A Knight's Blog

Critics of the Church often bring their case over the chapters of violence in Church history. They point to The Crusades , The Inquisitions , and other violent campaigns as signs of corruption, and so seek to defame the institution of God's Kingdom on these grounds. I have endeavored to answer the violent chapters of the church through analysis and explanation of the motives, thinking, and reasoning behind them. It is not my endeavor to approve or disapprove of the wars of religion, nor make a case for or against sanctioned violence. Rather my goal is to give some explanation for these episodes of violence, and shed some light on why the Church participated in fighting. It is my hope to make my case without bias, although to be honest all history is biased, and usually written by the victor. The Church has been involved in violence from  5th century to 16th Century when the Christian Byzantine Empire waged wars against Muslims, Christians, and other groups. From the 7th century

Jane Austen adaptations have been numerous. Emma, Austen's novel, has been adapted many times, once with Gwenthe Paltrow as the protagonist. I find however, BBC's Emma has all the charm, wit, and vigor a Victorian series should have. Emma in this adaptation cares deeply for her father who has become obsessively afraid of being alone since his wife's death. Emma is a socialite sweetheart busybody who is in the matchmaking business "unofficially." Emma is often scolded and chastised by her oldest friend Mr. Knightly, who worries over Emma's encouragement of friends to find their soul mate. Emma encounters many suitors for herself, one Vicar, another Mr. Churchill, and finally there is Mr. Knightly. Emma and perhaps most of Victorian stories could be a parable of why not to gossip, " If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless ," (James 1:26), " A

Innocent is fastly disappearing in this world. When people think of innocence it tends to invoke images of children and does. While certainly children can be innocent, they are born in sin (Psalm 51:5) and so innocence is incomplete in even them. Innocence rather is a state of being, " free from moral wrong; without sin; pure: or not involving evil intent or motive." Generally in the Church we think of that first definition, without sin. But I believe the better definition of innocence is this, " having or showing the simplicity or naiveté of an unworldly person ; guileless; ingenuous." This goes along with what Jesus said, " Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocen t as doves ." (Matthew 10:16). The world seeks to teach us many things: murder, greed, avarice, caprice, control, pleasure, lust of eyes, lust of flesh, and lust for power. The world wants to turn the innocent