Christianity, see also Matters of Faith | The Port Rail

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Is Bigger Always Better?

April 13, 2018

Maybe, maybe not. I write as a 5’8” male, decidedly short in our world of tall people. Napoleon Bonaparte, however, strode over much of Europe in the early nineteenth century and he was a shrimp. I recently read an article in an online Christian magazine on small versus big churches. What can small churches offer […]

The Internet Church

April 12, 2018

You knew it was coming, right? The Internet covers the whole of life. So why not “The Internet Church?” Outreach Magazine (the online version of course) recently featured the Internet Church, with the thoughtful question: “Is the Internet Church Really the Church?” I hadn’t really thought much about it. If early Christians worshiped in homes […]

Hawaii’s Ambassador to Alabama

January 30, 2018

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, that “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5: 20). Surprisingly, when I heard UA’s quarterback Tua Tagovailoa respond in the seconds following his touchdown pass that cinched the National Championship for Alabama that he owed everything […]

On the Virtues of Wisdom (or Age)

January 29, 2018

Getting old is not a choice. I suspect all of us would chose to do so, rather than the obvious alternative. Youngsters (those under fifty) really don’t think about it very much. Those in their nineties are grateful they can move. Some, like Pablo Picasso I once read, stayed active until the end, in his […]

Christian principles, family are paramount

December 4, 2017

Who is responsible for teaching good standards among our people? By “standards” I mean good and proper thinking and behavior. I think it must start within families. And families need to be founded upon and living according to religious principles. Since the principal religion in this country is Christianity, I’ll use Christianity as my reference […]

Do we have an built-in knowledge of God?

December 4, 2017

While putting together a book of readings recently, I ran across some old questions that have occupied scholars, theologians, believers, and probably even atheists over the centuries. Do we have a built-in knowledge of good and evil, of right and wrong, of even the existence of God? Teachings in Christianity are very clear in answering […]

Luther and the storm that remade the world

November 30, 2017

I encourage you to attend a celebration on Monday, Oct. 30, of the life and times of Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation. The event, at the University of Alabama Moody Music Building, begins with a reception and book exhibit at 5 p.m. and follows with a program at 6 p.m. on “The […]

Luther was resolute in his defiance

November 30, 2017

What were the indulgences that so offended Martin Luther, who criticized them in the 95 Theses he posted on the church doors of Wittenberg on Oct. 31, 1517? That one act did more than any other to kick off the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, and revolutionized Christianity in the West. On Monday, Oct. […]

In Search of the Correct Final Authority

November 29, 2017

In all legal differences, the “final authority” is the court system. In the schools, it is the principal and teacher, although that may be old-fashioned these days. In the home, it is the parents. Anywhere there are differences, there is a high authority to appeal to. Even in war, nations appeal to “higher” laws and […]

Golf and Christianity

September 24, 2017

I know a lot of you out there are golfers, or indulge in one sport or another. And I know a lot of readers are Christians. The other day as I tweaked my golf swing in preparation for a tournament, I thought of my faith, which I seem to be always tweaking as well. Maybe […]