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
Category: Self and Society
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
Pleasant Words
“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”Proverbs 16:24 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” Communication is vital to any relationship. Studies show that communication is one of the top measures for the success or failure of a marriage. There are… Continue reading Pleasant Words
The Christian Celebrity
Our churches have become carbon copies of one another. You can attend almost any church from any denomination and you will have a similar experience, from the look to the music to the structure of the services. The various denominations are beginning to blend back together. Protestants, who broke away from Catholic heresies are melding… Continue reading The Christian Celebrity
Racing for the Crown
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”1 Corinthians 9:24-25 The Olympic Games recently… Continue reading Racing for the Crown
Altering the Availability Heuristic
A heuristic is “a mental shortcut that allows an individual to make a decision, pass judgment, or solve a problem quickly and with minimal mental effort.” We use heuristics all the time. In any given situation, we are armed with data about the situation — usually sensory — and use heuristics to fill in the… Continue reading Altering the Availability Heuristic
Why I Write
“Under the governance of the printing press, discourse in America was different than it is now – generally coherent, serious, and rational” -Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death The value of the written word has been lost in our postmodern American culture. The complexity of well written prose has given way to “tweets written by… Continue reading Why I Write
“Why” Christianity
One phrase; two intentions. The first is the question, why Christianity? WHY CHRISTIANITY? Because Christianity is valid in its internal consistency – the Bible does not contradict itself, and a “true believer” is a fundamentalist who follows the principles in the Book (at least as best as we can). When a believer follows the tenets of… Continue reading “Why” Christianity
Do Christians Still Empathize?
Empathy should be a Christian ideal. Romans 12:15 reads, Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.Ephesians 4:32 says, And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. These verses epitomize empathy. Someone quote shared a Facebook post I made… Continue reading Do Christians Still Empathize?
He “Had a Bow.”
“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”Revelation 6:2 I have always thought of Antichrist as an archer carrying a bow, as in bow and arrow, just without the arrows. There… Continue reading He “Had a Bow.”
Simmons' Opinions 