Articles written by John Devera

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About me - John Devera

John DeVera is a professional writer who ascribes heartily to the dictum of Samuel Johnson that "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money." As yet, his career has not allowed him to wallow in the luxury to which he would like to be accustomed, but

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Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) Should one's faith influence a citizen's vote?: 2 of 307
Let's begin by defining terms; that's always a good place to start when there's a debate about a significant issue between people of intellectual and ethical sincerity. First, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. That means that faith is that belief we have in things that we would be un... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Churches & Organizations Should Christian churches allow gays to be ordained as priests?: 1 of 127
Christian churches should not allow the ordination of gays. Here is a very simple and Biblical way of looking at the problem.1) What constitutes a Christian Church? If a church wishes to identify itself by applying the identity of Jesus Christ in its characteristics, then that implies that the church wishes to be known as a p... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Is Christianity dying out?: 1 of 123
It is a very sad thing to enter into a beautiful cathedral and see just a few nuns and pensioners in the pews during a service. Throughout Europe churches are drawing such small congregations that one could easily start to believe that Christianity is dying out. In America, the congregations of many of our mainstream churches... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Ghosts & Paranormal Phenomena Do Ouija boards really work?: 1 of 63
Ouija boards really work. That's the problem. They work in different ways, though, and so we need to examine what a ouija board is. A ouija board is any flat surface with symbols on it. On this board is placed a planchette, a pointer of some sort. Participants place their fingers lightly on the planchette and allow it to slid... More..
Arts & Humanities > Arts & Humanities (Other) Is artistic skill natural or learned?: 2 of 109
This question possesses its own answer. Artistic skill is learned. Artistic talent is natural. Anyone can learn to draw, be a craftsman, an illustrator. Being an artist, being great at it, requires more. It requires talent. Let us consider some examples.Vincent Van Gogh came from a family with no history of artistic talent. H... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Self-Healing The benefits of forgiving: 1 of 47
Oh goody. Let's try an experiment. Think of a person who has wronged you. Go over every detail of how you were victimized and hurt and betrayed by this person. Ready? Good. Now, here's the experiment; think as hard as you can about hurting that person. WILL that person to feel pain. Mentally try to cause anguish in that perso... More..
Arts & Humanities > Meaning of Life How those who don't believe in an afterlife view and cope with death: 1 of 45
Those who believe that there is no afterlife exist in a world that functions like an electric light. If the switch is on, there is light. If you flick the switch, life is gone. That's it. End of story. Now, don't assume that this viewpoint necessarily dictates that one is an atheist. Mainstream Judaism has no dogma about the ... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Social Values & Norms Lessons in life: 6 of 220
After four decades spent making a variety of mistakes, I would like to offer my valuable experience. These are lessons that I guarantee will improve your life immeasurably. Money back, if not satisfied.1) Learn these three phrases and apply them whenever applicable. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. It'll never happen again." Th... More..
Arts & Humanities > Schools of Thought Proof of God's existence and rational thinking: 1 of 35
There are a number of substantial proofs that God exists, but only arguments that he does not. You see, to argue that God does not exist is fruitless; one cannot prove that something (anything, including God) does not exist. So, we have two main arguments against the existence of God, THE PROBLEM OF EVIL, and THE PROBLEM OF F... More..
Arts & Humanities > Political Philosophy The problems with Communism: 1 of 30
The problem with Communism is that it does not exist outside the very small and vervently homogenous examples of small communities. Socialism is the prevalent political system that attempts to work from communist theory, but that is a far cry from communism.Communism is a social system in which all people in a group share the... More..