Author: smcintos

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Religion? What religion? What is our future?

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The world around us changing, and some big changes are coming hard and fast. Can you remember the time before cell phones? Can you still find a phone booth near you? Do you remember the first Internet connection, over the phone, with no pictures? Children got in big trouble if they touched the phone, and broke an Internet connection when someone like Dad was trying to read some writing from the Internet, on a monochrome computer screen. If you touched the phone, you could break the Internet link, and loud arguments would start. Now, visit any coffee shop, and count how many customers are surfing the Internet from a cell phone that they took out of their pocket. And the pictures on the phone are in color. There was a time when we were seriously concerned about climate change. The big difference from today was the strong conviction that we were moving into “snowball earth” which was a new ice age. We were all going to freeze, and now we are going to fry with …

Actor Brian Cox in 2016

‘Religious People are Stupid!’ … Apparently

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Are you religious? I am. So, are you stupid? I won’t say “I am.” to that question, and I believe you won’t either. We should all know that many people believe, sincerely, that religious people are stupid. Most people who believe that identify as Atheists. You might be surprised to learn that this belief is common, and I think it’s growing, in our modern societies. If you believe in some religion, have you had your moment? Did someone tell you that you are stupid to believe those ideas? Wait for it. An actor and atheist from Scotland, named Brian Cox, recently spoke about the stupidity in religion, and he was quoted by news sources. One quote is, “Religion has sold humans a false story about reality and contributed to their own ‘stupidity.’” I am writing as a Christian, and by this definition I am stupid, or I am contributing to stupid thinking and stupid behavior, in this world. That is disturbing. Now I want to argue. It is easy to answer back. You know what …

Open Bible on dark background

Is the Bible “Hate Speech”? Yes … Maybe

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We have a neighbor who likes to go for coffee on Saturday morning. Usually, we know some other people, in the shop, and the conversations are friendly. In the coffee shop, there is a young “man” who works behind the counter and serves coffee, and “he” wears a dress when he works. No one has told us about preferred pronouns, in this case, but notice that I have used quotation marks for words like “man” and “he.” We have to be careful in our modern world when we write or speak publicly. It is generally understood, that the worker in the coffee shop has a masculine voice and other features. Most of us don’t want to get into an argument about “Trans” beliefs, and we talk about other things. We don’t want to go there. So, we all try to be polite, and there are some topics we don’t mention in our conversations. At the last neighbor meeting at the coffee shop, a friendly neighbor came in and saw us, so he joined us for …

Individual waving Israeli flag at night in Jerusalem.

An old question: How much do you hate Israel?

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We all know that there is a struggle between the State of Israel and Hamas, a militant group that ‘was’ in control of the Palestinian territory of Gaza. ‘Was’ in control, because after a Hamas raid on Israel, the Israeli army attacked Hamas in Gaza. I’m sure we all know something about this armed conflict, and I don’t need to add to the information in the news. Hopefully, this tragic war can come to a conclusion, and people in the region can return to their peacetime lives. You probably also know about the protests on college and university campuses, against the State of Israel. Some statements, made by some protesters, are scary and abusive. The police are involved, and they have arrested hundreds. One of the strangest claims about the recent protests is that some of the anti-Israel sponsors are Jewish. So apparently, wealthy Jewish people are supporting protesters who call for the end of the Jewish nation. This has been reported by journalists in many parts of the world. This link is from India: …

Cigarette smokes in hand on a black background

That time I started smoking: Was I wrong?

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Ok, I don’t smoke, either tobacco or anything stronger, but there was a time when I started. I realize now that I learned one of the most important life lessons if I was willing to learn. I was raised in a strict religious family, and we knew that we could never do many things. In my lifetime, I never heard my father swear, and I heard a story at his funeral, that his coworkers annoyed him, just to get him to say some of those words. Apparently, he never did. When I lived in that family, I was walking home from school with my friends, one afternoon, and I saw something on the ground. We all looked closer, and we found a cigarette butt, still smoldering, which a smoker had just thrown to the ground. I looked closely, and then I had an idea; a small boy idea. A voice in my head said, “I want to try that.” So, I picked up that cigarette butt and put the business end between my lips, and …

Richard Dawkins, 2008

Have you heard of the Atheist who is a Cultural Christian?

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Richard Dawkins is possibly the most famous Atheist in the world. He wrote a book titled “The God Delusion” and he often speaks in public. Recently in an interview, Dawkins identified himself as a Christian, specifically a “Cultural Christian.” Apparently, the discussion was about how the Muslim celebration of Ramadan replaced the Christian Easter, as a public celebration in a prominent place in London. Dawkins stated that their country, Britain, was “culturally Christian” and he identified himself as a “Cultural Christian.” It sounds strange for the most outspoken Atheist in the world, to identify himself as any kind of Christian, but that is what happened. There is a story here, with a lesson for us. Richard Dawkins is a graduate and also served as a professor at Oxford University. He has been a critic of Creationism, the idea that God created the universe, and he advocates for evolution, without God, in biology. It seems that he disagrees with religion and a belief in God, but he likes the culture that grew from a belief in …

thoughtful young woman

Sex? In the Bible? Where?

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So, I’m writing about sex, on the Easter weekend. Seriously, this is a topic that we all need to understand. With people that I know, probably the most destructive fire that we can light is our sexual behavior. I won’t tell the stories, but we all know someone who brought trouble into their life, through this door. About half a century ago, pharmaceutical drugs like antibiotics were developed, and tested. These medications could cure some incurable sexually transmitted diseases. Imagine living in a world where an infection like syphilis could destroy a life, including brain damage and mental illness. Apparently, the famous gangster Al Capone suffered from the severe effects of that disease and died in that state. I had a friend, when I was young, who was born blind. His eyes never could function because his mother had syphilis when he was born, and her disease infected and damaged his eyes, in the birth canal. This was as terrible to see as it sounds. About the same time that antibiotics were developed, medical science …

Young serious Caucasian man, studio portrait

Hey, Let’s Argue About Climate Change!

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So, do you want to argue? About anything? Me neither. I strongly recommend not arguing about climate change. If you argue against the “received orthodoxy” you will be labeled, and you won’t like the label. Apparently, somewhere in the world, this is a push to make “climate change denial” into a crime. Imagine facing a judge, and possibly going to prison because of your opinions. Brace yourself, some of us may actually experience that. Climate change is not the only topic to argue about these days. Here is an example of a scientific argument about climate change. Note; I’m not choosing sides, I just want to illustrate that we believe things, and we argue and disagree. It’s our human condition: If you want to know more, you could search for titles like “Climate: The Movie.” I don’t want to choose sides here, but there are different sides, and the debate is fierce. If you search, you can find controversy, arguments, and words like “heretic” in discussions about climate change. We can also find the same …

Gaza and Ukraine: Is this the beginning of the end?

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We know what Bible prophecy is; like the history of the future. If we wonder how close we are to the end, there are at least two important and maybe spooky things to watch for, 1) reverberations, and 2) possible impossibilities. 1) Reverberations: We might see a pattern in history, or in world events now. This pattern might fit something promised in the Bible, but it might not be the final event, at the end of our history. For example, we are promised an evil world leader, called the Antichrist “that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2: 3 and 4). Most people understand the concept of this evil world leader, but there is a promised reverberation, “Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this …

esus with the rich young ruler by Heinrich Hofmann

Jesus in Asia? What are the rumors?

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Did you know that there is a shrine to Jesus, in Japan? Also, did you know there is a belief in some religions, that Jesus did not die on the cross, but escaped, and traveled east to regions in Asia? A variation of this ‘he didn’t die’ model is common among Muslims. In the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam, there is a belief that Jesus was on the cross for about six hours, but He didn’t die. Instead, he was taken down from the cross, and hidden in a tomb, where Joseph of Arimathea, a Bible character, cared for him until he recovered. Once he regained his health, Jesus escaped to Kashmir in northern India, where he lived out his life. The tradition at the shrine in Japan is that Jesus, the crucifixion survivor, became a rice farmer, and had a family. Today, some people claim to be his descendants. Another religious tradition, popular with some Hindus in India, is the seventeen-year model. In the Bible stories about Jesus, there is not much information about his …

Young people holding speech bubbles with words JOB and CAREER indoors

A career? Are you serious?

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Do you know the names of generations in Western societies? I had to look this up: If the subject interests you, information is available: I don’t like the anger and resentment between generations, especially aimed at Boomers. It seems to me that the worst examples from each generation are identified, and then we decide, “They are all like that.” That kind of generalizing prejudice is not far from racism, when it blames people for their birth circumstances. We need each other, and we need more kindness. I am a boomer, and I recently had a conversation with a Millennial who has Generation Alpha children. It was a friendly conversation. What I noticed was the stress and worry. We talked about many things, but then we got to the subject of jobs and careers. I had my stories, and then he told me about his stress. He trained for a career, and his wife trained for hers. They both went to good schools, and they worked hard in their fields, and over time, both careers crashed. …

Group of university students

Racism at school? What is it and where is it?

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Do you know any children who are in a public school? Are you aware of any problems in the school system, where you live? Those are dangerous questions. Critical Race Theory, or other expressions of concern, are with us, whether we see them or not. The argument about modern racism is that there are two sides, and one side is privileged, and the other is the victims. Also, “race” is usually pictured as light European skin and darker African skin. So, we have “white privilege” and “black oppression.” This model is often taught to students, in public education, and parents can become concerned, even alarmed. It’s easy to imagine the arguments if we haven’t witnessed them. Here is an example: Should we be concerned? Is the fight against white-on-black racism, and privileged-versus-victim racism something we should include in the education of our children, in school? Let me pause for a disclaimer: I hate this topic, and probably you do too. I don’t feel privileged, my family was poor, in my childhood, and I was sent …

A woman with ash cross on her forehead as part of Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.

That Superbowl commercial: Let’s pray!

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A few days ago, I was in a supermarket, and it was busy. Where I live, we have people from many places, including immigrants, and country people who are new to our city. I saw the usual mix of humanity, all buying food. I’m used to my interesting neighbors, and I wasn’t surprised by the variety. What surprised me was two people, a young man and a woman, with something grey smeared on their foreheads. I tried not to stare, and they searched for their groceries as if nothing was unusual. I have done some research since, and if you don’t know, that day must have been Ash Wednesday, and that couple were probably practicing Roman Catholics. When they say “Ash” they really mean ashes, from something that burned, and they put those ashes on their foreheads, in the shape of a cross. My neighbors didn’t get the cross pattern, they mostly just daubed and rubbed, but I know what they meant. But I know now, since I have done some research. When I was …

Woodcut of Jesus casting out the Gerasene demons

Demons? Are we missing something?

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I am old enough to remember the movie “The Exorcist.” I was raised in a religious family, and topics like Demon possession were talked about, sometimes. I still remember my university friends, who were not religious in any way I knew, watching that movie, and they talked about it for weeks. I remember the shocked looks on some faces. People were really afraid. I never watched the movie, and I don’t like this topic; but I am sure that we should all be concerned. Now, talk about “spiritual” things is often found in the secular media. Remember Malaysia Flight 370? That plane disappeared mysteriously, somewhere, with everyone on board. Some people see a spiritual side to this strange event: What do we do with the spiritual side of life? What do we mean when we say that we are spiritual? Some experts are concerned: If you are interested, social experts sometimes study topics like Spiritism, Exorcism, and Demonology. There are many examples on the Internet: Probably every religion believes in spirits and demons: We all …

Aliens on country road. Spacecrafts in the starry sky

UFOs are in the Bible, really

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So, flying saucers and ET; are they in the Bible? No, I don’t think so. Is there any part of the Bible with a description of something that might fit the description of a UFO? Yes When I was a boy, my older brother went through a UFO phase. He read books and talked about strange encounters, and we talked about those strange things, all the time. Who was I to argue with my big brother? I read his books and listened to him. It was fun and interesting. And then, one Sunday, in church, the pastor told the congregation that those ideas were false and cult-like, and Christians should stay away from them. I stayed away. I didn’t need the heat if I got caught reading one of those books, but I stayed interested. Like most of us, I think there is probably something out there, and it is intriguing. Now that I’m older, I think my mother put the pastor up to that. She was probably getting alarmed about our hobby, and she …

Caves at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered

Why are the Dead Sea Scrolls important?

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The Dead Sea Scrolls? Just saying those words out loud could make some people yawn and change the subject. Anything with the word “Dead” in its name is not much of a conversation starter. In context, the Dead Sea is an extremely salty body of water, well below sea level, in a desert region in the Middle East. I visited Israel, as a tourist, and I saw some water through a bus window, and someone told us that was the Dead Sea. There is also a story about scrolls. Long ago, books were written on scrolls, and scroll books are still used for ceremonies in Jewish Synagogues. A book with pages, and binding, and a cover, is called a “codex” and that format is probably from early Christians in the Roman Empire. Codex books can be read by one person, while scrolls are more commonly read by a narrator, to an audience. So, scrolls are mostly very old. In the year 1946, some Arab shepherd boys found some scrolls in clay jars, in a cave, …

Silhouette of man on cliff with sun and sky in background.

Religion without God? It’s growing.

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Are you religious? Most people are, I think. Did you know there is a growing movement of churches that are unbelieving, or secular? We have a Unitarian church close to where we live, and they might fit this description, but their movement is old, and they have been around for more than a century. I think the best practice is to let the Unitarians and Universalists speak for themselves. Now, another movement is emerging. There is a new movement of church-like groups that meet on Sundays, with singing and lectures that resemble sermons. Services are meant to be inspiring celebrations. If you want to know more, some information is available: So, what should we do with this information? I am writing as a Christian, and these new religion-free churches make me stop and think. One of my questions is, how much of a church service about God, could be godless? How much of God do we actually have in our churches? How much is just a feel-good celebration? A friend of mine had another question. …

Tel Zafit, the remains of the Ancient Philistine city of Gath in Israel

Believe in the Bible? Why?

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Are you a believer? We should all ask ourselves what we really believe; what gives direction to our lives. One of the tragedies of modern times is the pressure to belong to one tribe or another, where we are told what we must believe and who we must be. Usually, we don’t have a choice, or at least, choosing is not easy. We should make choices, and we should accept responsibility for what we choose. We should look in a mirror, and see that person we decided to be. So, for you, is God: yes / no? Have you ever made an honest choice? Our families and friends can be on one side or the other, and often we can just follow the crowd, without making our own personal choice. It is a tragedy when we don’t own ourselves. In the Bible, we have instructions to be free and make our own personal decisions: “Choose this day whom you will serve whether the gods your fathers served … But as for me and my house, …

Woman with her hand on forhead with a questioning look

Are you Religious? Yes, you are!

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How religious are you? How religious am I? Probably more than we know. Someone said, “Man is incurably religious.” You might be able to track the source, a French philosopher, or Carl Jung, a psychiatrist. Religion has powerful influences in our world; more than we know. Ellen G. White was a very religious person. She was one of the founders of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and she had prophetic visions. At one time, she claimed that God sent her a vision, and told her that we should not eat anything with a face. Animals have faces and plants do not, so she was a leader and founder of the vegetarian movement. Did you know that the Vegan-Vegetarian movement has religious roots? Other religions, like Buddhism, also emphasize vegetarian diets. Two brothers followed the teachings of Ellen G. White, for healthy living, including diet. They believed that a bland vegetarian diet would reduce sin. I heard the story that one of the brothers led a research team in a kitchen-laboratory, and one product they looked …

Female IT specialist in an office. With male IT specialist holding a laptop

Employment? Career? How is that spiritual?

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I am writing this a few days before Christmas, and I am surprised by the lack of good cheer, from some people that I know. This season comes with extra bills, and for some, there are fears about employment and finances in the New Year. So, how are you doing? I hear the message many times every day, that Jesus is the reason for the season, and that message is very spiritual. It’s all about God. And now, what about us? Is our spiritual God involved in the practical economy? Can we do something besides worry? And why worry? What could possibly go wrong? We need jobs and finances to live, and there are people near me who aren’t making it. Homeless tent camps keep appearing in parks near us. I don’t want anyone close to me to go that way. But we do have several employment problems these days: AI (artificial intelligence): Can you believe that you might be replaced, or at least demoted, because of computer software? Changing technology could affect the job …

Chicxulub asteroid Impact Crater near Chicxulub Puerto

Chicxulub, Eltanin, and Apophis: Can we see the end of the world already?

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Have you heard about events in the Earth’s history like the “Chicxulub impact event” or the “Eltanin impact event”? Will Apophis strike the Earth in 2029 and end our civilization with another impact event? NASA scientists tell us that we will be safe, but we will see the object in the sky. Have you heard of the Wormwood prophecies? There is a growing interest in large rocks that have struck the Earth, and other large rocks that might strike the Earth, possibly in our lifetime. How large? Some objects are wider than a large city, and they travel through space faster than a speeding bullet; much faster. You know the expression, something is of ‘biblical proportions’? That’s what the world is beginning to talk about. Some objects in space have the power to change everything on the Earth if they collide with us. “Chicxulub Impact” might be a challenge to pronounce, but it is the name for a huge asteroid that collided with the Earth. The remains of the impact crater are close to southern …

woman in a field with arms upraised

Freedom? What if we lose it?

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There is an old saying, “Your freedom ends where my nose begins.” That clever saying, or something like it, is apparently a quote from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., in the United States. It is difficult to accurately name the source, but this is a popular idea. How much freedom can we have? What if we make someone else uncomfortable when we talk about our ideas? You may have heard about a political argument in Ireland, where the government apparently wants to limit the personal freedoms of citizens. I have to say “apparently” because I am not directly involved in the argument, and so I am not completely informed. In one speech, a Senator spoke about limiting personal freedom for the common good; restricting opinions that make some people feel “discomfort” or “insecure.” It’s an interesting argument, and even more interesting because the Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union. If ideas about restricting our personal freedom are spreading in Europe, they could become a worldwide concern. This could grow to affect …

Two women looking serious

Heresy? Where are the woke Christians?

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Are you woke? Do you have any friends who fit the description? There is a real concern, by some religious leaders, that “woke” ideas will come into churches. If that happens, imagine how religion will change. Christians are not the only people who are concerned about popular modern ideas. Other religions could also change if new ideas erode and replace beliefs that we have held for centuries. We could see some world-shaking changes, in our modern times. Brace yourself. So, what am I talking about? And who cares? Here is an example of a debate on the issue. Notice that people are emotional, and that emotion sounds like anger: One comment in the Reddit debate is: “The only circumstance I’ve heard the word ‘woke’ used seriously is when some conservative goober is blaming his bigotry on some nebulous group of ‘SJWs.’” That sounds forceful and angry. Also, being a woke Christian is defined as “modern socially influenced Christianity.” So, are Christians becoming modern socially influenced? Yes, some are, depending on how we count Christians. This …

Woman praying outside in a forest

Praying silently? How dare you!

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You may have heard of George Orwell’s famous book “1984.” In that fictional story, we read about criminal activity “thoughtcrime” and a police force called the “Thinkpol.” Most of the world has dismissed Orwell’s idea as science fiction, and not something we will ever see. People can’t be arrested and charged because of silent thoughts, in their heads. Or can they? There is a story from England, about a woman who stood near an abortion clinic and prayed, silently. Apparently, there are legal restrictions in England to keep public demonstrations away from abortion clinics. There is a zone, around each clinic, and demonstrations are forbidden within the zone. Whatever we think about abortions, we can understand a law that aims at protecting peace and safety in public places. Whether we agree or disagree, we can understand. The woman who prayed understood the rule. Apparently, she was quiet and polite, while she prayed silently, inside the zone. Some people who oppose abortions have a strategy; they stand near a clinic and pray silently. She was approached …

I told you so! The world is falling apart!

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People who say “I told you so!” are annoying, I know that, but just once: Yes, I told you so! If we follow the news, we all know that the troubles in Israel and Gaza are spreading around the world. Where I live, I’m not aware of public violence and angry demonstrations, but I think I just have to wait. The anger will spread to here, and it will travel to where you are, if it hasn’t arrived yet. I believe we are too secular, in our Western societies, and we don’t easily understand strong religious convictions. It is not easy for us to predict what will happen when people are honest about their beliefs. For example, believers can be offended by things that other people do not understand. That lack of understanding, or buy-in, can produce two judgments: The estimate is that as many as three hundred thousand people demonstrated in London, England. Probably most of the demonstrators, and the driving force behind the demonstration, are Arab Muslims. 300,000 participants make this demonstration one …

Modern Arguments: Have you been sued yet?

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We live in litigious times. By “litigious” I mean people take legal action and sometimes win huge financial rewards. A step-down from that is woke thinking, and criticism. Probably you have not been sued, and I haven’t either, but have you been criticized? Does someone think that your ideas are incorrect? I know some people who belong to a political party. Without naming the party, the policies are generally middle of the road, and not radical. Recently, my friends went to a local convention for their party, and when they arrived at the site, they saw a large crowd of demonstrators standing across the street, and waving protest signs. I can’t imagine what the controversy was, but even those friends of mine, with their cautious ideas, attract critics. If you take a position, even a moderate one, and declare it in a public place, someone will oppose you. Maybe your next meeting will attract a crowd of angry people, with signs. So, where do we find policies and ideas that might attract critics, and even …

All religions take us to the same place … Right?

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Have you ever heard of the idea that all religions are equal? They are all different roads leading us to the same place. That was a popular idea, and it still appeals to many people. You have probably seen bumper stickers on cars with the word “Coexist” written in religious symbols. The message is clear, all those religions need to stop their bickering, and learn to get along; to coexist. Where I live, coexisting already happens. For example, there is a well-known Jewish Rabbi who collects money for the Salvation Army, at Christmas. The Rabbi rings handbells and stands near a Christmas kettle, and members of his congregation go to his site, to leave generous amounts of money for a Christian denomination. Obviously, they don’t need a bumper sticker. Strangely, the “Coexist” image is related to a lack of coexisting. There are lawsuits over the ownership of the logo, with more than one party claiming copyright ownership. People can be ironic: So, are all religions taking us to the same place? Do all roads take …

Being Incorrect: Let’s argue about a Straw Man

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So, would you like to have an argument, and lose? Losing emotional arguments is an important part of our modern culture. Just say “racism” or “sexual … [anything]”; and don’t mention the Middle East, unless you are brave. And don’t mention religion, unless you want to criticize someone’s beliefs. Speaking in favor of religious beliefs will almost always earn you the label “right-wing” or possibly you might be called a “hater.” So, how do you like those labels, when they are applied to you? It’s always more fun to put offensive labels on other people. Once a person is labeled, and recognized as incorrect, there is no need for a discussion or argument. Incorrect people say incorrect things. We know that before they speak. Western cultural values are being dominated by straw-man arguments, also known as the “fallacy of relevance.“ It works like this; I erect a straw man, and then I burn it down, and I blame you. Welcome to the twenty-first century. In the argument, I’m not really talking about some idea that …

Protests: Are we making a difference?

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Have you ever been to a protest? I don’t think I ever have, but sometimes I agree with protesters. Whatever the issue is, there is usually someone to protest, and possibly someone to counter-protest; the other side. This seems to be how we get things done, in modern societies. In the sixties and seventies, people who looked like hippies protested against “the man.” I am old enough to remember those times. When I was in high school, a friend told me about a huge protest that was supposed to change everything, but it turned into a joke, with the help of one dog. It took place in a public park, across the street from the police station. The park is still there, but the police station has been moved. It’s now in a building that looks like a bunker, with no unguarded approaches. The old Police Station looked more like an office building. I think the protesters were mostly shouting about the Vietnam War; that’s how old I am. Part of their plan was to …

Israel, Gaza, Hamas: Are we missing anything?

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We all know that Israel and the militant organization Hamas, are fighting, and seem to be going to war. If this escalates, there is potential for terrible things, in the world. We could all feel the effects. We already feel the effects, if we follow the news. The media is treating this like something big, and putting it in the headlines. Before I give you my shallow analysis of events in the Middle East, I must give a disclaimer: I am not writing as a military analyst, and I am not writing as a political analyst. If I get into those areas, send me your opinions, and we can have an online coffee conversation. I am writing as a Christian, and I think there are some things we should know. Information is gold. Pretending to believe because I told you to, is modern culture. You know, we have an array of received orthodoxy, things we just have to believe because they are politically correct. I call it ‘just nod and say yes’ culture. I think …

Are you a religious None? The numbers are growing.

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So, are you a None? That’s not the same as a “Nun.” In opinion surveys, more and more people are declaring that they have no religious affiliation, which explains the word “None.” It was popular, a few years ago, to say “I’m not religious, I’m spiritual.” I don’t hear that much anymore. Now, people that I know just don’t have an affiliation … “None.” This seems to be a consistent trend, and we are going somewhere. So, where will we be in twenty or forty years? Will we believe anything? There is an old saying “God has no grandchildren” which means that God only has children. There is no second generation. Imagine what will happen in the third generation. Will our grandchildren believe anything? There are two ways that we can go with religion: 1) Something new 2) A religious revival 3) There is no “None” really. 1) The News: We all believe. When the “None” numbers grow, new religions start. A famous Science Fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard started a religion, different from most …

The new AI Bible. What are we reading?

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Have you heard about AI, or maybe the specific app “Chat GPT?” The rumor is that students are using this technology to write term papers for their professors. It’s an interesting idea, but I have no proof. Another idea is to make religions into something new, with less controversy, using AI to rewrite religious books. Holy scriptures could become politically correct alterations; for all major religions. I am writing as a Christian. So, could the Bible be altered by a computer program, to support some agenda? Yes. And before I continue, I have to tell you something: How do you know that I am writing this, and by “I” I mean an actual human being and not a computer program? We all need to know this, or we will soon. Is the news that we follow real news, or is it generated by a computer that belongs to some large corporation? How do you know that an article like this, is written by a real person? I know someone who made a career as a …

Stonehenge and Evolution: Primitive people?

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Oh, you are such a Neanderthal! What did I just say? People who use that insult are usually educated, and I didn’t mean that about you, I’m just talking. “Neanderthal” is the sophisticated name for Cave Man, and the insult means you are less evolved; you speak in grunts and hit things with a club. That was a common insult long ago. Probably don’t use it, now that you know what it means. Charles Darwin was a young man from a wealthy family, and his father sent him to Cambridge University, to get a career. He is described today, as a “Naturalist” but that was not a profession, at that time. Charles Darwin was trained and qualified to be a minister of the Church of England, what we might call a theologian. His life work was supposed to be talking about God, but he found a different way. Charles Darwin wrote and published his famous book “The Origin of the Species” and he gave us a universe without God. We can skip some details here, …