Alternate Angles

One of the most common misconceptions in modern Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ sacrificed himself to absolve all of mankind's sins. In fact, nowhere in the Bible does it even say this. While a few broad elements of it are true, the overall notion is far from what fully transpired - and what the long-term effects really were. Most western churches do not preach this, but any Christian who is concerned with their spiritual well-being and afterlife should try to understand what exactly it was that Jesus was trying to achieve. Christians know the basic story: Jesus Christ, the son of God, was captured and hung on a cross for crucifixion. While he was up there, he took on all the sins of the world, which upset God but it freed everyone from sin. And then three days later on Easter morning he rose from the dead like nothing happened. Again, certain elements of that story are true, while others....are a bit stretched. But many details are left out when this story is being ta...

Most people in America have heard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormons (informally). Some of you reading this may be members of the Church. Or you may have seen the missionaries helping in the community or going door to door in your neighborhood for a chance to speak to people about their church. Unfortunately the LDS are often on the receiving end of jokes, or treated poorly when they approach someone. Some of this is due to society's increasing departure from religion, but a lot more of it is due to the fact that people really don't understand who the Mormons are or what they believe. The Origin of Mormonism Early Years The roots of Mormonism began in 1820 in New York state near the town of Palmyra, about 25 miles east of Rochester. The account goes that 14 year old Joseph Smith, Jr. was contemplating his life, and more specifically his place in the church. He didn't agree with all of the competing Christian denominations, and felt that none of t...

As the New Year begins, and Christmas Trees are being hauled to the road, many people begin to shift their attention to the next upcoming holiday: Valentine's Day. For some, this is a day of joyous celebration of romance and happiness, while for others...it's not so happy. One of the biggest themes you hear the naysayers touting is referring to the day as a "Hallmark holiday," suggesting that the holiday was created by greeting card companies to boost sales. While it is no surprise that candy and card companies flourish at this time of year, Valentine's Day is no invention of theirs. In fact, the first celebration was established over 1500 years ago as a feast to commemorate a priest who was martyred. Saint Valentine Throughout history, there have been about a dozen Saint Valentines recognized by the Catholic Church. Details are quite vague, and the Saint Valentine in question may have been one man, or comprised of the stories of two or three men. Whether he was o...

The idea of celestial beings pitting a battle of good versus evil has captivated mankind for much of history. Because angels and a devil have been prevalent in most religions and belief systems spanning all the way back to the beginning of recorded history, the suggestion of fallen angels also emerges. Fallen angels are exactly what the name suggests, angels who have, for one reason or another lost favor from God or have turned evil and were cast down out of Heaven to the Earth. Fallen angels not only play a role in the Abrahamic religions being Judaism, Christianity, Islam and all of their denominations, but it's also common in Hinduism and Shintoism, as well as many pagan and Wiccan beliefs. This piece will focus mainly on the Adamic tradition, meaning the Abrahamic religions, the Judeo-Christian Islamic beliefs. What exactly are angels, how did they fall, and what part will the play in the end? Hierarchy of Angels To start with, let's back up and discuss some of the differen...

The problem with Christianity is there's too much focus on Jesus Christ. That may sound like a funny statement because his name is right in it, but that's because the religion was supposed to about what he was teaching, not the man himself. Jesus wasn't out trying to start a whole new belief system, he wasn't trying to get people to pray to his cross or make statues of his mother. He was out spreading and reinforcing the ideals of Judaism. Jesus was raised in a strong Jewish household, surrounded by family who was very religious. He picked up on it quickly, naturally, and at a young age could be found at the Temple arguing with the Rabbis, testing their knowledge and faith. As he got older and began realizing his purpose, he began travelling to other areas to teach and support the religion of Abraham. He did modernize some of the older practices, gave alternatives to others, but at the core still maintained all of the fundamentals of the Jewish religion, as well as cont...