Paul Luvera Journal

In honor of National Day of Prayer, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order entitled "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty" that will, among other things, fulfill his campaign promise to “get rid of and totally destroy” the Johnson Amendment. That was a rule, passed in 1954, and proposed by then-Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson, barring 501(c)(3) nonprofits, including churches and other religious entities, from “directly or indirectly” promoting political views in a political campaign. That restriction has been lifted…

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We had a wonderful time with our children on our cruise to Alaska. We left from Vancouver and sailed to Anchorage, returning a few days ago. Three children were unable to make it, but it was a great family adventure for all of us anyway. Hubbard Glacier was beautiful and we had calm seas the majority of the time with only a little rain. While on the trip I read The Political Brain by Drew Westen. It discussed, in part,…

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Religion is always a controversial subject. The traditional advice of "never discuss politics or religion" is based upon sound historical experience. However, with religious terrorism so much in the news and being carried out around the world, it is difficult to avoid the subject. ISIS and their war to create a world of their Islamic beliefs is a classic example of the belief that one's own religious ideas represent the only true religion which all people must agree to follow. The major religions of…

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 Every day we read in the newspaper or see on television new atrocities committed around the world against human beings by those professing to do so as complying  with the will of God. Beheadings, suicide bombing and killing children are all  pleasing to God in their eyes.  For many thousands of people around the world, religion is a matter of strict rule compliance in all things both petty and large. Compliance, for them, means not just following very strict rules, but…

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The most recent ISIS video shown on the  nightly news features  the beheading of American hostage Peter Kassig. Today's media, not stories of 100 years ago, advise us that In Syria women are being stoned to death for adultery at the direction of Muslim religious leaders. We read about unprovoked Muslim genocide of Tahai people for ‘being kafirs.’ All of this with the confident belief they are "doing the Lord's work" in the  process. Muslim religious leaders advocate measures, many outlined in the Old Testament, like cutting off the hand of…

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The other morning I went to Mass at St Nicholas Catholic Church here in Gig Harbor. I was impressed with finding over fifty people in attendance. That’s unusual given the fact it wasn’t Sunday and there was no real obligation to be there. They must believe in a higher power we call God,but why do they believe there is a God? Maybe it’s because they see our  world tottering on the brink of the apocalypse. But, it’s not fear or…

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The conventional wisdom is to never discuss politics or religion with others in order to avoid controversy and argument. However, I’ve recently read views on religion that bear reflection and examination. I’d like to start with William Barclay who, before his death, was a professor of Divinity at Glasgow University and a very prolific writer of religious books and Biblical commentaries. He published a Spiritual Autobiography in which he said “I am a convinced universalist.”  He quoted Origon who believed…

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The concept of "conscious evolution" generally holds that mankind is transforming through the integration of science, spirituality and technology. A famous French Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) was a paleontologist and geologist who was involved in the discovery of the "Peking Man," a Chinese skull believed to be evidence of the evolution of man. De Chardin was a man of science who became a philosopher in looking for the compatibility between science and religion. As he studied the…

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Last Sunday the Catholic Church canonized to new Saints: Pope John 23rd and John Paul the 2nd. These were two very different pontiffs. The easier one for me to evaluate was John who was so clearly a holy and decent man. There are a large numnber of Catholics who are John Paul supporters and who believe him to be worthy of sainthood. There are also a large number, including me, with serious reservations about naming him a saint. So, to…

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