What is a bad omen……Answer: It might be helpful to first explain what an omen is. An omen is considered to be an event that portends the future, whether good or bad. In ancient Rome, "augurs" were those who could interpret these omens. Augury is a term to indicate the interpretation of omens and also […]

What is anthropological hylomorphism?……Most closely associated with the teachings of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, anthropological hylomorphism is one view of the relationship between body and soul. ……Hylomorphism is the theory that "matter" (pure, abstract essence) combines with "form" (that which gives something its nature) to make "substance" (what we usually consider matter). For example, unformed […]

“What does the Bible say about ancestor worship?”……Ancestor worship involves religious beliefs and practices consisting of prayers and offerings to the spirits of dead relatives. Ancestor worship is found in many cultures all across the world. Prayers and offerings are made because it's believed the spirits of ancestors live on in the natural world and […]

“What is Arianism?”……Answer: Arianism is named for Arius, a teacher in the early 4th century A.D. One of the earliest and probably the most important item of debate among early Christians was the subject of Christ's deity. Was Jesus truly God in the flesh or was Jesus a created being? Was Jesus God or just […]

“Who are the Amish, and what are their beliefs?”……The Amish are a group of people who follow the teachings of Jacob Ammann, a 17th-century citizen of Switzerland. It is a Protestant denomination, closely related to the Mennonites. The Amish, most of whom live in the United States, follow simple customs and refuse to take oaths, […]

“Is Annihilationism Biblical?”……Answer: Annihilationism is the belief that unbelievers will not experience an eternity of suffering in hell, but will instead be "extinguished" after death. For many, annihilationism is an attractive belief because of the awfulness of the idea of people spending eternity in hell. While there are some passages that seem to argue for […]

“Should a Christian participate in acupuncture / acupressure?”……The origin of acupuncture is Chinese Taoism. Taoism is the philosophical system evolved by Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu that advocates a life of complete simplicity, naturalness, and non-interference with the course of natural events in order to attain an existence in harmony with the tao, or life-force. It is […]