Banned Questions About Jesus Review

BANNED QUESTIONS ABOUT JESUS. Edited by Christian Piatt. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2011. 204 pp. Back in the day, when I was growing up, there was a slogan that appeared on bumper stickers and T-shirts. It declared that "Jesus is the Answer." There was a response to this simplistic statement - But what are the questions? To say that "Jesus is the answer" is a bit like Billy Graham declaring that "the Bible says," and we just leave it at that. The point of these kinds of declarations is that they shut down discussion, but what if you need to push further and ask seemingly impertinent questions? What if you're not satisfied with the traditional answers? Is there a place of safety to ask these questions? Faith is defined in Hebrews 11 as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of...

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Religion Evolution And The Nonsense That Passes For Thought About Them

Philosopher Chris Campbell takes on one of my least favorite ideas, by attacking some foolish speculation by moralist psychologist Jonathan Haidt:After being asked how people came together to build cooperative societies beyond kinship, Haidt asserts that "morality" was the key:"A big part of Haidt's moral narrative is faith. He lays out the case that religion is an evolutionary adaptation for binding people into groups and enabling those units to better compete against other groups. Through faith, humans developed the "psychology of sacredness," the notion that "some people, objects, days, words, values, and ideas are special, set apart, untouchable, and pure." If people revere the same sacred objects, he writes, they can trust one another and cooperate toward larger goals. But morality also...

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Once Gods Walked Among Humans By Friedrich Hlderlin

"Once gods walked among humans,""The splendid Muses and youthful Apollo ""Inspired and healed us, just like you. ""And you are to me as if one of the Holy Ones ""Had sent me forth into life, and the image ""Of my beloved goes with me, ""And wherever I stay and whatever I learn, ""I learned and gained it from her, ""With a love that lasts until death. ""Then let us live, you with whom I suffer ""And inwardly strive towards better times ""In faith and loyalty. For we are the ones. ""And if people should remember us both ""In years to come, when Spirit again prevails, ""They'd say that these lonely ones lovingly ""Created a secret world, known to the gods alone. ""The earth will take back those concerned ""With impermanent things: others climb higher ""To ethereal Light who've been faithful ""To...

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Farm Animal Diversity Is Declining As Accelerating Species Loss Threatens Humanity

The accelerating disappearance of Earth's species of both wild and domesticated plants and animals constitutes a fundamental threat to the well-being and even the survival of humankind, warns the founding Chair of a new global organization created to narrow the gulf between leading international biodiversity scientists and national policy-makers. "Even farm animal diversity is declining as accelerating species loss""threatens humanity [Credit: David Moir/Reuters]"In Norway to address an elite gathering of 450 international officials with government responsibilities in the fields of biodiversity and economic planning, Zakri Abdul Hamid offered his first public remarks since being elected in January to head the new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services...

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Ways Of Inviting And Repelling Demonic Influence

By Archimandrite Vasilios BakoyiannisAN INVITATION TO THE DEVILWhen you want to invite an acquaintance of yours to a wedding, a baptism and so on, you send them an invitation. The invitation is a way of showing that you want this particular person to be present. Invitations are also sent to the devil.GAMES, CHARMS AND JEWELLERY"GOOD-LUCK CHARMS"There are "specialists" who make good luck charms with invocations to the devil. Unsuspecting people then wear these and, in ignorance, invite the devil into their souls.To the same category belong bats' bones, horseshoes, the pentagram and so on.GAMESThe former queen of black magic, Doreen Irvine, says, from her experience, that there are games, such as the ouija board, which are exceptionally dangerous for children. The former Satanist Sean Seller...

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The Hoodoo Truth Domination Work Why We Need It

Domination work is a subject that makes many people uncomfortable. Many people have a problem with domination work. I understand this hesitance and I also understand that the hesitance stems from not truly understanding the importance of domination work or how to properly use it. I also know for a fact that there are many Wiccans out there who claim to also practice hoodoo/rootwork/conjure who are teaching people not to use domination works. These people usually respond with the notion of karma, the Wiccan Rede, "law of three", etc., and suggest that people only use sweetening works instead. Of course if you read my blogs you will understand that I have recommended several times now for new practitioners to purge this Wiccan nonsense from their minds. Wiccans are not our elders and they should...

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Joan Of Arc Witch And Heretic

Although accusations of witchcraft seem to have been most commonly made against older women who lived on the margins of society and who may have become socially troublesome, there is also evidence that women who were too powerful could become targets as well. Joan of Arc is one famous example of a woman who achieved a great deal but was then burned as a witch for her trouble. Joan of Arc, who has become the patron saint of France, was a peasant girl who experienced mystical visions of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret during the Hundred Years War which convinced her that she was destined by God to lead the French to victory over the English invaders. In 1429 she convinced the dauphin Charles VII to let her demonstrate that she had the ability to match her ambitions and she led...

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Counterfeiting Religion

In his sermon this week, our UU minister told us a story about Gretchen. She was a closed-minded liberal who folded her arms and resisted singing religious songs with Christians. But one day, she realized that if words and theology didn't matter to her, she could say anything and substitute her own meaning, privately. The story ended with Gretchen dancing and singing with her Christian friends, while mentally substituting 'Love' for 'Jesus' in the lyrics. Whither creative interchange? She's joining in now, but on her own terms, which is ok 'for her' because she decided that words and theology don't matter. But the worry is that it might matter to her friends whether those things matter to her! If she doesn't tell her friends about her strategy, they might think she means what they mean by...

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Did A Supreme Court Justice Just Admit To Being An Atheist

From Huffington-The Terrific Go out with heard traditional arguments this week in a casing about the constitutionality of a New York town's practice of beginning firm constitutional meetings with all told Christian prayers.Featuring in one connection, Rectitude Antonin Scalia impelled a lawyer for the municipal of Greece -- which is arguing that a persuade of appeals erred in order that the prayers despoiled the method requirement of the Construction -- on the be equivalent of prayer for nonbelievers."Being is the be equivalent of prayer for VIP who is not religious?" asked Scalia, a religious Catholic.The lawyer, Thomas Hungar, had trouble pinning down an display, which in due course led Rectitude Stephen Breyer to offer with a note down that is like seen by skeptic and non-theist advocates...

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Re Shiastrength Understand Conspiracy

I did not know that we have already reached date : "28-05-2019!" FROM: Qazi Dr. Shaikh Abbas Borhany TO: qazishkborhany@hotmail.comSENT: Fri, May 28, 2010 7:43:00 PMSUBJECT: [shia strength] Understand Conspiracy "UNDERSTAND CONSPIRACY" "BY: QAZI DR. SHAIKH ABBAS BORHANY" "PHD (USA), NDI, SHAHADAT AL A'ALAMIYYAH (NAJAF, IRAQ), M.A., LLM (SHARIAH)" "MUSHIR: FED. SHARIAT COURT OF PAKISTAN" "MEMBER: ULAMA COUNCIL OF PAKISTAN" "PUBLISHED IN 'DAILY NEWS' PAKISTAN ON 28-05-2019" "It is clear why the First world would find it in their best interest to produce offensive material that creates ill feelings amongst a considerable share of the world's population. Isn't it sufficient that the alleged "War on Terror" has persecuted the Muslims of the world on a level never before observed? Israel...

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Keanehan Socotra Pulau Dajjal

Salah satu kawasan digelar sebagai 'neraka dunia' adalah Socotra. Tidak diketahui kenapa ia dianggap sebagai Neraka Dunia. Sebagai pulau terbesar daripada empat pulau di Lautan Hindi, Socotra terletak kira-kira 240 kilometer ke timur Afrika Timur. Ia pulau terpencil dan satu pertiga daripada tumbuhan di situ, termasuk pokok gergasi tidak akan ditemui di tempat lain. Socotra amat aneh sehingga digambarkan sebagai tempat fence pelik di bumi.KEANEHAN INI MENGUNDANG TANDATANYA BANYAK PIHAK KENAPA PULAU INI TIDAK MENDAPAT TEMPAT DI KALANGAN PELANCUNG, TERBIAR DAN TERSISIH WALAUPUN IA MEMPUNYAI BEBERAPA KELEBIHAN BERBANDING MANA-MANA TEMPAT LAIN DI DUNIA.Kepulauan Socotra di Yaman yang dikenali juga sebagai 'The Shade of Arabia'. Yang sangat menarik ialah plant life dan fauna serta notion yang tak...

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Traditional Witchcraft

Heritable witchcraft is a office belief sense that has been handed down to us low our traditions and conventions. Heritable Witchcraft predates most of the top religions of the world. Individual kin absolute that this knowledge originated discrete millennia ago, as far back as Paleolithic pause.While the witchcrafts across the world may regard some restricted and extroverted peculiarity, one joint factor that runs low the witchcrafts of all the societies is that it is an earth based religion.Heritable witchcraft is lock to what is completely called paganism which is coarsely the exaltation of manner. Witchcraft and paganism, as we all know are loathsome by Christianity.Witchcraft in Dreary TimeThe supporter of the kin in ancient mature was nurturing which depended upon the seasons. The seasons,...

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Jesus Likes Halloween A Little Bit Doesnt He

Jeff KinleyOctober 17, 2011The Huffington PostEvery year Christians face a cultural dilemma, beautifully articulated by a 5-year-old boy's announcement to his parents upon returning home from school one day."Mom and Dad, Jesus hates Halloween!" Then, pausing, he mumbled, "But He likes it a little bit, doesn't He?"And therein lies the conundrum of the Christ follower -- what to do with Halloween. Traditionally, Christians and anything related to the horror genre have not mixed well. Like oil and vinegar. Church and State. Alcohol and tattoos.Some Christians even go so far as to claim Halloween is, in reality "Devil's Birthday." Really? Never mind the Bible doesn't say that. Note to self: File under "Christian Superstitions."What that little boy was really trying to communicate was, "Mom and...

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The Collect

When week is the Initial SUNDAY OF Advent, condensed as Advent I, and the initial day of the liturgical rendezvous in the Western Catholic church.Taking into consideration the intent of augmentation the spiritual passage of THE CONTINUUM, we chutzpah depart on Advent I a new article mode -- THE Assemble.All week, we chutzpah post the ice pick for that week, out of action with a in need critique. The critique chutzpah, whenever ability, contain some history on the film of that shut down prayer. It chutzpah in addition contain some reflections on what the ice pick is saying and how we prize open make it a part of our own lives.I am inaugurating this series as part of my own ministry, and decorative to author a range of of the article commentaries. At a halt, I am in addition looking forward...

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Witch Books Part 3 Pathfinder

To many Pathfinder is the heir-apparent to the legacy of D">Pathfinder also has it's own witch class from the ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE. It is nice and has a cool vibe about it, there are somethings I don't care about it. I talked about it detail here, and offered up a couple of Prestige Classes here and here.Other companies though have filled the gaps with their own Pathfinder-compatible witches.A NECROMANCER'S GRIMOIRE: SECRETS OF THE WITCHThis book offers up the Green Hag as a playable race for the Witch class. Sort of. It is more of a race-as-class, but close enough to the witch to work. Anyone that played D">Certainly one of the more interesting books for the new Pathfinder witch class. You will need the Advanced Player's Guide to get the most of of this book obviously.We start off...

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