January 24-25, 2016::End of the day round-up

Peter Isely is a founding member and longtime Midwest Director of SNAP, The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the world’s oldest organization of survivors of childhood rape and sexual assault by clergy, with over 18,000 survivors in hundreds of chapters worldwide. Peter joins us in the studio for a two hour discussion on what SNAP has been doing to help bring justice to the survivors of sexual abuse.

 
A listener suggested podcast to check out The History in the Bible Podcast:

In the first series, I will cover the history and archaeology of the Old Testament (Tanakh); from the Patriarchs and the origins of the Hebrews; then the Exodus, and the conquest of Canaan; through David and Solomon, to the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah and their prophets. I will discuss the Babylonian exile, the return, and the subsequent history of the Jews from the Persian period through the Hasmonean kingdom to conclude with Judea as a Roman province.

I will show how scholars think that the various threads of the books we now know as the Bible came together, and what the latest archaeological discoveries and controversies can tell us about this long history. I will also cover the vast literature that was produced after the Babylonian Exile, sometimes called the pseudepigrahical works. None of these works made it into either the Old or New Testaments but they influenced both of the daughter religions of the ancient Israelite faith: rabinnical Judaism, and Christianity.

In the second series, I will discuss the development of the New Testament, and how it evolved amongst the many strands of Christianity over five centuries.

Nigeria: Largest Statue of Jesus Unveiled in Front of Hundreds of Onlookers

The largest statue of Jesus in Africa was unveiled on Friday in the country of Nigeria, with hundreds of spectators present.

According to Christian Today, the statue is nearly 30 feet tall and weighs 40 tons. It has been named “Jesus de Greatest.”

It was commissioned by a local businessman named Obinna Onunoha who had previously funded the building of St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Abajah, Nigeria. The statue was erected on the grounds of St. Aloysius.

Christian Today claims secularism means banning religion

The communist dictator Enver Hoxha (that’s an oxymoron by the way) used his power, much like Joseph Stalin, to suppress religion in an attempt to silence anything he believed could be loved more than him, anything that had the ability to topple his power. That is not secularism — it is fascism.

 Listeners Uncover Details About Mysterious Muse Behind 'The Brothers Nazaroff'

As a result of Jon Kalish's piece last Saturday on the obscure Yiddish musician known as Prince Nazaroff, a relative and a genealogist have stepped forward to provide more details about the man.

Original posting https://www.facebook.com/sanespirit/posts/791993004245857

A dentist is being sued for harassing staff by constantly playing Christian music

Initially considered this a possible faux persecution incident,,,

Her lawyer, Keith Jablonski, told The Washington Post this week his client is “being attacked in this lawsuit for her Christian beliefs, based solely on her desire to play religious music and radio stations in the dental office of the business that she owns.”

“We believe that when the facts, and not baseless allegations, are presented to a jury, we will establish that this group of former disgruntled employees are simply looking to profit off of their own prejudices towards Dr. Marshall and her Christian faith,” he said. “Dr. Marshall flatly denies engaging in any discriminatory employment practices.”

What I failed to recognize,,, 

Marshall purchased the dental practice in 2008 but her religious practices were only incorporated at the office as she became part of a local ministry run by Craig Stasio in 2013.

Stasio, who owns the Agape Massage Therapy & Chiropractic in addition to running his ministry, is also included in the lawsuit since Marshall hired Stasio to restructure her dental office in 2015.

But then there is this,,,

Meanwhile, Stasio’s profile in his Michigan community has become the subject of media attention.

A local news report in November suggested that Stasio’s ministry is cult-like in that members refer to Stasio as “the prophet” and frequently cut ties with family and friends once they come under his influence.

Stasio’s religious group is composed primarily of “young, attractive women,” many of whom live in communal housing provided by Stasio, according to Fox Detroit.

Not so simple anymore,