Oldest Person in the United States Dies

Mamie Rearden, of Edgefield, South Carolina (USA) died Wednesday 2 January 2013 at the age of 114.  She was, until her death, the oldest living person in the United States.  Her rapid decline in health came after she fell and broke her hip.

Mamie Rearden, a schoolteacher and homemaker, was born on 7 September 1898.   She had eleven children, ten of whom survive her.

When asked her opinion of a local preacher’s very boring sermon she had nothing negative to say because, as she said, “Well, it came from the Bible.”

Mrs. Rearden was not the oldest person on Earth.  That honor belongs to Jimeron Kimura of Japan, who is 115. 

New Recurrent Topic

I am beginning a new recurrent topic to go along with all the others: Differences Between Protestants and Roman Catholics/Orthodox: We are all Christians but there are some very real differences in attitudes and beliefs between us.  The unity of the Mind of Christ, the ἐκκλησία, unites us even if we may never be united on a human, organizational level.

http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/was-jesus-born-on-december-25-faq.htm

A difference between us which is relevant for this time of year is the celebration of Christmas. Protestants and Catholics celebrate Christmas on 25 December while Orthodox observe the holiday on 7 January.  Biblical scholars and historians are almost universally agreed that both of these dates are incorrect.

The biblical and historical evidence points to the birth of Jesus having occurred in March or April of 6-5 BC/BCE.  Calculations by other scholars point to Jesus having been born in September or October.  The birth could not have occurred in 1BC/AD because Herod died in 4BC/BCE

About the 25 December and 7 January dates: Orthodox follow the Roman Julian calendar which was in use at the birth of Jesus while Protestants and Catholics follow the Gregorian calendar (Pope Gregory XIII, 1582) which corrected an error caused in dating because the year is not exactly 365 days in length. 

The 25 December date was first suggested by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 AD/CE and was celebrated on that date as early as 354, but it was not officially declared as the date until 440.

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.

Gall: (b. ca 1840 – d. 1894, South Dakota, USA; aka: Phizi) A battle chief of the Hunkpapa Lakota tribe against the United States Army at the Battle of Little Bighorn.  He was known as Gall because, as a youth, he ate the gall bladder of an animal.  He was a large, tall man weighing almost three hundred pounds (137 kilograms).  Late in his life he became a Christian convert and settled down as a farmer.

Alma Maria Kartano: (b. 1885, Finland – d. 1953) Lutheran sectarian leader who taught a very apocalyptic doctrine of Jesus’ imminent return.  She taught that all sexual activity, even within marriage, was evil.  Her followers, called Kartanoans, numbered about 1000.

Saint Gall: (b. ca 550, Ireland –d ca 646; Gallen, Gallus)  Irish disciple and traveling companion of Saint Columbanus.  Missionary in France, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.  Roman Catholic.

Saint Deicolus: (b. ca. 530, Itrland –d. 625; aka: Deicole, dichuil, Deel, Deicola, Deicull, Delle, Desle, Dichul, Dicull) A missionary in France and a younger brother of Saint Gall.  Roman Catholic.

Jose Luis Alberto Munoz Marin: (b. 1898, Puerto Rico – d. 1980) Poet, journalist, politician.  He was the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico (1949-1965).  He was called the “Father of modern Puerto Rico” and the “Architect of the Commonwealth.”  Roman Catholic.

The Inuktitut Bible

The Bible has been translated into almost 500 languages.  Last year (2012) saw the completion of the first translation of the entire Bible into Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit people.  Inuit translates into the people. Inukitut is also called Inuktut. The translation was performed by native Inuktitut speakers rather than European or American missionaries.

Rather than being a literal translation, the Inuktitut Bible is based on "functional equivalence."  The Bible uses the nineteenth century syllabic script introduced by the Anglican missionary Edmund Peck.  The script gave a written form to the ancient language.

Is Francis Chan a Sell-Out?

Wow! This blog post pulled in a swirling storm of 188 comments.  It must have hit a nerve!  The basic thrust of the post was to question whether Francis Chan , a Chinese-American man born in Hong Kong, was a sell-out because he is willing to speak at evangelical conferences which sometimes are 98% white.



Many people (not just Americans!) cannot get over RACE.  All they have to do is read their Bibles!  The question was settled almost 2000 years ago.

"Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond [nor] free: but Christ [is] all, and in all." Colossians 3:11

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

Can You Respond to These Criticisms?

Christian Apologetics is the study of defending the faith against intellectual attacks and explaining biblical truths and concepts to non-believers in ways which they can understand.  It also attempts to give believers a rational footing on which to base their faith.  Some of the attacks are quite harsh.  See how you would respond to these ten criticisms … if you can.  If you cannot, don’t expect that our critics will be swayed by “because the Bible says so.”

http://con-w.com/top-ten-signs-youre-a-fundamentalist-christian/

White Shoe Polish on a Rear Windshield

If you live in the United States you have probably seen an automobile where the owner has taken a white shoe polish dispenser and written a slogan on the glass of the rear window.  Usually the message is something like “Just married,” or a phrase encouraging the local high school football team to win that week’s game.

Yesterday, I saw a car like that, with a slogan in large white block letters, “I love Jesus! XOXO ☮.”  Although I was pleased that someone was not afraid or ashamed to acknowledge Jesus, this disturbed me.

I know that the two teenaged boys in the car were probably sincere and were just expressing the vibrant enthusiasm of young new believers.  My objection was that they were doing it in a shallow way which opened them and the faith up to ridicule.  We must always be careful not to send unintended messages to unbelievers.

The XOXO is a modern cell phone texting abbreviation for “hugs and kisses.”  Yes, the Church is the Bride of Christ, but XOXO is not exactly what is meant by that.  Romance is fine, even silly romance, but the marriage of the Church and Christ the Bridegroom is not all bunny rabbits, bubbles, and flowers.

The Peace Symbol ☮ was popularized among the 1960’s counter-culture which was opposed to United States involvement in the Vietnam War.  Regardless of their feelings about the war, many Christians were highly offended by the symbol.

The Peace Symbol, the symbol for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, appears to be an inverted cross with the cross-arms broken and drooping downward ☮.  The symbol was soon adopted as a generic anti-war logo. The anti-war activists always insisted that the symbol was not intended as an insult to Christianity though many Christians were not so sure.  The 1960’s counter-culture was also associated with the concept of “free love” (interpretation: promiscuous sexuality) and advocated the unrestricted use of illegal psychotropic drugs.