All posts filed under: z88

Can You Trust the Bible?

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Scholars of the Bible are usually divided into two camps, liberals and conservatives. In the most extreme situations, these two groups despise each other. Conservative scholars generally believe that the Bible is historically accurate, and Liberals generally believe it is not. Years ago I had an English professor at a university who identified himself as a church-going Christian. When I spoke to him in his office I mentioned that my family also went to church, and he politely asked me what church we attended. When I told him, his tone changed to a sneer, and he said “Oh, so you’re a literalist.” Apparently I was a fool who believed what the Bible said. It felt like I was the target of a racial slur. That was my introduction to the mean streets of biblical historical criticism.

Study shows even casual marijuana use affects the brain

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“The interaction of marijuana with brain development could be a significant problem.” Dr Han Breiter, Professor of Psychiatry and co-study author A team of researchers has warned that even casual marijuana use can damage the brain. Previous studies have shown that significant marijuana usage by teens can have a profound impact on the person’s brain even leading to serious mental illnesses such as  schizophrenia. Now researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Harvard University have found even casual marijuana usage by teens, as little as once a week, can affect their brain. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Is New York City discriminating against Christians?

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While recent revelations suggest communist China may be marginally easing its persecution of Christians, New York City seems to be heading in the opposite direction. A court has ruled that New York City can legally discriminate against Christians. The case involved the New York City Board of Education’s (NYCBE) refusal to rent schools to Christian groups for worship services over the weekend, simply because they are Christian. Meanwhile, it allowed others to rent the same property.

Is China’s ‘underground church’ making Jesus more popular than Mao on Twitter?

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Well it is not exactly Twitter, it’s Weibo which is the Chinese-sanctioned version of Twitter. According to an analysis of activity on Weibo, by Tea Leaf Nation, Jesus is tweeted more times than Mao Zedong the founder of Chinese communism and famous for his “Little Red Book” of quotes, ready-made for Weibo. It appears Chinese censors (estimated at 100,000) are now allowing more religious tweets on Weibo. In the past, censors deleted religious tweets.

The man who inspired ‘God’s not dead’ movie

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When Ming Wang immigrated to the U.S. from communist China in 1982, he had no idea 32 years later his story would help spark a popular Christian movie — God’s Not Dead. He landed in the U.S. with a Chinese English dictionary in one hand and $50 in the other. He was an atheist and an off spring of Mao Zedong’s cultural revolution. After being accepted into Harvard Medical School, Wang went on to become a cataract surgeon and now runs his own clinic in Nashville, Tenn. While at Harvard, Wang befriended a Christian professor who shared his faith with Wang.

Paralyzed woman reportedly healed during a church service in Pompeii, Italy

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In April 2003, Michelina Comegna, 74, was partially paralyzed after going through treatment for breast cancer. During surgery to remove a lump in her breast, she had an aneurism which left her paralyzed. She went on to have a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment. On March 23, 2014, during a service at a Catholic church in modern Pompeii, Italy, Comegna was reportedly healed. In an interview with a local newspaper, Gazzetta del Sud Online, Comegna told what happened:

Paga: The intercessor claims territory for God

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This article is part of a series I am doing on the Hebrew word ‘paga’ translated intercession in the Old Testament. The word has a broad range of meanings that offer unique perspectives on intercession. In my earlier article, I discussed how the word was used to describe the spiritual warfare associated with intercession. Another one of the unusual ways ‘paga’ is used in the Old Testament is in staking out and claiming territory. After Israel entered the Promised Land, God gave each tribe an inheritance of land. In Joshua 16:5-7, we have a record of the territory given the tribe of Ephraim described as “the border of their inheritance.” “It went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, then reached (paga) Jericho and came out at the Jordan.” (v 7 NASV) The word ‘paga’ is used in this passage to mark the territory or boundaries of each tribe’s inheritance. In almost every instance “paga’ described the outward border (see also Joshua 17:10, 19:11, 22, 26-27 etc). Paga is translated in this context as …

Circumcision, a vaccine?

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Researchers from Australia and America say circumcision should be offered to parents in much the same way as a vaccination because of significant health benefits associated with the procedure. They said the benefits outweigh any negative effects by 100 to one. The study stated that nearly half of uncircumcised men will endure physical ailments directly related to not having their foreskin removed. This includes urinary tract infection — which can potentially damage the kidneys. Previous research showed nearly 30% of uncircumcised men will suffer from such an infection.

Historians claim to have found the ‘Holy Grail’

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Two Spanish historians — Margarita Torres and Jose Ortegel del Rio — believe they have found the ‘Holy Grail.’ The ‘Holy Grail’ refers to the cup Jesus and the disciples drank from at the Last supper 2,000 years ago (Matthew 26:26-30). It has been the subject of legends for centuries. Some like Nazi leader Adolf Hitler believed anyone who possessed the grail would receive supernatural powers. It is reported that Heinrich Himmler, the Nazi S.S. leader, actually visited the Montserrat Abbey in Spain in search of the grail. The two Spanish researchers believe the ‘Holy Grail’ is in an obscure church museum located in the San Isidore Basilica in Leon, Spain. The chalice first showed up at the church in the 11th century.

The Kremlin’s Crimea Headache: Poisoned Success

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Ukrainians, almost 50 million of them, are angry. They are refusing to buy Russian goods and services, and they are one of Russia’s best customers. A popular smart phone app “Boycott the Occupiers” identifies Russian bar codes in supermarkets, before purchasing. Russian imports have declined 40 percent in a few days. The world knows the news that Russia recently sent its army into Crimea, a region in the neighboring country of Ukraine. Now Crimea belongs to Russia but the angry Ukrainians supply most water, electricity, natural gas, and road and rail access to Crimea.  Since the occupation the Russian government has announced a special economic zone for Crimea, to attract investment. Vladimir Putin and his government want long-term success.