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 […]

The prayer Aleinu (“It is our duty to praise”) is the closing prayer of the morning, afternoon and evening service among observant Jews. It is our duty to praise the Master of all, to acclaim the  greatness of the One who forms all creation. For God did not make us like the nations of other […]

From an evangelical website, the story was written by an Evangelical Lutheran pastor: How dysfunctional is Congress? It has been 18 months since Pope Francis became the Holy Father, and some thought it might be a good idea for U.S. lawmakers to say, “Congratulations!” However, the bill acknowledging him, H.Res. 440, which seems straightforward, applauding […]

From The Independent in England: Most people in the West would be surprised by the answer to the question: who are the most persecuted people in the world? According to the International Society for Human Rights, a secular group with members in 38 states worldwide, 80 per cent of all acts of religious discrimination in […]