Rich Murphy 
Throughout history, mankind has sought the blessings of whatever gods they served. Many ancient religions not only sought to receive the blessings of their gods, but also to prevent those gods from bringing calamity upon them. Sacrifices were given both to garner blessings and to avoid disaster. With that kind of human history, it should … Read more
The domestication of animals stands as one of history’s greatest achievements, even though it doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Had our early ancestors never accomplished that, we would all still need to spend considerable time hunting for food. We would never have had vehicles or animal power to run early industry; farmers would have … Read more
Suffering is common to life. Pretty much all people suffer at one time or another, a condition that has existed all throughout history. But that suffering often leads to questioning, including questioning why God would allow it. The common way that question is phrased is, “How could a loving God allow suffering?” It often goes … Read more
The Bible starts out in the Old Testament with an account of God’s creation of the world. As part of that creation work, we see Him creating Adam and Eve, the first human couple. Some have tried to say that these were merely symbolic “people” as evolution slowly ground its way towards what we know … Read more
It has been said that the Bible has answers to everything. It has also been said that the Bible can be used to prove any point of view. But the truth is that neither of these statements are correct. While the Bible does have answers to many, even most, of life’s questions; there are some … Read more
The study of angels is a legitimate are of theological study. At the same time, it can easily slide over into a cult religion or even idolatry, when we seek to please angels in order to gain access to their power. Mankind has always sought to know and receive benefit from those who are more … Read more
Mankind has always struggled with the big questions: Why am I here? What or who controls the rain and the sun? Where will I go after death? Anthropology and Philosophy point to religion as mankind’s invention, seeking answers to those questions. Ancient religions fit that description, being almost all paganistic, worshiping nature through deifying natural … Read more
One of the Biblical principles that people in the modernized Western world have trouble dealing with is that of the spirit realm. We readily accept the fictional idea of other dimensions or universes, even that spirit beings can exist; but when it comes to the real world we live in, they fall somewhere between a … Read more
Any Christian pastor or minister worth their salt is going to tell those they are preaching to that they should read the Bible. Bible reading is considered to be one of the foundational teachings, mostly because it is through the Bible that we come to gain an understanding of who God is, what His character … Read more
The Bible has been determined to be the most popular book of all time. This was discovered by the writer James Chapman, who created a list of the books with the most copies sold, reasoning that the most copies sold would indicate the number of people reading it. According to Chapman’s figures, there have been … Read more