Category Archives: pope francis

Pope Francis and the Nature of Change

Posted on 03-August-2015 by

Pope Francis is shaking up the Catholic Church by encouraging, and in some cases, forcing change on the 2,000-year-old Church.  He wants: a renewed emphasis on helping the poor, those living in the margins, reforms to the Vatican Bank and … Continue reading →

Posted in catholicism, Organizational Dynamics, Personalities, pope francis, Religion, Social Justice | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pope Francis Asks the Waldensians for Forgiveness

Posted on 12-July-2015 by

In June 2015, Pope Francis traveled to northern Italy to visit a Waldensian Church.  While visiting, on behalf of the Catholic Church, he ask for their forgiveness.   (In an earlier post, I provided a brief history of the Waldensians … Continue reading →

Posted in catholicism, pope francis, Religion, Social Justice | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

We Need to Be Careful About Who We Venerate

Posted on 07-May-2015 by

There have been two recent examples of misplaced religious veneration; both examples insult Native Americas. The first example involves a book recently published by Deseret Book, a LDS publishing firm, and written by Clark B. Hinckley.  The book–titled Christopher Columbus:  A … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, catholicism, mormonism, pope francis, Religion, Social Justice | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Armenia: A Personal History

Posted on 24-April-2015 by

I’m not from Armenia (the majority of my great-great grandparents are from Scandinavia), but since college, I’ve had a fascination for the country and it tragic history.  I first “discovered” Armenia during a graduate history class at Brigham Young University.  I wrote … Continue reading →

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Traditional Churches Are Obsolete . . . Now What?

Posted on 02-January-2015 by

Traditional religious institutions are rapidly becoming obsolete.  They are unable to keep up with the rapid advances that are occurring in science, technology . . . and with the acceleration of change in general.  There is a need for an … Continue reading →

Posted in atheism, catholicism, humanism, mormonism, Philosophy, pope francis, Religion, Science, Social Justice, Technology, transhumanism | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Mormonism Needs a Liberation Theology

Posted on 28-June-2014 by

With the recent election of a new Catholic Pope, who has taken the name Francis, there is a renewed interest in a Catholic movement that was popular in the 1960s and ’70s called “liberation theology.” Liberation theology arose as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, catholicism, mormonism, pope francis, Religion, Social Justice | 7 Comments

A Pope for the Poor: No Matter Your Religion

Posted on 24-July-2013 by

The latest Time magazine (Jul 29, 2013) has a well-timed article titled:  “A Pope for the Poor:  Will Francis’ Personal Humility and Focus on Poverty Help Revive the Church’s Fortunes on His Home Continent?”  But the title is much too limiting.  … Continue reading →

Posted in catholicism, mormonism, Personalities, pope francis, Religion, Social Justice | 4 Comments