The orthodox Christian position is . . . [that] the light, and the light only is primary; creation and time and darkness are secondary and begin together. When you come to consider the matter, it is strictly meaningless to say that darkness could precede light in a time process. Where there is no light, there … Continue reading Dorothy Sayers on the origin of evil
Christian
New Eyes
You have to be displaced from what's comfortable and routine and then you get to see things with fresh eyes, with new eyes. -Amy Tan For those who have experienced a displacement from all that is familiar and routine, this statement will be self-evident. What about people who have never experienced such a disruption and … Continue reading New Eyes
The abolition of sin in children’s literature
Nowadays the lead character in a highly acclaimed book for children is apt to be a lesbian who is a practicing Wiccan. Parents have been banished from children’s books for many years, but are making a comeback in situations where a child has two mothers or two fathers. But any mention of God, Christianity or … Continue reading The abolition of sin in children’s literature
Five reasons Christian communes don’t work
1. They isolate members from other people Relationships with family and friends outside the community that do not further the goals of the community become suspect. 2. They disconnect members from the reality of the world around them People who don’t have to choose and pay for their own food, clothing and shelter can hardly … Continue reading Five reasons Christian communes don’t work
Religious communes in Canada
Reading posts by Jnana Hodson about religious communes in the USA prompted me to compile a list of some of the more notable communal groups of the past and present is Canada. Read Jnana Hodson's posts here, and here. 1. The Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy and the Huron Confederacy could be considered as having been … Continue reading Religious communes in Canada
Some spirits need to be quenched
I was alone in the lunchroom when Rhonda came in. She sat down on the other side of the table, opened her lunch bag and announced “He told me I looked like a horse.” “What? Who did?” “Doug, that young guy who got a summer job here. He just walked up to me and said: … Continue reading Some spirits need to be quenched
Hard work is not a Christian virtue
The robots are coming. Technology could eliminate half of all jobs over the next ten years. Working harder isn’t going to save your job. Working smarter won’t to do it either. The economy is changing and the way to ride the wave of change is to change our attitude about work. Several years ago a … Continue reading Hard work is not a Christian virtue
The church as the most important family
There are serious consequences of losing a sense of family within the church. . . We assume that the nuclear family can meet this need, and yet some of the loneliest, most isolated people in our communities are married with children, often so frenetically busy with child rearing and/or caring for aging parents that they … Continue reading The church as the most important family
Not a scary book
When Howard was converted, he knew there were a lot of differing ideas out there about what the Bible said. So, every time he sat down to read the Bible, he would pray first and ask God to help him understand correctly. When I met him some years later it was evident that God had … Continue reading Not a scary book
Doesn’t everybody want to change their life?
Jim walked into the small town grocery store, a bundle of tracts in his hand. He looked around, found the tract rack and saw it was almost empty. He dropped the tracts in his had on the counter and went out to his car to get more. The clerk was reading one of the tracts … Continue reading Doesn’t everybody want to change their life?