Introduction: My Background and Purpose


I come from a Christian background, though I no longer identify as a Christian. I spent 35 years actively involved in the church, during which time I taught classes on Christian apologetics with theological questions. This means I'm not approaching Christianity as an outsider who's never understood its claims, I know the arguments intimately. I've defended them, taught them, and lived within that framework for most of my life.

I studied philosophy at Geneva College, a Christian institution where faith and reason were treated as partners in the search for truth. After graduating in 1981, I continued studying philosophy for over 45 years, with particular intensity during the last 20+ years of my retirement. I'm now 75, and I've spent this time focusing on three interconnected areas:


Epistemology (how we know what we know), approached through the lens of Ludwig Wittgenstein's later philosophy, especially his final work, On Certainty. Wittgenstein's insights about language, meaning, and the foundations of knowledge have shaped much of what I've written.


Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), which led to my recent book From Testimony to Knowledge: Evaluating Near-Death Experiences (available on Amazon). In that work, I developed a rigorous framework for evaluating testimonial evidence and applied it to one of the most contested areas of human experience. The framework I use, JTB+U (Justified True Belief plus Understanding) with three epistemic guardrails, applies universally to any knowledge claim based on testimony.


Wittgenstein's later philosophy, particularly his concept of "hinges," those bedrock certainties that make justification possible rather than requiring justification themselves. Understanding what genuinely functions as a hinge versus what merely claims hinge-status to avoid scrutiny turns out to be crucial for evaluating religious claims.

My Current Project

I'm now working on a second book that examines the evidence for the bodily resurrection of Christ. I'll be sharing my analysis of the testimonial evidence in this forum, applying the same rigorous standards I used for evaluating near-death reports. My approach will focus on what the historical evidence can and cannot support, examined through clear epistemic standards that apply to any historical claim.

My Intentions


I want to be transparent about my approach: I have no desire to engage in polemics or personal attacks. I'm not here to mock anyone's faith or treat sincere belief with contempt. I recognize that for many of you, Christianity isn't just an intellectual position, it's central to your identity, your community, and your understanding of reality. I take that seriously.

That said, I also recognize that some may find my arguments offensive simply because of their conclusions. This isn't my intention, but it's an unavoidable risk when examining claims that matter deeply to people. I can only promise to be as fair, clear, and rigorous as possible. Good arguments should stand or fall on their own merits, not on whether they make us comfortable.


If my analysis is flawed, I want to know. If I've misunderstood the evidence or applied standards inconsistently, I'm genuinely interested in correction. But if the evidence truly is as weak as I believe it to be, that's something we should be willing to acknowledge, even if it's uncomfortable.

Why Philosophy Matters

Before I present my epistemological framework, let me address something important: philosophy is inescapable. Whether you love it or hate it, you're already doing it.


Every time you evaluate a political claim, make a moral judgment, defend a religious belief, assess scientific evidence, argue for God's existence, or even decide how to raise your children, you're engaged in philosophy. You're making assumptions about what counts as evidence, what makes reasoning valid, how we distinguish truth from error, and what standards we should use to evaluate claims.

Even if you say "I hate philosophy" or "I just believe what the Bible says," you're making philosophical moves. You're claiming that some approaches to truth are better than others, that certain sources are more reliable than others, that some methods of reasoning should be trusted while others shouldn't. Those are philosophical positions.


The question isn't whether to do philosophy, we're all doing it already, whether we realize it or not. The question is whether to do it well or poorly, clearly or confusedly, consistently or arbitrarily.

What Good Philosophy Does


I agree with many people's assessment that much philosophy isn't worth the paper it's written on. Academic philosophy can become self-indulgent, unnecessarily obscure, and disconnected from the questions people actually care about. But that doesn't mean all philosophy is worthless, it means we need to distinguish good philosophy from bad.

Good philosophy does several things:

1. It clarifies concepts. When people argue past each other, it's often because they're using the same words to mean different things. Philosophy helps us see those differences and speak more precisely.


2. It examines assumptions. We all operate with unexamined beliefs, about what counts as evidence, what makes something true, how we should evaluate testimony. Philosophy brings those assumptions into the light where they can be tested.

3. It checks consistency. We often hold beliefs that contradict each other without realizing it. Philosophy reveals those contradictions and asks us to resolve them.

4. It evaluates arguments. Not all reasoning is equal. Some arguments are strong; others only appear strong until examined. Philosophy provides tools for telling the difference.

5. It distinguishes knowledge from conviction. We can feel absolutely certain about things that turn out to be wrong. Philosophy helps us understand when our certainty is justified and when it's just... certainty.


This last point, distinguishing knowledge from conviction, will be one of my central points. Because one of the deepest confusions in religious epistemology is treating strong conviction as if it were the same thing as knowledge.

What I'll Be Presenting


Over the coming posts, I'll lay out an epistemological framework that applies universally, to scientific claims, historical events, legal proceedings, and yes, to religious truth claims as well. I'll explain:

• What knowledge is and what it requires (JTB+U)
• The difference between believing you're justified and actually being justified
• How testimony functions as a route to knowledge
• What standards distinguish strong testimony from weak
• Why certain beliefs require justification while others can function as foundational
• How to recognize when circular reasoning is disguised as legitimate support
• How to recognize self-sealing arguments

Only after establishing this framework, and giving everyone a chance to engage with it, question it, and push back on it—will I apply it to Christianity's central historical claim: the resurrection.

My goal is to show my work. I want you to see not just my conclusions but the reasoning that leads to them. If the reasoning is sound and the standards are fair, the conclusions should follow. If either the reasoning or the standards are flawed, that should become clear through honest discussion.

An Invitation

I invite you to engage critically with what I present. Ask questions. Point out where you think I've gone wrong. Offer alternative explanations. Show me where my reasoning breaks down or where I've applied standards inconsistently.

What I ask in return is that we distinguish between two different kinds of responses:


Substantive objections: These engage with the actual argument, they show where reasoning fails, where evidence is misrepresented, where standards are applied unfairly.


Defensive moves: These avoid the argument itself, they question motives, appeal to faith as exemption from scrutiny, redefine terms to escape conclusions, or simply assert that the argument doesn't apply to religious claims.


I'm interested in the first kind of response. The second kind doesn't advance understanding; it just protects belief from examination.

If Christianity's claims are true, they should be able to withstand honest scrutiny. If they can't, we should want to know that. Truth has nothing to fear from careful thinking.

I look forward to the conversation.

Christian hip-hop artist Derek Minor has weighed in on the concern that Christian artist Forrest Frank has about the top Christian album on iTunes being from an AI artist. Frank said it didn’t “sit right” with him and pointed out that AI does not have the Holy Spirit. In his response, Minor pushed back, noting that many Christian songs are written by non-believers or have contributors who are not Christians.

“Here’s the problem with that perspective,” said Minor, referring to Frank’s point that AI does not have the Holy Spirit. “There’s a lot of Christian songs that people love today that had people that weren’t Christians write the songs, that helped with the songs.”

Or it could have been that people who were not Christians “played guitar on the songs, or bass or drums.” Minor also brought up splice loops used in hip-hop. “What if an atheist made that splice loop that you took and put drums on and and, you know, made your Christian song to?” he asked.

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Good article, despite a negative focus on "masculinity" and a couple other things.

As far as changes, our priest has done a good job, IMO. A few months ago, he reminded the catechumens that wearing shorts, ragged jeans and t-shirts won't preclude anyone from worship, because we're not legalistic, but c'mon, we represent the cherubim, we should do a little better.

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22 November 2025 – Sri Lanka

Pray for Christian teachers in Sri Lanka who are supported by our partners. They are uniquely placed to help young believers to remain steadfast in the context of significant hostility.

21 November 2025 – Laos

Pray for our partner in Laos, who organises regular Bible training seminars for pastors, many of whom are experiencing persecution. They provide teaching on a range of subjects as well as the much-needed skills opportunity for fellowship.

20 November 2025 – Laos

Pray for ‘Nyok’ and all the workers involved in the distribution of Bibles, Christian literature and worship materials. Pray that these consignments will not be intercepted or confiscated by the authorities (see Voice, April-June).

19 November 2025 – Laos

Give thanks that the church in Laos is growing despite determined opposition in several regions. Pray that the minority people groups, in the country will have the opportunity to hear the gospel.

18 November 2025 – Laos

Pray for Pastor ‘Somsak’, who was removed from his position as a village leader because of his faith and has been threatened with eviction. He said, ‘If God wants me to stay in the village and be salt and light, then God will make a way’ (see Voice, April-June).

17 November 2025 – Laos

Pray for Pastor ‘Vong’, a former witch doctor, who leads a village church. He has been threatened with eviction because of his preaching (see Voice, April-June).

16 November 2025 – Laos

Pray for Pastor ‘Phouang’, who has been harassed and threatened by the authorities because of his Christian work. Pray that he and his family will experience the Lord’s special protection (see Voice, April-June).

Sign up for email prayer alerts:

info@releaseinternational.org

2 of 3 men who disrupted Muslim prayer at USF identified, police file hate crime charges​

Police said they filed hate crime charges against Christopher Svochak, 40, of Waco, Texas, and Richard Penskoski, 49, of Canyon, Oklahoma. Both have known local addresses in the Tampa Bay area, but no affiliation with USF, according to officials.

Police filed charges against Svochak and Penskosk under Florida State Statute 871.071 for disturbing schools and religious assemblies — which will be upgraded to a felony hate crime. They also filed charges for disorderly conduct and disrupting a school or lawful assembly.

The two men, and the unidentified third suspect, are associated with “the official street preachers.” In a statement, they said they were exercising their constitutional right to preach and speak against Islam.

Cell phone video captured the moment the three men confronted the group of students. The Muslim Students Association at USF said the men shouted slurs at them, waved bacon, and mocked their sacred rituals.

In one clip, a man could be heard saying, “You guys don’t have any bombs on you do you.” Another clip showed one of the men saying, “Spit on Muhammed’s name, he is a scum bag, just like all you Muslim terrorist.” It all lasted about 13 minutes.

What are the churches saying about Digital ID, the mark of the beast, transhumanism etc?

My church is silent on these things so I intend to ask them what their views are and how we are to guard against all of what is likely to come as a result of the pursuit of the above.

It would be good to know if any churches are assisting and how?

So we've heard some of the warnings and worries about AI in the future, such as us allowing it to take the wheel, so to speak, and guiding us down unintended paths. But from another perspective, what are some good ways it can help us in the future?

Saint Cecilia propers & commentary (EF)

Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr readings & commentary (OF)

Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr readinghs & commentary (OF)

Daily Gospel

Saint Cecilia Virgin, Martyr

Saint Caecilia’s Heavenly Music

Saints of the Day

Sermons for Everyday Living - St Cecilia 11/22/25

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RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KTLA) — A California man who reportedly works as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent is accused of illegally detaining a minor at gunpoint while off duty last week.

The Nov. 10 incident, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, played out at around 10:30 pm outside a home in Temecula.

Attorney Greg Kirakosian, who represents the boy and his family, told Nexstar’s KTLA that the 17-year-old was driving home after dropping a friend off down the street when he saw the suspect, identified by investigators as Gerardo Rodriguez, pointing a gun at his vehicle and demanding he pull over.

“In the moment, I think he was just scared for his life. He had a gun pulled on him, and he was told to immediately stop or else,” Kirakosian explained, referring to the teen. “Then that same person came up to his driver’s side door and pulled him out at gunpoint.”

Click to expand...

Someone not in police uniform pulling a gun on a driver at night sounds like a carjacking. Perhaps the driver should have kept going.

Also - "Gerardo Rodriguez"? Sounds foreign. Better put him in a camp until we establish his immigration status.

I was wondering if anything interesting on the news was going on when I was born, and decided to create this website for fun. The purpose is to show people what was going on when they were born. With this website I've found out that it was a pretty slow news day on my birthday, but I bet it would feel cool to know a historical event happened on your birthday.

The data used in this project is provided by the New York Times API. They have by far the best API I was able to find, with articles dating back to the 1950s. There weren't any other major newspapers that had an API with close to as much data. The closest was the Guardian API, but theirs only went back to the 1990s. I decided to only use articles from the New York Times because their API was by far the best. This tool works if you have a birthday after the 1950s or so.

Some important dates in history I'd recommend looking up on this website are:

Continued below.

At first I though its about the work I have now. But originally the dream was literally about something coming from space.

The female AI humanoid in my dream told me about the importance of those dates especially about July 7. I already told about this date in my dream around March (see link below)

Or I could have misread her very human-like handwriting and it could have been July 1 !! The same day 3I/Atlas comet was discovered!

I felt the urgency in her tone but she also sounded positive. She was very cryptic in her communication as if whatever is arriving cannot be revealed to anyone, yet it is very important to me like a gift or a package that is meant only for me. I don't know. It's all very strange.

Something huge also happened to me at my end last July 1. It wasn't just the job. I can't tell about it anymore. One thing for sure, it's not about money, I'm still poor!


Establishes connection to my March 20 dream:

March 20 dream

Staging ground in space:


Details I left out originally - the object will originate from beyond the Solar System.

I'm supposed to rendezvous with it but as of now, I have absolutely no means of reaching whatever is out there and I have to be there physically (in fact, nobody have the means to send a man in deep space as of yet unless it's a one-way death trip!). In fact, the female AI told me precise coordinates in space. I did not write it down and ultimately forgot the coordinates!!

One of our partners in Pakistan supports Christians in communities who are often enslaved in brick kiln work and who are constantly vulnerable to abuse, because they are Christians.

Support groups provide biblical discipling, as well as collaboration to deal with specific social problems faced by Christian families. The groups run savings programmes to enable members to start self-supporting businesses.

Pray for those in the groups with health issues.

Please pray also for those seeking healing from past drug addition. Pray for real spiritual growth.

Pray for those in the support groups who are now out of work: for God’s provision for them and that they might know God’s peace when burdened with loans.

Pray for younger family members, to be guided and blessed by the Lord in their
faith and struggles.

Pray for the nation of Pakistan: that its government and law enforcement agencies will have the courage and wisdom to implement justice and protect its citizens.

Pray particularly for the rights of Christians and that they would stand strong in their faith in the midst of persecution and hardship.

Trump Ambassador Mike Huckabee Held Secret Meeting With Traitor Who Sold American Secrets to Israel​

President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, held a secret meeting in July with traitor Jonathan Pollard, who served 30 years in prison for selling American secrets to Israel.

According to a report from the New York Times, Pollard met with Huckabee at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in July for a discussion that was “kept off Mr. Huckabee’s official schedule,” and revealed for the first time on Thursday.

Pollard confirmed the rendezvous in an interview with the Times, telling the newspaper “it was a friendly meeting” and that “a lot of things that came up in conversation.”

Three unnamed officials told the New York Times that the meeting “alarmed the Central Intelligence Agency’s station chief in Israel.” The White House was also reportedly unaware that the secret meeting was taking place.

(Spies usually have to work a little harder to get inside one of our embassies.)

Pollard was released from prison in 2015 and moved to Israel in 2020 – flying on a private jet owned by top Trump donor Sheldon Adelson to Tel Aviv, where he was given a hero’s welcome by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In 2021, Trump pardoned Aviem Sella, the Israeli handler who recruited Pollard to spy on the United States.

Daily Fail reporting...

US 'contractors' arrived by boat on Monday at Playa Bagdad, driving signs into the sand near where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of Mexico [sic].

Alarmed witnesses quickly alerted officials and heavily armed Mexican security personnel rushed to the scene on trucks mounted with machine guns in a terrifying standoff.

The Pentagon, in a deeply embarrassing statement, admitted that its troops were mistaken when they landed on the beach.

The Mexican personnel watched as the Americans drove six signs into the ground, which said: 'Warning: restricted area.'

Written in English and Spanish, they claimed that the beach was the property of the US Department of Defense [sic] and had been declared restricted by 'the commander'.

The US Embassy in Mexico shared a comment from the Pentagon on Tuesday which confirmed that personnel had been sent to mark 'National Defense Area III'.

'Changes in water depth and topography altered the perception of the international boundary's location,' the statement said. 'Government of Mexico personnel removed six signs based on their perception of the international boundary's location.'

The Pentagon added that contractors would 'coordinate with appropriate agencies to avoid confusion in the future.'

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum declared on Tuesday that the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), a binational agency that determines the border between the two countries, would arbitrate the dispute.

Jonestown News Updates
Tourism at the Site: A private tourism company in Guyana, Wanderlust Adventures, has begun offering guided tours of the former Peoples Temple compound, a decision met with mixed reactions from survivors. The company defends the tours as an educational opportunity to discuss the dangers of blind faith, while some survivors view it as an "abuse" and a way to profit from tragedy.
47th Anniversary: November 18, 2025, marks the 47th anniversary of the mass murder-suicide, in which 918 people died.

ME: Since, I was part of the Military clean up team. I think this is disgusting.

Googled Jonestown news, there are some stories on it.

I'm apostolic but I can't find a counselor that shares my faith. I really need counseling.
I feel like no one gets it.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Somalia fraud story is the scale, with total costs running into the billions of taxpayer dollars. That raises the question: What happened to all that money?
The Somali fraud rings have sent huge sums in remittances, or money transfers, from Minnesota to Somalia. According to reports, an estimated 40 percent of households in Somalia get remittances from abroad. In 2023 alone, the Somali diaspora sent back $1.7 billion—more than the Somali government’s budget for that year.
Our investigation reveals, for the first time, that some of this money has been directed to an even more troubling destination: the al-Qaida-linked Islamic terror group Al-Shabaab. According to multiple law-enforcement sources, Minnesota’s Somali community has sent untold millions through a network of “hawalas,” informal clan-based money-traders, that have wound up in the coffers of Al-Shabaab.

The Minnesota government hands out taxpayer money with little checking or follow-up.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will resign, after fallout with Trump​

“If I am cast aside by MAGA Inc and replaced by Neocons, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Military Industrial War Complex, foreign leaders, and the elite donor class that can't even relate to real Americans, then many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well,” Greene said in a statement posted to social media.

"Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,"

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it really means to follow Jesus with our whole lives — not just on Sundays. Many of us may feel we love God sincerely, but we still find ourselves caught in the weekly grind, serving money more than Him without even realizing it.

I just made a video exploring what full-time devotion to God could look like in the modern world — practically, spiritually, and relationally. It also shares some of my own testimony of how Jesus’ teachings changed my life.

If this topic resonates with you, you’re welcome to watch and share your thoughts:
[Serve God Full-Time — YouTube Video]

I’d genuinely love to hear how others have wrestled with this calling.

Grace and peace to all.

Trump built a winning coalition. White nationalists will destroy it.​

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'Political suicide': Pro-Trump commentator warns MAGA's 'overt racists' will destroy GOP​

In a Thursday column, Thiessen laid out how Republicans were able to secure both a popular vote and Electoral College majority in 2024 for the first time in two decades thanks to making inroads with Black and Hispanic voters. He argued, however, that the GOP's activist base includes "morally reprehensible" people like neo-Nazi podcaster Nick Fuentes, whose growing influence could turn into "political suicide for the right."

According to Thiessen, (a MAGA conservative who recently advocated for President Donald Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize) Trump’s 2024 voting coalition was "significantly more racially and ethnically diverse than it had been in 2020 or 2016," and he had increased his vote share "almost every key demographic."

However, Thiessen warned that gains are now in jeopardy due to Fuentes' increasingly prominent role in Republican politics. Fuentes – who is the at the heart of the ideological civil war currently consuming the influential conservative Heritage Foundation think tank — is a known Holocaust denier who regularly demeans racial minorities and has called for the "death penalty" against Jewish people and practitioners of all non-Christian faiths.

Trump praises NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani after White House meeting​

Instead of rehashing their feud, they talked up their areas of agreement — especially on working to make New York City less expensive — and even traded some compliments.

“I think you’re going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor,” Trump said. “The better he does, the happier I am.”

“I appreciated the meeting with the president,” said Mamdani, who stood while Trump sat at the Resolute Desk. “And as he said, it was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers.”

Rep. Bryan Morse, a 31-year-old Republican, was taken into custody Thursday. He was released on $200 cash bail, and is scheduled for arraignment on Dec. 18 in a Nashua courtroom.

According to Nashua police, an investigation into Morse began in May when the victim, who has not been identified, told authorities that he had posted explicit images of her on social media platforms without her consent.

In a statement, Morse denied the allegations and said he intended to fight the charges. “I am pleading not guilty and will be fighting vigorously to clear my name,” he said.

During his first year in office, Morse has spoken repeatedly about what’s described as the dangers of pornography in schools, including claiming in social media posts that New Hampshire public schools are providing students access to books with graphic content.

On his public Facebook page, Morse has said allowing trans people to use the bathroom of their choice is a threat to women’s privacy.

The Federal Association for the Right to Life, an umbrella organization for numerous pro-life organizations, has condemned the “glorification” of the assisted suicide of the 89-year-old Kessler twins.

Alice and Ellen Kessler were German singers and performers who were famous in Europe, especially in Italy, in the 1960s. The twin sisters decided to die together by assisted suicide at their home near Munich on Monday.

Alexandra Linder, the pro life association’s chairwoman, said: “There is widespread media coverage of this, with many praising the ‘self-determination’ of choosing the time and manner of death oneself rather than waiting for death and perhaps suffering.”

This is “dangerous,” Linder emphasized, because it could cause “people in suicidal situations” to “to kill themselves or have themselves killed. This so-called Werther effect was sadly evident in the suicide of soccer player Robert Enke: After his suicide became known, the number of suicides rose sharply. The media should take much more responsibility when reporting on such incidents.”

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Why Democracies Prefer Docile Secularists by Jeb Smith

...The authorities ensure the populace has the worldview and mindset enabling the maximum accumulation of power to itself and providing the least resistance to its expansion of control. Despite what American conservatives tell you, propaganda is not a modern, liberal, or Marxist development, it arose as soon as parliamentary forms of governance began....