(Note: This article is the first of a four-part series. The first three parts are edited versions of a series of questions by a reader named Rami, and my answers. The original versions appear in the comments section of the…
(Note: This article is the first of a four-part series. The first three parts are edited versions of a series of questions by a reader named Rami, and my answers. The original versions appear in the comments section of the…
Good Friday is the day Christians traditionally commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. The story of Jesus’ crucifixion is told in all four Gospels, each offering its own variation on the main theme. In narrating the event of Jesus’ death, three…
Here is a Spiritual Conundrum submitted to Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life by a reader named Joe M: Hi Lee I’ve been a sinner all my life. I even married a woman 9 years ago and I was unfaithful to…
According to the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), the universe and everything in it is quite literally created from and built around the interplay between what is colloquially known as “head and heart,” or between love and wisdom, in the more abstract language that Swedenborg commonly…
The previous article, “How Can a Criminal Get to Heaven?” brought on a whirlwhind of comments about the Protestant belief in salvation by faith alone vs. the belief of the rest of Christianity in salvation by faith together with works.…
On November 19, 2015, Jeremy Wilson was released from federal prison after serving six years for impersonating an Army officer, forging a judge’s signature, and stealing a car. By that time he had racked up convictions for fraud and forgery…
Here is a question that was asked on Christianity StackExchange, as linked at the end of this article: One of the key points of the Reformation was the doctrine of Sola Fide: that salvation is by faith alone, apart from…
From the perspective of Swedenborg’s theology, this is a trick question. Technically, according to Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), anyone who rejects Jesus (“the Lord,” as Swedenborg refers to him) cannot go to heaven. However, Swedenborg’s definition of “rejecting the Lord” is…
My post two weeks ago titled “Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does” drew a strong reaction. Most of the reaction was positive. But since the article assailed a fundamental defining and…
“We are saved by faith alone.” The Bible doesn’t say it. In fact, the Bible rejects it. It was not part of Christian belief for the first 1,500 years of Christianity. Even today, only about one-fifth of Christians belong to…