Saints on the Loose!

Science in Antiquity: Part 9

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:36:00 +0000

Many modern people have a very limited view of history. They can only see or think about five or ten years into the past. They see history as boring and they think of the ancients as ignorant and backward. This was actually not true. What the ancients lacked was the modern accumulation of facts. An ancient Israelite would have been very puzzled and culture-shocked to have been dumped into the modern world, but he or she could have eventually learned to drive a car or to cook on a stove or to use a cellphone.

The ancients were just as intelligent as we are but the accumulation of scientific facts had not yet reached a critical point. Human knowledge took centuries to double, fact by fact. As knowledge accumulated, the rate of accumulation began to speed up. Every answer exposes a new question. Buckminster Fuller spoke of the Knowledge Doubling Curve which was relatively flat for centuries, then began a slow climb, and then went into an explosive upward thrust.

By the end of the 19^th Century, knowledge was doubling once per century. By about 1945, the rate of doubling was about every 25 years. By 1982, the rate was about every 12-13 months. By 2020, the doubling was occurring about every 12 hours. With at least 50,000,000,000 devices now operating and with the rise of artificial intelligence, the rate may now be in minutes.

Ca 582-ca 507 BC/BCE: Pythagoras of Samos stresses the mathematical nature of reality. He declares that “All is number.” Along with metaphysical and religious concepts, Pythagoras teaches other subjects including music, mathematics, vibrating lyre strings, and geometry.

25 May 585 BC/BCE: A solar eclipse ends a war between Lydia and the Medes during the Battle of the Eclipse. The battle stopped because of “day turning into night” and a treaty was signed. The eclipse had been accurately predicted by Thales (Ca 640-546 BC.BCE, WBD), a Greek philosopher. He is considered to have been the father of modern astronomy and geometry.

The end of fighting resulted in a treaty of alliance cemented by the political marriage of a Lydian princess, Aryenis, to a Median prince, Astyages.

624-546 BC/BCE: Thales says the Earth’s surface is curved.

635 BC/BCE: Chinese astronomers notice that a comet’s tail always points away from the sun.

780 BC: The first historical mention of a solar eclipse is made in China.

Book Comment: The Narcissist Next Door

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:16:00 +0000

I am going to recommend a book which, for several reasons, you might never otherwise read. The book is The Narcissist Next Door by Jeffrey Kluger. Among the reasons that some might object to reading this book include: the book is entirely secular, the concept of narcissism is not widely understood, the author is not a Christian, and the book contains some profanities and shocking statements.

The Narcissist Next Door concerns how the psychological condition known as narcissism is present in every level of civilization, in our governments, in every institution, in every business, and even in our own families. It is a self-centered type of personality and occurs in varying degrees of severity worldwide. Symptoms of the disorder include a feeling of grandiosity, an excessive need for attention and admiration, and an impaired ability to be empathetic. It is considered to be a psychiatric condition known as narcissistic personality disorder. The cause of the condition cannot be definitively stated but there are numerous suggestions: childhood parental neglect, childhood emotional or physical abuse, the person may crave the feeling of control generated by being able to abuse others who are too weak-willed to oppose them, the person may have a combination of narcissism and sociopathy with a total lack of normal emotions, the person also could have been the family’s golden child who never learned how to hear the word no.

You probably don’t think that you know any narcissists, but you do. They are around you every day, on television, singing the songs you hear on your car’s radio, one of your co-workers, they may be your political leaders, they may be a family member (particularly distressing), they may even be in your church. They may even be one of your deacons or your pastor or your priest.

Kluger points out that, in order to deal with narcissism, you first have to understand what is actually is. He explains what the arrogant narcissist is actually feeling, and gives examples of the narcissists living around us, going so far as to name the names of real people who are obvious narcissists.

Some of Kluger’s chapters are The Bastard in the Corner Office, The Peacock in the Oval Office, The Schmuck in the Next Cubicle, The Beast in Your Bed, and Death Row and Hollywood: Where the Narcissists Won.

One particularly awful type is the spiritual narcissist. These people with narcissist tendencies seem to be in almost every church. These are the persons who are sure that they are correct and who want everyone else to know it. They come across as overbearing, judgemental, and power-hungry. They assume that they are holy and spiritually knowledgeable and that everyone else falls short. This is the sin of Self, I am special. Hear the words I AM, one of the names of God.

You should not just ignore these spiritual narcissists, because they can poison a church. You should also not just attack or lecture them but you should handle the situation in the spirit of Christ. Never become defensive or hostile towards them, because that can interfere with your good judgement. An excellent approach is not to become part of the power struggle by gossiping and buzzing about the problem but, instead, to bring up the subject with trusted church leaders. Protect yourself, putting on the spiritual armor which the Holy Spirit has provided to you, the whole armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 7:15, 15:33; Luke 17:3-4; 1 Peter 4:8; Ephesians 3:14-19, 6:10-18.

___________________________________________________________________

As with most books such as this, what you get from the book depends on what you bring with you. You may not agree with everything the author says. Luke (see below) advises you to think for yourself. Read your Bible and to listen to what it says. Do not believe anything just because someone else told to believe it; let the Holy Spirit guide you to the truth.

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.

Information you will need to search for this book:

Kluger, Jeffrey, The Narcissist Next Door. Understanding the Monster in Your Family, in Your Office, in Your Bed – In Your World (New York: Riverhead Books, 2014)

Hyper-Male and Hyper-Feminine Portraits of Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:21:00 +0000

God is spoken of in the Bible in mostly masculine terms but there are several feminine references as well. God encompasses male, female, and more. He is other, but has given us the Bible and Jesus to show us what he is like.

We do not know what Jesus looked like but he certainly was not a fair-skinned, blond or light brown-haired, blue-eyed European and he did not look like this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_Christ

Some people believe that he is depicted on the controversial Shroud of Turin but the dating of the cloth is highly, even sometimes hotly, disputed.

Various Christian artists have rendered Jesus in paintings and drawings. Some have emphasized his masculinity, sometimes to absurd levels, and others have stressed his tenderness by depicting him in ways which many would consider to be effeminate.

Google AI says: “The term "effeminate" reflects modern sensibilities; historically, it was about portraying divine perfection and spiritual grace, not necessarily gender ambiguity in a modern sense, though it challenged traditional notions of masculine strength.”

A few examples:

Stephen S. Sawyer’s Undefeated

https://www.art4god.com/store/undefeated

A display of a series of portraits collected by an objectivist (look up objectivist)

https://oneobjectivistsartobjectoftheday.blogspot.com/2011/03/unusual-depictions-of-jesus-week.html

A controversial portrayal of Jesus as a black woman

https://janetmckenzie.com/joppage1.html

The Christ child as a little girl

https://smarthistory.org/ayala-obidos-child-salvator-mundi/

Book Comment: Star Trek FAQ

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:05:00 +0000

Those who love science fiction television and movies are usually enthusiasts of either the Star Trek or Star Wars franchises, but often not of both. I admit to being a Trekkie.

FAQ, for those who do not know, is frequently asked questions. Clark’s book discusses every question you might ask and then a few more. Subjects include the developmental starts and stops of the television shows and movies including planned but never-released projects, the historical and literary background leading up to the first appearance of TOS (The Original Series), as the original Star Trek is often known, corporate backroom deals, the animated series, actor feuds, clashes with producers, gadgets and props, costumes, special effects, and the pre-Trek careers of the directors, producers, network executives, and the actors, including even the “redshirts” and other minor recurring character actors. Clark pulls no punches about some of the abrasive personalities and faults of the people he discusses.

For the hardcore Trek enthusiast, these things alone make this a good read.

Now, as to why this book is being mentioned on this blog: When they actually look at it in depth and with critical thinking, some are surprised that there are religious undertones in much of science fiction, and even in many horror films. The undertones can show an orthodox Christian slant but often they do not. Even those which are actively atheist can touch on religious themes and atheism can be viewed as a religion or, at the very least, a philosophical stance on the subject of religion.

The creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991), was raised in Texas (USA) as a Southern Baptist. As an adult, he rejected organized religion and was often spoken of as an atheist but could more properly be described as a pantheistic agnostic. He thought that in the future mankind would reject religions and become more religiously numinous in an unfocused way with a sort of progressive humanist and secularist religiosity or spirituality. Mankind would not be actively anti-religion but would mostly just ignore it. Along with this, Roddenberry also exhibited a belief in the ultimate perfectibility of man.

Roddenberry rejected a suggestion from National Broadcasting Company executives to include a chaplain in the Enterprises’ crew. In TOS episodes religious leaders are most commonly troublesome people even when they are genuinely well-meaning. Many are depicted as repressive of original thought.

When seemingly divine almost omnipotent beings occur in the series, they are eventually exposed as being computers developed by long-extinct species or as mortal beings possessing highly advanced technologies.

It was not until the third series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, that a religion was presented as a possibly positive force. The Bajoran people worshipped the prophets, whom other species referred to as the wormhole aliens, not actually divine but highly advanced in their technology.

Some Trekkers (who view Trekkie as a perjorative) will argue for hours about minutiae of Star Trek information, especially about what is canon and what is not. In 1994, Michael Jendra, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, published “Star Trek Fandom as a Religious Phenomenon” in the academic journal, Sociology of Religion. Film director Nicholas Meyer has described Star Trek as a “religion without theology.”

Gene Roddenberry is quoted about this: “I’m not a guru. … I certainly didn’t write Scripture and my feeling is that those who did weren’t treated very well in the end.”

Live Long and Prosper!

Clark, Mark, Star Trek FAQ. Everything Left to Know About the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise (Milwaukee, WI: Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, 2012)

Science in Antiquity: Part 8

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 01:26:00 +0000

fl 450-370 BC/BCE: The Greek philosopher Leucippus teaches that all matter is composed of identical eternally existing, constantly moving particles surrounded by nothingness between the particles. His student, Democritus, further developed the atomic theory. Democritus taught that everything is material and is created by combinations of eternally existing atoms.

Ca 475 BC/BCE: Death of Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher whose ideas correctly predict one of the main concepts of the modern understanding of the nature of matter. He teaches that solid matter is really made of fire (read this in the modern way as subatomic particles) which is in constant motion.

Ca 490-ca 420 BC/BCE: The Greek philosopher, Protagoras, declares that there is no objective truth and that we all have our own reality.

Ca 500 BC: 1. Cataract surgery is performed in India by Susrata, a surgeon. The use of anesthesia is not mentioned until the 1^st Century AD/CE.

2. Iron tools appear in China.

3. Chinese weapon makers invent the crossbow.

4. In Babylon, mathematical calculations are used to predict the movements and positions of astral bodies.

5. A Greek physician, Alcmaeon, discovers the Eustachian tubes.

16 July 523 BC/BCE: Ptolemy correctly predicts a lunar eclipse.

The Israel/United States War With Iran

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:29:00 +0000

Recently, during the current Middle East conflict of the United States and Israel (and now, a growing list of other countries) against the Islamic Revolutionary State of Iran, I have seen numerous people online who believe that this is the beginning of World War Three and that the End Times have begun. One commenter flatly stated that the Rapture would occur in the next few days.

Christians!!!! Listen to the Bible! Base what you believe on what the Bible says. Read Matthew 24:1-36, Mark 13:33-37, and Acts 1:7. The Rapture may occur in the next few days and it may not. We should not worry and fret about it. What we should do is always be ready, not just during worrisome times.

There are numerous Christian eschatological (End Times) positions ranging from preterism, amillenialism, premillenialism, to postmillenialism, with all sorts of gradations and combinations of the different interpretations. These various interpretations exist because the Bible does not explicitly spell out what will happen during the End Times.

Questions for which we will have to wait for answers: When will the rapture occur? Will Jesus return during our lifetimes? Who is the Antichrist? Are any modern countries are mentioned in the Bible? Is the Antichrist already alive and active? Which of the Christian eschatological interpretations is correct? Are any of them correct?

If events do not play out as you have believed that they will, do not reject the faith. Perhaps you, perhaps I, perhaps all the scholars and theologians, have misunderstood what the Bible has said about the End Times. We all start with our own underlying worldviews and, inevitably, our understandings are colored and influenced by those worldviews. Justin Martyr (2nd century) expressed premillenial views but also said "...many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and who are true Christians, think otherwise."

We really do not know when the End Times will play out, but we do know that to attempt to establish elaborate and highly specific future timelines is forbidden. Jesus told us that.

Epharta

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:50:00 +0000

The title of this post is not an error. That will become evident in the following discussion.

Ephratah (or Ephrath) is an ancient name for Bethlehem (בֵּית לֶחֶם Hebrew = house of bread), the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah (Micah 5:2), There were other places also known as Bethlehem so this town was called Bethlehem Ephrathah. This is the place where Jacob buried Rachel.

The Hebrew word אֶפְרָתָה (Ephrathah) comes from the root פרה (parah), meaning to be fruitful, or to increase. Strong’s 672. Genesis 35:16-19, 48:7; Micah 5:2

There are several communities named Ephratah: Efrah, Israel; Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Ephratah, New York; and Ephrata, Washington, with the town in Pennsylvania (USA), being in the national news in 2013.

Ephrata, Pennsylvania, which is of historical importance in its own right, became the focus of a national news story for what basically amounts to sloppiness and failure to attend to details. The problem was a highway sign reading 322 Epharta EXIT 2 Miles, which was noticed in 2013. Highway 322 is a United States Highway which is maintained by the Pennsylvania State Highway system.

Ephrata is pronounced as ef-rah-tah but the town name on the sign would be read as Ee-fart-uh. For readers unfamiliar with idiomatic English, a fart is the expulsion of bowel gas, usually very audibly evident. This sign clearly was a problem.

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/local/misspelled-road-sign-costs-penndot-12k/1962842/

https://lancasteronline.com/news/did-you-catch-that-embarrassing-typo-on-the-sign-along-route-222-near-ephrata/article_4d7d85e4-6694-5a90-841f-dedee1a3ac6a.html

The historical importance of this small Pennsylvania town (2024 population 13,719) comes from the fact that it is the site of the first communal religious society in the United States, the Mystic Order of the Solitary. The buildings are now a tourist and pilgrimage site.

In 1732, Johann Conrad Beissel (1691-1768) founded the pietist, pacifist, celibate, and ascetic

group which was known locally as the Ephrata Cloister. Their doctrines identified them as Seventh Day

Dunkers. The modern survivors of the group are Seventh Day Baptists.

Hello, Palestine!

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 22:35:00 +0000

Hello, Palestine! 22 February 2026.

Hello, Palestine! Welcome to the world-wide group of readers from many countries who also visit this blog. I hope you find some of the posts useful or meaningful. Tell your friends about this blog. Everyone is welcome.

أهلًا فلسطين! مرحبًا بكم في مجتمع القراء العالمي من مختلف البلدان الذين يزورون هذه المدونة أيضًا. أتمنى أن تجدوا بعضًا من منشوراتها مفيدًا أو ذا مغزى. أخبروا أصدقاءكم عن هذه المدونة. الجميع مرحب بهم.

As of 22 February, there have been 916,164 page views of this blog. The current number of posts is 1835. These posts can be searched using the Search This Blog function. An alphabetical list of subjects discussed on this blog is at the extreme bottom of the blog page under Labels and indicates the number of posts about the subject in question. The Translate This Page tool can present the blog in numerous languages.

The Labels section at the bottom of the page is useful in searching for all Saints on the Loose blog posts which mention a particular subject. Numerous subjects are mentioned on this blog. All, in one way or another, are pertinent to the purposes of this blog. Search for any word of interest to you. There are hundreds of labels on various subjects including grace, sanctification, film commentary, food, horror, magic, archaeology, Star Trek, sanctification, blood, Pee-Wee Herman, Spain, blasphemy, Star of Bethlehem, doctrine, humor, distracted driving, ekklesia, and Arianism.

This blog has been viewed from at least one hundred and fifty-one countries including Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia/Kampuchea, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo - Kinshasa), Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast/Core d'Ivoire, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of the Congo (Congo - Brazzaville), Reunion, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Togo, Tunisia, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Hello, Cape Verde!

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 21:01:00 +0000

Hello, Cape Verde! 21 February 2026.

Hello, Cape Verde! Welcome to the world-wide group of readers from many countries who also visit this blog. I hope you find some of the posts useful or meaningful. Tell your friends about this blog. Everyone is welcome.

Olá, Cabo Verde! Bem-vindos ao nosso blog, onde recebemos leitores do mundo todo, de diversos países. Espero que encontrem artigos úteis e relevantes. Compartilhem com seus amigos. Sejam todos bem-vindos!

As of 21 February, there have been 915,986 page views of this blog. The current number of posts is 1835. These posts can be searched using the Search This Blog function. An alphabetical list of subjects discussed on this blog is at the extreme bottom of the blog page under Labels and indicates the number of posts about the subject in question. The Translate This Page tool can present the blog in numerous languages.

This blog has been viewed from at least one hundred and fifty countries including Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia/Kampuchea, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo - Kinshasa), Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast/Core d'Ivoire, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of the Congo (Congo - Brazzaville), Reunion, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Togo, Tunisia, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Trout Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 01:32:00 +0000

If you enjoy making homemade ice cream, why not be adventurous? Try ice creams made with uncommon ingredients: pickles, corn, carrots, tofu, bacon, ham, avocados, butterbeans, etc. Some of them sound as if they might be quite good.

Japanese Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai is known to have made cod roe ice cream. In 2019, on Iron Chef America, chef Morimoto Masaharu, a fish expert, made trout ice cream. The judges unanimously told him to never make it again.

A Christian understanding which can be taken from this event is that, in our Christian freedom, just because you can do something, that does not mean that you should or even that you must do it.

Surprisingly to me, the Google AI function expressed this very well. "Christian freedom does not mean a license to indulge in sinful desires or do whatever one pleases, but rather a freedom from the bondage of sin and an opportunity for serving others through love, as well as doing what is good, true, and beautiful in obedience to God's will. It is freedom to live a holy life, act in love, and serve others, not freedom to pursue fleeting desires or self-indulgence."

Who was Lydia?

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 01:13:00 +0000

Lydia was the first gentile European convert to Christianity and was probably the richest commoner mentioned in the Bible. She was a merchant in Thyatira (in modern Turkiye) who sold purple cloth, an expensive luxury item which was only available to the very wealthy and especially to members of the royalty. The purple dye used was extracted from a special sea mollusk. Less well-off people used red dyes while most probably used no dyes at all. Lydia allowed Paul and Silas to use her home as a house church.

Acts 16:14-15.

Science in Antiquity: Part 7

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 01:22:00 +0000

387-312 BC/BCE: Life of the astronomer, Heraclides of Pontus. Among his statements; Venus and Mercury revolve around the sun; the Earth rotates on its axis once per day.

388 BC/BCE: Plato teaches that the sun, moon, and the planets move in perfect circlers around the Earth.

408 -355 BC/BCE: Eudoxus, a Greek astronomer and mathematician, explains the movements of the planets and calculates that the solar year is six hours longer than the stated 365 days.

426 BC/BCE: Thucydides correctly explains the cause of tsunamis.

428 BC/BCE: Death of Anaxogoras, a Greek philosopher whose students included Socrates, Pericles, and Euripides. He taught that matter is composed of tiny particles and that the heavenly bodies are large stones thrown from the Earth.

Come, Let Us Reason Together

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:12:00 +0000

Isaiah 1:18 begins in many translations as “Come let us reason together.” This is God calling to his people. God wants to talk with them and to settle a dispute. He is giving them a chance for repentance.

Many modern people see argument as hurtful, but traditional Jewish culture sees argument as healthy and productive. Come, let us reason together. Argue your points with respect and civility towards one another, examining everything from all possible sides. Argue as friends.

The rabbis speak of arguments for the sake of heaven and arguments not for the sake of heaven. A matter of degrees of importance.

Jews are famous for arguing, often seeming to enjoy it, without becoming hateful or personal with it. Some describe a good argument as something that spices or flavors life. A rabbinic study method is pilpul, which carries the idea of peppers, to spice, to season, and to violently dispute (the idea of getting hot like a pepper). The method examines every possible angle on a dispute until arriving at an agreed upon answer.

https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12153-pilpul

Jews historically prefer reason over violence or force and argument over intimidation. Argument has even been described as a form of scholarship. Come let us reason together.

https://inheritmag.com/articles/the-jewish-way-to-argue-without-losing-friends

Modern Western society has become increasingly argumentative without the underlying brotherhood. Everyone pulls into their own camps and seeks to “cancel” those with whom they disagree. This even happens in our churches.

Maybe we would be wise to listen to Isaiah 1:18. After all, it is in our Bible.

______________________________________________________

לכו־נא ונוכחה Isaiah 1:18 word study: A very loose approximation or paraphrase could be, “Come, let us walk alongside one another and discuss this.”

Le-ku לכו (from halak, Strong’s 1980), “Come,” an imperative or a command. It can also mean argue, reason, decide, or walk alongside.

Na נא (na, Strong’s 4994), meaning now or pray. This is an article of exhortation or entreaty, giving a courteous urgency to the imperative or command. The one being addressed is being given respect as a person. Something like “now I pray you” or “now I request of you.”

We-niw-wa-ke-hah ונוכחה (from yakach, Strong’s 3198), meaning dispute, argue, reason (together). The wa וְ is not usually translated but can mean something like and.

Book Comment: The Narcissist Next Door

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:41:00 +0000

I am going to recommend to you a book which, for several reasons, you might never otherwise read. The book is The Narcissist Next Door by Jeffrey Kluger. The reasons that some might object to reading this book include: the book is entirely secular, the concept of narcissism is not widely understood, the author is not a Christian, and the book contains some profanities and shocking statements.

You should not just ignore these spiritual narcissists, because they can poison a church. You should also not just attack or lecture them but you should handle the situation in the spirit of Christ. Never become defensive or hostile towards them, because that can interfere with your good judgement. An excellent approach is not to become part of the power struggle by gossiping and buzzing about the problem but, instead, to bring up the subject with trusted church leaders. Protect yourself by putting on the spiritual armor which the Holy Spirit has provided to you, the whole armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 7:15, 15:33; Luke 17:3-4; 1 Peter 4:8; Ephesians 3:14-19, 6:10-18.

___________________________________________________________________

Information you will need to search for this book:

Kluger, Jeffrey, The Narcissist Next Door. Understanding the Monster in Your Family, in Your Office, in Your Bed – In Your World (New York: Riverhead Books, 2014)

Update to the Statement of faith

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:56:00 +0000

I am from a doctrinally orthodox, Baptist, Trinitarian background. I reject the Prosperity Gospel, Christian Nationalism, and any idea that the answer involves any kind of political solution.

I periodically will make additions to and/or updates to this blog's Statement of Faith. Updates were made today (19 January 2026) to items 1, 5, and 15.

To view this page, scroll down until you see the white window labelled as Pages. Click on Statement of Faith.

Charity at the Grocery Store

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 22:16:00 +0000

Recently at the grocery store the cashier rang up my purchases and then asked if I wished to add a donation to one of the store's several charities. When I said no, the cashier looked at me as if my ears were covered in green fuzz. So, I responded.

What I said was that I donate to my local church, a dog rescue group, and to a well-known major national Christian charity which provides disaster relief, food supplies, farm implements and animals, Bibles and Christian educational materials, occupational training, sewing machines, washing machines, medical procedures and supplies, construction supplies, etc.

The cashier perhaps felt a little blasted by this but I was not angry and was not addressing the comments directly at him. I hoped that everyone in line was hearing what I was saying. I made several points: Most people give nothing to charity except for an occasional grudging dollar or two at the grocery store. Charity means absolutely nothing unless it is done willingly and gladly. If everyone would choose just one charity and regularly give to that one charity, all the charities would be adequately funded. Christians can preach with their actions.

Perhaps the grocery store checkout line was an unusual pulpit, but sometimes things just need to be said as the Holy Spirit leads. There is no hard historical documentation that Francis of Assisi actually said this, but it is a true statement anyway, "preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words."

Science in Antiquity: Part 6

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 01:17:00 +0000

Ca 290 BC/BCE: Aristarchus of Samos says that the Earth orbits the sun.

3^rd cent BC (300-201): The Greek physician and anatomist, Erasistratus, specialized in the study of the human circulatory and nervous systems. He differentiated between sensory and motor nerves, distinguished between the cerebrum and the cerebellum, and traced arteries and veins back to the heart. He was invented a type of catheter.

Ca 300 BC: The Mayans develop advanced mathematics and an accurate Calendar.

Ca 300 BC: Euclid, a Greek mathematician, expounds his geometrical theories of plane geometry, solid geometry, optics, optical perspective, and proportion.

Ca 340 BC/BCE: The Macedonians utilize catapults as weapons.

Broke

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 17:21:00 +0000

I stay broke more often than the Ten Commandments.

The Wise Men

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 01:34:00 +0000

Most modern Christmas nativity scenes depict the baby Jesus and his parents in the manger surrounded by barn animals, shepherds, angels, and Three Kings bearing expensive gifts. The problem is that this is not supported by the Bible.

The shepherds were told by a choir of angels to visit the Βρέφος (baby, infant, unborn, newborn) Jesus in a φάτνῃ (a manger, crib, animal feeding trough). This happened probably on or near the night of the birth. Luke 2: 8-20.

The magi Μάγος (wise man, magician, sorcerer, seer, teacher, sage, priest, astrologer; these men were probably Persians because they were from the East), who are not numbered and are not called kings, visited the Παιδίον (young child) in an Οικιαν (house). They were warned by an angel not to return to King Herod and went home by a different route. Enraged, Herod ordered the massacre of all boys in the Bethlehem region who were two years old and under kατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ἠκρίβωσεν παρὰ τῶν μάγων (according to the time frame he had learned from the magi). Because of Herod’s response, the visit may have been as late as two years after the birth. Matthew 2:1-18.

There are many later additions to the Christmas story and tradition. Let the Bible speak for itself and listen to it.

Relatives of Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 20:39:00 +0000

6-4 BC/BCE: This is the probable range of dates for the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Judea (modern Beit Lahm, West Bank). Matthew 2:1. Some believe that the Simeon who blessed the infant Jesus (Luke 2:25-35) was Shimon ben Hillel, the nasi of the Sanhedrin and a son of Rabbi Hillel. Shimon was the father of Rabbi Gamaliel and, since the family was descended from King David, they were all distant relatives of Jesus. Acts 5:34-39, 22:3.

Christian Doctrine

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:55:00 +0000

Doctrine must be based on the Bible only, and not on traditions, the declarations of self-appointed "prophets" or mystics, and not on the decisions of scholars or councils. Doctrine must not be declared based on individual verses taken out of the context in which they appear. Doctrine should be interpreted by its consistency with the totality of scripture. Knowledge of biblical languages, history, culture, science, religious traditions, and other religions are all extremely useful but must never, by themselves, determine doctrine.

We must reject any doctrine derived from eisegesis (doctrine read into the scriptures) and accept any doctrines only if they are derived from exegesis (from or out of the scriptural texts). Any doctrines which we derive from the scriptural texts must be consistent with the full body of scripture to be sure that we are not misreading the intent of the texts.

We have allowed the progressives ("Progressive" is their current self identification. They have also been known as liberals and relativists) to define themselves as "mainstream" or "moderate." They insult historical Christianity by labelling it as backward, racist, reactionary, homophobic, sexist, intolerant, irrelevant to the modern world, judgmental, imperialistic, sexist, anti-intellectual, etc., etc., etc. Yada, yada, yada. Blah, blah, blah. You get the picture.

Historical Christianity is none of these things. Part of the reason that this insulting situation has arisen is that many churches have not adequately fulfilled their function to hand on the faith to the following generations. A helpful start would be a renewed emphasis on Christian education in history, doctrine, interpretation, apologetics, and application of the Christian message in day to day life. We need to be equipping modern day Christian warriors. (Ephesians 6:13-18)

(... but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1 Peter 3:15)

Historical Christianity is the "mainstream." Absolute agreement on all points of discussion among Christians is not required. There is a small remnant of true Christians in every truly Christian body. The Lord knows those who are his. Those who wish to redefine the faith are the ones who are creating another doctrine. Many have already crossed the threshold and have effectively left the mainstream historical faith.

Book Comment: Yes Lord, I have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:43:00 +0000

In his book, Yes Lord, I Have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses, James W. Moore, discusses the one real sin from which all other sins flow; idolatry of the self, and the numerous excuses we offer to God in our feeble attempts to explain why we are really OK and not to blame for our failures. We can convince ourselves, but not God, that we have good reasons for what we have done or what we are planning to do. Luke 14:15-24. The title of this book is a quotation of a line of dialogue from Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

ἁμαρτία (amartia: sin, missing the mark). Strong’s Greek Concordance says that this word derives from a (not) and meros (a part or a share of). The word is associated with archery and carries the idea of loss because of a failure to hit the mark, the target of the standard set by God.

Some of the sins discussed in this book include: talking a good game, half-heartedness, spiritual arrogance, deception, overreaction, hostility, and presumptuousness, all of which reduce down to the one sin, worship of self.

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As with most books such as this, what you get from the book depends on what you bring with you. You may not agree with everything the author says. Luke (see below) advises you to think for yourself. Read your Bible and to listen to what it says. Do not believe anything just because someone else told to believe it; let the Holy Spirit guide you to the truth.

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

Information you will need to search for this book: Moore, James W., Yes Lord, I Have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses (Nashville, Tn., Abingdon Press, 1991)

Science in Antiquity: Part 5

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 01:12:00 +0000

Ca 240 BC: Chinese astronomers record an appearance of Halley’s Comet in Records of the Grand Historian.

262-190 BC/BCE: Apollonius, A Greek mathematician, develops the theory of conic sections.

Ca 280 BC/BCE: Aristachus of Samos calculates the first known estimate of the distance from the sun to the Earth and says that the Earth orbits the sun.

Fl 285-222 BC/BCE: Ctesibus, an Egyptian barber and scientist, studied pneumatics, siphons, air pumps, and the expansion and contraction of air pressure.

Ca 287 BC/BCE, WBD: Birth of Archimedes (Ca 287-212) in Syracuse (modern Siragusa, Italy), Greek mathematician and inventor. He studied levers, plane and solid geometry, mechanics, pulleys, hydraulics, and heat concentration using mirrors and is the first recorded person to have calculated the value of pi.

Make haste, but slowly

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:41:00 +0000

The historical production motto of Kikkoman Soy Sauce is “Make haste, but slowly.” This makes great sense. Making haste means you don’t stand around and dawdle. You ignore distractions and focus intently on doing your task. But slowly means to pay attention and not be sloppy or cut corners. Intentional attentive action. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if more people approached their jobs and activities in that way?

Book Comment: Lives of the Saints

noreply@blogger.com (Saints on the Loose!) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 23:59:00 +0000

In his book, Lives of the Saints, Richard McBrien discusses the various understandings of the meaning of the word “saint,” the various Christian and non-Christian spiritualities, canonization of the saints from a Roman Catholic perspective, biographical pictures of the lives of the saints are given, arranged by the yearly Roman Catholic calendar and the calendars of the Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, as well as other “historically significant holy persons.”

A final section of tables includes a list of feast days of the saints, and the patron saints of places, causes, occupations, etc.

The book will be interesting to general readers interested in Christian history. The book does not have to be read sequentially; you can start on any page and skip around as you wish. There is a glossary and indices of subjects and names.

As with most books such as this, what you get from the book depends on what you bring with you. You may not agree with everything the author says. Luke (see below) advises you to think for yourself.

Information you will need to search for this book: McBrien, Richard P., Lives of the Saints from Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001)

___________________________________________________________________

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