We are fortunate in the United States to have the Bill of Rights, which includes, among other things, guarantees of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and protections for those accused of a crime, such as the right to counsel, the right to a public trial, the right to cross-examine Read more…
I am currently researching a project I have long wanted to attempt—a merger and reconciliation of the four Gospels. Here is an excerpt from the Preface to give you a bit of the flavor of the book I plan to write: When I published Parts 1 and 2 of The Read more…
Last week I referred to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which is in chapters five through seven of Matthew’s gospel. In those few chapters, Jesus lays down a tough standard for Christian behavior. For example, just in chapter five he says that we shouldn’t be angry or insulting toward others Read more…
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. So Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who reads this. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving in 1863, but it did not became a national holiday until 1870 when President Ulysses S. Grant signed a law so designating it. Congress fixed the date for Thanksgiving as Read more…
Get the perfect study guide to the Old Testament, ideal for individuals or groups, high school and above. And it’s FREE. You can get your free e-book of The Old Testament Made Simple (Part 2), on Amazon on Monday and Tuesday, May 17th and 18th by clicking here, or paste Read more…
Last week I shared two rules that experts agree we should follow when investing in stocks: (1) invest long-term, and (2) diversify. Now let’s talk about some rules that I follow in my personal investments, but that some would disagree with. Rule #3 – Go for the dividends. Companies that Read more…
In my previous blog entry, I promised to share some rules for investing in stocks. Today I will share the first two rules, to which pretty much all experts agree. Rule #1 – Invest long-term. In 2008, when the Great Recession struck, stocks on average lost approximately 37% of their Read more…
Investment experts know that stocks are one of the best long-term investments you can make. According to the website, thebalance.com, 21 of the 34 years from 1986 to 2019 saw stock market gains of at least 10%, while only 6 of those 34 years saw stocks lose money. (https://www.thebalance.com/stock-market-returns-by-year-2388543) I Read more…
God takes a lot of unfair criticism when terrible things happen to us in life. I cannot give you a simple, sound-bite answer for why bad things happen, but there are answers. Let’s start with free will. Much of the misery and suffering in this life is the result of Read more…
Most of us think of “karma” as poetic justice, when somebody who has been mean, rude, or foolish gets the comeuppance they so richly deserve. But for Hindus and Buddhists, karma is much more. In Hinduism and Buddhism, karma is essentially cause and effect, but for Hindus and Buddhists it Read more…