Articles written by F.J. Foster

What is Helium

About me - F.J. Foster

I am a husband of 41 years, the father of three daughters, and the grandfather of three grandchildren. My eldest grandchild, Alexis, died at age 11 of Cystic Fibrosis. When I pray at the end of the day, I thank God for her life and the joy she brought to me

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Arts & Humanities > The World Wars Efforts to deny the historical reality of the Holocaust: 1 of 47
His name was Fred, and I worked with him some 30 years ago. One evening at work, he mentioned something from his World War II service, a reference to the Holocaust that stuck with me from then on. He described how his unit had liberated one of the death camps. "Outside the camp fence," he said, "there was a large wooden w... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Can information contained in the Bible be placed in the realm of absolute truth, or does it simply present us with fables and myths?: 1 of 37
When Pontius Pilate asked Jesus "What is truth?," it was already an old question. Philosophers back to Socrates, and probably beyond, had quibbled over its meaning. Today, 2,000 years later, nothing much has changed. Philosophers and the periodic hair-splitter still haggle over it. As philosopher-apologist Dr. Norman L. Geisl... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Could Christianity survive without the Bible?: 3 of 86
Almost 40 years ago, a co-worker, a member of an aggressive religious organization, approached me one evening with an interesting query. "What if you were in a burning house, and I stood at the door holding it open and told you this was the only way out. Would you listen to me, or stay in the burning house?"I don't recall my ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Outrageous or contradictory quotes from the Bible: 1 of 28
To many, the Bible does indeed appear contradictory. It isn't, but there are surface difficulties . A deeper look into the text, and into the context, cause most apparent contradictions to vanish. To illustrate, we'll look at a few examples from other essays on this topic.One writer, for example, questions a verse in chapter ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Thoughts on God Evolution and intelligent design: Taking sides: 1 of 27
If you'd like to start a riot, walk into a room filled with secular scientists, and shout the magic words - "Intelligent Design!" Don't lose sight of the door, though. You'll need it in a hurry.What is it about those two words that is akin to shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theatre? And why, of all people, do scientists, who pr... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture What is the greater challenge in accepting Christianity: Intellectual or moral?: 1 of 24
Although many more challenges face Christianity than these two, pitting them against each other creates a stimulating contrast. To me, the more difficult, at least for the modern church, is the intellectual. And on this point, the church has clearly failed its members. Overall, it has all but conceded the issue.Churches have ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Is the Bible trustworthy?: 9 of 160
For anyone who fears that the trustworthiness of the Bible is questionable, an angel in Matthew chapter two has a message: "Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy ...".Not only does he announce the birth of the King of Kings to local shepherds, but his first two words should bolster you as well. The book that con... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues The Prosperity Gospel: Christian lfestyle or modern heresy ?: 1 of 13
We've all seen them on TV, usually at odd hours of the night, sandwiched between infomercials for some product or other we can't do without. At least infomercials have a product to sell. These others do not. We call them by the generic term "televangelists," and too many - if not most of them - are peddling an empty version o... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism If God created everything, who created God: 5 of 60
If God Created everything, who created God?Probably no other question is more commonly asked, at least of Christians, than this. One essayist addresses this topic as a conundrum, but assumes that strict Bible-believers are free from such worries because they are "faith-based," and not guided by "logical understanding." As a r... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues Defending Christianity: 1 of 10
About 2,000 years ago, a man sat down to write a letter to followers of a new faith that would come to be known as Christianity. His name was Jude, an apostle of Jesus Christ, who was the founder of the new belief system. Jude knew what he wanted to write about - the common salvation of all believers. But he didn't. Instead, ... More..