Articles written by Neal Banks

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About me - Neal Banks

I eat, I sleep, I cook, I draw, I paint...oh yes, and I write.

I suppose I should elaborate somewhat (I will keep it pithy). After abandoning my ambitions of becoming an astronaut while watching the Challenger explode prior to reaching orbit, I pursued a

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Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games The Dungeons and Dragons stigma: 1 of 17

Some of us are old enough to recall the first time that Dungeons & Dragons hit the shelves. We remember the cover art on the boxes, the old dice you had to color with crayons, the first hardback editions of the original "Advanced" version of the game. We can still see the first copies of Deities and Demigods that were pu...
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community Can gaming and Christianity co-exist: 1 of 6

Let us look at what the word Christian really means. The main definition I will take a look at is this: "Following the teachings or manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus Christ." Most define the word Christian as "Christ-follower" but in a very real sense, for someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Sa...
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Is Dungeons and Dragons really satanic?: 1 of 4

If you look up Satanic, you'll find the following three definitions: 1.) Related to or showing typical signs of Satanism 2.) suggestive of Satan or the devil 3.) evil, fiendish, devilish or diabolical Let's work back from the last one first, in order. First and foremost, Dungeons and Dragons among other things promotes some ...
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture If a church has a very small congregation, should it disband?: 12 of 45

A church should never be judged simply on its size. It is a sad truth that there are many churches that see death. Death to their mission, death of the Holy Spirit's movement among its members, death of the vision that birthed it. Churches disband, churches split, and churches become more like country clubs and lose vision. ...
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Is Jesus the only way of salvation?: 22 of 79

Deep at the core of every human being there is a nagging, persistent belief that there is something more than what we can simply see and feel with our five senses. A deep internal "knowing" that all of creation didn't happen by some cataclysmic coincidence and that we all didn't simply crawl out of some primordial ocean of s...
Food & Drink > Restaurant Reviews Are the most expensive restaurants in the world worth their price tags?: 7 of 24

You always get what you pay for. I might call that a pearl of wisdom, or a truism perhaps. I might even go so far as to say that the statement is undeniable fact. Nonetheless, I think it holds true in virtually every aspect of our lives, since everything we get we inevitably pay for (in one fashion or another). This is certa...
Food & Drink > Fruits & Vegetables Are canned vegetables as healthy as fresh ones?: 3 of 10

The answer to that is both Yes and No. In an ideal world, we would all simply go to the garden when everything we need is ripe and at the peak of freshness and nutrition, and pluck it off the tree, vine or out of the ground. In that case, fresh would be the healthiest and the tastiest. And in some cases, there are those of u...
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues Is sin a myth?: 6 of 17

I was five years old and I could see it from where I was standing. It was on top of the kitchen shelf, just above the refrigerator. It was made of ceramic and it had the object of my desire: my mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies. It was the cookie jar and it was calling my name. I knew that she had just baked them only an...
Hobbies & Games > Hobbies & Games (Other) Is gaming addiction a problem?: 18 of 48

To answer such a question, you must first ask yourself what addiction is (and is not). Addiction has more than one definition. Within the medical community, the term most often is used to refer to a chemical dependency of some kind: the cessation of which causes physical harm. Within the psychological community, by contrast,...
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) The Golden Compass: Is religious criticism warranted?: 9 of 15

I am, among other things, a parent. As generally defined, a parent is "A father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian." The last word in this definition bares a close look, for it carries a heavy responsibility. To get some idea of just h...