Articles written by John Taylor

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About me - John Taylor

For the last five years I have taught at a small Bible college, I enjoy travelling, and am currently studying for a history/politics degree.

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Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Is Christianity dying out?: 6 of 123
Christianity today is a global movement, therefore when answering this question it is important that we look at the big picture. Are there less Christians in the world today than there were 1000 or even a 100 years ago?For many of us who live in 'western' countries we may be inclined to say yes. We have heard from older gener... More..
Arts & Humanities > Schools of Thought Assessing the Bible: 1 of 11
The Christian Bible is a collection of books written over a time period from about 1400BC to 100AD. These books that make up the Bible vary from romantic poetry, official government histories, personal journal entries, to letters between friends. The authors are as diverse: from national leaders, to peasants. Not surprisingly... More..
Arts & Humanities > History (Other) Commentary: The cold war: 2 of 9
The Cold War is generally understood as a period of tension between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which lasted from shortly after the conclusion of the Second World War until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. This period of rivalry is described as a cold war because the nati... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Could Christianity survive without the Bible?: 25 of 86
The Bible has been described as 'the anvil that has worn out many hammers'. In other words, for the last several thousand years there have been governments and individuals who have sought to eradicate it, all have failed.God's word, the Bible is essential for Christians! Through the Bible we are shown what it is to be a Chris... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Personal Morals & Values People are taking less personal responsibility for themselves today?: 25 of 75
A small child about 3 or 4 took a chocolate and tore open the wrapper. His mother noticing, grudgingly paid for the candy. Assuring her child all the while that it was not his fault. The store was blamed for putting treats within reach, how could a small boy not be expected to take it? So the chocolate was paid for and given ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Understanding passages in the Bible about slavery: 3 of 8
For many Paul's seemingly casual attitude towards slavery is somewhat shocking! It appears that both Paul and the other Apostles may have been mildly in favour of the institution! In particular, looking at Paul's letter to Philemon, why doesn't he tell Philemon he is totally in the wrong for owning slaves?! Yes, he does appea... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Comparative Religion Is any one religion better than another: 27 of 52
Some religions advocate loving God and loving humanity; others promote deception, cannibalism, and human sacrifice. I think most of us would agree that the first option is to be preferred!This does not mean that one religion is really better than another. It merely shows that we for whatever reason you or I happen to prefer o... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Thoughts on God Creation explored: 6 of 10
In this article I am seeking to explore different Christian views regarding the creation of the world. If you read the Genesis account of creation one of the first things you will notice is that there are two accounts; the first seems to be a more general look at the creation of the world, the second focus' on humanity and ou... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Are the Christian Gospels really good news?: 52 of 86
I think most of us like to think of ourselves as good people, but none of us would claim to be perfect. Come on, nobody's perfect just as long as we avoid terrible things like murder we're ok right? Hmm, what if the standard is raised? Jesus did exactly that, he said that anyone who hates someone else is in a sense already a ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Ethics Ethics for Atheists: 22 of 33
Ethics, defined here as the study of a person's values. What a person believes to be right, good or true; and conversely what they believe to be wrong or evil.Is it plausible though to make the jump from, 'this is what I believe is right and wrong' to 'this is right and wrong'. I may believe that it would be wrong to murder, ... More..