Paul Prather

Paul Prather: It's possible to hold the Bible dear without taking every word as fact

The first edition of the King James Bible is known as the "He" Bible because a passage in it refers to Ruth as a he rather than a she.

During my most recent appearance on Jack Pattie's radio show, Jack asked if science and religion are compatible. I said I believe mainly they are. This led to our discussing whether the world was created in six 24-hour days or the Genesis creation...

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Archive by category ''Paul Prather

PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: In my opinion, King Solomon had it right

It seems to me that as a newspaper columnist I ought to comment on the momentous issues of our day: the Boston Marathon bombers, or gay marriage, or Barack Obama's presidency, or the outsized power (or fall from grace, depending on whose version you believe) of the Religious Right.
PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: Love, forgiveness, honesty are much more important than sex

My biggest take-away from TV's "Preachers' Daughters" is that, although the ministers hailed from different Christian denominations and lived in different geographic areas, apparently their main concern for raising godly daughters was to keep them from having sex before marriage.
PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: Sharing words of wisdom as my birthday approaches

In a few days I'll celebrate my 57th birthday. I employ the word "celebrate" advisedly, of course. It's not as if I'll throw myself a bacchanalia. I'll probably treat myself to a long nap.
PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: The upside and downside to being revived

Last weekend I was rereading on my laptop a digital version of Frank Bartleman's 1925 book, How Pentecost Came to Los Angeles, which I read years ago in a print copy under the title, Azusa Street.
PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: A poker game that became a life lesson

Recently, I received a phone call from a guy who wanted to rent one of the apartments I own. A mutual friend had given him my name and number.
PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: How you tip a waitress speaks to your beliefs

It was a small matter, maybe. Still, Christians took another hit. I'm talking about the performance of the Rev. Alois Bell on Jan. 25 in a St. Louis Applebee's. After her meal, the minister crossed out an 18 percent tip on her bill. She was with a large party, and the restaurant's policy is to automatically...
PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: Delighting and marveling in my four grandchildren

On Dec. 2, my daughter-in-law, Cassie, gave birth to my fourth grandchild. Hagan Olivia arrived without a hitch, weighing in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces. All the grandkids have been lookers straight from the womb, but I swear, they just keep getting more beautiful with each successive child.
PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: Meeting my mortality for real

Note to self: In the future, don't jinx a 50-year run of good fortune by publicly calling attention to it.
PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: Reminders of my mortality are everywhere

To my astonishment, I find myself now the oldest person in my family, the one next in line to depart. It's hard to comprehend.
PAUL PRATHER

Paul Prather: Regardless of election results, God's in control

I'm writing this column on Nov. 4, two days before the presidential election. So what I'm about to say has nothing to do with the specific winner. Whether it's Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, my suggestion to you is the same: Get over it.