This last week, the case regarding the baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple based on religious grounds began moving towards the United States Supreme Court.  While The Complete Pilgrim will not comment on the merits of this case, The Complete Pilgrim’s wife did.  In an effort to lighten the tone of comments on a Huffington Post article, she wrote the … [Read more...]

I grew up in and around New York City.  In my youth I lived in Northern New Jersey, Queens, Westchester, and after college I even spent a few years in the heart of the Big Apple itself, Manhattan.  Growing up this meant many trips in to one of the greatest cities on Earth, and access to some of America’s best historic sites, neighborhoods, restaurants, shopping, sports teams, … [Read more...]

From ancient Egypt in the second millennium BC to Great Britain in the 20th century, there has been a three thousand year parade of empires marching across the world stage. One has replaced another on a routine basis. At any given time, there has been a greatest empire on Earth, at least until the end of the Second World War. And all of these empires has had exactly one … [Read more...]

To date, approximately a thousand movies have been nominated for Academy Awards since they began in 1929. Surprisingly few of these have had religious or spiritual themes.  However, the few religious movies that have been so honored are among the most successful and beloved films of all time.  In order to narrow down this exceptional list, there were only three criteria: each … [Read more...]

Since the first step in overcoming a problem is admitting that you have a problem, let me begin by saying, “My name is Howard, and I am a tourist”; a fourteen-hours-a-day, site-mongering, camera-clicking tourist, as often as I get a chance.  And, may I add, I am darn proud of it.  Yet nowadays there seems to be a stigma associated with being a tourist: “Don’t be just another … [Read more...]

A mostly original poem by Howard Kramer (with apologies to Emma Lazarus) . Like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed shore, a great great wall shall stand A mighty man with a reality show, whose legacy Are the failed businesses, and his name Father of Apprentices. From his oddly small … [Read more...]

Well, Inauguration Day is upon us, and Americans from Sea to Shining Sea are still doing a lot of soul searching, especially Hillary Clinton supporters. Among mainstream Democrats, who generally supported Clinton, the list of excuses is varied:  she lost because she had been vilified by political enemies for decades; American men are not ready for a female president; Russian … [Read more...]

I never thought it likely that I would stumble upon another writer who was as fascinated by the history and trivia of religious pilgrimage as I am. But alas, friends, I have met my match and in fact been bested by one James Harpur in his new book, “The Pilgrim Journey: A History of Pilgrimage in the Western World.” Mr. Harpur, whose previous published works span a variety of … [Read more...]

As the two major political parties wrap up their respective primary seasons, we are presented with what I personally believe could be the worst choice of presidential candidates ever presented to the American people.  On the left is an entrenched establishment politician with a sketchy track record who may soon be indicted for some very poor decisions made in her role as … [Read more...]

Any first year economics student can tell you that a significant increase in competition should normally lead to lower prices for the consumer.  That is, unless, of course, you are talking about theme parks in Orlando.  In this strange, topsy-turvy world that calls itself the City Beautiful, the stiffer the competition gets between the world’s two largest theme park complexes, … [Read more...]