Ask Grandpa: Bible question, bathrobes, baking, buoyed

Ask Grandpa
Share this article:

Grandpa,

Please settle a question my brother-in-law and I have. He says there is no such thing as ghosts. I say the Bible would not mention them if they did not really exist.

Grandpa says: Before I can answer your question, you need to define the word ghost. Yes, the word ghost does appear in the KJV in a pretty archaic sense of spirit, life, or even breath. Matthew and Mark refer to the Holy Ghost, using the Greek word pnuema. Other places in scripture we read the word ghost used euphemistically in expressions associated with dying, such as give up the ghost. That comes from the Hebrew gawa which means to expire and the Greek ekpneo meaning to breathe out or expire. If you are talking about the critters who go around haunting houses and people, the bible refers to them as familiar spirits, underworld demons that deliver messages through a medium or enchantress. If you are talking about the spirits of dead people, the Bible is extremely clear on the point that the dead are dead and know nothing. Dead people are not wandering around as zombies or ghosts torturing the living. Dead people do not come around to visit beloved family members or grant wishes. They are dead and remain dead until the resurrection at the second coming of Christ. Hollywood is at odds with the Quran and the Bible on this point.

Grandpa,

Many years ago, when my children were toddlers, I was asked what I would like for Christmas. At the time, I said I would love a bathrobe. Many years, several children, and lots of grandchildren later, I am still getting bathrobes every Christmas. Not just a bathrobe. Several bathrobes. I have many that have never been worn. I would like to donate them to a place that would actually use them, not just sell them for the cash they can get. Any suggestions?

Grandpa says: My first thought is retired veterans. VA hospitals, retirement homes, even social clubs. Contact some of the veterans clubs in your area and see if they could use them as gifts for members. There are group homes for those who have developmental challenges. Per chance they could use them for their residents. I am sending to you a list of organizations that may be able to put them into direct use as opposed to selling them to those who can afford to buy them. Thank you for your generosity.

Grandpa,

How does baking powder make cakes and other baked goods rise?

Grandpa says: Baking powder contains baking soda, a base, and cream of tartar, a dry acid, and a corn starch carrier. When the base and the acid mix in dry form, nothing happens. Once they are wet, the base and the acid mix and give off carbon dioxide. It is the carbon dioxide that gets trapped in the batter that makes the pastry rise. The heat of cooking hastens the chemical reaction so your cake will rise faster. The sweetener, such as sugar in the recipe, covers the slight metallic flavor of the acid. Happy baking!

Got something stuck in your craw? Ask Grandpa. Address your letters to Ask Grandpa c/o The Voice, PO Box 123,
Aurora, IL 60507 or send an E-mail to askgrandpa@thevoice.us.

Leave a Reply