Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 43
November 28, 2017
Is Church Giving in Jeopardy?
The Republican tax reform plan retains deductions for charitable giving, including donations to churches and other non-profit organizations. But church leaders and heads of non-profits are raising the alarm, saying that the tax reform plan could severely cut giving. But why? What the tax reform plan would do is double the “standard deduction.” That means […]
A New Sexual Identity: The Digisexuals
Add to the panoply of sexual preferences, orientations, and identities a new term, one that may become the most widely applicable of them all: Digisexuals. Those whose sexual desires are all satisfied by digital technology. (There is another applicable sense of “digital” that I will pass over here.) The term was actually coined to refer to […]
November 27, 2017
Why Assume That Joseph Was Old?
The portrayal of St. Joseph as an old man is not from the Bible but was put forward by those arguing for Mary's perpetual virginity.
An LCMS Murder
A man identified as the “youth pastor” of Grace Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Chester, Virginia, shot to death his wife, his step-daughter, and her boyfriend on Thanksgiving. First of all, the perpetrator, Christopher R. Gattis, 58, is NOT a pastor of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. His name is not on the roster of synod, which means […]
November 24, 2017
A New Cranach Painting Has Also Been Authenticated
Leonardo da Vinci is not the only Renaissance artist to have a new work added to his canon. So has Lucas Cranach, Luther’s good friend and the patron of this blog! A painting entitled “Portrait of a Lady and Her Son” has just been attributed to Cranach. As with the Leonardo “Savior of the World,” […]
Taxpayers Have Been Paying Congressmen’s Sex Settlements
Now that the sexual harassment and abuse of women is coming out of the closet, we are learning that elected officials are among the prime offenders. And it turns out that taxpayers have been paying the settlement money to cover up the offenses! Since 1997, taxpayers have paid $17 million to settle workplace disputes. How much of […]
November 23, 2017
Thanksgiving Days and Thanksgiving Feasts in the Bible
Thanksgiving is, of course, a national holiday. But devoting specific days for the purpose of giving thanks and giving thanks by eating a ritual feast have strong Biblical precedent. This came to mind because of a column by Billy Graham carried in the Oklahoma City newspaper. A fifth grader asked him if they celebrated Thanksgiving […]
How Turkeys Built America (and Why They Are Called “Turkeys”)
There is a reason why the turkey, the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving feasts, has such resonance for Americans.
November 22, 2017
Luther’s Theology of Beauty
During this Reformation quincentenary anniversary, Martin Luther has been credited and blamed for all kinds of things–reforming the church, starting Protestantism, starting secularism, promoting oppression, promoting freedom, and on and on. But Luther was primarily a theologian, with greater depth, nuance, and sophistication than many scholars realize. The greatness of Luther as a thinker is […]
Finding the remains of the Buddha?
Archaeologists think they might have found the remains of the Buddha. They discovered a ceramic box in Jingchuan County, China, that contains cremated human remains. The box is inscribed with the date 1013. Gautama Buddha is thought to have lived from 563 B.C. to 483 B.C., not 1013 A.D., and in India, not China. But […]
