In 1905 German sociologist published what many called the most important sociological work of the 20th century: Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus. The book was later translated into English and published in 1930 as: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. His thesis was that because of the teaching of predestination, … Continue reading The dark side of the Protestant work ethic
Christianity
Only an empty box
Agnes grew up 100 years ago on a farm in southwestern Saskatchewan. Her parents were members of a church which called itself Mennonite and worshipped in the German language. At home the family spoke a Low German dialect called Plautdietsch, and English. There were 14 children in the family, spaced about two years apart. Agnes … Continue reading Only an empty box
Note to myself
I believe I know something that others should want to know, but telling is not a good way to get their attention. What does he/she want to know? Why? What are the barriers to even considering the spiritual aspect of life? How do I help someone become interested in something he/she believes has no importance? … Continue reading Note to myself
Consequences of a false gospel
Several weeks ago I wrote about the effect on education of René Descartes’ belief in the ability of the human mind to discover all truth through the exercise of reason. That belief has worked its way into every aspect of Western civilization. It is found in our media, our social institutions, our ideas about business, … Continue reading Consequences of a false gospel
All Christians are hypocrites
□ True □ False I think we have to check the true box on this one. Let’s be clear though, that we are not hypocrites because we are Christian, we are hypocrites because we are human. The desire to appear to be better than we are is endemic in humanity. Becoming a Christian makes us … Continue reading All Christians are hypocrites
Winsomeness
More than 350 years ago, Blaise Pascal described what he hoped to achieve with his writing this way: People despise Christian faith. They hate it and are afraid that it may be true. The solution for this is to show them, first of all, that it is not unreasonable, that it is worthy of reverence … Continue reading Winsomeness
The power of little things
My mother was 10 when her family moved from south-east Manitoba to south-west Saskatchewan. Whenever she talked about that move she would say "The thing I missed was seeing the tees and the Indians." It wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I asked the obvious question: "Mon, I get the part about the trees, but what's … Continue reading The power of little things
What happened to the dream?
“I have a dream!” As Reverend Martin Luther King, Junior spoke those words in 1963, millions around the world dared to dream with him of a better day; a day when outward differences would lose their power to divide us; a day when we could all join hands to work together, to pray together. That … Continue reading What happened to the dream?
Three Impossible Things That I Believe
I believe that God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, yet only one God. All three are shown in the scene of the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:16-17: “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the … Continue reading Three Impossible Things That I Believe
We try to do too much
Trying to save the planet leaves us frustrated, angry, bitter and in despair. Trying to compel other people turn to Jesus will do the same thing. These jobs are too big for us; leave them to God. We can be kind to others because of the love of God n our hearts. We can respond … Continue reading We try to do too much
