tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80369384062680405582024-03-14T01:45:53.921-04:00PRAXIS AND THEORIARandom Thoughts About Random SubjectsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-67168368386562394302023-10-05T10:26:00.004-04:002023-10-05T10:33:57.475-04:00How Witch Hunts End<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFz0a-YqsI52rJ3OOvogMKlEDaV-8cydfADQDouCEHxvJiW9AlN2n1Sotz3laNsq2xL5N-CLR5Y_qMxd8MJeX_H1NYk04bjMwH6yCXVxw2OIbDsle49O-8d7ptFhqMG_t8fWWlzzMR7eoOS9PG2Et2-WUtYWYPy-eGQMN68wNoVZ7VL0X2fzIYY0wEtA/s1440/IMG_20230716_175449_378.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFz0a-YqsI52rJ3OOvogMKlEDaV-8cydfADQDouCEHxvJiW9AlN2n1Sotz3laNsq2xL5N-CLR5Y_qMxd8MJeX_H1NYk04bjMwH6yCXVxw2OIbDsle49O-8d7ptFhqMG_t8fWWlzzMR7eoOS9PG2Et2-WUtYWYPy-eGQMN68wNoVZ7VL0X2fzIYY0wEtA/w640-h640/IMG_20230716_175449_378.jpg" width="640"></a></div><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Beverly is a town just across the river from Salem, Massachusetts. I attended an event in Beverly today and decided to do some sightseeing afterward. About 20 years ago, I worked an outside sales job whose main office was in Beverly, so I would spend a lot of time there. For this job, we were often paired with another salesperson and go out and do 2 to 3 hour presentations daily, usually twice a day, in people's homes. By far the best salesman was a very odd 21 year old who lived in Beverly, who usually kept to himself and was sometimes privately mocked by others, but he made a lot of money and we all would hope to be paired with him, because of the greater chances of our making money.<br><br>One day I was paired with him and we went on an assignment at 7pm, and after making the sale we left by 10pm. We were talking after for about an hour, and we ended up getting along very well and became friends. One thing he liked to do was hunt game and do taxidermy, so that night he told me to follow him in his car to his house. We arrived, went inside, and his very welcoming family received me and gave me a tour. There were literally hundreds of animal heads, mainly deer, on the wall covering every room. I felt like I was in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre house. It made me wonder for a second, should I be fearing for my life? But my new friend and his family were the nicest most hospitable people, so I was able to quickly dispel such thoughts.<br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2023/10/how-witch-hunts-end.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-54690264429996287132022-07-21T04:17:00.004-04:002022-07-21T11:53:33.821-04:00A Few Words About My Time With My Former Patristics Professor, Dr. George Bebis<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGgNF-xpzXTCQUvS_y_-ki7UI-QN5i4PlhQFQ5vPtCo1IMMEoIoD278VbgChsnfK2kqS4v8hDbf2ZBC_xSHHC3efw293WOrfMrUVevMuOwQP7ng1fa-HVhiurcA3jlbFWD7lGw_9QLhoZ-rQoJvB3ZrEiiDU6TDYUgvTDDqxsjHBzFcXHpD_rz7P7/s300/bebis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGgNF-xpzXTCQUvS_y_-ki7UI-QN5i4PlhQFQ5vPtCo1IMMEoIoD278VbgChsnfK2kqS4v8hDbf2ZBC_xSHHC3efw293WOrfMrUVevMuOwQP7ng1fa-HVhiurcA3jlbFWD7lGw_9QLhoZ-rQoJvB3ZrEiiDU6TDYUgvTDDqxsjHBzFcXHpD_rz7P7/w400-h400/bebis.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was sad to hear of the passing a few days ago of Dr. George Bebis, Professor Emeritus of Patristics at Holy Cross School of Theology. <br><br>For many years I had seen Dr. Bebis around campus when I was a student there, beginning in 1994 when I arrived, but I never actually got to have conversations with him until 2004, during my last year for the Masters of Theological Studies program. It was then that I was in need of credits to finish the program, but since I had taken every class offered at Holy Cross, and I maxed all the courses I could take in other theological institutions in the Boston area, I was required to approach the various professors on campus and ask them if they would allow me to take a special course with one of them not offered in the program. Since I was most interested in patristics and never had the opportunity to take a course with Dr. Bebis, who was mostly retired at the time and because Fr. George Dragas was the formal Patristics professor, I approached him and asked him if he would allow me to take a course with him that he had written a syllabus for but had yet to really teach, which was basically an advanced patristics course that was to cover all the Greek Fathers of the Church from after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the present. The reason he never really got to teach it was because his requirement was that the entire course had to be in Greek, and most students at Holy Cross didn't know enough Greek to take this course except the students who had actually come from Greece. For me, this was a welcome change and I actually preferred a course all in Greek, even though it is my second language. Having thus agreed, he told me to come to his office once a week at which time over the course of three hours the both of us would discuss the various Greek Fathers from 1453 to the present.<br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2022/07/a-few-words-about-my-time-with-my.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-5575883995593684952022-02-04T12:33:00.011-05:002022-02-04T13:01:53.618-05:00Killed by Indifference: A Challenge to our Collective Conscience<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCCSrMzzbCbFvTfckj_VIatEfYzvoY63wYB1MS9M1HKjuIWC7WmaQoZHQGbW5XddxoJLXggpClEEiPC7xJ2RTLywmM3DFQc4TKJL0e5qUOCmjvy5ghAJcnDYuk4SqEjAiENH-EemNCzRUwF3RCe0UbnYEbjIFhmmP2jYJHVkt7dMeO334G39pROzdy=s620" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="620" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCCSrMzzbCbFvTfckj_VIatEfYzvoY63wYB1MS9M1HKjuIWC7WmaQoZHQGbW5XddxoJLXggpClEEiPC7xJ2RTLywmM3DFQc4TKJL0e5qUOCmjvy5ghAJcnDYuk4SqEjAiENH-EemNCzRUwF3RCe0UbnYEbjIFhmmP2jYJHVkt7dMeO334G39pROzdy=w640-h384" width="640"></a></div><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was my last day in Paris in October of 2016, and before I left for the airport to return home to Boston, it was my goal to walk from my hotel across the street from Sorbornne University to the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church near the Pantheon in order to venerate the relics of Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. I had to leave early in the morning if I was to make it on time. By my calculations, it should have taken around 10 minutes to walk, but I didn't take into account that most of the walking would be uphill. And another surprise awaited me that early Tuesday morning. Along my path I had to walk over the bodies of a family of sleeping refugees or homeless people (husband, wife and two children). The busy street was too narrow to walk without risk, so when I saw this family sleeping on the sidewalk, I had no choice but to walk over them to arrive at my destination. For all I knew they could have been dead, they were so motionless and spread out over the sidewalk. But assuming they were sleeping, I walked on, and decided that upon my return I would drop off whatever euros I had to spare before my European departure. I arrived at the church, venerated the relics, and when I returned to the spot where the homeless family was, they were gone. At least I knew they were alive.<br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2022/02/killed-by-indifference-challenge-to-our.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-48287896712306096202021-07-11T04:30:00.000-04:002021-07-11T04:30:58.815-04:00The Most Baffling Thing I Ever Witnessed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BNr___n6fs/YOqrK8DUnII/AAAAAAABaIA/s52RG40QG0cjTM2QhqHyx6mvsuZCCVcWwCNcBGAsYHQ/s600/baffled%2Bemoji.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="550" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BNr___n6fs/YOqrK8DUnII/AAAAAAABaIA/s52RG40QG0cjTM2QhqHyx6mvsuZCCVcWwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/baffled%2Bemoji.png"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I've been baffled by many things, but there is one thing that still baffles me to this day, which was especially very strange and eerie.<br><br>Without identifying this person, there is some background information I will also share that may or may not have something to do with the incident.<br><br>The incident took place in my college dormitory. I was a senior and I was engaged to be married to a fellow student. One afternoon I was in the dorm room of my fiance, and through the paper-thin walls of the room we would often hear her next door neighbor snoring as she took a nap. But one day it was not snoring coming out of her as she napped, but something that was like ritual chanting - specifically Native American chanting is the closest I could describe it as, and it was done in a language I could not identify. It was not a recording of any sort, because her voice was distinct, yet the ritual chanting was done as if it was a professional doing it without interruption and without any hesitation and as creepy as it sounded it was done quite beautifully. It was constant, loud, and went on for at least an hour. <br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2021/07/the-most-baffling-thing-i-ever-witnessed.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-8122592913881092822021-06-16T17:06:00.003-04:002021-06-16T17:06:41.536-04:00How I Won a $50 Gift Card To a Local Restaurant<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AH9qkjkq5pY/YMpl3atR-CI/AAAAAAABZZw/4rYY2xj1gUcaVyZ8nv60bzwnZYGZa-d6ACNcBGAsYHQ/s720/image%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="720" height="176" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AH9qkjkq5pY/YMpl3atR-CI/AAAAAAABZZw/4rYY2xj1gUcaVyZ8nv60bzwnZYGZa-d6ACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h176/image%25281%2529.jpeg" width="400"></a></div><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last night I received a message informing me that I won a $50 gift card to a local restaurant.<br><br>The contest to win the gift card came from a local movie theater on social media, who asked a question, and said the best answer will get an undisclosed prize. The question was: "What two movies from two different time periods, preferably one classic and one modern, would make a great double feature?" For fun I submitted an answer, and out of over 300 responses my choices won.<br><br>It's sort of by a combination of circumstance and reflection that I gave the winning answer. Here's the story.<br><br>A few weekends ago one of my favorite local theaters, a cinema that dates back over a hundred years, reopened after many months, and their first weekend they showed <i>Casablanca</i>, so I went to see it. It's a classic great film that I usually try to see on the big screen whenever I get an opportunity. <br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2021/06/how-i-won-50-gift-card-to-local.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-36264691158845499152021-04-05T17:23:00.005-04:002021-04-05T17:44:14.421-04:00An American Boy With His Greek Communist Uncle<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z8PBZSAonZs/YGt9vPmBe4I/AAAAAAABYgc/ima_IjUhqjISvlGe-MdjhwbjzFqZxiMIwCNcBGAsYHQ/s450/cross.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="450" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z8PBZSAonZs/YGt9vPmBe4I/AAAAAAABYgc/ima_IjUhqjISvlGe-MdjhwbjzFqZxiMIwCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h223/cross.jpg" width="400"></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few weeks ago my uncle Niko, the brother of my father, passed away, as I mentioned in my last post, and today I learned another uncle of mine, Philipa, the husband of my father's sister, died in Athens. Like my uncle Niko, I had not seen nor spoken with my uncle Philipa since 2001.<br><br>My uncle Philipa was an interesting character. Most of my stories with him go back to the summers of 1991 and 1992, when I spent some time with him. <br><br>What was interesting about my uncle Philipa was that he was a Greek communist, whose every fiber of his being was deeply political. And of all the members of my family, all his anger at both the government and ecclesiastical system was projected onto me. He wanted me, though I was only a fifteen year old American, to understand his perspective on politics and the Church. Why? I'm not sure. My thinking at the time was he either wanted me to believe things like him, because I seemed to be the only intellectual in the family, or he wanted someone like me to understand him and justify his thinking.<br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2021/04/an-american-boy-with-his-greek.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-46223320021700331802021-03-23T09:27:00.015-04:002021-03-23T11:16:17.505-04:00A Summer With My Uncle<div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R3Ycj4a4-4M/YFnj7RYt3PI/AAAAAAABYT8/gN9dpwGun3QtfZ-UAwZIKi0H3OPfi-ZBQCNcBGAsYHQ/s828/niko.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="828" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R3Ycj4a4-4M/YFnj7RYt3PI/AAAAAAABYT8/gN9dpwGun3QtfZ-UAwZIKi0H3OPfi-ZBQCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/niko.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo from a few years ago of my uncle Niko (left) and my father Panagioti (right).<br></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday morning my father woke me up with a text message in Greek informing me that my uncle Nicholas, known to me as Theio Niko, had died in Greece. The text simply read, with my dad's characteristic spelling errors: "Γιαννη ω θιος πεθανε", which basically translates as "John your uncle died". He was 81 years old and simply died of old age, having lost his ability to walk about a month ago. I felt bad hearing this news for two reasons: first, I felt bad for my father who lost his only brother, and second, because I had not talked to my uncle since I last saw him twenty years ago in 2001. And as I began my day hearing this news, my thoughts primarily went back to the summer of 1991, which is the only time I really spent any significant time with him, and it is because of him and a few others that summer that I probably had the most formative period of my life, and it could perhaps be said that it was because of that summer that the Mystagogy Resource Center exists today.<br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2021/03/a-summer-with-my-uncle.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-42642717684622381172021-01-20T13:00:00.004-05:002021-01-20T14:07:20.980-05:00Self-Written Hagiographies<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ftTgcTEABls/YAhuvRpk4MI/AAAAAAABXWY/9LX6faSpgXEPpUZETFUcrsKFwlKLiEyygCNcBGAsYHQ/s900/blog-57-pic-1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ftTgcTEABls/YAhuvRpk4MI/AAAAAAABXWY/9LX6faSpgXEPpUZETFUcrsKFwlKLiEyygCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/blog-57-pic-1.png" width="400"></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Joe Biden's inaugural address, he said that people tell lies for profit and for power. This reminded me of the type of President that should never be trusted. These are the one's who insert themselves into stories of truly heroic people to make themselves look worthy of an office that is beyond their worthiness.<br><br>I can remember in 2008 being disgusted with Senator John McCain, when he basically plagiarized Solzhenitsyn's story about when he was in prison and drew a cross in the sand, which was an inspiring moment for him and a fellow prisoner, but then had to wipe it out quickly before the prison guards saw it. Having known of this Solzhenitsyn story since the 1990's, when McCain stole this story for his autobiography and used in the campaign in 2008 as a tale to inspire future voters to vote for him, I knew that I could never vote for such a person who tried to make himself into someone he wasn't, especially when I'm sure he had enough true stories to tell. Him stealing this story unnecessarily made me believe he was just a typical lying politician who will say anything to get ahead.<br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2021/01/self-written-hagiographies.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-76108769185630917262021-01-13T12:33:00.001-05:002021-01-14T12:59:21.031-05:00My Top Twelve Movies of 2020<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IijjVPk1z7s/X_8sLJ2bVNI/AAAAAAABXQg/t7lHLJqw-VwwS8A4K_hfNuap4gBpsGZ8QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1024/Movies.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="819" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IijjVPk1z7s/X_8sLJ2bVNI/AAAAAAABXQg/t7lHLJqw-VwwS8A4K_hfNuap4gBpsGZ8QCNcBGAsYHQ/w320-h400/Movies.gif" width="320"></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">2020 was a very odd year for movies. Despite the pandemic which caused movie theaters to close around the world, 2020 was still a great year for film. Interestingly, five out of the top ten highest grossing films of 2020 were Chinese films, and I haven't seen any of them. Personally, I have seen more movies this year, than any other time in my life, though most of the movies were not new releases. Once the drive-in theaters opened and then a few months later the indoor theaters started opening, most movies they showed were not new releases, but I still ate them up, since I didn't have much else to do. For example, there was a period of time over the summer where I think I saw <i>Jaws</i> four times, <i>Friday the 13th</i> four times, <i>Grease</i> three times, <i>Back to the Future</i> three times, and <i>Jurassic Park</i> three times at the drive-in, though I also saw many others, and some of those more than once. New releases have sometimes either been put on hold or available just for streaming. And when I make my list for top twelve movies of the year, I only judge films I have seen on the big screen, which is really the only way movies are meant to be seen. Despite the lack of new releases, I still could easily make a top twenty list and have a hard time with it. On top of that, after forming my list, I went and compared my list with other lists online, and noticed that some of the most acclaimed films of 2020 I have yet to see, either because they have not been released yet to the public, or are only available for streaming. Since that is the case, my list below may look very different in February after I've watched everything. Also, I saw very few documentaries in the theater this year, though there have been great ones that I saw streaming, still I have not included any documentaries in my top twelve. Though my knowledge of new films isn't as great as in previous years, as I have a lot of catching up to do, and I still await some to be released, here are my top twelve favorite films of the year 2020. If you haven't seen any of them, check them out.<br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2021/01/my-top-twelve-movies-of-2020.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-54401250126198017722021-01-08T17:15:00.009-05:002021-01-08T17:36:31.866-05:00Agitation Among the People and the Blame Game<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-shTIST9KY0M/X_jVuVlTtrI/AAAAAAABXME/rrYgiPjfUQ4Ji5T53vzpY6JlRL0hjPLwQCNcBGAsYHQ/s464/strad12.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="315" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-shTIST9KY0M/X_jVuVlTtrI/AAAAAAABXME/rrYgiPjfUQ4Ji5T53vzpY6JlRL0hjPLwQCNcBGAsYHQ/w271-h400/strad12.webp" width="271"></a></div><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I really don't want to comment too much about all that is going on in politics right now, because situations easily change on a dime, and once you bring a subject up you have to constantly follow up on it as information increases and situations progress. So what I am offering right now is a very brief thought I had after scrolling through various social media sites and various media I subscribe to there, and watching segments of the 24-hour news cycle on Fox, CNN, MSNBC, Newsmax and OANN. <br><br>Listening and reading to a lot over the past few days, there are two things common to all: there is agitation among the people and there is a blame game being played.<br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2021/01/agitation-among-people-and-blame-game.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-19447154262024757852020-11-26T13:06:00.004-05:002020-11-26T13:06:56.350-05:00Being Thankful in 2020<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3JC9jxhAD0U/X7_pT6gytzI/AAAAAAABWqU/-wI0zwaudxwANwP-C9HYKtSCfZs6WND9QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1920/thanks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3JC9jxhAD0U/X7_pT6gytzI/AAAAAAABWqU/-wI0zwaudxwANwP-C9HYKtSCfZs6WND9QCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/thanks.jpg" width="400"></a> <br></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">As
we are approaching the end of 2020, I have a lot to be thankful for on
this Thanksgiving Day. There have been many ups and downs and all
arounds in 2020 for all of us, and this year unlike most years the world
has collectively suffered in ways that for most of us seemed
unimaginable in our days. What we have gone through in 2020 is what we
would normally read about in history books and say, "Wow, crazy stuff
went on the world in such and such a year." And though there are many
people in the world who have suffered things far worse than me in 2020,
personally I would rate this year as being more positive than negative.
Basically, I've had worse. Some highlights for which I'm thankful for in
2020 were the following: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></div></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/11/being-thankful-in-2020.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-39712567648648374192020-11-02T16:41:00.024-05:002020-11-02T17:03:54.394-05:00My History of Voting for the President of the United States<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aX9pvLVQ_Ls/X6B7VwXzgnI/AAAAAAABWTw/L_aI20QGknMWAMu8ti5DnQn_C2o17RjUACNcBGAsYHQ/s860/us-presidential-seal-podium-plaque3_1009492818.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="860" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aX9pvLVQ_Ls/X6B7VwXzgnI/AAAAAAABWTw/L_aI20QGknMWAMu8ti5DnQn_C2o17RjUACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/us-presidential-seal-podium-plaque3_1009492818.jpg" width="320"></a></div><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since I started voting, I have always been an Independent. I have voted for both Democrat and Republican nominees for President. No matter who I voted for, I have always voted 50% Democrat and 50% Republican down the ballot. This is because I believe in government accountability. No party should have all the power. My two main determinations on how I vote for President have to do with the economy and foreign policy. I don't care about social issues, at least when it comes to voting. With this being said, below is an outline of the history of my voting record. Something has now happened where everything I once believed no longer applies as of 2020.<br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to my parents, of which I have absolutely no recollection, the first time I voted for the President of the United States was for the 1984 election between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale. The reason I have no recollection of this is because I was eight years old. Apparently, because my father was nervous about it or not able to read the ballot and understand it properly, since his primary language and education was Greek, my mother had him take me along with him to fill out the ballot. I was told to vote for Reagan. Because of this, I like to say that the first President I voted for was Ronald Reagan in 1984, even though I was born in 1976. The only thing I do remember from this time, is that 1984 was the first year I began to give special attention to the election process and cycle for the United States President, and I remember being really happy and relieved that Reagan won by a landslide, and I stayed up late to follow the outcome.<br><br><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/11/my-history-of-voting-for-president-of.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-848267657232997662020-10-30T12:41:00.012-04:002020-10-30T14:13:55.147-04:00My Top 21 Favorite Cemeteries <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4TbnFYf0tps/X5xB4GZsRVI/AAAAAAABWSE/AzRJzr-yyGcZ1y3ZUCHJCraRJ6PEE6anwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1070/kings%2Bchapel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1070" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4TbnFYf0tps/X5xB4GZsRVI/AAAAAAABWSE/AzRJzr-yyGcZ1y3ZUCHJCraRJ6PEE6anwCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/kings%2Bchapel.jpg" width="400"></a> <br></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyone that knows me knows that I love cemeteries. When I travel somewhere, a cemetery will often be included as part of my destination. Cemeteries are a place of beauty, a place of history, a place of tranquility, a place of solemnity, a place of rest, a place of mystery, a place of contemplation, a place filled with the stories of those who have passed on before us. I have visited dozens upon dozens of cemeteries, and below I will list my favorite twenty-one that I have personally visited and spent time in, and I hope to visit many more before I am finally buried in one. I love all these cemeteries almost equally, so the listing of them was difficult and could easily be up for debate; and I left many out I would have loved to include. I encourage everyone to look them up and visit them all when they get a chance. I will provide a short one sentence summary of why I listed each cemetery below.<br></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/10/my-top-twenty-favorite-cemeteries.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-44999909971468587572020-10-22T02:09:00.001-04:002020-10-22T02:09:45.370-04:00Without a Doubt, James Randi is Dead<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fRVU5JL9cmg/X5Eg3Sc7htI/AAAAAAABWKo/l5_gaeugiNo3avb4-nqcQZ-VeOle-mm9QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1802/randi-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1802" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fRVU5JL9cmg/X5Eg3Sc7htI/AAAAAAABWKo/l5_gaeugiNo3avb4-nqcQZ-VeOle-mm9QCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/randi-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg" width="400"></a><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"> <br></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">A few hours ago I read in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/obituaries/james-randi-dead.html"><i>New York Times</i></a>:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">"</span><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto">James Randi, a MacArthur award-winning magician who turned his
formidable savvy to investigating claims of spoon bending, mind reading,
fortunetelling, ghost whispering, water dowsing, faith healing, U.F.O.
spotting and sundry varieties of bamboozlement, bunco, chicanery,
flimflam, flummery, humbuggery, mountebankery, pettifoggery and
out-and-out quacksalvery, as he quite often saw fit to call them, died
on Tuesday at his home in Plantation, Fla. He was 92."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><span></span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/10/without-doubt-james-randi-is-dead.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-51344113832686683782020-10-09T13:50:00.010-04:002020-10-09T14:05:13.850-04:00Four Years Ago in Paris with Saint Denis<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Ez8hWWeWb0/X4CiTD2WHaI/AAAAAAABV6E/IXh8IwPScE0Ofioj-lK9XtiL5F5uc7NYQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1417/paris.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1417" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Ez8hWWeWb0/X4CiTD2WHaI/AAAAAAABV6E/IXh8IwPScE0Ofioj-lK9XtiL5F5uc7NYQCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/paris.webp" width="400"></a> <br></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With today being the feast day of Saint Denis the first Bishop of Paris, I was reminded of where I was four years ago this day. Being in Paris myself, I was considering whether or not I would visit the Basilica of Saint Denis on his feast day. I decided not to visit, figuring it would probably be very busy and prevent me from exploring the basilica to my satisfaction, so I put it off for the next day. The next day I took a cab from my hotel, which was right across the street from Sorbonne University in the Latin Quarter, and finally arrived at the Basilica of Saint Denis nearly an hour later, being in a northern suburb of the city.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Basilica of Saint Denis was one of my favorite places to visit in Paris. This basilica was the first to use all the elements of gothic architecture. It is an absolutely beautiful medieval building. As you walk through this basilica, it is as if you are walking through the long history of Paris, in all its glory. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Forty-two kings, 32 queens, 63 princes and princesses and 10 great men of the realm lay there, both in the crypt below and the main part of the church above. It is truly a space for the living and the dead, where the reposed sleep under a heavenly glow. Most fascinating is the imagery of Saint Denis, who is often depicted carrying his decapitated head. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span>The basilica remains a vivid example of
the beginnings of the Gothic movement and a laboratory to study the
careful and brilliant transition from late Romanesque to Gothic style.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><span></span></span></span></span></span></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/10/four-years-ago-in-paris-with-saint-denis.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-7432033100879688352020-08-26T16:37:00.004-04:002020-08-26T17:13:04.254-04:00The Best Sermon I Ever Experienced<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-890X2SmKBig/X0bH6mDmsOI/AAAAAAABVOc/Ok103ZgahxExWnAwwTdKlY67hCjbn_KEwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/kosmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="448" height="295" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-890X2SmKBig/X0bH6mDmsOI/AAAAAAABVOc/Ok103ZgahxExWnAwwTdKlY67hCjbn_KEwCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/kosmas.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">As I was reading a sermon of St. Kosmas the Aitolos the other day on his feast day, I was thinking what that sermon must have been like for his listeners. I imagined an educated monk with an ascetic appearance from Mount Athos coming into an 18th century Greek village made up of mostly an illiterate population, hungry to learn and to be guided and to be inspired in a time of harsh oppression. They were like sheep without a shepherd surrounded by wolves, but then a saintly shepherd appears in their midst and offers them some refreshment. This made me think of the closest experience I ever had to such a thing, having heard at least a few stand out sermons in my life. Nothing really can compare. However, when I think of the absolute best sermon I ever heard, my mind always goes to the same one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was the evening before the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, around 26 years ago, when it was my first year in seminary, and I had gone to a local church outside of Boston dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, where the Lamentations to the Theotokos were movingly chanted that night over a decorated replica of her tomb. The fairly large church was full inside, with people pouring out into the parking lot outside, and the Bishop was serving, together with at least a dozen priests. I sat somewhere around the fifth or sixth row to the left, with a clear view of the pulpit. I didn't know who was going to be preaching the sermon that night, but before he came out the church was dimly lit, primarily by the candles, the people sat down, with the service having ended, then up to the pulpit walked a Greek monk from Mount Athos, with an ascetic appearance, long white beard and hair in a ponytail, dressed in a black cassock.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/08/the-best-sermon-i-ever-heard.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-66346598849833553992020-08-11T12:42:00.003-04:002020-08-11T12:48:54.702-04:00The Stench of Hagia Sophia (part two)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n9DrfXeAO1g/XzLKAx4XhzI/AAAAAAABVBk/WTA0f1i7kMAGg-1eqx3_rPGe8P_oyl2VwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/hagia%2Bsophia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="267" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n9DrfXeAO1g/XzLKAx4XhzI/AAAAAAABVBk/WTA0f1i7kMAGg-1eqx3_rPGe8P_oyl2VwCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/hagia%2Bsophia.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">On July 24th I wrote about the future stench of Hagia Sophia due to the fact that as a mosque it is now required for people to enter Hagia Sophia barefoot onto a carpeted floor. Over time, especially in popular mosques that bring in a lot of people, the carpets begin to contain a horrendous odor. Even though the Muslim worshipers are required to wash their feet before entering, visitors and non-Muslims are not, which makes these popular mosques especially stinky. In the future, those who want to spend some time in Hagia Sophia will have to contend against the inevitable stench.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/08/the-stench-of-hagia-sophia-part-two.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-33292952479799127822020-07-24T13:00:00.000-04:002020-07-24T13:06:30.968-04:00The Stench of Hagia Sophia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nm_PYfs6CUA/XxsSDdggcgI/AAAAAAABU0w/PgB6BlIYy6wgraBDllJCkjmZbrl19jJewCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/interior-view-of-hagia-sophia-by-louis-haghe-after-a-drawing-by-chevalier-caspar-fussati.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nm_PYfs6CUA/XxsSDdggcgI/AAAAAAABU0w/PgB6BlIYy6wgraBDllJCkjmZbrl19jJewCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/interior-view-of-hagia-sophia-by-louis-haghe-after-a-drawing-by-chevalier-caspar-fussati.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">In the Russian <i>Primary Chronicle</i> it is reported that in the year 987, after consultation with his boyars, Vladimir the Great sent envoys to study the religions of the various neighboring nations whose representatives had been urging him to embrace their respective faiths. The result is described by the chronicler Nestor. Of the Muslim Bulgarians of the Volga the envoys reported there is no gladness among them, only sorrow and a great stench. But in Constantinople they found their ideal: "We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth," they reported, describing a majestic Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia, "nor such beauty, and we know not how to tell of it." This impressed Vladimir enough to embrace Orthodox Christianity for himself and his people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/07/the-stench-of-hagia-sophia.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-41107748461525531692020-07-18T15:21:00.001-04:002020-07-18T15:46:02.449-04:00Top Ten Movies of 2020 (So Far)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BBUzeeoUv9Y/XxNLEHfDeRI/AAAAAAABUss/J9eqSlDI6bcGD7tmKScMxy2PhvbxHaR5ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Movies.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BBUzeeoUv9Y/XxNLEHfDeRI/AAAAAAABUss/J9eqSlDI6bcGD7tmKScMxy2PhvbxHaR5ACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Movies.gif" width="255"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">With a little more than half of 2020 past us, in a time when the pandemic has left us with little else to do but watch movies, yet without many new movies being released, I decided to finally make my list of the top ten movies of 2020 so far. I wasn't going to make this list, because at least 90% of the movies I've seen since March have been pre-2020 releases primarily in drive-in theaters, and my mind hasn't really been focused on new movies. But before March I saw most of the new movies released, and since then I've seen a few though I am woefully behind and need to catch up. I typically don't like to watch movies at home unless it is a movie I have little hope of ever seeing in the theater, so watching a movie at home becomes a last resort. I'm typically very strict in ranking films I only watch in the theater, and I've tried to make my present list reflect those I have seen in theaters, though to reflect the times I did add two that I saw at home. This list may be very different a month from now after I attempt to catch up on films from 2020 that are currently streaming, but as of now here is my list.</div><br>
<a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/07/top-ten-movies-of-2020-so-far.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-33001819900204949702020-07-03T14:24:00.002-04:002020-07-03T14:48:58.834-04:00Three Personal Experiences with Indiana Jones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iNknZkwSCto/Xv91guqPEZI/AAAAAAABUZc/S3NsUVnFhU0LS1ICB22XpLKdtTJv5YoKwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Indiana-Jones-Movies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iNknZkwSCto/Xv91guqPEZI/AAAAAAABUZc/S3NsUVnFhU0LS1ICB22XpLKdtTJv5YoKwCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/Indiana-Jones-Movies.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">A few days ago I had the opportunity to see <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> and <i>Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom</i> on the big screen at a drive-in theater, two movies I have watched numerous times, though it's been many years since I have seen either one. Seeing them again helped me recall three personal experiences I have had with the Indiana Jones series.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">First of all, I consider <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> to be a perfect movie and I would easily place it in my top ten list of favorite films. When I was in high school my history teacher used Indiana Jones as an example for something, I can't recall what exactly, and he mentioned how his adventures brought him to Africa, Asia, Italy, Germany and the Middle East. Being an Indiana Jones fan as well as Greek I couldn't let him get away without also mentioning Greece. When I added that he also went to Greece as well, he was a bit bewildered, and was trying to think at what point Indiana Jones went to Greece. Then I helped him remember that in <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i>, after they found the Ark of the Covenant in Egypt, the Germans brought it by ship to a Nazi occupied Aegean island just north of Crete, where the Jewish ritual took place and they opened the Ark. Though the island is fictional in the movie, still the map that shows the island in the movie is a Greek island. My teacher then confessed that he never noticed that before and would pay more careful attention next time. The next day my teacher told me that he rented <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> after school the day before, and he confirmed that I was right.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/07/three-personal-experiences-with-indiana.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-26687498086881160342020-06-11T16:49:00.000-04:002020-06-11T17:12:23.276-04:00Updates and News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_1z5GM0E-e0/XuKVPFQsm8I/AAAAAAABUHY/Uczaqms3CJcJ_6w2TfdCYBAyu0CqVmTlQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/305384C700000578-3406146-Users_of_the_micro_blogging_site_across_the_world_are_being_conf-a-17_1453195181743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="634" height="247" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_1z5GM0E-e0/XuKVPFQsm8I/AAAAAAABUHY/Uczaqms3CJcJ_6w2TfdCYBAyu0CqVmTlQCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/305384C700000578-3406146-Users_of_the_micro_blogging_site_across_the_world_are_being_conf-a-17_1453195181743.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">As some may have noticed, and I know some did, I've been a bit slower than usual these past few weeks in my output of posts for the Mystagogy Resource Center. This has been mainly for four reasons.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. There has been a lot of crazy stuff in the news over the past few weeks - not just with the riots and the virus and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Godzilla and all that, but also within the Church. And when there is crazy stuff in the news, people give in to the craziness and become a little crazy themselves. I try to read the atmosphere in which I decide to put things out into the world, and it seems like the last thing people wanted was what I have to offer. It is always my goal to never be bothered by anything that goes on the world, at least not too much, which is why every time I wrote something I realized that people would have absolutely no interest in this right now, so I'm just gonna wait.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/06/updates-and-news.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-19338097825566935472020-05-22T17:01:00.001-04:002020-05-22T17:11:23.173-04:00Reading "Dracula" According to its Own Timeline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HkSiwdBdmWo/Xsg9Z48-LlI/AAAAAAABT6Y/YDfFSWVOk6IDyDFGjFUv8BCDBC-e_qz6wCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/5126hLd7jsL._SX326_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="328" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HkSiwdBdmWo/Xsg9Z48-LlI/AAAAAAABT6Y/YDfFSWVOk6IDyDFGjFUv8BCDBC-e_qz6wCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/5126hLd7jsL._SX326_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="263"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Since it's World Goth Day, I thought I would reveal a current project I am hoping to get through. It should be easy enough and so far so good. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Dracula</i> is definitely one of my favorite novels of all time, but it's been a while since I read it. For a long time I have said that I wanted to read it according to its own timeline. The novel is written in a diary format and takes place chronologically and largely in England and Transylvania within the same year between 3 May and 6 November.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/05/reading-dracula-according-to-its-own.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-81030926920434442982020-05-19T15:07:00.004-04:002020-05-20T11:11:23.058-04:00Remembering Dr. Ravi Zacharias<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q880GQwi1sQ/XsQuRnTsooI/AAAAAAABT1g/_Sm0y1vJ93IZuEAsu-FoEFXiMAlS0vs0gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ravizacharias1_hdv_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q880GQwi1sQ/XsQuRnTsooI/AAAAAAABT1g/_Sm0y1vJ93IZuEAsu-FoEFXiMAlS0vs0gCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/ravizacharias1_hdv_0.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">In March 2020, it was revealed that world-renowned Christian apologist and evangelist Ravi Zacharias had been diagnosed with a malignant and rare cancer within his spine. With sadness, he succumbed this morning to this cancer that crept into his life a few months ago. He was 74 years old.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can't say I knew Ravi personally, but I did take two courses of his while I was a student in Charlotte, North Carolina. One course was on World Religions and the other was an Introduction to Christian Apologetics. Pretty much the entire school took those two classes, being a popular and celebrity name, so it was almost impossible to interact with him during that time, though we did meet and I even have a few photos with him somewhere. If there is one thing I remember about meeting him, is that he was a very gentle and humble man, always with a smile on his face. In the classroom, he taught from a level of deep knowledge and personal experience, and you left every class not only better informed on a particular subject, but even inspired since he couldn't help but teach without his words invading your heart as well as your mind.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/05/remembering-dr-ravi-zacharias.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-26686275855447815172020-05-18T14:22:00.000-04:002020-05-18T14:22:29.028-04:00Not an Obsolete Debate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1bGyauWNkWE/XsLRpy3qqaI/AAAAAAABTzA/fZN8g9kLGbscQvvqffvIPM9gR9S9YlrUgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1bGyauWNkWE/XsLRpy3qqaI/AAAAAAABTzA/fZN8g9kLGbscQvvqffvIPM9gR9S9YlrUgCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/maxresdefault.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">I think now is a good time to think about human freedom and whether or not our rights come from God or from the government. After all, the Declaration of Independence, by way of justifying the enormous steps the Founding Fathers were about to take, states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” And “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men . . .” That is, first comes the Creator, who then endows his creatures with “certain unalienable rights,” and then the creatures form governments to “secure those rights.” Does the government today, not only on the federal level but on the local state level, recognize the fact that they are merely in existence to secure the unalienable rights endowed on humanity by the Creator, or do they think that our rights come from the government itself? This is an interesting debate that is going on in our country today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/05/not-obsolete-debate.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036938406268040558.post-67524022431559554742020-05-15T16:37:00.001-04:002020-05-15T16:57:14.487-04:00Covid 19: Judgment Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eO_HzD5zabY/Xr76ylLgzvI/AAAAAAABTu8/x6ReRcwCeTolwMSbnfVrYREi3HP_XrLCQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/covid-coronavirus-ncov-disease-prevention-concept-little-boy-kid-wearing-face-mask-protecting-showing-cartoon-175514287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eO_HzD5zabY/Xr76ylLgzvI/AAAAAAABTu8/x6ReRcwCeTolwMSbnfVrYREi3HP_XrLCQCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/covid-coronavirus-ncov-disease-prevention-concept-little-boy-kid-wearing-face-mask-protecting-showing-cartoon-175514287.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">A few weeks ago I recorded my thoughts on the state of the world in the current circumstance we are in, told through some of my experiences since I last wrote about them on March 16th, and I concluded with my opinion on these matters and what should be done now. I got into some political issues as well. I never published this. It totaled 23 pages in length, written quickly with many random thoughts. I was going to publish it here. As I thought about it, it was decided by me to delete it and wipe it from existence. Even though I stand by everything that was written, I thought it best to not share with the public. This was my judgment, and I stand by it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a href="http://www.praxisandtheoria.org/2020/05/covid-19-judgment-day.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com