Christians

All of the persons listed below lived to be over 100 years old.

Pope Agatho: (possibly born in Sicily - d. 681, aged 103 or 104)  Agatho was Pope from 678 until 681. He is recognized by both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

Christopher Evans: B. 1909, England - d. 2012) English chaplain, theologian, and university lecturer. He was a recognized expert on the New Testament.

Nguyen Van Thien: b. 1906, Vietnam - d. 2012) Vietnamese Roman Catholic bishop.

Halvor Midtbo: (b. 1883, Norway - d. 1985) Norwegian priest and temperance activist.

John the Silent: (b. 454, Armenia - d. 558, aka: John the Hesychast) Religious hermit who lived aline for 76 years even though he was an ordained bishop. He is recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

Religious Place Names

Pomona, California State, USA: Named for the ancient Roman goddess of fruit.

Shiloh, Tennessee State, USA: Named for the ancient Israelite religious site, nine miles north of Bethel. The modern site of the ancient Shiloh is a mound of ruins named Khirbet Seilun.

Tewin, England: Named for the ancient Norse god Tyr. The name comes from Tyr plus
"ing" (meadow) or "ingas" (people belonging to)."

Weedon Lois, England: From the Old English words "weo" (temple) plus "dun" (hill). "Lois" comes from the local religious figure, Saint Loys.

Nymph, Alabama State, USA: Nymphs were minor nature deities of ancient Latin and Greek mythology. They were depicted as beautiful and amorous young maidens who loved to dance and sing. The word "nymph" has been said to mean "a rosebud" or "a swelling" (as in "pregnant"), connoting fertility.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian. Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions. Some of those listed may surprise or even shock you. Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Dolores Hart: (b. 1938, Illinois, USA, aka: Dolores Hicks) Film actress, Benedictine prioress, author. As an actress, she worked with Elvis Presley, Stephen Boyd, Montgomery Clift, George Hamilton, and Robert Wagner. All proceeds from her books go to charity.

Mark Burnett: (b. 1960, England) Movie and television producer, husband of actress Roma Downey. His father was Roman Catholic and his mother was Presbyterian.

Roma Downey: (b. 1960, Northern Ireland) Actress, producer, author, singer. Wife of producer Mark Burnett. Roman Catholic.

Sun Yat-sen: (b.1866, China – d. 1925), Chinese revolutionary, physician, first president and founder of the Republic of China. Sun participated in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty. Congregationalist.

James Naismith: (b.1861, Canada – d. 1938) Canadian sports coach; inventor of the sport of basketball; founder of the University of Kansas basketball program; Inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, the Ontario Sports Legends Hall of Fame, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame, the Kansas State Sports Hall of Fame, and the FIBA Hall of Fame. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is named for him. Presbyterian.

The World's Slowest Selling Bible

The world's slowest selling Bible and possibly the world's slowest selling legitimately published book is the Coptic translation of the Bible published in 1791 by David Wilkins (1685 - 1745). The book has never sold more than two copies a year.

Wilkins was a Prussian orientalist born as David Wilke (or David Wilkius) in what is now Lithuania. As an adult he lived and worked in England as an Anglican priest, librarian, translator, and university professor. He was a specialist in Arabic, Coptic, Hebrew, Armenian, Chaldaic, and Anglo-Saxon.

Book Comment: In the beginnning

“The very first story in the Bible tells us that God made the world and everything in it. … our world did not simply begin by accident.”

In the beginning  (1984) is book number one in the Lion Story Bible (Lion Publishing plc, Oxford, England), It is a paraphrase suitable for elementary school aged children.  The book emphasizes God’s delight in the world which He created.  The gentle text of the book feels like a prose poem.

Here is a sample from the beautiful illustrations by Tony Morris.

Read this book to a child or, better yet, let those on a late second grade or early third grade reading level read it for themselves.

“That’s good,” said God.

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I believe that the illustration snippet above is a "fair use" of the artwork for the purposes of this blog post. If it is not, I will immediately remove the illustration upon notification.

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A general caution: books may give you wonderful new insights and explanations of subjects, but you should never base your Christian beliefs on any one book or the teachings of one person, no matter who they are. All teachings must be consistent with scripture. Read as the Bereans did, with discernment. “… for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11 NASB

Any doctrines must be consistent with the historical full body of Christian thought. Doctrines or teachings inconsistent with scripture in any way must be rejected. You would not eat cheese which had a fuzzy fungus growing on it.

Bible Reading Quietly and Aloud

This is a repost of "Bible Reading Quietly and Aloud." The link which I had for this post seems to have been incorrect.  I believe that it is correct now.  Enjoy these beautiful Bible readings by Joan Kent, a Christian painter, textile artist, reflexologist, and hypnotherapist in the city of Rayleigh in Essex (UK).  I would like to direct you to her blog, "Where do I go from here? ," in which she features mp3 audio recordings of Bible readings.  Her readings are lyrical and precise.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff: (b. 1912, England - d. 2005) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1976 - 1979. Baptist, converted to Atheist.

Margaret Hilda Roberts Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher: (b. 1925, England - d. 2013) 

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1979 - 1990. Methodist, converted to Anglican.

Sir John Major: (b 1943, England) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1990 - 1997, Anglican

Anthony Charles Lynton Blair: (b 1953, England) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1997 - 2007, Anglican, converted to Roman Catholic

James  Gordon Brown: (b. 1951, England) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 2007 - 2010, Church of Scotland

Trivia: The Burial of Pope John Paul II

The burial ceremony of Pope John Paul II was the first time that the British Crown Prince, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and the Archbishop of Canterbury were all concurrent;y in attendance at the funeral of a Pope.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

David L. Ramsay III: (b. 1960, USA) Personal money management expert, motivational speaker, author.  Ramsay encourages people to live debt-free.

Bruce Manning Metzger: (b. 1914, Pennsylvania, USA – d. 2007) Biblical translator and textual critic, university professor.  Specialist in Greek, New Testament, and New Testament textual studies.

Karl Ludwig Harding: (b. 1765, Germany – d. 1834) Astronomer.  In 1804, Harding discovered three comets and an asteroid, 3 Juno.

Mark Tronson: (b. 1951, Australia)  Tronson is pionerrin sports ministry in Australia.  He retire in 2001 after seventeen years as the chaplain of the Australian cricket team.  Baptist.

Andrew Wingfield-Digby: (b. 1950, England) Cricketer, pastor.  Founder of the organization, UK Christians in Sport.  Anglican.

Film Comment: KJB: The Book That Changed the World

KJB: The Book That Changed the World (2010) is a sort of narrated documentary drama. Modern actor John Rhys-Davies walks among the actors portraying persons from the late Sixteenth and early Seventeenth centuries.  The film documents the events which led to the creation of the King James Version of the Bible, a masterpiece of scholarship, translation, and literary English.

The film concentrates on the childhood and education of James Stuart, who, as James VI,  became King of Scotland in 1567, when he was thirteen months old.  When James was named as her successor by the childless Queen Elizabeth, he became also James I, King of England.  James was superbly educated by his tutor, James Buchanan and became a writer, linguist, intellectual, and theologian.  KJV depicts his political maneuvering for power and respect.

 

The actual places are shown where the fifty scholars spent seven years producing the English translation of the Hebrew and Greek documents.  Checks and double-checks and strict rules of translation were practiced.

The KJV was not instantly accepted and James did not live to see its worldwide acceptance.  His historical reputatiop as a king has been highly controversial but respect for his rule has grown in recent years.

I very much enjoyed this film as history.  I would personally like to see the producers make a sequel which focused on the translators.

What They Think of Us: Dave Allen on Religion

Irish comedian Dave Allen (David Tynan O'Mahony, b. 1936, Ireland - d. 2005, England) was a frequent critic of Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism.  Here, he talks about his first meeting with a nun at age four.  He often said, "I'm an atheist, thank God!"

All Saints Church, Loose

http://www.allsaintsloose.org.uk/

I found this today.  The church is All Saints Church, Loose in the village of Loose, 2 miles (3 kilometers) south of Maidstone,  County Kent, England.  They are a bible believing evangelical Anglican church.  The population of the village is 3500.  The church is affiliated with the South East Gospel Partnership.

Religious Place Names

Theophoric names are a recognized category within onomastics, the study of place name origins.  They are names in which the name of a god or deity is embedded.  The word “theophoric” is derived from the Greek words θεός (theos = god) and φορός (phoros = tribute), a God tribute, bearing the  name of a god).  Theophorisms also occur in personal names such as Apollodorus, Theophrastus, Joel, Uzza, Manaf, Masih, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Bogomil, Michael, Christopher, Nathaniel, Timothy, Judah, Oswald, Marcus, Abijam, Ingrid, Daniel, Abdullah, and Rahman, among many others.

Odense, Denmark: From Odins Ve (“Odin’s shrine).

Osmussaar, Estonia: The Swedish name of this city was Odensholm.

Audresselles, France: Originally, the name of this commune was Oderzell, from Odin.

Ullefoss, Norway: From Ullr, the Norse deity of the hunt, plus “foss,” Norwegian for “waterfall.”

Tuesley, England: The name of this village is of Old English origin.  Tiw/Tig/Tyr, the god of law and heroic justice, plus “leah,” a clearing.

Religious Place Names

Deseret, Utah, USA: In The Book of Mormon, “deseret” means “honeybee.”  The word comes from the book of Ether 2:3 in the Book of Mormon.  Mormons say that is in the language of the Jaredites.  Most historians doubt the existence of the Jaredites.

Grimscote, England:  Old English for “Grim’s Cot.”  Grim was an alternate name for the Norse deity Odin or Woden.

Harrow on the Hill, England: The Old English name of this town was Gumeninga hergae (temple of the Gumeninga tribe).  A “herg” was a “temple.” This word is the derivation of “harrow.”  The suffix “ingas” means “the people belonging to” and “Gumen” was a man’s name.

Weeford, England: The Old English word “weoh” means “holy.”

Kirkharle, England: This name of this town is of Old English origin.  “Kirk” means “church.”  “Harle” has two possible origins: 1. “Herela lea” (Herela’s grove) or 2. “herg leah” (temple grove). 

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Edward Crowley: (b. ca. 1830, England – d. 1887) Brewer.  Originally a Quaker, he became a traveling Exclusive Brethren preacher.  His son, Aleister, became the Thelemite occultist known as “The Great Beast 666,” and “the wickedest man in the world.”

Theodore of Tarsus: (b. 602, Turkey – d. 690; aka: Theodore of Canterbury)  8^th Archbishop of Canterbury.

Fulbert  Youlou: (b. 1917, Congo – d. 1972) Congolese Roman Catholic priest, nationalist leader, and politician.  1^st President of the Republic of the Congo.  He lost power after three days of street riots in 1963.

Elpidio Rivera Quirino: (b. 1890, Philippines –d. 1956)  President of the Philippines 1948-1953.  Roman Catholic.

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson: (b. 1830, Massachusetts, USA – d. 1886) Reclusive American poet who wrote over 1800 poems.

Religious Place Names

Iosepa, Hawaii, USA: “Iosepa” is the Hawaiian language version of the name “Joseph.”  The town is named for Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons).

Mahabarata, Nepal: Named for the Mahabarata, one of the ancient Sanskrit language holy books of Hinduism.

Tewin, England: Named for the Norse god, Tyr (aka: Tiw) plus “ing,”  “a meadow.”  Tyr was the Norse god of single-handed combat and victory.

Thundersley, England: From the Old English, Thunor’s leah (Sacred grove of Thunor).  Thunor was a variant name of Thor, the Norse god of thunder.

Shiloh, Tennessee, USA: Named for the ancient Ephraimite city of Shiloh, located about 12 miles northeast of Bethel, in the land of Canaan..  Judges 21:19.  The modern name of ancient Shiloh is Khirbet Seilun in the West Bank..  A “khirbet” is a “ruin on a hill.”

The True Meaning of Success

At the 2012 London Olympics in the men’s 1600 meter relay race, Manteo Mitchell ran the first 400 meters, slowly.  The internet erupted in criticism with angry Twitter tweets at his poor performance.  Here is what really happened.  As Mitchell started to run, he heard a loud pop and felt a sudden pain as his left fibula snapped.  He finished his portion of the relay race to make sure that the United States would qualify for the next round.  The event rivals the historical importance of what Kerri Strug did at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in her Gold Medal winning vault.

(Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.)

  

What Mitchell had to say: “I felt I upheld the Olympic standard to the highest degree.  It’s not finishing first or second, it’s doing your best.”  He explained that he felt that he had to “do what I was called in to do.”

Christians are called to be witnesses (the Greek word is  μάρτυρας "martyrs."), even if sometimes doing so is uncomfortable or even dangerous, even if no one seems to be listening. 

In his book, Share Jesus Without Fear, William Fay points out that, for Christians, "success is sharing your faith and living your life for Jesus Christ.  It has nothing whatsoever to do with bringing anyone to the Lord.  It has everything to do with obedience."  Obedience , not results, is success for a Christian.  Results come from the work of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit indwells every believer.  "... we have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, living in us ..."  

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

John Ray: (b. 1627, England – d. 1705) Botanist, college lecturer, biological cataloger).  Ray is credited with laying the foRyan Hallundations for modern botany and zoology.

Mary of Lapland: (b. Lappland (Finland, aka: Milla Clementsdottir of Follinge)  Mary was a Sami woman who, in 1844, showed the Swedish Lutheran pastor, Lars Levi Laestadius, the need for a deeper, more personal faith.

Lars Levi Laestadius (b. 1800, Sweden – d. 1861) Swedish Lutheran pastor, author, botanist.

Ryan Hall: (b. 1982, California, USA) United States Olympic long distance runner (London 2012) who credits God as his only coach.

Oswiu of Northumbria: (b. ca 612 – d. 670; aka: Oswy, Oswig)  King of Bernicia, an early British kingdom. 

Hotel in England Replaces Gideon Bibles With Fifty Shades of Gey

Jonathan Denby, the owner of the Damson Dene Hotel in Bowness-on –Windermere, England, has decided to replace the Gideon’s Bibles in his forty guest rooms with the soft porn novel, Fifty Shades of Grey.  Denby says the move is in response to guest requests and that few, if any, read the Bibles.  Fifty Shades of Grey has a sado-masochistic theme.

Denby says that “I’ll keep a couple behind the reception desk so that if any guest whose preferred bedtime reading happens to be the Bible finds that they have forgotten to pack their copy, they’ll be pleased to read in the guest handbook that they can borrow a copy from the receptionist.”  How nice.

The fact that the Gideons place their Bibles in hotels for free and that Denby has had to buy his copies of Fifty Shades of Grey shows that the replacement was an intentional choice.  Denby bought the hotel facilities from a Methodist group about ten years ago. 

http://www.damsondene.co.uk/

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186330-d504383-Reviews-Damson_Dene_Hotel-Windermere_Lake_District_Cumbria_England.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/fifty-shades-grey-replaces-bible-british-hotel/story?id=16853389

http://www.neatorama.com/2012/07/25/hotel-replaces-bible-with-fifty-shades-of-grey/

http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/fifty-shades-grey-replaces-bible-hotel-rooms-366510

http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/07/british-hotel-replaces-bibles-with-fifty-shades-of-grey/811553/1

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/fifty-shades-of-grey-replaces-bible_n_1699665.html

http://www.expedia.com/Cumbria-Hotels-Damson-Dene-Hotel.h1595721.Hotel-Information?icmdtl=Vm120731JtTWIhvABjQkzsSbo83-JwAAg.1595721.ENLOADw.T.BOT.504383.sa.0.186330.en_UK..&icmcid=TRIPA.Expedia_US-EH_B1.10568.T&eapid=21187-1&rm1=a2& 

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Bernard Acworth: (b. 1885, England – d. 1963) Writer, biologist, submariner, creationist. Evangelical.

Catherine Howard: (b. ca. 1518 - 1524, England –d. 1842; aka: Katherine, Katheryn, Kathryn, “a rose without a thorn”)  The fifth wife of Henry VIII, King of England.  In order to marry wife number six, Henry had f=her executed for treason and adultery. Roman Catholic.

Edward Jonathan Giddings (b. 1831 – d. 1894) Writer. Author of American Christian Rulers (1890).

Peter Maurin: (b. 1877, France –d. 1949; aka: Aristide Pierre Maurin) Roman Catholic social activist.  With Dorothy Day, was a co-founder of the Catholic Worker’s Movement (1933).

William McKinley (b. 1843, Ohio, USA – d. 1901) President of the United States (1897-1901).  He was assasinated by an anarchist.  Methodist.