Bible reading

I glanced across the aisle at church today and watched a three year old in her mom's lap. She almost made it to one of our Christmas cards some years ago when she was in the womb. She would have been a fabulous subject, but a different painting of Bob's won out. She had a pew Bible on her legs and was quietly studying the pages, intently moving her little fingers across the page, nodding her head and moving her lips. Perhaps she didn't know the words but in a family of 11 she's got those values down pat, like sharing, forgiving, mercy, justice, helping, caring, loving, trusting and looking to the future.

The Bishop and the President

 About a year ago I signed up for a database of abstracts/pdf of articles on Ben Sira/Sirach of the deuterocanonical books of the Bible. It's called Academia.com. My own publications are also in there, but usually the only ones I see for which they notify me are on agricultural credit from the 1970s, and not the ones on library topics from the 1990s. And occasionally, the database is really fishing, like "The name "N. Bruce" is mentioned in "Enzyme-Based Electrochemical Biosensors for Microfluidic Platforms to Detect Pharmaceutical Residues in Wastewater" uploaded to Academia. Not only I didn't write it, can't even read it!

But with the Bible search on Ben Sira, if I see something that looks interesting and click on that title, then my own search gets expanded. So today, I receive a notice that "138,701 papers on Academia discuss "History Of The Bible/Biblical Canon." I also noticed a chart that showed the topic of Bible textual studies had soared in the last 5 years. Must have been the Covid effect--lots of grad students sitting at home with nothing to do but read, research and write. The title that arrived in my mailbox was from The Textual History of the Bible, vol.1B and discusses disagreements among Christians about the deuterocanonical books (7 books in the O.T. not in the Protestant canon but in the other canons).

Volume 1B provides detailed entries on the different primary translations (Greek, Aramaic, Syriac, Latin) and uniquely the secondary translations as well (Latin, Coptic, Ethiopic, Syriac, Armenian, Georgian, Christian Palestinian Aramaic, Old Slavonic, and Arabic) most of which were sourced from the Greek. No wonder we have over 35,000 different Protestant denominations--they all say their version of the Bible is right, and thus we get the dust up between the Bishop and the President about her sermon. She has a pulpit, and he has Truth Social.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-blasts-bishop-who-gave-sermon-at-inaugural-prayer-service/ar-AA1xDA7D?

30 days to think about pride

Pride is considered one of the seven deadly sins because

It glorifies oneself and not God
It is selfish
It rages against all wise counsel
It is not submissive to authority
It is judgmental
It leads to discrimination

For sure!

"In the Bible, the first sin committed by human beings, often referred to as the original sin, was rooted in pride. Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden came from their desire to be like God, to have the knowledge of good and evil, and to assert their independence from Him."

So, it may be good to have 30 days devoted to remembering the failures and unhappiness caused by pride. Especially that part about wanting to be like God.

What does the Bible say about soldiers? An old blog entry for Memorial Day Week-end

I came across an item about soldiers and wars in my blog entry of June 1, 2008.  I didn't follow through on my question about how have soldiers influenced the spread of the Gospel.  But it's still worth looking at.

"This week our congregation has been reading the book of Acts, and I noticed a number of references to soldiers and centurions. I'm not much of a Bible scholar, but I did wonder about what studies have been done on their influence in spreading the Gospel during the first century of the church. Then yesterday, while looking for a different book (and knocking some items on the floor because I sometimes stack books behind books if they don't have attractive covers), I found an International Sunday School Lesson book from 1944 which I think I bought at a yard sale for a quarter about 10 years ago. If you can find them, these books are packed with study outlines, bibliographies, lesson plans, illustrations and color maps. No wimp-out, touchy-feely, "let's get acquainted" questions in this book!

In the introduction the editor writes:"Inasmuch as we are in the midst of the world's most gigantic military conflict, and the minds of people are so much upon war, some of our readers might be interested in taking up a series of studies in young people's meetings, or in prayer meetings, or in private classes in homes, apart from the International Sunday School Lessons, in Biblical themes that have more or less relation to the subject of war. We here suggest two such series, one a study of the centurions and soldiers of the New Testament [the other was OT battles]. They will be found in eighteen different groups, nine in the Gospels, and nine in the Book of Acts. A fascinating book could be written just about the soldiers of the New Testament.

1. The centurion whose servant Jesus healed of the palsy (Matt. 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)
2. The soldiers of the governor who mocked and smote Jesus--between his trial and crucifixion (Mat. 27:27-32; Mark 15:16-23; John 19:2)
3. The soldiers who mocked Jesus at the cross (Luke 23:36,37)
4. The soldiers who parted Christ's raiment at the foot of the cross (John 19:23,24)
5. The soldiers who broke the legs of the 2 criminals crucified on either side of Christ (John 19:32)
6. The soldier who thrust a spear into the side of Christ (John 19:34)
7. The centurion at the cross who confessed that Jesus was the Son of God (Matt.27:54; Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47)
8. The centurion who reported to Pilate that Jesus was dead (Mark 15:44,45)
9. The soldiers who were set to guard the tomb wherein the body of Jesus lay (Matt. 27:65, 66; 28:11-15)
10. Cornelius, centurion of the Italian band, to whom Peter preached (Acts 10)
11. The "devout soldier" who was sent by Cornelius to bring Peter (Acts 10:7,8)
12. The 4 quarternions of soldiers to whom Peter was delivered for safekeeping, and between two of whom Peter was sleeping (Acts 12:4-18)
13. The soldiers and centurions whom the chief captain used to deliver Paul from the mob in Jerusalem (Acts 21:32-35)
14. The centurion to whom Paul declared he was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25,26)
15. The centurion to whom Paul asked permission to see his sister's son (Acts 23:17)
16. The soldiers who accompanied Paul to Caesarea (Acts 23:23-35)
17. Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band, to whom Paul was committed when he was sent to Rome (Acts 27:1,6,11,31,43; 28:16)
18. The soldiers who were on the ship on which Paul was carried to Rome (Acts 27:31, 32, 42)"

Only the introduction of the 1944 book mentions the war that was on everyone's mind, an introduction which included five annotated bibliographies containing about 80 titles, many multi-volume, for the teacher to consult! Many people never read an introduction, preface or footnote (librarians love the secondary and tertiary stuff), so I suspect this was a concession to some heated arguments in the back room when deciding what was to go into this book.

The editors appeared to have no doubts about who would be the victor, although I don't think my mother, aunts and grandmothers, with ear to the radio and eye on the headlines, waiting for the mailman (my own father plus numerous uncles and cousins were in the service) were quite so confident.

They wrote:  "When the war is over, evangelical Christianity will enter upon the greatest struggle it has known since the days of Constantine in the defense of its great cardinal truths. All of this great and important and sober work will not be done by ministers or theological professors, but much of it by the thousands and thousands of faithful Sunday school teachers throughout our land. Let us prayerfully, carefully, with all the mind and heart we have, prepare ourselves now for this great struggle in the expectation of glorious victory in the ultimate triumph of the truth of God."

Certainly a word for the 21st century. And even they couldn't have imagined it would be our home-grown, gold plated idols (celebrities), our wealth (mind numbing consumerism), our gendered temples (desecration of God's plan for man and woman), our university faculties and our own elected leaders we'd need to fear. Or did they?" (End of June 1, 2008 blog entry.)

Who wrote Ephesians?

Recently I heard a Bible teaching on Ephesians. When speaking of who is the author of the letter to the Ephesians, she suggested that Paul wasn't the actual author, that instead it may have been a disciple or someone closely working with him, and then she went on. . . without mentioning the option that it is not "settled" science and there are just as many arguments and scholars for Pauline authorship. When I got home I looked at what books I might have to explain that. Unfortunately, although I knew that line of thinking comes from "higher criticism," I no longer have any of those volumes. Here's what I do have, and also my own conclusions.

I have an IVP New Bible Commentary; Revised by Guthrie. He explains the higher criticism view of Ephesians, but completely debunks it point by point (p. 1106)

I have an NIV Archeological Bible, and its article "The Authorship of Ephesians" under subsection "The Reliability of the Bible," points out "some scholars" question Paul's authorship and then supports Paul's authorship with 8 bullet points with citations.

I have an NRSV Catholic edition which confirms that speaker, "It is unlikely that the Letter to the Ephesians was actually written by Paul. It is generally thought to be pseudonymous written after his death. The vocabulary, style and general content of the Letter do not resonate with the same expression and viewpoint articulated in the seven unquestionably Pauline letters." In other words, what most seminaries are teaching their new pastors and church workers. That's from the "Introduction to the Books of the Bible" ( p. lxxi), and it's difficult to say if the same wording is in the Protestant editions (this one contains the Deuterocanonical books removed in the 16th c.) It also provides the higher criticism view of 3 Isaiahs, and casts doubt on the authorship of other NT epistles.

So then I turned to my most scholarly title, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed. 1910 which I inherited from my grandfather Weybright. It really laid out in detail the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries research primarily by German Protestants beginning with the OT and working through most of the NT, until the rationalist, anti-supernatural, post-Christian theories had infected all the seminaries, and because of the date, did not include the rise of the fundamentalists and the major splits in Protestantism. Yet it would not fly the white flag and roundly defended Paul's authorship. Perhaps the most clever and witty paragraph was: "The view which denies the Pauline authorship of Ephesians has to suppose the existence of a great literary artist and profound theologian, able to write an epistle worthy of Paul at his best, who, without betraying any recognizable motive, presented to the world in the name of Paul an imitation of Colossians, incredibly laborious and yet superior to the original in literary workmanship and power of thought, and bearing every appearance of earnest sincerity. It must further be supposed that the name and the very existence of this genius were totally forgotten in Christian circles fifty years after he wrote. The balance of evidence seems to lie on the side of the genuineness of the Epistle.

From my point of view, I looked through some of the homilies of the early church fathers. They were much closer to the "real" author than German scholars who weren't even Christians. They did not doubt the authorship of Paul.

Abortion amendment to the Ohio Constitution should have been on every church's sermon list.

The Bible has several verses that mention the fruit of the womb. It's shocking the number of churches/pastors/Sunday schools that couldn't find a single Sunday or sermon to address "fruit of the womb" as a theme, topic, or even a footnote. Here are a few:

Sarah (Genesis 21:1): Sarah had a child when she was past the age; this means that she is post-menopause but our God can bypass menopause and do the impossible

Hannah (1 Samuel 1:20): Hannah also waited on the Lord before Samuel was born. She cried to the Lord year after year in Shiloh.

Racheal (Genesis 30:22): Racheal was loved by her husband Jacob, but she was barren. Her sister, Leah, who is also married to her husband, had children freely.

Elizabeth (Luke 1:36): Elizabeth and her husband were devout and blameless before God but they were barren. Elizabeth was now old but they continued in their devotion and duty to God.

Psalms 127:3-5: "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward".

Psalm 127:3: "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward".

Luke 1:42: "And she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”.

Exodus 1:7: "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them".

Deuteronomy 7:13A, 144.
These verses highlight the importance and blessing of children, often referred to as the “fruit of the womb”. They also emphasize the power of God to bless individuals with children, even in circumstances that seem impossible.

This list was created by Bing Chat--and it didn't even go to seminary!

And then there's that cute little story in the Gospel of Luke about a young girl whose body gave us Jesus.  But never mind.

Nap study mentioned by John Ed Mathison, Got a Minute

 Association of napping with incident cardiovascular events in a prospective cohort study - PubMed (nih.gov)

This study was mentioned in John Ed Mathison's "Got a Minute," 325 daily meditations. He's a retired Methodist pastor who was at Lakeside in 2021, and I attended his morning sermons. I bought this little book and have been using it for the opening meditations at the Lakeside Women's Club which meets at 1:30 on Tuesday.  I try to pick something that's appropriate for the day's program.  Any program about Lakeside would good for a study on napping.  I see a lot of it-- on the hotel porch, on park benches, on towels in the sun and I have a nap almost every day.  

John Ed says on p. 326, "a brief nap is healthy in releasing stress.  The Bible teaches about stress, anxiety, and good health.  I challenge you to put a 5 minute nap together with a reflection on what the Bible teaches.  It might be off the chart how much healthier you could be!"

John Ed usually doesn't give complete citations--after all, these meditations are on phone apps or radio announcements, and I like to think they are reaching people that churches don't, or someone who maybe has a church family but needs a little boost.  That's what librarians are for--we are finders so you can be keepers. That's why I give you the link to the research. And a copy of a painting I did years ago of a napper on the porch of Hotel Lakeside.

The Museum of the Bible--a treasury of information and history

Today I've been listening to podcasts from The Museum of the Bible. https://www.museumofthebible.org/museum-of-the-bible-podcast   Great programs and panels. If you thought diversity and inclusion weren't possible, you need this channel. This is true diversity--of ideas, of history, of stories. Today I've listened to programs on the Mayflower Compact, the origins of the Armenian Bible and Christianity in the 400s, and the Jews in England in the 1100s. Fabulous stuff. Others I'll check out later are at least four presentations on the Haggadah, the Bible and the Qur'an, Shroud of Turin, and the Bible and War.

 Also, how do you teach middle school students about American history? USE PRIMARY SOURCES. Let them speak for themselves if you want to smash the lies of the 1619 project. Let President Lincoln remind you what he believed about slavery, and not "woke" ideologs from the NYT. A real treasure.

From the website: "On November 18, [2021] the museum will host a panel discussion on the 1620 Mayflower Compact — the shortest American political document of enduring significance. With these few words, however, the Pilgrims sowed the seeds of liberty and self-government that made their small New England settlement a cradle of American democracy. This event will explore the idea that these seventeenth-century Pilgrims were the true forerunners of America’s Founders and examine the Compact as a blueprint used to frame this nation's founding principles as embedded in the US Constitution."

"On October 21, 2021: Does the importance of the Bible extend beyond Jewish and Christian traditions? How has the Bible played a role in the origins and development of Islam? Join Museum of the Bible for a discussion about the relationship between the Bible and the Qur’an. Hear from Dr. Gabriel Reynolds – author of The Qur’an and the Bible and Allah: God in the Qur’an – on how the Qur’an is part of the larger story of the Bible’s impact on the world. The evening will include a panel of engaging respondents and an audience Q & A. This is both an in-person and virtual event."

Down the rabbit hole with grandma's Bible

I wanted to check a different translation today for the sermon, so I tried to find my old KJV from 1946, which I received for Christmas that year as a first grader in Forreston, IL. Instead, I pulled out my grandmother's Bible, dated 1901, which was the year of her marriage. Big mistake to read the preface on how this Bible came to be (too long to explain but there was definitely a big battle between the British committee and the American committee in 1885). Then I opened it to the passage I was looking for in John and found a 4-leaf clover pressed at the beginning of the New Testament (another preface with additional information I stopped to read), a purple ribbon to mark the place (which practically crumbled when I tried to straighten it. Then I found an old newspaper clipping from 1934, probably the Gospel Messenger of the Church of the Brethren (I only know this because one of my articles published when I was working was about my grandparents' library and all the journals/magazines they had, and I learned how to read the clues.)

The clipping was a poem "Teach me to live" which begins "Teach me to live! 'tis easier far to die--/Gently and silently to pass away--" and ends with "Teach me to live, and find my life in Thee/ Looking from earth and earthly things away:" On the verso in perfect alignment was the death notices from November 1932 to January 1934 of Brethren probably sent by their home church, and a list of offerings from North Dakota (there may have been all states, but that's what fit on the clipping).

There was no author for the poem, so I went to the internet, and found it, in several versions, often used with funeral notices. I found one reference from 1865, but it still didn't give the author, although I stopped to read the article (a Bible study). Then I found a sad story about a young Jamaican man who died in 1916, with separate notices by both his wife and his parents. The wife continued to post this memorial poem for another 10 years after his death. The editor, who was apparently researching the archives, speculated that the wife and the parents didn't get along and so published separate notices and thank yous to friends of the family and deceased.

I checked "Find a Grave" for a few of the names on the list, but even those names I found which matched the state, didn't have the right year. Oh, and the Jamaican newspaper had a Facebook page, and I noticed FB reminded me it is my niece Jenny's birthday, so I had to look through her page.

This is why it takes so long to do a short Bible study about Nicodemus.

Looking for a king?

The elders of Israel came to Samuel and asked for a king, which didn't make him too happy, but he prayed about it and the Lord said, "Grant them their request." So here's was Samuel told them they would get:

He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot.

He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers.

He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.

He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers.

He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials.

He will tithe your crops and your vineyards and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves.

He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and your asses, and use them to do his work.

He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.  When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have CHOSEN, but on that day the Lord will not answer you.

The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel's warning. . . 

Sounds like the Democrats doesn't it?

I Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22

September 30 is the feast day of St. Jerome, patron saint of librarians and libraries as well as archivists, translators and encyclopedists. It is celebrated in the Catholic Church for this canonized saint and Doctor of the Church and as a day of commemoration in Lutheran churches. I was aware of this since I was a librarian, but it was not until 2009 and we were on a tour of the Holy Land that I visited his cave where it is said he translated holy scripture into the language of the people, which was then Latin. It took him 30 years. According to St. Augustine, St. Jerome had a remarkable knowledge not only of Latin and Greek, but also of Hebrew and Chaldaic, and had read almost every author. He translated the Old Testament from the Hebrew, and, at the command of Pope Damasus, the New Testament from the Greek. Besides this, he translated into Latin the writings of many learned men, and enriched Christian learning from his own pen.

 
He wrote many letters over 50 years which document the history of religious controversies and squabbles among Christians about scripture (imagine that!) and also his own sarcastic and sharp temperament.

 
And today we think we've accomplished something if we send a text or hit send on a blog or Facebook post. Even librarians, who should know better.

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints/jerome-625

Aliens or angels?

I haven't paid a lot of attention, but there's been some buzz on the news lately about space aliens/extraterrestrial beings visiting earth--that the government is investigating? A quick search shows a January release, but I've heard something more recent, or maybe reporters and producers are catching up on the TBR pile now that they don't have Trump to kick around and consume their every thought.

"Based on the CIA’s recent release, on January 14, 2021, of nearly 3,000 pages of documents that detail a wealth of fascinating data about UFO behavior and capabilities , it seems they know a lot and have known a lot about this topic for quite some time. These freshly declassified US government UFO info documents (published in their entirety on The Black Vault ) reveal the truth about harrowing and awe-inspiring encounters between reliable witnesses and “unidentified aerial phenomena” of unknown origin that have been occurring since the 1950s."

The Bible is full of references to beings which God created that are higher, wiser, more intelligent and flexible in appearance than human beings. Depending on the interpretation of certain words, there are at least 7 levels higher than us. And they are not chubby little cuties and we don't become angels when we die, because "they aren't us." Just two mentions, then you can search.

Ps 34:7 "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them." 

Good to know!

Heb. 1:14 "Are not all angels spirits in the divine service sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?"

Based on what's going on in the swamp with the CIA and FBI, and the self appointed, unelected rulers in Big Tech, perhaps we're just having more appearances of angels looking out for us than usual.

CIA Document Dump Reveals 70 Years Of US Government UFO Info | Ancient Origins (ancient-origins.net)

Revolutions and the Bible - Os Guinness

At the 2020 Wilberforce Week-end (named for William Wilberforce, famous abolitionist) sponsored by the Colson Center), Os Guinness discusses the deep divisions in modern America. The roots go back to the 5 revolutions of the modern era--England (1642), United States (1776), France (1789), Russia (1917) and China (1949). The first two were Biblical (Exodus), and the last three were anti-Biblical. The French Revolution was based in atheism and was extremely anti-church. Today our current "revolutionaries" follow the French model. Utopian. The American Revolution is based on the idea that mankind is sinful. Utopianism is/was disastrous. It is always filled with violence and force. Our revolution comes from the idea of Covenant, a Hebrew idea. The Constitution is freely chosen consent, a morally binding pledge. It's reciprocal. Therefore it includes the idea of freedom, truth and love. Today's revolutionaries must use the idea of victimhood--wrong answered by revenge--so the feud continues. The Biblical way includes repentance and forgiveness, freedom from the past and therefore freedom in the future. Guinness is a European, an immigrant. If America turns from true freedom, he says, it will be a disaster for the world.

https://youtu.be/Ws2U2DXREDQ

Evangelicals increasingly follow the mainline churches and the world

“The irony of the reshaping of the spiritual landscape in America is that it represents a post-Christian reformation driven by people seeking to retain a Christian identity,” noted Dr. George Barna, Director of Research at the Cultural Research Center. “Unfortunately, the theology of this reformation is being driven by American culture rather than biblical truth."

Among those associated with evangelical churches.:

--44% claim the Bible is ambiguous in its teaching about abortion

--34% argue that abortion is morally acceptable if it spares the mother from financial or emotional discomfort or hardship

--34% reject the idea of legitimate marriage as one man and one woman

--40% accept lying as morally acceptable if it advances personal interests or protect one’s reputation

--39% identify the people they respect as being only those who have the same beliefs as their own

And it's even higher in charismatic and Pentecostal churches.

 https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CRC_AWVI2020_Release11_Digital_04_20201006.pdf  American Worldview Inventory 2020

When St. Matthew wrote about Donald Trump

For those virtue signaling, self-righteous, perfect Christians who believe President Trump is a fake Christian based on your judgements of his past life,  Jesus talked about you 2000+ years ago in a parable.

Matthew 21:28-32.

He's talking to the chief priests and elders of that time. The pastors, synod bishops, church board members, professors at elite colleges with "studies" programs, Christian counselors, workshop leaders, non-profit CEOs, the writers and editors of slick Christian journals, hymn writers, Sunday school teachers of note and faithful, tithing pew sitters in today's world.

Jesus said, "A man had 2 sons. He came to the first and said, "Son, go out and work in the vineyard today." That son said, "I will not," but later changed his mind and went.

The man went to his other son and gave the same order, and that one said, "Yes, sir," but he didn't go.

Which son did his father's will? Trapped, the wise ones said, "Of course, the first son."

And here Jesus really lays down the hammer. "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes, real estate developers and entertainers, are entering the Kingdom of God before you self-righteous hypocrites . (I've paraphrased a bit)

There was no one better than Matthew to tell this story because he too was a bad person, a hated, corrupt tax collector, yet Jesus told him to follow him, and to this day we read his words. He was a master at detail and organization. Matthew included 4 women in his genealogy of Jesus--2 were were prostitutes, Tamar and Rahab, one an adulteress, Bathsheba, and one an outsider, a non-Israelite, Ruth.

Just in case you didn't get the message. . .

Covid19 and demons.

Every news website I pull up from Washington Post to Ohio State starts and ends with Covid19 stories. You don't have to read too many of these to see there are other motives than just getting control of a serious world-wide health problem. The desire to save lives may have been a motivation at the beginning when little was known about transmission or treatment, but now it's about power.

This reminds me of some Christians' obsession with demons. Jesus cast out demons, and the Bible has a lot to say about demonic forces. We should accord demonic forces some respect, but not honor. Some people have an unhealthy fear and panic about demonic forces. They have given the demons more power than they actually have. They've given up their free will and their freedom in Christ.

And so it is with Covid19; too many have designated Covid19 the ruler over our government and our churches and our lives. They are willing to give up all our blessings to appease the demons.

Religious symbols—a church and a Bible

Imagine a president using a church as a symbol, or holding up a Bible. Shocking. I remember when Obama went to Notre Dame. Quite a stir. The most pro-abortion politician in the history of the country at a Catholic school named for Our Lady, the mother of Jesus. It was quite a mess--liberal and conservative Catholics squabbling and conservative pro-life Protestants butting in who were clueless that Catholics lead the way in the pro-life department.

Then there was President Obama at Georgetown, another Roman Catholic institution, and the religious symbols, not exactly being used, but being covered up so as not to detract from his royal presence. Yes, it sure is a shame that President Trump is the only president to ever have made use of religious symbolism. At least he wasn't thumbing his nose at the symbols.

The lies about  the tear gas and the bunker are just ridiculous.  No matter how many times it is denied, the left just keeps chattering about it.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/uspp/6_2_20_statement_from_acting_chief_monahan.htm

Spiritual resources for the pandemic

In the Ohio State Health Beat newsletter (on-line) today there is a section for well-being resources during the lock down/culture shock for the pandemic.  https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/features/covid-resources/staff/well-being  There are a number of links featuring ideas or publications for mental health, well being, coping and spiritual helps for employees. So I clicked on "Spiritual Resources" (listed after Mindfulness which actually IS a practice well within the eastern religions) and after Chaplin services, telephone support, audio spiritual pause, a prayer request link and poems, I came to "Faith specific prayers." Here's how they are listed. 1) Islam, 2) Buddhism, 3) Judaism, 4) Christianity, 5) Hinduism. Isn't that odd? Christians are the largest faith group in the world, and approximately 75% of Americans claim some connection to Christianity even if they are just Chreasters and only attend baptisms.

So I continue down the list to a link for "Sacred Texts" which is four links below poetry-- 1) Buddhist Scriptures (13 are listed), 2) Holy Bible, one verse from the NIV is listed, with a link to Bible Gateway keyword feature, 3) Holy Quran, individual links to 114 chapters that link to Meccan references 4) The Tenach (Jewish), with detailed links to the Torah, the Prophets, etc. Whoever put this together threw a dart at the internet religious resources and came up with a politically correct list, all turn key, assuring that no OSU employee would find anything Christian as a resource in this difficult time.

Let's hope they all are attending Bible studies on Zoom or something. Maybe they won't notice our government is shredding the First Amendment in a dangerous precedent while the Christian churches are silent because they can still shop at Walmart.

What is even more anti-Christian is a whole link https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/features/covid-resources/staff/well-being/daily-breathing-practice  devoted to "5 minutes of Mindfulness" on CarmenZoom, with links for each day by video. EACH DAY. Imagine (it's impossible, but try) if there were all those digital resources and planning from a state agency devoted to video links of a pastor or rabbi reading from the Psalms, or offering instruction for the devotional practice, The Rosary.

"Mindfulness" is a religious practice of Hinduism/Buddhism (you can find instructions at both Buddhist and Hindu sites), using an English term that sounds like it isn't religious since the brain doesn't need to be engaged. Well, my brain is engaged, and I'm calling foul on the state for advocating for one religious group over another and pretending it's something else. And shame on Christians for having your babes so poorly catechized that they go off to college and get "evangelized" for eastern religions at almost every turn.

Gabbe Health and Wellness which provides these breathing techniques daily is part of the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State. Today's topic is “Hope as a state of being,” and if you click on it the pleasant woman will provide instructions for the religious techniques.

Thankful. Gratitude. Grateful.

Be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16.

May we give thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Ephesians 5:30

Thank God! Give him the praise and the glory. Before all the living, acknowledge the many good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Before all men, honor and proclaim God's deeds, and do not be slack in praising him. Tobit 12:6

The word of God for the people of God.

95% of printed Bibles are in English

Numbers, rate, percentage and misinformation. Today I was browsing a newsletter of a Christian organization which said 95% of all printed Bibles are in English, but that only 4.8% of the world population knows English.

Apples and oranges. And this was an appeal for more translation projects.

I look to my right and I have 10 Bibles--including one in Spanish and one in Russian. And that doesn't count what's in my husband's office or other rooms. It would make more sense when talking about Bibles to use "household."

There are 983 million people in the world who speak English, 372 as a first language and 611 as a second (about 13%). Yes, having the Bible in your own heart language is important, but it would be important for those with an English language Bible in their home to open it and read.

English was the language of the Union Jack, and the King James Bible went where ever the British went. The Crown had a monopoly and colonists couldn't print and distribute the KJV Bible. The Geneva Bible (1599) was the original Bible of the colonies--came with the Pilgrims in 1620. That said, English Bibles were translations of Greek, Latin and Hebrew.

The first European language Bible printed in the future United States was in German in 1743, not English, and it was for the Brethren (Church of the Brethren current name). The first Bible in any language printed in America was in Algonquin in 1661, which brings us back to the point of the article I read--translations are important.

Christianity in America, a handbook, 1983.

Lutheran Bible Translators.  The Messenger, Christmas 2019.