Answer is Simple. Christ IS Christmas! Let me explain, though I’m sure you can quickly guess where I’m headed. The word “Christmas” means “Christ’s Mass.” Thus, “Christmas” becomes “Christ mas” or “Christ mass.” The mass is an important religious service, but it means little without Christ leading the way. So it is with Christmas. When you remove Christ from Christmas, as I just tried to do, you’re left with a religious service and perhaps a winter festival. You may... Read more
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