Moderately Religious: believing in a secular world 
Faith does not provide an escape from difficulties, but it provides strength and comfort during difficult moments. Trust in God and Christ's example can provide deeper joy and direction, even when answers are sometimes lacking.
An elevator can take us to great heights. There is only one who can take us all the way: Christ.
The past two weeks have been an intense journey full of challenges and beautiful moments. I have learned the importance of following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and making sure everyone feels loved and heard, especially during difficult times.
My wife Isabel and I were sent on a five-year mission through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We will dedicate ourselves completely to serving others and sharing the gospel. In addition, on July 28, 2024, I was called as bishop of the Sint-Niklaas district, where I can support the spiritual and material needs of our members.
Studying the scriptures can be daunting if you don't dig deep enough, as when reading Alma in the Book of Mormon. Alma emphasizes repentance, baptism, and endurance, but what if you stumble after your conversion? Fortunately, the correct interpretation offers hope. Replace “has repented” with “has begun his ongoing conversion” and discover how repentance and perseverance are one process, full of patience and...
As a Christian, I am often asked: 'How can you believe in a good God with so much misery in the world?' In my search for answers, I often find answers in surprising places that fit with my faith. Often in science, as described in the book 'The dopamine factor' by Anna Lembke. This book helps explain why adversity and suffering are necessary for our growth and...
The Swedish word 'lagom' means 'not too much, not too little, just right' and is all about balance. This principle can also be applied to faith: pray and read the scriptures regularly, but in balance with your daily life. However, our faith in Christ must be complete, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Lagom reminds us to give just enough attention to faith...
The location of the temple in Brussels was announced. The fact that this will be located in the heart of Brussels brings challenges. Maybe that's part of the purpose of a temple?
As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have experienced how faith can be a shared experience. Yesterday I experienced a special moment of connection during an intimate gathering in a small group of believers at someone's home. In this warm setting I felt the essence of faith, where we shared our deepest beliefs and a strong bond...
A conversation with Gerard Bodifee about the ethical and religious dilemmas of artificial intelligence (AI) made me think about how AI forces us to think about forgiveness and mistakes, and the role of faith in setting ethical boundaries. The responsibility and challenges of creating new forms of intelligence are also considered.
Discover how theistic evolution and intelligent design can be combined, recognizing both scientific insights and a divine creative force. Admiring the complexity and beauty of nature creates a harmonious vision that sees evolution as a God-directed process. This approach provides a bridge between faith and science.
In my latest reading adventure I went through 'Science & Religion' by Patrick Loobuyck, and boy, what a book! Loobuyck remains surprisingly neutral as he explores all angles of the discussion between faith and science. This is not a book that takes sides; rather, it is a guide for anyone looking for solid arguments for their choice of faith or science. In short, a...
Inspired by a tweet from philosopher Maarten Boudry, I thought about proof of God's existence. To me, faith is a personal choice, not based on scientific evidence. Faith is an inner conviction and experience, not a matter of rational arguments.
Is the church wrong because wrong things happen? I believe it is a reflection of faith to accept mistakes and still continue to believe in Christ and the church
After returning from a trip, I discovered that my GPS had stopped working, which unexpectedly made me realize my dependence on this technology. I had to fall back on traditional navigation methods, which provided a moment of reflection on the importance of guidance.
The discussion about euthanasia that I initiated led to insights and strengthened my question: 'Who owns my life?'. As a Christian, I think of God first. Prayer led to the Holy Spirit's understanding that we belong to each other as brothers and sisters, which emphasizes love and interconnectedness. This follows from Jesus' greatest commandments about love, and suggests that our lives include both God and…
Recently, the never-completely absent euthanasia debate has flared up again. To be honest, there is a lot of debate about preconditions and not enough about what it is really about. Who owns your life? Can faith provide an answer to that?
As a self-proclaimed moderate feminist, I call for a reappraisal of both traditional and modern roles of women. I draw on religious principles and contemporary insights to defend women's freedom of choice, so that they can live their lives as they wish, inside or outside the home. There is a need for respect and recognition for all women and I advocate...
I read an article in De Standaard about the mass of the W boson. As a scientist this fascinates me enormously, as a believer it makes me jealous. The fascinating thing is that this is really fundamental science. We cannot see this particle. We can devise very difficult experiments, plug the results into difficult formulas and then calculate a probable result using...
Science is driven by ignorance. After all, if we thought we already knew everything, we would stop searching. It is precisely because a scientist knows that he does not know something yet that he starts formulating hypotheses and developing theories, in the hope that he will first find a lot of peers who believe that his assumptions are correct. Once the scientist...
Moderately Religious: believing in a secular world 
SIGNED AND FREE SHIPPING