“The Vatican’s ambassador in Geneva has said the use of force will be necessary to protect minority groups from Islamic State [ISIS] aggression if a political solution cannot be achieved” (Jerusalem Post, March 15, 2015). The ambassador called for a coalition that would do “everything possible to achieve a political settlement without violence… but if that’s not possible, then the use of force will be necessary” (ibid.).​​​

Is history the future? It has been said, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” But in a strange twist of history in our day, the radical Islamists of Islamic State, or ISIS, have learned their history quite well, and they want to repeat it. And they plan to force everyone else to repeat it as well. What history do they want to repeat?

Though it is widely celebrated as a Christian holiday, Saint Patrick’s Day was not a church festival until the seventeenth century. The history surrounding Saint Patrick is sketchy and largely based on legends and conflicting traditions. Like other mainstream Christian “holidays” that have been passed down through Catholic tradition, it is associated with many symbols of pagan religion. Shocking?

Most of us, if we hearken back far enough to our school days, remember something about the number pi—pronounced “pie” and symbolized by the Greek letter π. Some of us will also remember that the value of that number is approximately 3.14, which is why some math lovers like to celebrate it every year on March 14—that is, 3/14—designating the day as “Pi Day.”