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Joel

Joel is a 29 year old currently residing in the southeastern United States. His interests lay in philosophy and theology. He is a writer for The Christian Watershed and for Faith & Polity.
Joel has written 482 posts for The Christian Watershed

“Will Moore Recover?” Let Me Tell You About Oklahomans


The devastation in Moore, Oklahoma hits quite close to home for me, both figuratively and literally. I grew up just a few hours north of Moore, so I’ve been through my fair share of tornados and their aftermath. While blessed to have never endured a direct hit, I’ve seen the damage they can do firsthand … Continue reading »

Sowing what we reap or, This isn’t the Government we need right now, but it is the Government we deserve


Forty years ago to the week, May 17, 1973, the nation was engulfed in a scandal when it was revealed that President Richard Nixon’s administration had broken into the Watergate Hotel in order to gain an advantage of his Democratic contenders. This week has seen scandal after scandal from our present administration that rival – … Continue reading »

On Pascha (Easter), or the Hope of Things to Come


Once in the Garden of Eden, at the beginning of our sorrows, the pre-incarnate Christ walked within the Garden looking for Man and Woman. He knew what had occurred. He knew His creation had rebelled. He knew the pain and suffering that was to come. We can almost hear the pain as we read the … Continue reading »

Random Musings/Prayers


As we (Orthodox Christians) enter the last week of Lent prior to Holy Week, I wanted to post a few random thoughts/prayers that I wrote out this morning pertaining to the essence of Lent and Pascha (Easter). Why do we fast? Why do we lament? Why do we recognize these things? I hope you find … Continue reading »

Gosnell and the Dilemma of Abortion


In Peter Kreeft’s book The Unaborted Socrates, Kreeft imagines what it would be like for Socrates to come into the modern day and speak to a defender of abortion. What questions would Socrates ask? Would he approve or disapprove of the answers given? But one exchange in there is quite potent: Herrod: “Well, there is … Continue reading »

Victoria’s Secret and the Steubenville Rape or, How Honoring Mary Can End Objectification


Victoria’s Secret has announced its attempt to corner the pre-teen market. Of course, it isn’t simply producing simple undergarments, but instead has decided to “sexualize” preteens. The CFO even said that the new line is targeted at young teenage girls to make them feel as cool as college girls. This new line has panties that have “Call … Continue reading »

On Lent and Pascha or, Lent As an Icon


The Western Church has already entered the Lenten season and the Eastern Church has just begun its journey, yet in many ways the congregants have been on a Lenten journey their entire lives. If we boil it down, Lent is an icon for our present life. Lent requires us to sacrifice certain aspects of our … Continue reading »

“Forgive me, a sinner” and Other Thoughts on Forgiveness Vespers


“Forgive me, a sinner.” By the end of the evening, I had said this and had it said to me nearly one hundred times. One would think the repeated nature of the phrase would numb you to its initial impact. Instead, I found myself contemplating the very importance of this humble request. I found myself … Continue reading »

The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI or: Why the World Will Never Understand


Cardinal Ratzinger surprised the world when he elected Pope back in 2005, seen as an unpopular pick by the world. He once again surprised the world yesterday, this time as Benedict XVI, when he announced that he would resign from the papacy on February 28. What is so shocking about this announced resignation is that … Continue reading »

The Irrational Nature of Our Society or: An Irrational Society is not a Society


Today is the 40th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the landmark decision that permitted at-will abortions around the United States. As such, the debates I have seen amongst many of my friends – as I have friends on all sides of this issue – have been quite ferocious concerning this anniversary. Here at the Christian Watershed we are … Continue reading »

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