Dee Farrell's Blog, page 11

Egyptian Mummy DNA Adds to Shocking Discovery

A recent study has solved a 200 year old mystery. Well, only one mystery which then led to another the experts will probably never solve.

 

The mummy of an Egyptian woman named Takabuti from the 25th Dynasty shows evidence she was murdered. Stabbed in the back to be more precise. Among the many unique aspects of Takabuti's mummy is her proposed DNA. It seems she is genetically related to Europeans. 

 

This discovery only adds to previous findings that ancient Egyptians were...

What The Rise Of Atheism Really Means

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like without religion?

 

I say religion and not God because I'm including all polytheistic and monotheistic forms of worship.

 

In 2015, a Psychology Today article quoted a study by Ariela Keysar and Juhem Navarro-Rivera which found there are about 500 million atheists worldwide. It went on to say that is about 7% of the global population. 

 

You might assume atheism is the belief that God or anyone or anything like Him...

Jesus and Saturnalia

This time of year the internet is full of memes accusing Jesus and Constantine of hijacking the traditions of Saturnalia, an ancient festival honoring the pagan god Saturn.

 

But Christians in northern Africa were celebrating Jesus' birth in December before Constantine was emperor. Perhaps because Jewish tradition stated great prophets were conceived and died on the same date. 

 

Was Jesus born in December?

 

Maybe not. There seems to be more evidence pointing to...

The Surprising Legacy Hidden in the Christmas Story

Christmas can be a difficult time if our focus turns to the godless hustle and bustle and we lose the meaning and purpose behind all our activities. Advice is plastered everywhere in November and December on reducing stress, simplifying, streamlining and embracing imperfection. Good advice, considering the first Christmas was anything but 2019 perfect.

 

 Because despite the 90+ Best Christmas Decoration Ideas for the Merriest Home on the Block and 73 Christmas Dinner Ideas That...

Me? Unthankful? Not Really...

How many times do you say thank you a day? Alot right? At least we are supposed to.

 

But the United States didn't make the top ten list of the friendliest, or most polite, places to visit. Michigan shares a border with a country supposedly legendary for their politeness. Michiganders have always raised our skeptic snow covered brows at that one. We are nice too...aren't we? Turns out, Canada made the list and Michigan didn't.

 

Okay. Deep breath. It seems we're more...

7 Steps to a Better Way to Fast

I love fall. It's a time of gathering and bringing in, from fields, orchards, gardens and tucking away and celebrating.

Even we gather. Warm cider around the fire. Goodies shared whether gooey with caramel or as soups and chowders or roasted to perfection. For my family and probably yours, gathering means food. And we all like to cook because we all like to eat. This is best outdoors. Under trees gleaming in color. Dressed in flannel and wrapped in red buffalo check wool.

 

I...

Experts Claim Mark's Gospel a Fraud and What It Means for You

I recently heard someone say the Bible can't be trusted because there are missing verses in some versions and it has been added to.

 

Mark 16:9-20 was the particular culprit in that conversation. The claim is that it was not part of the original text written by Mark. Therefore it was added later and should not be part of the Bible.

 

It is a well known and often quoted section. If it is not original, then Christians around the world have been deceived. I decided to check it out....

How Ancient Elephants Help Us Receive Salvation

I spend hours researching science and archaeology discoveries. Many times I fall down rabbit holes learning interesting stuff, but not exactly what I need. Like this article on elephants in the ancient Levant. 

Perhaps you didn’t know elephants lived in Israel? I admit, I never really thought about it, but the animals had to pass through there from Ararat to Africa somehow. Anyway, there are two sites mentioned in the article, one near the Golan Heights and the other near Kafr Qase...

How Your Identity Determines Your Future

Identity is a big issue today. We research our history with DNA. We claim ethnicity and gender, sometimes by fact, sometimes by feelings. We point to neighborhoods, regions, diplomas or rap sheets as qualifiers and forecasts of futures. But who builds the fences to plot the territory of our potential?

 

The answer is becoming clearer even amid all the chaos. We choose. It is an old answer, really. Modern society has ignored the truth of it by making excuses, but the Bible already told u...

Christians: 3 Signs Your Identity Has Been Stolen

In 2017, one person out of fifteen was affected by identity theft. In 2018 the number had increased and the crime became more sophisticated as data breaches exposed social security numbers. But there is an identity theft Christians are experiencing and few are aware of it.

 

If you are a born again Christian, here are three signs your identity has been stolen:

 

You are depressed.

You have anxiety.

You wonder if God even listens to prayer.

 

Gideon is a classic example of a per...