Archives for 2014

Most of us think of liturgical dance as being something that began in the 1960’s and 1970’s. We look at it with deep suspicion, and to some extent rightfully so. The 1960’s version of liturgical dance involved women in leotards doing modern expressive dance to certain of the hymns. By the 1970’s, as Evangelicals pick […]

Look at the quote below, found in a Slate article: According to Christian mythology, the hemlock plant became poisonous after growing on the hillside of Jesus’ crucifixion. When his blood touched the plant, it turned forever toxic. Now, some of you may be saying that you have never heard any such thing. Well, neither have […]

Look at the video above about two police officers in the Saint Louis area. If you are wondering at the why of the rampant distrust that exists in the Ferguson area, this will give you some indication. Note that I am NOT saying that all officers are like the above, but it only takes a […]

Thanks to Byzantine, TX for the above. There is no doubt that people in the USA do not have a good idea who we are. And, that is OK. It is our job to reach out and explain to others. < p align=”justify”>But, I must admit that I got quite a laugh out of the […]

Christian cultural adaptation can be fun. Having said that, adapting the Gospel to the local culture is fraught with problems, challenges, and arguments. Inevitably, you have those who argue the two extremes. One extreme is that the Church should baptize and, and all, local customs. The fact that if that is done, you will syncretize […]

Pope Francis again has surprised me. Pope Francis on Monday said efforts to stop Islamic militants from attacking religious minorities in Iraq are legitimate but said the international community — and not just one country — should decide how to intervene. Francis was asked if he approved of the unilateral U.S. airstrikes on militants of […]

Courtesy of Internetmonk, I found the oddest smartphone app I have ever seen advertised: The Shut Up, Devil! app is an innovative resource that puts the power of the Word of God in your pocket. And because it’s on your smartphone, which is almost always with you, you’re ready to resist the devil whenever and […]

More than one person has criticized the increased militarization of the police over the last couple of decades. While TV still shows the civilian dressed detective or the policeman in uniform going after a criminal, the reality is that nowadays, it is often a militarized unit that goes after a criminal. And, this is true […]

On yesterday’s post, one person commented that ethics change over time. That is true and not necessarily a bad thing. For instance, let me give you a simple example. What we call ballroom dancing was also called “round dancing” in the 19th century. When I attended Kenyon College (Gambier, OH), as part of one orientation […]

I read an article on CNN that reminded me of history. I had forgotten some of these facts, but I remembered them when I read the article. In reading these facts, I realized that I no longer agreed with Christian thought of the early 1970’s. This raises some interesting epistemological issues for me, but let […]