The prehistoric goddess, the Orante, and the catacombs – now we can begin to reinterpret the pervasive religious symbol of the Orante in the context of nature symbols and the “mother earth” of the Roman catacombs. First, many, if not most, of the symbols used in catacomb art were not purely decorative. Much of it held […]
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Some Surprises from the Roman Catacombs 2: Traditional Interpretations of the Orante
The Orante – who was she in the context of pagan, Jewish and early Christian art, and what was she doing in the catacombs? In our last post, we noted a number of religious symbols in the catacombs that indicated a reverence for the prehistoric nature goddess. One of the symbols is the Orante or […]
Some Surprises from the Roman Catacombs 1: Religious Symbols
The ancient catacombs winding for miles beneath Rome, favorites of tourists from all over the world, provide a glimpse of religious life for several centuries of the early Christian era. In the next few posts, we will look at the catacombs from perspectives not usually considered – the symbols evocative of ancient goddess worship and […]
Good Government versus Bad Government: Don’t Throw the Baby out with the Bath Water
We Americans have a long history of ambivalence toward government at all levels. We have recently witnessed the stand-off in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon between authorities and anti-government protesters. Republican presidential candidates cry out for abolition of government agencies – and have been doing so for decades (recall Ronald Reagan’s frequent rallying […]
An Astronaut and the Afterlife
The late Dr. Edgar Mitchell was the sixth man on the moon. He was also the founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and the first chairman of Eternea, Inc., the non-profit organization founded by Proof of Heaven author, Dr. Eben Alexander. Dr. Mitchell’s life and convictions are worth examining if we harbor any […]
Fear, The Enneagram and Political Decision-Making
Danger and threats (perceived or real) are all around us – terrorists, violence, illegal immigrants, out-of-control cops, a volatile stock market, wild weather … It is understandable that we react to these threats with fear. As individuals and communities, we want and need to reduce these threats as much as possible. We are always seeking […]
Reincarnation and Genetics: A Novel Approach to Facing Racism
Paranormal evidence points to the fact of reincarnation. Near-death experiences, reputable psychics and mediums, the seer Edgar Cayce, out-of-body experiences, electronic voice phenomena, past life regressions in psychotherapy, and instrumental transcommunication together combine to show that most human beings have lived multiple lives on earth – some estimates suggest in the neighborhood of 85-100. Given […]
Paul’s Female Colleagues: Not Keeping Silence in the Churches
Sixteen years into the 21st century – despite the reality of women in the workplace, women in leadership positions in business and government, and the ordination of women in many Protestant denominations and in Judaism – we can still find preachers railing against the leadership of women in Christian organizations. (We will concentrate here on […]
Dreams: Real Visits of Deceased Loved Ones
“To sleep, perchance to dream” – Shakespeare’s Hamlet Many people who have lost loved ones to death report having vivid dreams of the loved one. The deceased seems so real to the dreamer, and the experience is often so joyful, that the dreamer is very upset upon awakening, feeling cheated that she no longer has […]
The American Workplace 6: Summary and Suggestions
We need to be honest about the state of workers and the workplace in the United States of America: in many cases, the situation for millions of individuals and families is demoralizing, unhealthy, detrimental to the social fabric, and sometimes downright dangerous. We have seen in this series how US workers have virtually no job […]