An idol is anything put in the place of God as the ultimate reality - the eternal, self-existent, uncaused cause of everything else.

Many people operate as though the definition of faith were, Don't ask questions, just believe. They quote Jesus himself, who taught his followers to have the faith of a child (Mark 10:15). But I once heard Francis Schaeffer respond by saying, "Don't you realize how many questions children ask?"

But things that are intrinsically good can also become idols-if we allow them to take over any of God's functions in our lives.

The human mind inherently seeks intelligible order. Thus the conviction that such an order exists to be found is a crucial assumption.

My aim in homeschooling is to give my children the ability to be an adult learner, a skill set that will last the rest of their lives.

In Gnosticism, the physical world did not ultimately matter - which meant physical suffering did not matter either. Seeking 'enlightenment' meant cultivating an attitude of detachment, even indifference.

Knowing the truth has meaning only as a first step to living the truth day by day.