Bob Thiel's Blog, page 1172

Christianity, Heaven, and the State of the Dead

COGwriter Certain scholars who have looked into the Bible and early church history have properly questioned the idea of Christians going to heaven: (RNS) The oft-cliched Christian notion of heaven — a blissful realm of harp-strumming angels — has remained a fixture of the faith for centuries…But scholars on the right and left increasingly say [...]

Bernie Sanders moves up; Charismatic claims the Donald is God’s Trumpet

Bernie Sanders COGwriter In a move that the establishment would not have considered likely, Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders is making great strides in polls with Hillary Clinton: August 12, 2015 A new survey released by Franklin Pierce University and The Boston Herald found that 44 percent of Democrats in the state are backing Mr. [...]

Certain Jews truly want a third temple, but . . .

Remaining Bricks of the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill COGwriter Various Jews in Israel are fervently working on trying to have another temple: I went to visit the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem to see how the preparations for the establishment of the new temple were getting on. For hundreds [...]

Australian ‘PM defends stalling on same-sex marriage’

Tony Abbot COGwriter Unlike the USA and the rest of its Anglo-Saxon descended allies, Australia has thus far refused to recognize homosexual marriage: 12 August 2015 Prime Minister Tony Abbott accepts people may be disappointed over the coalition’s decision to reject a free vote on same-sex marriage but says the government has to keep faith [...]

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘Dream,’ Ferguson, and God’s Plan

COGwriter A recording, believed to be the earliest where Dr. Martin Luther King conveyed his ‘dream’ was reportedly just found: August 11, 2015 Before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in front of a massive crowd in Washington DC in 1963, a small group in a high school [...]

Protesters arrested in Ferguson; Obama ‘indifferent to ‘Christian’ persecution in the Middle East

Barack Obama (Official Whitehouse Photograph) COGwriter Despite the declared ‘state of emergency,’ dozens were arrested in Ferguson: August 11, 2015 FERGUSON, MISSOURI— Police arrested more than 20 protesters Monday night in Ferguson, Missouri, which continues to be a flashpoint one year after the high-profile shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed black man who [...]

Alcohol: Blessing or Curse?

COGwriter Is alcohol a blessing or a curse? Or perhaps both? What does the Bible teach? Here are some excerpts from an article titled Alcohol: Blessing or Curse? in the old Good News magazine: Alcohol can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how it is used. Most people who drink alcoholic beverages [...]

State of Emergency declared in Ferguson

Ferguson Protestors (Loavesofbread) COGwriter Protests and violence returned to Ferguson, Missouri and at least one protester got quite violent: August 10, 2015 Authorities declared a state of emergency in Ferguson, Missouri, after gunfire erupted on the anniversary of a high-profile police shooting and prosecutors on Monday charged an 18-year-old man with assault on officers. The [...]

Barack Obama dismisses criticism of nuclear deal with Iran; Pat Boone reports comments about Islam on making deals

A Twitter account affiliated with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posted an image over the weekend that appears to portray U.S. President Barack Obama holding a gun to his head. (Source: Twitter/CNN) COGwriter US President Barack Obama continues to defend his hoped for deal with Iran and has been hitting the television and radio [...]

Irish Puck Fair: Any possible biblical ties?

COGwriter A reader send me the following: Puck Fair is one of Ireland’s oldest festivals, celebrating almost 400 years of documented evidence. The first day of Puck Fair is called The Gathering Day which makes Puck Fair the original and oldest Gathering Festival in Ireland. http://puckfair.ie/ “The word Puck comes from the Irish, puc, for [...]