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Why Celebrate Christmas When We Do?

From First Thoughts

It is generally believed that the birth of Christ is celebrated on December 25 because our savvy Christian forebears with a flare for marketing took over a winter solstice holiday from the surrounding pagans. Not so, apparently. Here is William J. Tighe on Calculating Christmas and Andrew McGowan . . . . Continue Reading »

Deterring, Not Preventing, Evil

From First Thoughts

Yesterday’s tragedy in Connecticut, like other similar tragedies before it, calls to mind a widespread and persistent tendency to assume that we can prevent every “avoidable” tragedy by passing yet another law. Sad to say, no law will effectively deter every possible crime in . . . . Continue Reading »

Gustav Holst: Psalm 86

From First Thoughts

One hundred years ago the English composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934), best known for his series of orchestral tone poems, The Planets , composed a moving choral piece based on Genevan Psalm 86: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FIo9Buho1s&w=298&h=245] The metrical text was apparently . . . . Continue Reading »

Bay Psalm Book for Sale

From First Thoughts

Ted Olsen has written a fascinating article inspired by the recent decision of Boston’s Old South Church to sell off one of its two remaining copies of the original edition of the Bay Psalm Book, used liturgically by the New England Puritans in the 17th century: What You Need to Know About . . . . Continue Reading »

Bring Back “Brethren”

From First Thoughts

One of our brethren, Anthony Esolen, has written to extol that old-fashioned word, brethren . His comments have relevance for that increasingly complicated and contentious enterprise, Bible translation. In the older translations of the New Testament, such as the Geneva Bible and the King James . . . . Continue Reading »

The RSV … Again

From First Thoughts

Having grown up with the King James Version of the Bible, I have no sentimental attachment to the Revised Standard Version, although I do read from it in the context of daily prayers. Still I cannot manage to summon up Fr. Neuhaus’s enthusiasm for this translation, which has a number of . . . . Continue Reading »

Rimsha Masih Freed

From First Thoughts

International Christian Voice is reporting that Pakistan has dropped all charges against Rimsha Masih under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Masih is a 14-year-old Christian girl who was accused of having burned pages of the Qur’an in August. She was subsequently released on bail, after which . . . . Continue Reading »