Religion
Postcard from Arkansas
By Tom Quiner Quiner’s Diner is taking a much-appreciated vacation in Arkansas, so we won’t be posting as often as usual this week. The photo above is the view I have from the deck on my cabin . I have a tall stack of books next to me, as this is very much a reading…
Read MoreDo we need to eliminate desire to eliminate suffering?
By Tom Quiner [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z9q8zazy68] Bhuddism suggests that we need to eliminate desire to eliminate suffering. Famed philosopher and Christian apologist, Dr. Peter Kreeft, suggests that, in fact, it is human desire that leads us to God. Food for thought, isn’t it? Listen to Dr. Kreeft’s two minute case for desire.
Read MoreRon Paul misses the mark on marriage
By Tom Quiner “Imagine there’s no religion” goes the sentiment in the John Lennon song, Imagine. Ron Paul invoked an interesting idea in last night’s debate that made me think of Mr. Lennon’s song. Mr. Paul supports the idea of traditional marriage of one man, one woman. But he thinks the business of marriage should…
Read MoreThe contagious mass psychosis of 1917
By Tom Quiner [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ60bBMesFo] I was sitting on my patio last summer sipping on a glass of wine and enjoying the company of some good friends when the conversation took a mysterious turn. Carol told of something extraordinary she witnessed years ago at Veterans Auditorium here in Des Moines. She was the reluctant attendee of…
Read MoreMay 13th, 5PM
By Tom Quiner Three children saw something that changed the world. The year was 1917. It took place in Portugal on May 13th at 5PM. Lucia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto were stopped in their tracks by the mystical appearance of a beautiful woman. Here’s how Lucia described the woman: She was…
Read MoreWhat is the engine of history?
By Tom Quiner Some Republican leaders are urging their party to focus on economic issues and de-emphasize cultural issues. They believe that it is economics and politics that drive history. Pope John Paul II (JPII) disagreed. He believed, and he proved, that it is culture that drives history. Not economics. Not politics. Economics and politics…
Read MoreWould you die for a lie?
By Tom Quiner Men have been known to go to their death for something in which they believe. Those men are few and far between. Men don’t give up their lives easily. Do men go to their death for a lie? No they don’t, because our lives are too precious to us. The ultimate sacrifice,…
Read MoreIs atheism the new opiate of the masses?
By Tom Quiner [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe5kVw9JsYI] A stranger washed my feet last night. This unusual experience took place at the Holy Thursday service at my church last night. Just as Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, we washed each others’ feet in remembrance of the relevance of His actions today. In a short while, I’ll be…
Read MoreDes Moines Register writes about The Pope of the People
By Tom Quiner The premier of The Pope of the People, the John Paul II musical, is just two days away. The Register’s art and entertainment reporter, Michael Morain, wrote a nice piece about the production in today’s Register. Check it out here. I wrote and am producing the musical as part of the Centennial…
Read MoreThe Woman at the Well
By Tom Quiner [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z2lNUzD6Co] Today’s gospel reading is about you. And me. If you were to create a list of the Bible’s best stories, the story of the Woman at the Well ranks high. You can find it in John 4:5. The story is rich with symbolism. Every detail in the story has meaning. What…
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