Recurring Series

Common themes at Gladio Mentis


Sometimes I find myself tackling different ideas that fit into the same genre; when that happens, I try to connect them using series. These are the "super-tags" that I apply to posts that fit into certain recurring themes:


Stop The Madness (STM)
Some traditions, opinions, and superstitions make open and honest discussion of important issues almost impossible. Worse, some of these habits misrepresent Christian teachings, focus needless attention on minor subjects, or cause blatant diversions from the truth. This is an unfortunate addiction of both true believers and die-hard skeptics. Gladio Mentis’ “Stop the Madness” series is intended to confront these pockets of insanity head-on, offering a more factual, rational approach.

Dangerous Ducks (DD)
Not everyone is a degreed scholar of scripture, or an expert in theology. Fortunately, not everyone has thousands or millions of people listening to their opinions on such matters. When an influential person or group “jumps the shark”, so to speak, errors in scriptural interpretation go from detrimental to dangerous. Even the semi-obscure “Dangerous Duck” can wreak havoc through false doctrine. Whether the mistakes are honest or deliberate, it’s important for believers to be able to tell the difference between frauds and friends. When we hear “quack, quack,” we should be ready to refute it, not echo it.

The Vaunted Opposition (VO)
Apologetics isn’t always positive; sometimes, you have to discredit an idea or an argument. In the same way, apologetics isn’t always defensive; sometimes, you have to return fire. And, of course, apologetics isn’t always general; sometimes it has to be brutally specific. Defending Christianity isn’t just about answering general challenges and objections. There are good reasons to actively criticize, rebut, and refute specific persons, groups, or works. That’s the impetus behind the “Vaunted Opposition” series, which will take a critical look at the anti-Christians on the other side of the philosophical battlefield. This may include book or website reviews, analysis of a particular person’s work, or some specific group of persons, and so forth.

The Whole Story (WS)
Some say we’re living in the information age. Actually, we’re living in the “communication” age. It’s easy to find words and pictures, but legitimate information can be harder to some by. Most of the time, the truth is available, but very few people bother to look for it. The internet makes it easy for anyone to say anything to billions of people at a time. The more common, popular, or easier versions are what get all of the attention. “Galileo was excommunicated for proving the Bible wrong.” “Scopes was arrested because he taught evolution instead of Creation.” These are two of the most common mythical summaries of real-world events. Neither played out the way popular legend would have it. Let’s clear things up.

Backwards Forwards (BF)
The name plays on emails, but any persistent rumor, myth, or urban legend moving like a case of the flu through Christian circles is fair game. Those of us who take on the label "Christian" ought to be more sophisticated in our discernment of what is truth, what is rumor, and what is just plain old stupid. Posts in this series will be (relatively) short explanations of the most common religiously-connected myths I’ve been seeing.

Core Apologetic (CA)
If a person is honestly seeking truth, then Christianity should be the first place they look. Biblical Christianity is the only religion, or worldview, that provides accurate and consistent answers to all of the “big questions” in life. The reasons to believe in Christ are not just pragmatic, but factual, logical, and philosophical. In all categories, scripturally-based Christianity is far superior to any other religious or non-religious outlook. Only Biblically-based Christianity provides truth, intellectual fulfillment, emotional fulfillment, and spiritual fulfillment. That, in a nutshell, is why I am, and continue to be, a Christian. This series is in the process of changing, and I'm still not sure exactly where I want to go with it...yet.