Posts Tagged With: Richard Wurmbrand

From Longing to Longing: Richard and the Crude Russian Officer

Today, I’m going to tell a fascinating story which will take us back to the series my last post interrupted .

The series I interrupted was about atheism, secularism, religion, and education, in response to some questions from a reader. Rather heavy, I suppose. So, in my previous post I lightened the reading up by telling  you a heartwarming story from my own experience recently in which I spent three days with two friends from high school, our memories reaching back many decades.  I hope you enjoyed the account and photos.

Today’s true story reaches back to World War II (yes, before my time!). I referred to this incident in my post on September 14. I have included this story in chapter 11 of my unpublished Bible study, A Traveler’s Guide through Suffering and Joy. This is the story of  “Richard and The Crude Russian Officer”.

Last week I took this photo a few blocks from our home. The trees are changing color earlier this year.  I wonder, “What time of year did the Russian officer meet Richard?” I don’t know, but the meeting brought more color into the lives of each man, and mine too, just by reading the story.

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Categories: Dr. A.A. Hodge, Education, Government, Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Perspectives on Culture | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Provoking More Thought While Harvesting Some Produce

In this post, I will continue my response to Amanda O and incorporate some photos from a recent trip we took to Aunt Mary’s farm (the Findlay Family Farm, as I call it, where my mother was born and reared). I’ll address the following portion of  Amanda’s thought-provoking, recent comments:

Regarding Mr. Hodge’s claim “the United States’ system of national popular education will be the most efficient and wide instrument for the propagation of atheism which the world has ever seen”, I doubt this. Atheism is very rare in our country and, as best as I can tell, it is very unnatural. Most people want a transcendent explanation of our world. I haven’t looked it up, but I would bet Atheism is very rare globally for exactly this reason. Instead, I think Mr. Hodge’s statement would be far more potentially accurate if he simply substituted the word “secularism” for “atheism”.

When I first read Dr. Hodge’s statement, and then in its context, I wondered the same thing. Would “secularism” be a better term for him to employ? With further reading and thought, I realized, not so. Changing the word “atheism” to “secularism” would not accurately clarify his thought.

Paul, picking apples at the Findlay Family Farm last week.

Why? First, in this context, it would be redundant or circular. Earlier in your comment (note previous post) you had quoted more of Dr. Hodge’s statement: “I am … sure … that a comprehensive and centralized system of national education, separated from religion… will prove the most appalling enginery for the propagation of … atheistic unbelief.” 

Dr. Hodge’s description of public education as “separated from religion” concisely defines secularism: to separate from religion is to secularize. His point was not to say that secularism will produce more secularism.

He meant that secularism leads to atheism — especially when it is made into a comprehensive, nationally centralized system of education.

The question then arises, is this so?

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Categories: Dr. A.A. Hodge, Education, Grandparenting, Parenting, Perspectives on Culture | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

From Richard Wurmbrand to Our Suffering Sovereign

I’ve finished another chapter draft in the book I am writing, A Traveler’s Guide through Suffering and Joy. I will give you a link to it below. This is how the chapter starts:

Richard Wurmbrand retells a fascinating Jewish legend in his book, 100 Prison Meditations. Moses is sitting at a well when three men, one at a time, stop by. (Apparently, Moses is simply an observer, out of sight.)

The first man unknowingly loses his purse of money in the sand. After he leaves, a second man passes through, finds the purse lying in the sand by the well and gladly takes it with him. Later, a third man comes to the well, drinks, and falls asleep there. The first man returns for his purse and kills the innocent, third man, believing him to be the thief.

Moses questions God. Continue reading

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth, Theology | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

The Leading of Longings

Who might you be and what would you have become if you were born in another country and in a different culture and time? Reading biographies can give us glimpses into the many possibilities. I’d like to quote today from the life story of one of the last century’s most breath-taking individuals.

Born in 1909 into poverty in eastern Europe and soon orphaned, he was nurtured on the food of atheism — be it food or poison.  He did not believe in God. He did not believe in Christ. He did not believe in religion. To this young man, all such beliefs were “harmful for the human mind.” Continue reading

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

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