“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” — First Amendment in the Bill of Rights An increasing […]
Introduction Recently, Tom Scholl, who identified himself as a pastor of churches in Ohio and New York, as well as holding positions in several ecumenical organizations, wrote a 3-part article for my local newspaper, The Macon Telegraph, titled “What the Koran says about Christianity.” I thought it would be an interesting series to read, but I
A Relevant and Brief History of Islam Read More »
The Sale of Indulgences A few words are in order regarding the Sale of Indulgences that Martin Luther so much decried. The clergy were authorized by the Catholic Church to absolve penitents from the guilt of his sins and from punishment in the hellish inferno of the hereafter, but it did not absolve them from
Martin Luther, the Sale of Indulgences, and the Reformation Read More »
Since the heyday of Billy Graham in the 1950s to the 1980s, Protestantism has evolved mostly to become silent on secular issues or to speak only to promulgate politically correct (PC) proclamations depending on the trendy issues of the day. I was brought up as a Presbyterian. Presbyterianism originally believed in the Elect and predestination.
Philosophic Ramblings (Part II): Religion and Politics Read More »
The study of the nature of reality leads to the Medieval argument (conflict) between Realists and Nominalists. I will defer further discussion on that controversy for now, and instead, deal with more contemporary philosophies. Pragmatism or Idealism Existentialism was a great philosophy for the 20th century in the same fashion that Stoicism was for the
Philosophic Ramblings (Part I): Morality and Society Read More »
I apologize in advance to those here who have already assiduously learned these Medieval history lessons and find them redundant in their intellectual ordnance. If you know the facts on the much-maligned Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades — and their historic relationship to Western civilization from your own investigation, you may skip this article. But
On the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades Read More »
