Latter-day Saints Church set to build its seventh Arizona temple

The Mormons are on a mission! 😊

Latter-day Saints Church to build Arizona temple in Queen Creek - Phoenix Business Journal

Mormon temple in Mesa, AZ (Source)

Religious Freedom long Before John Locke's famous treatise: Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius

Recommendable!

"... More than a millennium before Locke, Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius (ca. 250 – ca. 325 AD) had already articulated a clearer and more coherent rejection of religious coercion. Writing in the early fourth century, during the final phase of Roman persecution and on the cusp of Christianity’s legalization, Lactantius was a rhetorician steeped in classical philosophy. With the support of Emperor Diocletian, he became a professor of rhetoric in Nicomedia, which also facilitated his entrance into the orbit of the imperial elite. We do not know precisely when Lactantius became a Christian, but his conversion almost certainly preceded Diocletian’s persecution of the Church. His career suffered as a result. Saint Jerome, who later praised his literary abilities, attests that Lactantius lived in poverty for years. However, his fortunes reversed when he came to the attention of Constantine, who appointed Lactantius as tutor to his son Crispus. He likely enjoyed imperial favor until the end of his life.

Lactantius draws a sharp contrast between two fundamentally different modes of engagement. Violence belongs to the realm of brute compulsion, whereas religion belongs to the realm of reasoned assent.

Lactantius’s major work, Divine Institutes, is a bold defense of Christian truth addressed to the Roman elite. He likely began writing it after losing his teaching post in Nicomedia. Although it does not reveal deep knowledge of Holy Scripture or particularly original theology, Divine Institutes was regarded by later Christian writers as a masterwork of Latin style. More importantly, it reveals a broad familiarity with Christian apologetics up to the point of Lactantius in history. What matters for us specifically is his argument for religious freedom.

Lactantius is widely regarded as having developed the first principled argument for liberty in matters of conscience. Given his later associations with Constantine, it is likely these ideas influenced the climate of opinion leading up to the Edict of Milan (313), which established toleration for Christianity. Ultimately, Lactantius’s condemnation of coercion in Divine Institutes is both more striking and philosophically serious than Locke’s.

Lactantius argues that coercion is inherently opposed to the nature of religion and to the dignity of the human person. “Religion cannot be imposed by force; the matter must be carried on by words rather than by blows.” But he goes even further. Coercion is not merely ineffective; it is irrational and degrading. “For religion is to be defended, not by putting to death, but by dying; not by cruelty, but by patient endurance; not by guilt, but by good faith.” ..."

Religious Freedom Before Locke – Alexander William Salter

Lactantius

Fourth-century mural possibly depicting Lactantius (or possibly Apuleius)

Beginning of Lactantius' Divinae institutiones in a Renaissance manuscript written in Florence ca. 1420–1430 by Guglielmino Tanaglia

Africa Overtakes Europe, America in Global Christian Population With Palki Sharma

Recommendable!

(241) Africa Overtakes Europe, America in Global Christian Population | Vantage With Palki Sharma - YouTube

My Christmas wish 2025

Can we not all get along in peace and prosperity? Christians, Jews, and Muslims!

Will it happen in my lifetime? I pray and hope!

God, forgive them for they know not what they do

The famous last words of Jesus on the cross (except the Bible reads Father instead of God)!

These wise words have ever impressed me since my childhood!

My late parents also used to quote these wise words occasionally when a situation arose.

I am not an expert in world religions, but I (mistakenly?) believe these words also distinguish Christianity from some other religions.

1700 Years Later: The Enduring Power of the Nicene Creed

Recommendable! Luce da luce!

Turkey Prepares for Pope Leo XIV’s First International Visit

Recommendable! Why Turkey before his trip to Lebanon? The first foreign trip of this pope.

Chart on persecution of Christians in Nigeria

A very serious issue that can not be ignored! 

Source

The Man Leading Christian Nationalism’s Rise Under Trump: Pastor Doug Wilson

Recommendable! His remarks about e.g. slavery in the US were food for thought! Not all slaveholders were horrible (some slaveholders were actually black, but he did not say that)!

Erika Kirk forgives the assassin of her husband at his funeral event in public

Bravo! Maybe the best choice to go on with her life and with her two young children!

Google search: ""Father, forgive them" asking God to forgive his tormentors because "they know not what they do" are the first recorded words of Jesus from the cross, found in Luke 23:34 of the New Testament, where He prays for His executioners' forgiveness despite His agonizing death. "

Michelangelo's Tortured Journey Creating the Sistine Chapel | Renaissance

Recommendable!

Popemania Fuels Booming U.S. Market

Souvenirs and memorabilia everywhere! Devotional items anyone! Merchandize everything!

"Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope and a native of Chicago, has sparked a fast-growing cottage industry of merchandise and tourism centered on his historic election.

From “Da Pope” shirts and Sox jerseys to bobbleheads and prayer cards, American demand has turned the papacy into a booming brand.

Chicago is the epicenter of this frenzy, with local businesses rolling out themed food and memorabilia, while Rome sees a spike in U.S. tourism. See more merchandise here.

Vatican officials are expected to clamp down on the use of the papal image, perhaps within weeks, according to Italian news reports."

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 - Join The Flyover

Bobblehead

Christianity has long revered saints who would be called ‘transgender’ today. Really!

Of course, the ideologues and intellectuals of LGBTQ can not resist going after or to usurp Christian saints! Laughable! Absurd!

I am not familiar with any of the listed Saints, but a quick look at St. Eugenia on Wikipedia shows she only chose to dress like a man as an end to a means for her to join a monks order.

"... To be clear, not all Christians are anti-trans. And in my research of medieval history and literature, I found evidence of a long history in Christianity of what today could be called “transgender” saints. While such a term did not exist in medieval times, the idea of men living as women, or women living as men, was unquestionably present in the medieval period. Many scholars have suggested that using the modern term transgender creates valuable connections to understand the historical parallels.

There are at least 34 documented stories of transgender saints’ lives from the early centuries of Christianity. Originally appearing in Latin or Greek, several stories of transgender saints made their way into vernacular languages.

Transgender saints

Of the 34 original saints, at least three gained widespread popularity in medieval Europe: St. Eugenia, St. Euphrosyne and St. Marinos. All three were born as women but cut their hair and put on men’s clothes to live as men and join monasteries. ..."

Christianity has long revered saints who would be called ‘transgender’ today

Together, Pope Leo XIV and Patriarch Bartholomew return to Nicaea on 1,700th anniversary of defining moment in Christendom

I am not very familiar with the history of the Christian church, but this could be a momentous event in history!

Is the new Pope up to something?

Together, pope and patriarch return to Nicaea on 1,700th anniversary of defining moment in Christendom | Blaze Media

38% of American Jews believe in life after death, but 83% of US Christians do, study finds

Amazing stuff!

"... That share was lower than the 83% of U.S. Christians who believe in life after death, as well as the 58% of Israeli Jews who say there is an afterlife. ...

Unlike in some Christian denominations where a belief in the afterlife is an organizing idea, Judaism has no single doctrine about what happens after death. Still, the idea that ultimately the dead will be resurrected by God is a core aspect of classical rabbinic theology embraced by Orthodox Jews, who make up a larger share of Jews in Israel than in the United States. ..."

38% of American Jews believe in life after death, study finds - Jewish Telegraphic Agency "About half of American Jews, and nearly two-thirds of Israeli Jews, said animals can have spirits."

Believing in Spirits and Life After Death Is Common Around the World "Younger people are just as likely as older people to hold some spiritual beliefs"

How did Rome become Christian?

Recommendable!

Anne Boleyn’s Dangerous Move That Changed English History

Recommendable!

In asking Trump to show mercy, Bishop Budde continues a long tradition of Christian leaders ‘speaking truth to power’. Really!

This article is a piece of junk journalism!

A naive and dumb bishop using exclusively certain ideological preferences is a joke and a disgrace!

From Budde's speech: “gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families,” across the country “who fear for their lives.” ... immigrant workers, including those who may not “have the proper documentation”" and so forth.

"... As a specialist in medieval Christianity, I was not surprised by the bishop’s words, as I know that Christian history is full of examples of people who have spoken out, unafraid to risk official censure, or even death. ..."

Caveat: I did not read the whole article.

In asking Trump to show mercy, Bishop Budde continues a long tradition of Christian leaders ‘speaking truth to power’ (the author of this article appears to be a nuty professor)

What a smirk!

Perhaps, the worst ever mistake of Christianity

Caution: Food for thought! No offense to Christian believers or any Christian church intended.

The mistake: To make Christ/Jesus into a god or god's son. This mistake was all too human. Or how to make one religion stand out from others. This mistake is also known as anthropomorphism.

The two other Abrahamic religions did not make this mistake. The latecomer, Islam could have even opted to follow or copy the Christian example, but Islam did not.

Jesus famously said one of you will betray me. Actually, all Christians may have betrayed him ever since in my opinion.

One may speculate, had the humble prophet Jesus foreseen he would become a god after death, he might have chosen to disappear without a trace.

No human (or animal) can probably ever become a God who created the universe and all live in it. Or how many sons and daughters does God possibly have all over the universe? 

Are we all made in the image of god (imago dei), hopefully not. E.g. I can not and will never believe that e.g. Hitler or Stalin and their henchmen were made in the image of god rather than in the image of the devil.

Does God even need sons and daughters? I don't thinks so.

P.S. I believe, I am myself a deeply religious person as probably my blog can attest to. I do respect all major religions. Can we all get along in peace and harmony please!

P.S. I am not and I do not claim to be an expert on religion or the history of religions.

How Christianity and Judaism Split

Very recommendable! A short refresher!