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The Tulsa Beacon

 

Dr. Marcus O. Durham

How did the churches in the south develop as they did?

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] Where did the first churches in the south develop? Let us time travel back to the period between 1720 and 1920. You are living in the area around Virginia or further out. Suppose you are an eleven-year-old youngster and hear your parents talking…

A search for your great grandparents can be revealing

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] Who were your great grandparents? You do not know? A few weeks ago, the Pastor discussed heritage and cultures who venerate and respect elders and past generations. Our contemporary, new technology society discards heritage and tradition as quickly as the two-year old, out-of-date…

Cephas Washburn was similar to Epaphras Chapman

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] Who was Cephas Washburn? Had you ever heard of him before a sign at Dwight Mission? Yet, like Epaphras Chapman to Union Mission, he blazed the trail for schooling to the Old Settlers Cherokee. Let’s back up to the American Board of Commissioners…

Where is the Dwight Mission?

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] Hey, it is a good time for a day trip. We turned onto US 64 highway. The road is within spitting distance of the Arkansas River at the Tulsa-Wagoner County line. How about a road trip down river? Unlike the Mississippi River, no…

What do these men have in common?

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] What did Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Sequoyah have in common? Actually, quite a bit. We see people as they seem when they are older and accomplished, but we miss the problems they had to overcome. Benjamin Franklin was one of 17 children….

Did Thomas Jefferson really take scissors to the Bible?

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] Did Thomas Jefferson really take scissors to the Bible? Jefferson was a strong advocate of Native American education. Jefferson’s programs to the southeast Nations, were to the people called ‘the Five Civilized Tribes,’ a generation later. Recall in a recent article, Jefferson supported…

America must have freethinkers who hold to their values

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] To build the framework for the original teachers and settler-leaders to the Indian Territory, we saw that President Thomas Jefferson was an avid supporter of church schools. That caused us to back up for a look at the foundations of the government. Many…

Was Ben Franklin a Deist? For a while

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] Why were Presidents Jefferson and Washington, Dr. Benjamin Franklin, with other early political architects called Deist? We saw earlier that all the founding colonies had requirements and oaths definitively affirming traditional Protestant beliefs and the colonies expelled those not advocating the prescribed practices….