Bernard Starr
Algemeiner
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Past articles by Bernard:
Why Christian Antisemites Are Ignorant of Their Own Faith
At his Sunday sermons, megachurch televangelist Joel Osteen holds up the Christian Bible and says what most Christians believe: “It’s the word of God.”... → Read More
The Ma and Pa ‘Business Empire’ of Donald Trump
In 2016, when Malaysian real estate developer Tiah Joo Kim showed up for a meeting at Trump Tower to propose... → Read More
Church or Synagogue: Which Would Jesus Choose?
Most theologians and biblical scholars agree that Jesus lived and died as a dedicated practicing Jew, who never proposed a new religion.... → Read More
Thomas Jefferson: Christian or Jew?
How did Christianity get separated from Judaism, when the two religions have so much in common? That was the question... → Read More
Now Is the Time for Sensible Gun Control
The massacre at a Las Vegas concert that killed 59 people and injured more than 500 on October 1 — and was... → Read More
Some People Still Don’t Know That Jesus Was Jewish
When I tell people that I’ve written extensively about the “Jewish Jesus,” they frequently say, “but everyone knows that Jesus... → Read More
Identity Purge: Jesus, Judaism and Renaissance Art
In 2013, I published a book entitled Jesus Uncensored: Restoring the Authentic Jew. In it, I argued that Jesus’ Jewish identity had been obliterated... → Read More
On the Verge of Immortality, Or Are We Stuck with Death? A New Direction For Research Could Provide the Answers--and More
How long can human beings live? Is there an outside limit? Do we know enough about aging to break through possible biological barriers? Is the current approach to curing "age associated diseases" like Alzheimer's flawed? Experts are sharply divided. In 1962 eminent biologist Leonard Hayflick discovered that normal human fetal cells replicate a limited number of times. This phenomenon promptly… → Read More
An Open Letter to Evangelicals Who Voted for Donald Trump
According to Christianity Today, more than 80 percent of white evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump. This major voting block was decisive,... → Read More
Zika, Pandemics, And The Market Model: Till Death Do Us Part?
Everyone agrees that the Zika virus poses a threat, not only to pregnant women, but possibly to everyone. The virus attacks fetal brains. But scientists don't know the long-term consequences of carrying the virus. That's worrisome, since the virus can be transmitted by mosquitoes and then by those infected through sexual contact and transfer of bodily fluids. Are we prepared to effectively… → Read More
Zika, Pandemics, And The Market Model: Till Death Do Us Part?
Zika Virus by en.wikipedia.org Everyone agrees that the Zika virus poses a threat, not only to pregnant women, but possibly to everyone. The virus attacks fetal brains. But scientists don't know the long-term consequences of carrying the virus. That's worrisome, since the virus can be transmitted by mosquitoes and then by those infected through sexual contact and transfer of bodily fluids. Are… → Read More
Bernard Starr
Bernard Starr College Professor (Emeritus, City University of N.Y),psychologist, journalist. Bernard Starr, Ph.D., is a college professor (Professor Emeritus CUNY), psychologist, journalist, and gerontologist. He was formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology and director of a graduate program in gerontology at the City University of New York, Brooklyn College. He is founder,… → Read More
What Would Jesus Say About Distortions Of His Teachings?
Lament of Jesus by Hugh Colmer with permission In his New York Times op-ed column on September 4, 2016, Nicholas Kristof asks: "What Religion Would Jesus Belong To?" A clever headline, to be sure, but Kristof has a broader agenda: to explore how all religions, almost from their outset, depart from the teachings of their founders"and continue to do so today. Kristof tells us that the Prophet… → Read More
What Would Jesus Say About Distortions of His Teachings?
In his New York Times op-ed column on September 4, 2016, Nicholas Kristof asked: “What Religion Would Jesus Belong To?” A clever headline, to be sure, but Kristof has a broader agenda: to explore how all religions, almost from their outset, depart from the teachings of their founders, and continue to do so today. Kristof tells us that the Prophet Muhammad revered women and elevated their status,… → Read More
The Transformation of the Virgin Mary: How a Jewish Girl From Nazareth Became a Christian Icon
The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, provide skimpy biographies of Jesus, with huge time gaps. We meet Jesus in brief citations as a newborn, a six-year-old in Egypt about to return to Nazareth, a 12-year-old at the Temple in Jerusalem, and at age 30, when his spiritual mission begins as he is baptized by John the Baptist. Not much fodder for a reliable psychological profile. The… → Read More
Why Christians Should Celebrate Passover
The Passover holiday commemorates the exodus of Jews from slavery in Egypt. It is a celebration of freedom. On this basis alone, Christians should join Jews in celebrating Passover. Why? No exodus, no Christianity. But there’s a more persuasive reason. In Jesus’ time, Passover was the holiest celebration on the Jewish calendar. Hundreds of thousands of Jews from surrounding nations and… → Read More
Passion Plays and Oratorios, 'Christ Killers,' and the Magic Trick of 'Deus Ex Machina'
Jesus before Pontius Pilate (Ecce Homo) by Antonio Ciseri--en.wikimedia.org "Crucify him, crucify him!" shouted the multitude of Jews when Pontius Pilate asked them what he should do with Jesus. These few harsh words, which appear in the Gospels (Mark 15:12-13; Luke 23:20-23; John 19:14-16; Matthew 27: 22-23), had by the Middle Ages become a mantra in Christian society. Led by that battle cry,… → Read More