Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit Another critic I found on the web saw double standards in Wills’ book — a desire within Wills to dispense with ritual even as he promoted it. However, the critic’s examples of this which I read demonstrated a double standard only if the “Church” is equated to the current ritual-bound,…
Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit Why compelling? So why is the book so riveting? There are several reasons I found it so. Firstly, it’s always fascinating to read the thoughts of the religiously devout — who can also see the terrible attrition of belief due to the lure of secular power. I have to admire…
A fascinating, eye-opening review of biblical & ancient textual exegesis concerning current papal “hot button” issues.
Understanding ourselves For completeness, let’s look at a dictionary definition for spirituality as well. Doing so helped clarify religiosity; let’s see if it helps here too: Spirituality: concern with things of the spirit, which is defined as: a fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one’s character; any incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible (or…
Two modern-day examples of the secularity of organized religion: President Bush recently asked the Pope (the leader of another nation) to put pressure on Catholic bishops in the United States to support Bush’s presidential campaign by speaking out against same-sex marriage and encouraging a Constitutional amendment on marriage. Will Bush be asking the leaders of…
(Originally posted October 2004) First a few quick notes I’m very happy about. This is my One Year Anniversary Firestarter article — yay! I’m very excited about that. Also, October is my birthday month, which is another reason I’m happy, as I really enjoy celebrating birthdays and holidays — wish me a wonderful upcoming year,…
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1) Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, Book 2) Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, Book 3) I’ve always had a fondness, even well before it was popular, for the genre of urban fantasy. I adored the The Chronicles of Narnia stories as a child, but I still daydreamed with excited bemusement of what…
or “Is the premise of The DaVinci Code really true?” Summation I speculate Jesus’ marital state matters only because some people pursue a sort of Platonic, unshakeable “Truth-with-a-capital-T” that can be invariably and absolutely depended on. People want stability and order in their lives, and having a deity that’s straightforward, un-mysterious, unchallenging, completely external, and…
or “Is the premise of The DaVinci Code really true?” There is one other influence on the New Testament which we should keep in mind. As happens with all myths and legends, the stories are refined and retold repeatedly. This will often cause unwanted details to be dropped (as we’ve already seen), and extra details…
or “Is the premise of The DaVinci Code really true?” The New Testament (revised version) We’ve already covered Peter’s blatant hostility to Mary Magdalene in the Gospel of Thomas. His lack of status compared to Mary Magdalene is indirectly referred to in the bible as well. For example, Mary’s fidelity to Jesus is indisputable —…