Many of us are aware of the story of Lot, especially when it comes to the portion about Sodom and Gomorrah. We often think of him as a man who compromised his beliefs and conformed to the wickedness of Sodom; a man who offered his own daughters to the sexual perverts of the city that… Continue reading A Portrait of an American Christian
Author: Alex Simmons
I am first and foremost a Christian. I am a family man; a husband to a lovely woman and father to four beautiful little girls. I am published opinion writer, an avid connoisseur of the interactions of self and society, and have an MA in sociology. I created a blog as both catharsis for my never ending self-study of the world around me, and as a means to connect with friends, family, and like-minded strangers.
The Millstone
It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. – Luke 17:2 We live in a culture that constantly offends children. Disney came out and said that they want to increase their LBGTQ representation in… Continue reading The Millstone
Our Own Understanding
Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Both of these things are difficult to do in a society like ours. All Christians claim to trust in the Lord. That’s the basis of our faith. Do we do it with ALL our hearts? ALL our… Continue reading Our Own Understanding
A More Sure Word
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:13 The “this… Continue reading A More Sure Word
Culture as Both Product and Practice
CULTURE AS A PRODUCT Hall and Neitz (1993) provide an inclusive definition of culture that describes it as 1) ideas, knowledge (correct, wrong, or unverifiable belief), and recipes for doing things; 2) humanly fabricated tools (shovels, sewing machines, and computers); and 3) products of social action that can be drawn upon in the conduct of… Continue reading Culture as Both Product and Practice
The Case for the Cultural Study of Religion
RELIGION AND CULTURE Rituals, symbols, and myths have been at the forefront of the Sociology of Religion since Durkheim (1915) wrote of the prominence of beliefs, rights, and rituals in the worship of social life. Naturism, animism, and totemic beliefs are mostly bygone religions – relics of a pre-industrialized world, but Durkheim predicted that religion… Continue reading The Case for the Cultural Study of Religion
American Secularization and Media Depictions of End Times
INTRODUCTION Media Influence Art has always had an influence on society, even if that influence is more indirect than the artist intended. In the “age of mechanical reproduction” (Benjamin 1969[1936]), the aura of art may not be as strong as the medium of film and television has eclipsed the close distance of the stage. The… Continue reading American Secularization and Media Depictions of End Times
Visual Sociology
What is ‘Visual’? Visual, especially with reference to visual methods, may not necessarily equate with the images directly viewed with the eye at a given moment. When a person closes their eyes and images emerge from consciousness, do they remain “unseen”? If a person can visualize the invisible, it may not be a stretch to… Continue reading Visual Sociology
Daily Walk (Part One)
Being as active as possible seems impossible. Did you watch a movie this week? You could have spent that time in the Bible. Did you go to the store and not witness to everyone you saw? Did you go on a hike with the family and not pull a fellow hiker aside and share the… Continue reading Daily Walk (Part One)
Delighting in God’s Will
“I delight to do thy will, O my God: Yea, thy law is within my heart.”Psalm 40:8 David was “a man after [God’s] own heart,” according to Acts 13:22. Therefore, his words should resonate with us if we want to be viewed the same way. David not only committed Scripture to memory, but kept it… Continue reading Delighting in God’s Will
Simmons' Opinions 