Category Archives: Christianity

No-oh-oh, it’s not magic

Posted on November 1, 2014 by salooper57

A Kansas City Royals fan puts his lucky hat on the couch, five minutes before the first pitch – and it must be facing south. Another drinks only one kind of beer on game days. Still another watches a different … Continue reading →

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Is religion a do it yourself project?

Posted on October 25, 2014 by salooper57

The famous writer and Oxford don C. S. Lewis once walked in on a debate on comparative religions. The conferees were discussing whether or not there are any beliefs that are unique to Christianity. It seemed like incarnation and resurrection, … Continue reading →

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Whatever happened to tolerance on college campuses?

Posted on October 18, 2014 by salooper57

It wasn’t that long ago (in the politically correct era of the ’90s) that everyone was talking about tolerance. In those days tolerance meant that the viewpoints of others, particularly those of the socially or politically stigmatized, must be granted … Continue reading →

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For heaven’s sake, take the call

Posted on September 20, 2014 by salooper57

For months a company called A.R.M. has been calling our home phone. When we see their name on caller I.D., we let it ring. We’re fed up with calls from survey-takers, fund-raisers and political haymakers. But A.R.M. is in a … Continue reading →

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There are no ordinary people

Posted on September 13, 2014 by salooper57

It is common now – among intellectuals and even among government agencies – to deny humans a nature and regard the characteristics once attributed to human nature as merely “social constructs.” Gender, for example, is now viewed by many as … Continue reading →

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Use the “show-then-tell” approach

Posted on September 6, 2014 by salooper57

If there is a rule in writing fiction, it is this: Show, don’t tell. John Updike impressed that principle on me many years ago in an essay on writing short stories. More recently, I ran across the same principle at … Continue reading →

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You are worth more than you think

Posted on August 23, 2014 by salooper57

How much are you worth? That depends on who is paying the bill. A chemist could get about 50 dollars out of your body (though the cost of extracting the chemicals would be prohibitive). Airlines value a person at about … Continue reading →

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There is no substitute for understanding

Posted on July 19, 2014 by salooper57

Most drivers have no idea what happens when they turn the key in their car’s ignition. They don’t know how turning the key makes the car move. They don’t understand the battery’s role in the process, or the operation of … Continue reading →

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Use the Right Tools for the Job

Posted on July 5, 2014 by salooper57

  Millions of people have experienced the value of a rich and healthy spirituality. Yet everyone knows someone whose religion has not only not helped him, but has made him worse. How is it that one person finds treasure in … Continue reading →

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Your Short Story’s Place in God’s Long Story

Posted on June 28, 2014 by salooper57

Americans love the Bible. But they love the Bible like they love an ideal, not like they love a spouse. They know the Bible is important; they believe it provides inspired guidance for a life well lived; they hold it … Continue reading →

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