Tikkun olam is a concept in Judaism, interpreted in Orthodox Judaism as the prospect of overcoming all forms of idolatry, and by other Jewish denominations as an aspiration to behave and act constructively and beneficially. A Jewish concept defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world. The phrase is found in the Mishnah, a body of classical rabbinic teachings. It is often used when discussing issues of social policy, insuring a safeguard to those who may be at a disadvantage. The ideas behind the term have evolved over the centuries. To modern Jewish ears, it is the idea that Jews bear responsibility not only for their own moral, spiritual, and material welfare, but also for the welfare of society at large. To the ears of contemporary pluralistic Rabbis, the term connotes “the establishment of Godly qualities throughout the world” Read more…
Look at what we can accomplish together(humanity dodged a bullet)
A Priestly Contribution to Science
In 1929, Edwin Hubble published a paper showing that the universe is expanding*. His empirical observation that distant galaxies were receding from us at a speed that is proportional to their distance away is now known as “Hubble’s Law.” We have a space telescope named for him. He was the first and deserves the credit, right?
Not my people
Kicking the Dog
In last week’s Theology Pub, we discussed how the Romans viewed Christians in the first and second centuries. After the mad Emperor Nero blamed the Roman Christians for setting the fire that burned most of Rome in AD 64, he began a series of persecutions such as letting wild animals attack and eat groups of Christians in the arena as public entertainment. He also had them burned alive as illumination for the circus maximus. I won’t go into any more detail, but the depravity and sheer inhumanity staggers the mind and depresses the heart. Read more…
A Hundred Pounds of Clay
A few of us can remember the Gene McDaniels’ song of 1961, “A Hundred Pounds of Clay,” but did you know that this extrapolation from the creation story of Genesis might be more scientifically accurate than might guess? I am referring to a 1985 “Clay hypothesis” in the field of “albiogenesis” or the “origin of life.” In the first billion years or so of our planet’s existence, conditions on the surface were more like hell than the earth we know today. There was no oxygen in the atmosphere. Volcanoes belched toxic gases of sulfur, cyanide and nitric acid. The planet was constantly bombarded by large meteors and comets bringing much of the water that fills our oceans. There were no plants or any life whatsoever. The landscape was a dull grey-black. The red color of red clay would not appear for millions of years with the great oxidation event after plants appeared and started producing oxygen. Read more…
The Commemoration Today – Ignatius of Antioch
In my writing and reviewing, I am developing a better “Rant-O-Meter.” This enables me to review something already written before I hit “Send” and decide one final time whether such material goes out or not. What hit the trash bucket today was a reflection on how my Primary Care Provider (healthcare) does not have the ability or willingness to accept and store medical images (mine) from other institutions. It is ironic because in 1978 I was one of the three engineers who developed what would become the global standard for medical institutions storing and sharing patient images. The ROM went a little high, so I decided to substitute the story of a Christian martyr we observe today. The following is mostly taken from the website www.missionstclare.com where you can pray the Daily Office and follow things like this. Connected with this, my ordination to the priesthood is celebrated on the Feast of Polycarp, Feb 23. In 2019, it will be 20 years. Read more…
Burning Questions
It was a very busy twenty years. First you had the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD. Somewhere in the Roman Empire at that time, the Gospel of Mark was being written while, elsewhere, Paul was founding churches and writing letters to them. The blaze began on the 19th of July (our modern calendar) in 64 AD. It burned for six days until it was brought under control. Emperor Nero blamed the fire on the Roman Christians which led to the first of many imperial persecutions of that growing religious body. Read more…
Dogma, Doctrine, Faith (an encounter with the monkey-people)
Ecclesiastical Opportunity
For decades, I have noted that the evangelical churches today are in theological error as much or more than the Roman Catholic church that they started out protesting almost five hundred years ago. They have come full circle replacing the pope and clerical hierarchy with a doctrine of biblical inerrancy and the authority of the local pastor to interpret. In many ways, the evangelicals and the Roman Catholic churches are polar opposites, and neither may be capable of leading Christianity beyond the devastating abuses we read in the news every day. Read more…