Category Archives: History

The history of the world.

The Abolition of Slavery and Veganism

Posted on January 8, 2012 by

Can we compare the abolitionists in the animal rights movement, who will settle for nothing less than the abolition of all animal exploitation, with the abolitionists in the anti-slavery movement of the 18th and 19th centuries?  Absolutely!  But I would … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals and ethics, History, Vegetarianism / Veganism | Comments Off

What Caused the Civil War?

Posted on December 20, 2010 by

  Today is the 150th anniversary of South Carolina’s secession from the Union, the action which precipitated the Civil War. Edward Ball has written an opinion piece in the New York Times clearly blaming slavery as the root cause of … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Nonviolence, Politics, or the lack thereof | Comments Off

Priestly Pedophilia: A Systemic Evil

Posted on May 26, 2010 by

By Clem De Wall Except for the Catholic hierarchy, few have been satisfied with Vatican excuses for priestly pedophilia. Instead, there are outcries for reparations, admissions of guilt and swift punishment. Some advocate reforming the celibacy rule. I would go … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, History, Politics, or the lack thereof, Religion and spirituality | Comments Off

Did the First Followers of Jesus have a Bible?

Posted on May 5, 2010 by

  There is a marvelous passage relating to scripture, reflecting Ebionite views, in Homilies 8.10: “The only good God having made all things well . . . appointed a perpetual law to all, which neither can be abrogated by enemies, … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Ebionites, Historical Jesus, History, Religion and spirituality, Vegetarianism / Veganism | Comments Off

Eating at the Table of Demons

Posted on April 11, 2010 by

One of the critical issues in the early church was the “table of demons.” Both the Ebionites and Paul discuss this with great energy. So, what is the “table of demons” and should we avoid eating there?

Posted in Christianity, Ebionites, Historical Jesus, History, Religion and spirituality, Vegetarianism / Veganism | Comments Off

Jesus in the Temple

Posted on April 1, 2010 by

  Just before his death, Jesus went into the temple and disrupted the business supporting the temple operations, by driving out all those who were buying and selling the sacrificial animals. It was this act which led to his arrest … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals and ethics, Christianity, Ebionites, Historical Jesus, History, Religion and spirituality | Comments Off

Stephen Batchelor, the Historical Buddha, and Vegetarianism

Posted on March 19, 2010 by

Stephen Batchelor spoke at the Tattered Cover Bookstore on March 16 plugging his book, “Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist.” I was intrigued by his interest in the question of the “historical Buddha,” which has rarely been investigated. I asked him … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals and ethics, Buddhism, History, Religion and spirituality, Vegetarianism / Veganism | Comments Off

The Ecological Footprint of Information

Posted on January 20, 2010 by

Declaring e-books to be the future of publishing may be a bit premature. What are the energy requirements of a paper book? They probably aren’t that much. Medieval monks and Gutenberg churned them out, at a much slower rate, long … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecological Economics, History, Limits to Growth, Peak oil | Tagged | Comments Off