Valentine’s Day is a ubiquitous global tradition accepted as a celebration of love and endorsed by Christianity and commerce alike. However, the origins of the custom are sordid. St. Valentine apparently existed only in legend. The day was likely named for a popular Gnostic heretic who blended pagan ideas into Catholic doctrine and promoted eroticism as a way to connect with the spirit realm. In…
Story Category: Miscellaneous Topics
How Hell Got Hijacked: The Surprising Origins of the Modern View of Eternal Torment truthsum.org
TS Writer
5 years ago in Heaven & Hell, Immortal Soul
The hell most people picture—fiery pits, screaming souls, and pitchfork-wielding demons—is more fiction than Scripture. While many assume this vision comes from the Bible, the modern concept of hell is deeply rooted in Greek philosophy, medieval literature, and church tradition, not the teachings of Jesus. Ancient Greek thinkers like Plato promoted the idea of the soul’s inherent immortality—an idea foreign to the Bible, which teaches…
Cupid’s Disheartening Past – Alice Abler vision.org
Ryan Welsh
5 years ago in Valentine's Day, Paganism
Cupid, that winged Valentine’s Day mascot with a sordid past. “From a lusty shepherd-king who died annually, causing weeping of women throughout the known world, to the incestuous sun god who is the bringer of life, his tale spans eons and outlive entire civilizations with variations in names and lore. This intertwined history of Cupid and his mother, the traditional mother/son/spouse deities of sexual love…
Fulfillment of the Law – Tim Vail thefatherscall.org
Brian Orchard
5 years ago in Law, Days of Unleavened Bread, Law Done Away
Do all the laws of the Old Testament end with Christ’s death? Many believe that the 10 commandments as well as the statutes based on those laws are not binding on man today. This belief is supported by Jesus’ role as High Priest fulfilling many of the rituals observed by the ancient Israelites, such as animal sacrifices. So indeed, some Old Testament practices did end…
Evidence of God’s Design – Bill Jahns lifehopeandtruth.com
Marshall Stiver
5 years ago in Physical World, Creation, Evolution
Many wonder when they look up in the heavens at night or simply at all the life forms here on earth, “Is there really a God who designed and created all these things?” Well, there is a great deal of evidence that points to a creator God. We marvel at some of the design and subsequent construction of complicated mechanical devices that are credited to…
The Great Deception: How Satan Masquerades as an Angel of Light truthsum.org
Satan’s strategy has always been to deceive, beginning with Eve in the Garden and continuing throughout history by distorting God’s truth. Today, that deception may not look like paganism or atheism—it may look like Christianity. The Bible warns us that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. His most insidious tactic is not open rebellion but counterfeit worship that mimics the truth while subtly replacing…
The Mystery of the Trinity: Is God Truly Unknowable? – Part 1 truthsum.org
Many assume that the God of the Old Testament was the Father, but Scripture tells a different story. John 1:18 says no one has seen the Father at any time, yet countless Old Testament figures saw and spoke with God. Jesus clarified this mystery—He came to reveal the Father, because the One known to Israel throughout their history was actually the Word, who later became…
Sabbath Rest sabbathcog.org
Julie Modad
5 years ago in Weekly Sabbath, Sunday Worship
Some say that the Sabbath is just a Jewish day, or even further minimized, no longer commanded as it was nailed to the cross. Is this truly the case? The Sabbath is a part of God’s spiritual creation, not just a random day of the week. The Sabbath day is holy because it was God Himself who set the day apart from all the rest….
Changing the Sabbath to Sunday thebiblesaysthat.com
Ryan Welsh
5 years ago in Sunday Worship
The shifting of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday is quite an interesting tale to hear, especially from those that instituted the change. It’s almost a chicken or the egg scenario. Most Seventh day Sabbath keepers say Sunday worship is wrong because it was instituted by men (within the Catholic Church). The Catholic Church, on the other hand, say we changed the Sabbath, without scriptural…
The Trinity as an Idol: How Misrepresenting God Distances Us from Him – Part 2 truthsum.org
For centuries, the Trinity has been upheld as an essential truth in mainstream Christianity—despite not being explicitly taught by Jesus or the apostles. Instead, it was developed through centuries of church councils and philosophical influence, especially from Greek metaphysics. Many are told it’s a divine mystery beyond comprehension. But Scripture warns against forming false ideas about God—whether physical or mental (Ezekiel 14:3; Romans 1:21–23). Jesus…
Keeping Christmas Breaks All Ten Commandments! – Randy D’Alessandro ucg.org
Jule Zehrung
5 years ago in Miscellaneous Topics
This message compares a historic world event that was hijacked and relabeled to a set of guidelines in the ‘manual’ that show that Christmas is not Christian and contravenes all 10 Commandments. Perhaps the most obvious infractions that this presenter outlines are in Commandment #2 “do not worship idols”; worship defined as honoring with religious rites and #9 “do not lie”. Some people know it’s…
From Scripture to Speculation: The Philosophical Origins of the Trinity – Part 3 truthsum.org
The doctrine of the Trinity—God as three co-equal, co-eternal persons—is central to mainstream Christianity today. Yet this concept did not emerge directly from the teachings of Jesus or the apostles. Instead, it developed centuries later under the influence of Greek philosophy, particularly Platonism and Neoplatonism. Early theologians like Origen and Augustine integrated these ideas into Christian doctrine, introducing terms like essence and substance that were…
Is God a Trinity? – Peter Nathan, Jeannette B. Anderson vision.org
Ryan Welsh
5 years ago in Trinity
The doctrine of the Trinity – where did this “extrabiblical dogma” come from? For those that ask “why,” the doctrine of the Trinity is difficult to unravel. As we look back, around a century after the time of Emperor Constantine and the council of Nicaea (325 C.E.), there was still little consensus of God’s nature by “Church leaders” and brief mention of the Holy Spirit….
Paganism: Who Cares? – Brian Orchard thefatherscall.org
Steven Orchard
5 years ago in Paganism
The pagan origins of popular holidays is common knowledge, but who cares? Perhaps the important question is, instead, does God care? God gave the nation He formed, Israel, very specific instructions to avoid paganism. Yet they repeatedly adopted pagan practices including worship of multiple gods, nature, and goddesses. Paganism interrupts the singularity of focus on the true God. It breaks the core of the covenant…
Salvation, Grace, and Choice: Are We Talking About the Same Thing? truthsum.org
TS Writer
5 years ago in Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS)
Debates around “once saved, always saved” (OSAS) often reveal deeper differences about what salvation, grace, and faith really mean. Salvation in Scripture is described in past, present, and future tenses. The OSAS view sees it as a one-time, unchangeable legal act. In contrast, others view it as a covenant relationship—freely given, but sustained by abiding in Christ. Jesus said, “He who endures to the end…
Christmas? thebiblesaysthat.com
Ryan Welsh
5 years ago in Christmas
I really liked the short, to the point approach this article took regarding the biblical stance on Christmas. It begins with the pagan origins of Christmas that are documented and well-established. Most mainstream Christians don’t even argue that fact. With the origins well established we move to the second point. Within Jeremiah it’s stated that we are not to worship God the way gentiles worship…
Lazarus & Rich Man – Scriptural Proof of Hell? hwalibrary.com
Steven Orchard
5 years ago in Judgement, Heaven & Hell
First, the Bible is clear that there is no consciousness after death and no immortal soul. There are, however, resurrections in sequence for both the righteous and the unrighteous. Both Lazarus and the rich man died. One was to be resurrected to life, the other to permanent destruction. Christ is using an allegory with terms familiar to His audience. It is in the context of…
Has God’s Law Been Done Away? – Ken Murray ucg.org
Julie Modad
5 years ago in Law, Law Done Away
A fundamental question looms over much of Christianity today: Has the law been done away? What does Christ have to say about this – as He should be the foremost authority on the matter. There is a scripture in Luke that is often cited to say the law is no longer needed to be kept. The Bible explains itself, never contradicts, and states with full…
Is “Once Saved, Always Saved” Biblical? A Deeper Look at Salvation truthsum.org
TS Writer
5 years ago in Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS), Miscellaneous Topics
“Once saved, always saved” offers comfort—but is it scriptural? Salvation isn’t a one-time transaction; it’s a covenant relationship with God. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience doesn’t earn salvation, but it shows faith. The first Passover paints a picture: Israel was saved by grace, yet obedience mattered. Similarly, believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13–14), not as…
“You Will Not Surely Die!” – Jim Franks lifehopeandtruth.com
Ryan Welsh
5 years ago in Gospel Message, Plan of Salvation, Human Beings, Second Resurrection, Immortal Soul
At some point we all face and wonder what happens after death. Most accept without question that what they are taught comes from scripture. That is “we are an immortal soul that at death lives on eternally in heaven or in hell.” What most don’t realize is this belief predates the first coming of Jesus, having its origins in paganism. It can arguably be traced…