Articles written by James Pate

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About me - James Pate

Hello! My name is James Pate. My interests are religion, politics, and entertainment. I have a B.A. from DePauw University, an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School, and an M.A. from Jewish Theological Seminary of America. I am on leave from school right now

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Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture The Unpardonable Sin: 1 of 27
In Matthew 12:22-37, Jesus heals a demoniac, prompting the Pharisees to repeat their claim that Jesus did his exorcism through the power of Beelzebub. Jesus responds that this is absurd, for Satan would not undermine his own kingdom by freeing people from demons. That would be against Satan's own self-interest! According to J... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Constitutional & Contract Law Reflections on Martin Luther King Day: 1 of 15
Growing up in rural Indiana, I didn't always hear positive things about Martin Luther King, Jr. If memory serves me correctly, I don't even think we got the day off every single year. But he has managed to confront me throughout my life, and this attests to the force of his personality, even after his death.When I was a kid, ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism Atheists and the question of morality: 2 of 20
At a college Bible study meeting I once attended, the leader said he was glad that he was not a non-Christian, since non-Christians lack inner peace. When he said that, my mind turned to something specific: I thought about professors I knew who fought with one another for prominence in their departments. Most of these profess... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Bible study: Matthew 5, sermon on the mount: 1 of 9
Matthew 5:13 says, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot" (NRSV).Christians are the salt of the earth. In the same way that salt gives food a decent flavor, the presence of Christians is su... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) Baptized in the Holy Spirit: 1 of 9
In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist says, "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (NRSV).What did Jesus do that John the Baptist did not? John's baptism already removed sins, so why ... More..
Relationships & Family > Dating Psychology Dating scene: Assessing the game and the players involved: 2 of 17
Doc Love is a dating guru whose advice has helped many. He has a dating technique called "The System," which is based on three C's: confidence, (self-) control, and challenge.For Doc, women generally like men who are confident enough to approach them, who don't totally fall apart whenever they're rejected. A good sense of hum... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Thoughts on God Deliberating on why God allows for evil: 11 of 93
Why does God permit evil? Ask most Christians that question, and the answer you will get is "free will." This is also the typical response on sitcoms such as Highway to Heaven and Touched by an Angel.According to their reasoning, God created humans with the ability to choose. He wants them to follow him and his way out of the... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christianity (Other) Jesus Christ and John the Baptist: 1 of 8
In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, John the Baptist is someone who proclaims Jesus to be the Messiah. Is this historically accurate? And what criteria do biblical scholars use to address that question?First, they compare the New Testament to non-Christian sources. The presumption is that the New Testament is biased, and so we ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christianity (Other) Reflections: I choose to walk with the truth that Jesus loves me: 2 of 15
Matthew 5:10-12 says the following: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the sam... More..
Entertainment > TV Characters & Personalities Mr. Rogers: A tribute: 1 of 7
I recently read Tim Madigan's I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers. Tim Madigan is an award-winning journalist who has written critically acclaimed books, and he made friends with Mr. Rogers when he was writing a story about him and Captain Kangaroo. He himself did not watch Mr. Rogers that much, since he was more... More..