Monthly Archives: March 2011

[Updated] The early Christian lead codices from Jordan are now confirmed as forgeries

Posted on 31/03/2011 by

Daniel O. McClellan quotes an email letter by Peter Thonemann – who says the lead codices are forgeries and gives his reasons why: The only possible explanation is that the text on the bronze tablet was copied directly from the inscription in the museum … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology | Tagged , ,

Useful & searchable source of information about people & places in the Roman Catholic Church

Posted on 31/03/2011 by

Catholic-hierarchy.org profiles more than 30,000 bishops — the entire current hierarchy of the Church, with the exception of China.  But it also goes back in time (to the colonization era for the Americas, and the Reformation for Europe), with facts … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Churches

Theodore McCarrick on where religious discrimination mainly comes from in the West today

Posted on 31/03/2011 by

‘Today . . . religious discrimination originates less often from a sectarian religious bias, and more often from a radical secular perspective.’ ~ Cardinal Theodore McCarrick

Posted in Quote of the Day, Secularism

Doug Chaplin on Dr. Francesca Stavrakopoulou and the Garden of Eden

Posted on 31/03/2011 by

Doug Chaplin comments on the last of the ‘Bible’s Buried Secrets’ presented by Dr. Francesca Stavrakopoulou: As before she declines the opportunity to give much airtime to scholars who disagree with her.  Her preferred narrative is her scholarship versus the faith … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Biblical Studies, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

The cognitive dissonance inherent in fundamentalism

Posted on 31/03/2011 by

Darrell Dow explores the cognitive dissonance of many fundamentalists: Cognitive Dissonance  Cognitive Dissonance Redux

Posted in Fundamentalism

Virulently anti-Catholic vampire author Anne Rice mentally ill?

Posted on 31/03/2011 by

She now claims that the Roman Catholic Church is “one of the biggest criminal organizations in the world.”  Someone needs to give this poor woman the psychological help she needs. Related: Anne Rice groupies invade Catholic blogs, post hate speech … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors | Tagged , , , , ,

Photograph of the day: Bald eagle swoops and captures pheasant

Posted on 31/03/2011 by

The bald eagle — Haliaeetus leucocephalus in Latin — has a wingspan of up to 96 inches, can reach speeds of up to 45mph and can live up to 30 years.  Its diet normally consists of fish like trout or … Continue reading →

Posted in Visual Arts

The Rob Bell debate: Richard J. Mouw on the orthodoxy of Rob Bell

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

The Orthodoxy of Rob Bell More Thoughts about “Generous Orthodoxy” I find nothing in his Love Wins book that violates the standards of a broad Evangelical orthodoxy.  I say the same for John Stott’s argument in favor of the idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Theology | Tagged , , , , ,

Catholic Church has lack of exorcists to confront increase in Satanism and irrational occultism

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

Satanism Scholar Notes Priest Shortage, Calls for Greater Numbers to Be Trained in Dealing With Occult Ferrari thus called for an “in-depth formation of an adequate number of priests” in order to address the issues more effectively, reserving for exorcists … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Churches

Photograph of the day: How you don’t want to meet Jesus

Posted on 30/03/2011 by
Posted in Humour, Visual Arts

Quick, call Dr. Francesca Stavrakopoulou: God has a wife & now the Holy Spirit has a husband!

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

The Holy Spirit as Wife of Adonai in Mandaeism by Dr. James McGrath I’ve been spending some time this evening working on the Mandaean Book of John.  In looking up a passage in the important but puzzling text known as Haran … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Biblical Studies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Exorcism and Satanism in the news

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

How to become an exorcist Top 10 exorcist films Satanism through the ages Surge in Satanism ‘sparks demand for exorcists’ Rise in demand for exorcism recalls horror trend

Posted in Popular Culture, Society, Theology, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , ,

Pope Benedict XVI, manga hero

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

Pope Benedict XVI is the star of a new manga cartoon.

Posted in Christian Churches, Popular Culture, Society, Visual Arts | Tagged ,

Celebrity atheist Philip Pullman argues value of public learning while displaying public ignorance

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

Outspoken atheist Philip Pullman, in his latest fulmination against public library closures, gropes for a precedent from history and claims that some local authorities: “have hacked into theirs like the fanatical Bishop Theophilus in the year 391 laying waste to the Library of Alexandria … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Authors, History

Dr. Francesca Stavrakopoulou & ‘Bible’s Buried Secrets’: top scholar on ‘God’s wife’ Asherah

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

Evidence for Asherah by Judith M. Hadley Asherah has appeared paired with Yahweh in positive ways.  Furthermore, the early eighth century BCE prophets do not condemn Asherah worship.  The worship of Asherah was evidently acceptable before the Deuteronomistic reform movement gained momentum … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Biblical Studies, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Pic of the day: Lion attacks zebra — and regrets it after prey’s hoofs almost break lion’s jaw

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

Read the story and see more photographs of the epic battle here. More unusual wildlife pics: Nature at its most cruel: crocodile eats buffalo! Wildlife photograph of the day: pelican eats a pigeon!

Posted in Visual Arts | Tagged ,

Richard Dawkins & his cult following drive yet another atheist into the arms of Christianity

Posted on 30/03/2011 by

Former atheist turned Christian through Dawkins’ website continues strong faith in God It was his interest in evolution that led him to follow Richard Dawkins.  Upon finding the author’s actual website, Morgan was excited to communicate with scientists and philosophers … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism

Two articles about the “New Atheism: A Disaster Comparable to the Tea Party”

Posted on 29/03/2011 by

New Atheism: A Disaster Comparable to the Tea Party by Michael Ruse followed by: New Atheism = The Tea Party: Reflections on Professors Ruse and Barash by Jacques Berlinerblau

Posted in Atheism

Quote of the day: Jacques Berlinerblau on “the predictable snark of New Atheist trolls”

Posted on 29/03/2011 by

‘. . . the predictable snark of New Atheist trolls.  For those not familiar with their world-view, let me help you understand their central and timeless insight: Unless you as an atheist are willing to disparage all religious people, describe … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Quote of the Day

Jordanian ‘early Christian’ lead codices: more important than the Dead Sea Scrolls or a forgery?

Posted on 29/03/2011 by

The best pictures currently available on the internet can be viewed at the BBC website photographs of the lead codices. New Testament scholar Larry Hurtado says be cautious: The writing is reported as some kind of Hebrew but coded.  Until the items are … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology | Tagged , , , ,

British government reins in controversial secularist ‘Equality and Human Rights Commission’

Posted on 29/03/2011 by

Parliament will debate equality quango powers Plans to strip powers away from the troubled equality commission, caught out by a number of recent anti-Christian gaffes, are set to be debated by Parliament. Theresa May, Home Secretary and also the equalities … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, World Events, Secularism

University of Toronto expert ridicules mathematicians’ claim that religions will become extinct

Posted on 28/03/2011 by

Religion is going extinct!  Save yourselves! This happens all the time: newspapers, magazines, and even scholarly work that claim the disappearance of religion is in our future.  Freud hoped that with the rise of science religion would fall to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Sciences, Secularism

Sociologist demolishes mathematicians’ paper claiming the extinction of religious belief

Posted on 28/03/2011 by

A physicist and two mathematicians claim to have shown that religion will be driven to extinction in nine of the 85 regions around the globe for which they have data.  Despite being given much credence and promotion by the BBC in a secularist attempt to influence … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Sciences, Secularism

Quote of the day: Francis Phillips on Christopher Hitchens’ grotesque distortion of Christianity

Posted on 28/03/2011 by

‘In Hitchens’s case, it is not a question of Christianity having been tried and found wanting: it has simply never been tried – or understood.  In an interview with Mick Brown in yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph magazine he says he has never … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Quote of the Day

Oxford University professor of mathematics points out logical incoherence of Dawkins’ atheism

Posted on 28/03/2011 by

Oxford Professor of Mathematics points out logical incoherence of Dawkins’ atheism The Irish Times reports: Science and religion are not incompatible, but should be seen as complementary fields, a gathering in Dublin heard this weekend.  John Lennox, professor of mathematics at … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Sciences