The Rehumanization of a Christian Zombie

A candid look at faith, fears, loss, and hope through the lens of a zombie religious pilgrim.

Charles touching a mirror image looking away

A mirror hangs in the foyer of my house. Until recently it was the lone adornment on my freshly painted walls; my adult daughters eventually put up some pictures to hide what was, to them, an emotional desert, naked of any image, portrait, or memory. I walk through the house like a dead man among the living. I have become numb, like a zombie, finding that this is the only way to avoid the pain.

She is gone, and our children have grown up and left the house. After 38 years its many rooms stand empty. Old friends take sides, and some ghost me. Acquaintances shy away. My mother died some months ago; my aging body aches more profoundly with each passing day. God does not hear, and I am alone.

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Speaking in Tongues Examples

Video samples of the sights and sounds of glossolalia/speaking in tongues around the world. Prepared for those curious about the phenomenon and want to know more about it.

Crowd exalted with speaking in tongues

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A Canadian Made Solution for Abortion

Baby Holding Reproductive rights sticker
“Not Yet Rain Canadian screenings” by Jenn Farr is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

A better choice in the pro-life/pro-abortion mudslinging: both parties working together. A point of view from a now moderated pro-lifer.

Any pro-life victory has to go hand-in-hand with better protection of women and motherhood. One cannot promote the unborn at the expense of the mother. Nor the mother at the cost of the unborn.

There is a common ground between the polarized parties that address the unborn and the mother. But to arrive at that, challenging discussions and structural social changes are necessary to make this happen.

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A Traditional Jewish Marriage Contract

Image copyright Pereira family, altered and used with their permission.

A translation of an 1872 Jewish marriage contract, commonly called a Ketubah, completed in the South American country of Curaçao.

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Miracles, Suffering, and a Magic Wand

Books questioning God's intervention in the world
Day 59: Prepare for suffering” by kirst19 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Perspectives of miracles and suffering from a seasoned Charismatic Christian.

If I had a magic wand like the historical characters in the Bible had with prayer, then my little brother’s cancer would be gone.

The wand for my late friend, Mark Typa, whose cancer ravished his body and stole him away. A wish to have walked in his room earlier and confidently stated that he is healed, just like Jesus did with St. Peter’s mother-in-law. Then later to play billiards and have him annihilate me in yet another game.

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Hildegard of Bingen and Her New Language

The myth or reality of Hildegard of Bingen speaking in tongues.

Hildegard of Bingen was a remarkable twelfth-century German abbess–a rock star in her time. She even invented a primitive language for her convent. Was it glossolalia, speaking in tongues, singing in tongues, or jubilation?

She is a figure whom some academic Pentecostal whisper support. They allude that Hildegard was part of a tradition passed to them.

An examination reveals that her speaking or singing in tongues or similar rites is a myth. It has nothing to do with ecstasy and everything about her intellectual creativity. She did invent a primitive language, but it was not glossolalia.

Of course, readers of the Gift of Tongues Project won’t accept such a brief explanation. A more detailed description follows.

Table of Contents

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The Book of Genesis and Matthew 1:1

The mystery and possible solutions to the first two words of the Book of Matthew.

grec 94 intro page and graphic book of Matthew
The beginning of the Book of Matthew in a 13th century manuscript. See below for more information.

The start of the Book of Matthew seems reasonable, but a closer look reveals some tension. In the English translation, it begins with, “A record of the genealogy. . .” which appears straightforward. The Greek is ambiguous. It has Βίβλος γενέσεως, which is very close to the words the Book of Genesis.

Garrick V. Allen, A New Testament Scholar at the University of Glasgow, recently brought up this discussion via Twitter (@Garrick_V_Allen, November 21, 2021). Did Matthew intend to start his book as the new age of Genesis with Christ being the new incarnation for humanity? Or is it just accidental?

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Perceptions of Pentecost Through the Ages

An infographic that outlines the history of Pentecost from inception until today.

The graphic contains the significant four streams of thought throughout the centuries: The Catholic, Traditional Protestant, Conservative Protestant, and the Glossolalia Stories.

There is a dominant assumption that speaking in tongues died out in the early church and then reappeared with the Pentecostal awakening in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Not true. Almost every generation has wanted to claim Pentecost for themselves throughout history.

See the following paths of tongues through the centuries for details.

Poster on the different perceptions of Pentecost through the ages

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History, Faith, Politics, and COVID

Thomas Aquinas masked and holding a COVID-19 vial

COVID from historical, literary, political, ecclesiastical, and Bible perspectives. An eclectic mix from a Canadian viewpoint that produces surprising results.

History has a lesson of repeating itself and COVID is no different. Each plague unearths a new set of social problems that need address. There comes a point where history cannot give all the answers. Contemporary society is forced to make difficult but necessary changes within their particular context while avoiding the dangerous pitfalls on the way.

The goal here is to briefly touch on the history of pandemics through historical literature including the Bible, explore theological questions, and arrive at some political realities.

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