Monthly Archives: September 2011

The Case Against Karen Armstrong: What is Belief?

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In my last post I discussed how Karen Armstrong misrepresents some of her sources. The end result is a sort of ‘cherry pick’ to support her thesis. In this post I’m going to address her treatment of the word “Belief” as used in the Bible.

What Does “Believe” Mean?

Several years ago I did a study of the New Testament using several parallel Bibles, Strong’s Concordance, and a Greek manuscript of the New Testament. One of my discoveries was that the word translated “belief” in the New Testament actually came from the Greek word pisteuo (Strong’s 4100) which has a stronger connotation than the word “believe” in English, at least as it is used today. So consider this verse as an apt example:

Romans 3:22

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: Continue reading →

The Case Against Karen Armstrong: Misquoting Religious Sources

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Case for GodIn my last two posts, I summarized both Karen Armstrong’s views of religion and God and her negative view of Christian doctrines.

Karen Armstrong is a fantastic writer that holds one’s interest while spinning out tales that seamlessly mix religion, history, science, and philosophy. She is, beyond doubt, far more educated than me on these subjects. Yet when Armstrong hit upon a subject that I knew even a little bit about, I would immediately recognize that she was often misunderstanding, misrepresenting, or misquoting her sources. This fact caused me to lose confidence that she was accurately representing her other sources.

In this post I will concentrate on the frequent misinterpretations of her religious sources. Continue reading →

West African Mormon Missionaries Sing Called To Serve

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[Cross-Posted from Sixteen Small Stones]

A few years ago my brother, Ben, visited Ghana to do some research into how music, drums, and rhythm are used in traditional practices and shamanism. While he was there he shot a lot of video and during part of the visit he got to go teach with some of the missionaries there.

Even though it’s been a while, he recently rediscovered this video he shot of a couple of Mormon missionaries from West Africa singing the LDS missionary anthem, “Called to Serve” and he just put it up on YouTube.

With all of the potential pop-cultural misperceptions of Mormon missionaries resulting from the “Book of Mormon” Musical, I thought it would be useful to share a taste of real LDS missionaries in Africa.  Enjoy and share!

Left and Right wing nuts

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Teamster’s Union mafia boss, Jimmy Hoffa warmed up the crowd for Pres Obama on Labor Day, calling the Tea Party and Republicans a few choice expletive deletives.

When Pres Obama spoke, he noted that his upcoming speech on jobs was very important, and we should not to a “right wing nut, or a left wing nut.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/vp/44405764#44405764

Do you think he was speaking of Jimmy Hoffa, when he mentioned left wing nut?

And why have someone so radical warm up a crowd for you, unless you are in bed with them?  Hoffa is as radical as Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Van Jones, or Weather Underground activists that Pres Obama has been known to associate with. If you associate with left or right wing nuts a lot, does that make you one, too?

I like Pres Obama. Honestly I do.  But I do not think he’s presidential material. Maureen Dowd in the NYTimes, seems to agree:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/opinion/dowd-one-and-done.html?_r=1&ref=maureendowd

New Testament Gospel Doctrine lesson 36 – Romans

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New Testament Gospel Doctrine lesson 36 on Paul’s epistle to Romans is now at my blog.  I discuss the background of the letter, as well as the entire letter as a process to exaltation, beginning with faith and grace, moving onto baptism, as well as justification and sanctification.

Read it there, comment here.

http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-testament-gospel-doctrine-lesson-36.html