Four Chaplains Day: A Day When Faith Led Through Sacrifice and Service

TweetShareShare February 3 is honored as “FOUR CHAPLAINS DAY.” Never heard of it? It’s a fascinating story that needs to be told and shared. In the early morning hours of February 3, 1943 the U.S.A.T. Dorchester–packed with 902 servicemen–was hit by a Nazi torpedo. The surprise attack killed several soldiers and trapped dozens of others.…

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Nazism: How Hitler Used Fascism and Eugenics to Transform 1930s Germany

TweetShareShare Few four-letter words spark more fear, insult and outrage than Nazi. And well it should. Nazism carries a boatload of baggage, even for generations that never experienced the Holocaust and fascism of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. “Nazi” is a nickname linked to a political ideology characterized by dictatorial rule, forcible suppression of opponents and…

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“God Helps Those Who Helps Themselves”: The Eclectic Faith of Benjamin Franklin

TweetShareShareBenjamin Franklin was a scientist, patriot, politician, diplomat…and Deist. That’s a fact according to many modern historians. After all, Franklin himself advocated for Deism. He once wrote that his skepticism of Christianity made him “a thorough Deist.”[i] Of course it should be noted he wrote that conviction at the tender age of fifteen in a…

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The Santa Chronicles: The Rise of Sinter Klass (Part 2)

TweetShareShare How did St. Nicholas become Santa Claus? It’s an important part of the real history of Santa Claus. In part 1, we looked at the humble beginnings of a devout Greek bishop known as Nicholas. His generous deeds were legendary. Now let’s dive into the European chapter that sets up the myths and legend…

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The Santa Chronicles: How A Man Named Nicholas became Santa Claus (Part 1)

TweetShareShareHis name was Nikolaos or Nicholas…St. Nicholas in the Greek Orthodox tradition. You and I know him better as “St. Nick.” Around the world he has other names: Sinterklass (Dutch), Kris Kringle (English), Papa Noel (French/Spanish), Weihnachtsmann (German), Grandfather Frost (Russia)…and SANTA CLAUS. Most of what we know about this “jolly old elf” and his…

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John Locke: How a Great Philosopher Influenced the Founding of America

TweetShareShare The Founding Fathers of the United States of America had many influences, but possibly none more than John Locke (1632-1704). Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and John Madison revered Locke. John Quincy Adams penned, “The Declaration of Independence [was]…founded upon one and the same theory of government…expounded in the writings of Locke.” But who was…

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The Black Robe Regiment: How a Group of Patriots Founded America

TweetShareShareThey were called the “Black Robe Regiment.” A group of patriots who served in Congress, presided over influential American schools, led troops in the Revolutionary War, signed the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and other important founding documents. Their names? JOHN WITHERSPOON (President of Princeton) JOHN P. MUHLENBERG (Revolutionary War General) FREDERICK A. MUHLENBERG…

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The Oregon Trail: How Christianity Carved a New Path West

TweetShareShareOregon. Washington. Idaho. Parts of Montana and Wyoming. It’s nearly 300,000 acres of majestic, rugged land known as the Oregon Territory, a portion of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The infamous Oregon Trail snakes through this vast estate, connecting the Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of westward wagons once traveled its corridors and…

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