Monthly Archives: April 2016

Atheism and Free Will

Posted on 2016-04-29 by jimbelton

I watched the following video on atheism on The Rubin Report. The description of the video is “An atheist isn’t denying that a god or gods exist, an atheist is just asking evidence for such an incredible claim. All this … Continue reading →

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The Golden Rule

Posted on 2016-04-28 by jimbelton

The Golden Rule is a principle found in many cultures. Wikipedia defines it like this: The Golden Rule or ethic of reciprocity is a moral maxim or principle of altruism found in many human cultures and religions, suggesting it may … Continue reading →

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Review of “Exodus: Gods and Kings”

Posted on 2016-04-28 by jimbelton

* * C It’s been a long time since I last saw “The Ten Commandments”. Ridley Scott’s epic, “Exodus, Gods and Kings”, is a remake of sorts. Christian “Batman” Bale is Moses, who is raised as the foster brother of … Continue reading →

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Empty Spaces: A Metaphor

Posted on 2016-04-28 by jimbelton

What does Jesus mean when he talks about evil spirits? Does he mean literal demons? Today, those who believe in demonic possession are very much in the minority (at least in the west). Is he speaking metaphorically? It doesn’t seem … Continue reading →

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Tidal Pools

Posted on 2016-04-27 by jimbelton

Neil Peart wrote this beautiful poem. It gets stuck in my head: When the ebbing tide retreats Along the rocky shoreline It leaves a trail of tidal pools In a short-lived galaxy Each microcosmic planet A complete society A simple … Continue reading →

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A House Divided

Posted on 2016-04-27 by jimbelton

When the Pharisees said that Jesus cast out devils by the power Beelzebub the prince of the devils, Jesus offered three refutations: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to ruin, and a house divided against itself cannot stand. If … Continue reading →

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Paradise Lost in Modern English

Posted on 2016-04-26 by jimbelton

I have just republished my modern English translation of the first three chapters of Milton’s epic, “Paradise Lost”, here on WordPress. Hope you all enjoy it: Paradise Lost in Modern English Update: I’ve now added the translation of chapter 4 … Continue reading →

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Why I’m Leaving Scribd.

Posted on 2016-04-26 by jimbelton

When Scribd started, its goal was to be the YouTube of print media. The site had great statistics on how many reads your documents were getting and levels of engagement, and there was a community similar to the WordPress community. … Continue reading →

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The God of the Gaps

Posted on 2016-04-26 by jimbelton

Petty Armchair Popery posted a quote from Thomas Aquinas on  faith, and the weakness of human intellect. In it, he points out how little we understand about the common fly, and uses this “lack of intellect” as an argument for … Continue reading →

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The Wisdom of the Beginner’s Mind

Posted on 2016-04-26 by jimbelton

Zen describes the perspective that an enlightened person maintains at all times as shoshin, “the beginner’s mind”. Jesus understood this concept well. He constantly refers to it in sayings like this one: Unless you change and become like little children, … Continue reading →

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