It was different when I was a boy; then all the good people went to church. We didn’t come right out and say that those who didn’t go to church were bad people, but they were considered rather disreputable. Somewhere along the line the churches got the notion that their calling was to make the … Continue reading Good people don’t go to church
social gospel
There oughta be a law
Every time there is some terrible crime committed or a horrific disaster, someone is sure to say "there oughta be a law" to prevent such mayhem from ever happening again. Governments are happy to oblige, but is there any evidence the laws are helping? A poem that was often recited in the Christian school which … Continue reading There oughta be a law
The last best hope of mankind
Twenty-five years ago, as I walked the dirt streets of Plimoth, Massachusetts, Samuel Fuller fell into step beside me and began to visit. “The churchmen in England say that we have no church here because we have no ministers. A church is made up of Christian people; they don’t have a church over there. Who … Continue reading The last best hope of mankind
Humanism as the established religion
It appears to have began long ago with Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the patron saint of Roman Catholic theologians. He studied Greek, Arabic and Hebrew philosophers and incorporated some of their thinking into Christian theology. His major innovation was the idea that God and truth are not solely revealed by the Bible, but that man by … Continue reading Humanism as the established religion
Business and Church
I grew up on the edge of a small Saskatchewan town. There were four grocery stores and three churches. One store was owned by a cousin quite a few years older than myself, another by an old friend of my family, another was owned by a Catholic family and the fourth was the local Co-op. … Continue reading Business and Church
What about Sunday, then?
If we cannot claim the sabbath commandment as our reason, then why do we do go to church on Sunday? The Bible doesn’t tell us when to eat, when to go to bed or when to get up. Yet we know that we need to do all those things for the health of our physical … Continue reading What about Sunday, then?
WWJD is the Wrong Question
In His Steps, first published in 1897, is Charles Sheldon’s tale of the transformation of the fictional town of Raymond when people began to ask “What would Jesus do?” Many of us have read it. It sounds inspiring, doesn’t it? The Bible is read, powerful prayers are offered up, good things happen. However, when answers … Continue reading WWJD is the Wrong Question
Flatlander Faith 