TruthBook Religious News Blog

Independent congregations are slowly chipping away at the ‘trusted brands’ as the Christian faith becomes more like Wikipedia and less like Encyclopedia Britannica.

By Henry G. Brinton

The search for accurate information about 2008 presidential hopefuls has become tougher than ever, especially online. Bloggers often tout opinions instead of facts, and amateur editors or even political activists can revise Wikipedia entries on the candidates. The English-language version of this popular online encyclopedia has at least 5.5 million registered users, and any one of them can edit the site. In Virginia, a Republican state legislator recently included comments from a blog in an attack ad against his Democratic opponent — comments that cannot be verified, identified only as what "others are saying."

As a Presbyterian pastor, I'm often approached by people who are on a search for truth, and as I attempt to help them, I draw on my religious tradition, sacred Scriptures and theological training. Unfortunately, more and more people are taking their quest directly to the Internet, surfing for religious as well as political insights.

I'm convinced that the Christian faith is becoming more like Wikipedia and less like Encyclopedia Britannica. Instead of time-tested religious insights, people are accepting "what others are saying."

A generation ago, people turned to trusted authorities such as newspapers and mainline churches to get information. But trust in such institutions has fallen over the past 30 years, eroding the relationship between Americans and a number of traditional sources of trust. A poll called the General Social Survey has asked people whether they have "a great deal of confidence" in social institutions, and their answers reveal a clear decline.

According to this survey by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, confidence has dropped since the 1970s in:

* Banks and financial institutions (From 35% to 28%).

* Major companies (26% to 17%).

* The press (24% to 9%).

* Education (36% to 27%).

* Organized religion (35% to 24%).

Whether you attribute this fall to Watergate or Enron or clergy sexual misconduct, the damage has clearly been done.

Labels: bloggers, General Social Survey, Henry G. Brinton, institutions, religion, Wikipedia

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Judas Wasn't Even a Gnostic Hero

By Jay Tolson
Thu Oct 25, 1:03 PM ET

Remember all the hoopla about the Gospel of Judas, the long-lost Gnostic text that depicted Judas not as wicked villain but as the Messiah's favorite, who was given the nasty job of betraying him because he understood Jesus's special mission better than anybody else did?

Well, now it turns out that that might not be what the Gospel of Judas was saying at all. If April De Conick, a professor of biblical studies at Rice University, is right, the English translation that was sponsored by the National Geographic was so flawed in crucial places that it reversed what the text was actually saying: that Judas was just as nasty as all the traditional orthodox Christian accounts said he was.

The problem, De Conick says, is that the translation was based on very incomplete reconstructions of the original Coptic text. In the October 15 entry of her Forbidden Gospels Blog, she explains that the mistakes were so bad that she was inspired to write a book, the newly published Thirteenth Apostle, to rectify them:

"What does the Coptic really say? The Coptic says that Judas is a demon, that he will be instrumental in bringing about Jesus' sacrifice, that this was the worst thing he could do. Jesus tells Judas that he will not go to the Kingdom, that he is working for the demiurge Ialdabaoth-Nebruel, that he will lament and grieve his terrible fate. Furthermore, the text says that Jesus will tell him the mysteries of the Kingdom not so that he will go there, but so that Judas will lament greatly his actions within the cosmic drama. Judas is separated from the holy generation. He is the thirteenth demon, which means he is to be associated with Ialdabaoth, the "thirteenth" archon or ruler in Sethian Gnosis."

" ... The problem is that now the world thinks that Judas is a Gnostic hero when in fact the Gospel of Judas says nothing of this. In fact, it says the opposite. My translation is of the actual Gospel of Judas.""

What De Conick's translation of the Gospel of Judas might say about the Gnostic Christians more generally is hard to say. But on the question of Judas, it seems that these so-called heretics were closer to the orthodox position than many Christian scholars would like to think. And perhaps closer than many latter-day Gnostics would like to think, as well.

Labels: April De Conick, Coptic, Gnostic, Jay Tolson, Jesus, Judas

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Saturday, October 27, 2007

A deeper look at gratitude

A deeper look at gratitude

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Q&A WITH ...If happiness is a choice, then why doesn't everyone simply make that choice?

Robert A. Emmons answers that question in his new book, Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier. He suggests specific techniques for implementing a consistent lifestyle of gratitude. And it is a choice, but it takes practice, he adds.

After years of work on studying the subject scientifically, Dr. Emmons, a psychologist at the University of California, Davis, offers the findings he says demonstrate that gratitude can produce a healthier, happier lifestyle.

While some people may view happiness as merely a vague feeling, Dr. Emmons believes that one's perceptions can be manipulated to achieve contentment. He spoke recently with Special Contributor Anita Curtis by e-mail. Here are excerpts.

How does one look at gratitude as a science?

Science means that we apply scientific tools – observation and measurement – to the examination of, in this case, the feelings, perceptions and expressions of gratitude. It means that we replace armchair philosophy and moral rhetoric regarding gratitude with empirical observation of what gratitude is and the results of what it does in people's lives.

Were there findings that surprised you?

Yes, the physical health findings. That people keeping gratitude journals slept 1/2 hour more per evening, woke up more refreshed and exercised 33 percent more each week compared with persons who are not keeping these journals.

Is gratitude related to one's religious beliefs?

Gratitude is at the core of all the major religions. Virtually every religion emphasizes gratefulness or thanksgiving. It is part of the ethical foundations of world religions which state that people are morally obligated to give thanks to their God and to each other.

It's easy to be grateful for good things that come to us. How can we also be grateful in times of loss?

We realize that there is more to life than our losses, and gratitude for life gives us a realistic perspective by which to view our losses and not succumb to victimhood or despair. The ability to perceive the elements in one's life and even life itself as gifts would appear essential if we are to transform tragedies into opportunities.

How can negative emotions be replaced with positive ones? Is it really just a matter of choosing which to focus on?

This is true. For example, one simply cannot be relaxed and stressed at the same time, nor grateful and resentful at the same time. Relaxation drives out anxiousness and vice-versa. You have to gain control over your emotional destiny by choosing to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. But you just can't think happy thoughts or grateful thoughts, because emotions follow from particular thought patterns. So, perceiving life as a gift or things in one's life as gifts is the royal road to gratitude.

What do you consider the most important attribute or attitude one should develop to find joy and contentment in life?

I believe that gratitude is the best approach to life. When life is going well, it allows us to celebrate and magnify the goodness. When life is going badly, it provides a perspective by which we can view life in its entirety.

religion@dallasnews.com

Labels: gratitude, happiness, religion, Robert A. Emmons, science

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Friday, October 26, 2007

Christian right causing rest of us to lose faith

Oct. 25, 2007

I believe it was Gandhi that once said, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

Then when I read a survey by the Barna Group, a Christian research organization, my worst suspicions were confirmed.

The survey was about how young people view Christianity, and it showed that among 16-29-year-olds, young people have never been more critical and skeptical of Christianity.

The survey cited feelings of disengagement and disillusionment among young people as a primary reason for this.

Whereas a decade ago, the majority of non-Christians had a favorable view of Christians, that rate now sits at 16 percent.

Which group draws most of the ire from non-Christians?

Just consider this: Half of young Christians themselves echoed the same sentiments --that they "perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical and too political."

I often find myself within this camp.

Simply put, I think the church as an institution, our leaders -- perhaps even some of our parents -- have failed us.

Over the past few decades, while mainline Protestantism was growing out of touch with modernity, evangelicals became too radicalized and began to turn many people off. Suddenly, seeking people were forced to choose. Well, many young people have chosen now, and they choose neither.

Respondents to this poll gave deeply intimate stories of experiences that have turned them off to Christianity -- not broad, sweeping generalizations. Finally, there is statistical evidence for what we have already known all along but were just afraid to admit to ourselves.

But supposing you are a Christian, the fact of the matter is that what's being done in our name (particularly by the Christian far right) is killing Christianity. Since they are often the people who hijack the dialogue and speak loudest, they are the ones the public most often sees.

Consider this a plea to those so-called Christians. The next time you malevolently condemn homosexuals, try to get creationism into classrooms or join the cries for war, just remember: The rest of us are watching.

For the rest of us, we should make it a fundamental aspect of our faith to oppose these markedly un-Christian actions that turn people off to Christianity.

It's good to know the observations of someone outside the faith. We must always be looking for the plank in our own eye, before we look for the splinter in others.

It helps us to take inventory of ourselves and learn what we can be doing better to let the world know what we are really about.

Gandhi also said that what passes as Christianity these days is a negation of the Sermon on the Mount.

I think he was right.

Labels: Barna Group, Christian, evangelicals, Gandhi, youth

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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

UF study: Men more traditional than women about marriage, children

October 24, 2007.
GAINESVILLE, Fla.

Women view childlessness much more favorably than men do, likely because parenting places greater demands on mothers, especially those juggling work and family responsibilities, a new University of Florida study finds.

Parenthood has very different consequences for women compared with men, said Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox, a UF sociologist whose study is published in the November issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family.

The study also found women to be less optimistic about the benefits and permanence of marriage. Women were more likely than men to disagree or give neutral responses to such statements as “it is better to marry than to remain single” and “marriage is for life.”

“The results suggest that women regard both childbearing and marriage as being less central and more optional in women’s lives,” Koropeckyj-Cox said. “Because opportunities for women have changed more rapidly than they have for men over the last 30 years, and with it women’s lives, their attitudes may have also changed in ways that reflect new options and challenges. Women may be asking more questions about whether everyone needs to follow the same path.”

The study of 11,043 adults 25 and older uses data from the 1980s and mid-1990s that were part of two large-scale surveys, the National Survey of Families and Households and the General Social Survey. It assessed attitudes about childlessness by asking such questions as whether “it is better to have a child than to remain childless” and whether “the main purpose of marriage these days is to have children.”

The study found that white women were most accepting of childlessness, followed by black women. Men, regardless of race, were least accepting. Among whites, women were twice as likely as men to have favorable impressions.

The gap in attitudes was particularly wide between college-educated men and women of childbearing age, Koropeckyj-Cox said. Men in this group were the least accepting of childlessness of any group in the study, she said.

Positive attitudes toward childlessness also were greater among young and middle-aged adults. Within this age group, women were nearly 80 percent more likely than men to report favorable attitudes toward childlessness, the study found.

Among religious groups, the study found that Baptists and Jews were least likely to support childlessness, while fundamentalist Protestants and Catholics were not significantly different from other Protestants or those reporting no religion.

Receptiveness to childlessness has increased since the 1970s, with Americans waiting longer to become parents, Koropeckyj-Cox said. The average age of first-time mothers is now over 25, and more than a quarter of adults remain childless into their 30s, she said.

Kathleen Gerson, a sociology professor at New York University and author of the book “Hard Choices: How Women Decide About Work, Career and Motherhood,” said Koropeckyj-Cox’s “important findings make it clear that changes in women’s lives are here to stay. While it may seem surprising that women view childlessness more favorably than men, her study should prompt us to jettison our lingering stereotypes and focus instead on helping contemporary women — and men — blend work with parenting.”

Labels: children, Journal of Marriage and Family, marriage, men, Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox, University of Florida, women

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Poll: Do People Need God to be Good?

By Nathan Black
Christian Post Reporter
Wed, Oct. 24 2007

Atheists can be good, but people who believe in God are more likely to value being good, a recent study showed.

An analysis by sociologist and pollster Reginald Bibby of the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, addressed the question "Do people need God to be good?"

Polling 1,600 Canadians, the nationwide survey found that those who believe in God are consistently more likely than atheists to highly value such traits as courtesy, concern for others, forgiveness, generosity and patience. Believers are also more inclined to place high value on friendship, family life, and being loved.

While God and religion are not the only sources of such traits, the survey reported that they are among the most important sources. And without them, "it is not at all clear that comparable equivalents currently exist that could fill the void," according to the report.

Bibby suggests that the primary reason believers place higher value on being good is that they are far more likely than atheists to be part of groups that work hard to instill those values. Although not all believers translate their values into action, they are at least inclined to hold the values, according to the study.

The debate on whether God is necessary to have good morals has increasingly taken public stage between staunch atheists and Christian apologists.

Nearly half of Canadians (49 percent) say they definitely believe God exists and 33 percent say they think He exists; 11 percent have doubts and don't think there is a higher power; and 7 percent say they definitely do not believe God exists.

Labels: atheism, Canada, God, goodness, Nathan Black, Reginald Bibby

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Monday, October 22, 2007

'The Jesuit and the Skull' - Book Review

On paleontologist priest Teilhard de Chardin's search to reconcile faith and science.

By Jonathan Kirsch
October 7, 2007

The Jesuit and the Skull

Teilhard de Chardin, Evolution, and the Search for Peking Man

Amir D. Aczel

Riverhead Books: 304 pp., $24.95

The clash between science and superstition is one important theme of Amir D. Aczel's biography of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, "The Jesuit and the Skull." A respected paleontologist, Teilhard was a member of the team of scientists who discovered the remains of Peking Man, a promising candidate for the "missing link" in human evolution, at Dragon Bone Hill in 1929. It was only one episode in an adventurous, tumultuous life that coincided with the wars and revolutions of the early 20th century.

Aczel, who has written on key figures in mathematics and science, is gifted at explaining complex concepts and introducing the men and women who first articulated them in fast-paced, story-driven accounts. For example, he makes good use of the mysterious disappearance of the Peking Man during the chaotic first days of World War II, an episode reminiscent of "The Da Vinci Code."

Then too, the Frenchman's life story is so deeply soaked in conflict and contradiction that it sometimes reads like an invented one. Tall, dapper, handsome and aristocratic, Teilhard was a charismatic figure who inevitably attracted the attention of the women around him. But as a Jesuit priest who had taken a vow of chastity, he refused to enter into the sexual union that some of them sought. And because his vows included one of obedience, his most important work, his philosophical writings -- an effort to embrace both a mystical faith in religion and the hard facts disclosed by scientific inquiry -- remained unpublished during his lifetime because the Roman Catholic Church decreed that they were heretical.

Teilhard's most vexing problems revolve around his membership in the Society of Jesus. His popularity and success in the secular world prompted his superiors to send this most cosmopolitan of men into exile in the wilds of Asia and Africa. And because he elected not to break his vow of chastity or withdraw from his order, the love he shared with a sculptress eventually withered and died.

Yet Teilhard, who kept images of Christ and Galileo beside his bed throughout his life, wanted to reconcile the mysticism of religion with the rationality of science, especially with regard to evolution. "[T]he ideas of evolution became so powerful that they convinced him that everything in the universe [was] in constant flux, ever evolving as decreed by God," explains Aczel. "The goal was a point where everything would converge to form the body of Christ. This was Teilhard's Omega Point."

Teilhard also was willing to abase himself to his superiors in a desperate effort to prevent his work from being placed on the list of banned writings called "the Index."

A certain elegant irony lies just beneath the surface of Aczel's superb story. Teilhard took pleasure in scientific trips to Spain and France to view cave paintings -- the first stirrings of religious imagination that are regarded as a line of demarcation between prehistoric hominids, essentially apes that walked upright, and the early human beings we must recognize as our direct ancestors.

Tens of thousands of years later, the worst features of organized religion distorted and delimited the life and work of this visionary whom the inheritors of the Inquisition saw as a dangerous heretic. Only after Teilhard's death were his most important works printed, and only because he put the manuscripts beyond church control by bequeathing them to one of the women who had befriended him. On Easter Sunday in 1955, he died of a heart attack in New York. Later that year, "The Phenomenon of Man," the first of his many books, at last was published, despite every effort of the church to prevent it. *

Jonathan Kirsch, author of, most recently, "A History of the End of the World: How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible Changed the Course of Western Civilization„©," is at work on a history of the Inquisition.

Labels: Amir D. Aczel, evolution, Jesuit, Jonathan Kirsch, religion, science, Teilhard de Chardin

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Iraqis divided by constitution's treatment of women

Supporters say Article 41 will keep the state out of civil affairs. Critics say it will usher in Sharia.

By Tina Susman,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 9, 2007

BAGHDAD -- It has been nearly 30 years since she got married, but Iraqi legislator Samira Musawi still bristles at what she considers the ultimate indignity: a law requiring witnesses to certify the rite.

She and her husband-to-be grabbed a couple of strangers, gave them each about $10 and were legally wed.

That memory is one reason Musawi, who heads parliament's Women, Family and Childhood Committee, supports Article 41, a clause in Iraq's interim constitution that supporters say will prevent state meddling in civil affairs by allowing Iraqis to marry, divorce, decide inheritances and settle other personal issues according to their religious sect. For example, under Shiite law, no witnesses are required for a marriage, but Sunnis require two.

Article 41 is just one line in the 16-page document, but to critics, it is the worst.

Opponents, including women's rights activists and legal scholars, say the one poorly worded sentence opens the door to rule by draconian interpretations of Islamic law that could sanction the stoning of adulterous women, allow underage girls to be forced into marriage and permit men to abandon their wives by declaring, "I divorce you," three times.

In the southern city of Basra, there are already signs of religious extremism being used to rein in women. Police say gangs enforcing their idea of Islamic law have killed 15 women in the last month. "There are gangs roaming through the streets . . . pursuing women and carrying out threats and killing because of what the women wear or because they are using makeup," the Basra police commander, Maj. Gen. Abdul Jaleel Khalaf, said this month.

Sometimes notes are left on the women's bodies saying they were killed for violating religious law or social traditions.

The controversy highlights the broader debate here over how large a role religion should play in Iraqis' lives. It also underscores shortfalls of the original constitution, which was drafted in 2005 by newly elected Iraqi legislators facing a U.S.-imposed deadline. Redrafting the document is one of the benchmarks sought by the Bush administration to set the stage for an eventual U.S. troop withdrawal. But it has been delayed three times as lawmakers haggle over issues such as provincial powers, religious and cultural freedoms, and distribution of oil revenue.

There are only two women on the 25-member committee in charge of rewriting the constitution. They face formidable opposition from the Shiite Muslim lawmakers who dominate Iraq's parliament, including Humam Hamoodi, who heads the panel.

Hamoodi, whose robes and turban attest to religious devotion, scoffs at opposition to Article 41. "You're considering it a big deal!" he said, laughing. "This is a kind of liberty and freedom. This is the age of democracy."

Musawi agreed. A Shiite who wears a prim black tunic and a leopard-print head scarf, Musawi says she does not want non-Muslims to be governed by her beliefs. Article 41 ensures this cannot happen, she said.

But, she said, it also recognizes the reality in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, where most lawmakers, including many of the 75 women in the 275-seat parliament, represent Shiite religious parties.

For many Iraqi women, the reminder of what is at stake became clear in May when a video circulated of a 17-year-old girl being dragged through a mob of braying men, who pelted her to death with rocks and paving stones. The girl, whose gruesome death was captured on several cellphone cameras, had violated the rules of her minority Yazidi sect by having a relationship with a Muslim man.Her killing and the reprisal attacks on Yazidis that ensued illustrate the problems inherent in not having a single law covering all Iraqis' domestic affairs, critics of Article 41 say.

"I am sure we will be hearing stories like this over and over again," said Luma Ali, a 23-year-old engineering student who opposes any role for religion in government. "I cannot believe this is still happening to us women."

"It is really an insecure world for women in Iraq," said a female friend, who was afraid to give her name. "Everything is subject to development in Iraq -- everything except the way women should live, marry and die."

Labels: Article 41, Iraq, religion, Tina Susman, women

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Saturday, October 20, 2007

Internet churches and religious webcasts drawing more congregants

By Scott Andron
McClatchy Newspapers

Article Last Updated: 10/19/2007

MIAMI — Every Sunday morning, while hundreds of congregants converge on Flamingo Road Church in Cooper City, Fla., Stephanie Smith boots up her computer and joins the services — from 1,400 miles away.

Instead of attending a bricks-and-mortar church near her home in Fort Worth, Texas, Smith hooks her computer up to her big-screen TV and watches a live, Web-based videocast via Flamingo Road's "Internet Campus." Some Sundays, she invites family and friends to join her.

Smith is one of a growing number of Americans for whom the Internet plays a central role in their spiritual lives.

Among evangelical Christians, and the largest "megachurches" in particular, many pastors are taking their Web sites far beyond an online ad with a schedule of real-world services.

Many pastors are coming to see the Web site as a ministry in itself, not only as a way to bring people to church, but as a way to bring them to God — even if they never set foot in the physical building.

While most houses of worship now have Web sites, few use them as aggressively and creatively in seeking new converts as evangelicals, for a variety of reasons.

For Roman Catholics, important sacraments like communion are hard or impossible to translate into binary digits. Jews generally don't seek new converts, although the Orthodox Chabad Lubavitch sect, for example, has extensive Web offerings aimed at attracting non-observant Jews.

But "conservative Christians jump on any new medium they can to find new ways to spread the Gospel," said Scott Thumma, a professor of the sociology of religion at the Hartford Seminary in Connecticut.

And megachurches "are doing the most fascinating and interesting stuff on the Web, but they are doing it because they have millions of dollars and thousands of people to draw on."

Like many Web sites run by large evangelical churches, Calvary's includes a step-by-step guide for nonreligious people seeking to convert, links to request "prayer support" for people going through a difficult time, and a searchable video archive of Pastor Bob Coy's previous sermons.

Looking for advice on your marriage? Sex? Forgiveness? Just type in the word, and a list of relevant sermons will appear. Want his advice every day? Subscribe to his podcast and listen on your MP3 audio player. Want to get saved right there in front of the computer? Pastor Bob will pray with you on a recorded video.

For at least one church, the Internet is so central that the church has a "dot" in its name. Lifechurch.tv has 11 campuses in six states, including a new congregation that meets at Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington, Fla. Its 12th campus is on the Internet, and the church tries to give online participants the same experience as those worshiping in person.

All the campuses receive a live sermon via satellite from the main campus in Oklahoma. Before and after the sermon, a local minister is on hand to lead services, announce upcoming events and pass the offering plate.

Internet participants — 700 to 900 on a typical weekend — can join in by clicking an icon to raise their hands in response to the pastor's words.

And after the formal service, they can chat — either by typing or using a webcam and microphone — with the pastor or each other.

Several other churches, including Flamingo Road and Calvary, also offer ways for online participants to interact during services.

Thanks to online shopping, online dating, online social networking and online darn-near-everything-else, many young Americans don't distinguish between their friends from school and those from Facebook.

These youngsters just see them all as friends, said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, a consulting firm that conducts survey research for churches and other religious groups.

In fact, Kinnaman's firm predicts that by 2010, 10 percent of Americans will rely exclusively on the Internet for their religious experience.

Labels: church, evangelicals, interactive, Internet, ministry, Scott Andron, spirituality

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Friday, October 19, 2007

Unprecedented Muslim call for peace with Christians

By Peter Graff
Thu Oct 11

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 130 Muslim scholars from around the globe called on Thursday for peace and understanding between Islam and Christianity, saying "the very survival of the world itself is perhaps at stake."

In an unprecedented letter to Pope Benedict and other Christian leaders, 138 Muslim scholars said finding common ground between the world's biggest faiths was not simply a matter for polite dialogue between religious leaders.

Relations between Muslims and Christians have been strained as al Qaeda has struck around the world and as the United States and other Western countries intervened in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Such a joint letter is unprecedented in Islam, which has no central authority that speaks on behalf of all worshippers.

The list of signatories includes senior figures throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. They represent Sunni, Shi'ite and Sufi schools of Islam.

Among them were the grand muftis of Egypt, Palestine, Oman, Jordan, Syria, Bosnia and Russia and many imams and scholars. War-torn Iraq was represented by both Shi'ites and Sunnis.

Mustafa Cagrici, the mufti who prayed with Benedict in Istanbul's Blue Mosque last year, was also on the list, as was the popular Egyptian television preacher Amr Khaled.

"MAINSTREAM VOICES DROWNED OUT"

The letter was addressed to the Pope, leaders of Orthodox Christian churches, Anglican leader Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and the heads of the world alliances of the Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist and Reformed churches.

A Vatican official in Rome said the Roman Catholic Church would not comment until it had time to read the letter.

Aref Ali Nayed, one of the signatories and a senior adviser to the Cambridge Interfaith Program at Cambridge University in Britain, said the signatories represented the "99.9 percent of Muslims" who follow mainstream schools and oppose extremism.

The overture to Christians could be followed by similar letters addressed to Jews or secularists, he added.

Pope Benedict sparked Muslim protests last year with a speech hinting Islam was violent and irrational. It prompted 38 Muslim scholars to write a letter challenging his view of Islam and accepting his call for serious Christian-Muslim dialogue.

Benedict repeatedly expressed regret for the reaction to the speech, but stopped short of a clear apology sought by Muslims.

The new letter argues in theological terms, giving quotes from the Koran and the Bible that show both Christianity and Islam considered love of God as their greatest commandment and love of neighbor as the second greatest.

"The basis for this peace and understanding already exists," it said. "It is part of the very foundational principles of both faiths: love of the one God and love of the neighbor."

Labels: Bible, Christianity, God, Islam, Koran, Muslims, Peter Graff, Pope Benedict, Vatican

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History of Religion Video

How has the geography of religion evolved over the centuries, and where has it sparked wars? Our map gives us a brief history of the world's most well-known religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Selected periods of inter-religious bloodshed are also highlighted. Want to see 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds? Ready, Set, Go!

Labels: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, religion, video, war

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Thursday, October 18, 2007

Study shows Americans want theocracy, not democracy

Rebecca Mahfouz
Issue date: 10/16/07

Page one of 2 - click link to "external source" for whole article.

The First Amendment Center released the dismal results of its yearly "State of the First Amendment" survey last month, revealing that Americans' ignorance of their Constitution surpasses even their notorious ignorance of geography.

An astonishing 65 percent of those surveyed believe the founders intended America as a Christian nation, while 55 percent believe that the Constitution explicitly establishes America as a Christian nation. Fifty-eight percent think that teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in public school and a terrifying 50 percent believe the Bible should be taught as a factual text in public schools.

A small bright spot appeared among the disheartening results, as 97 percent said that the right to practice one's own religion was "essential." That tiny candle of hope was extinguished by the results of the next question, wherein just 56 percent agreed that the right to worship applies to all religious groups, meaning that a good number of the 97 percent who purport to believe in freedom of religion really mean freedom to practice their religion and no other.

As though any further proof were needed that we have failed miserably in the area of education, those surveyed seemed never to have been required to take a high school civics course. When they were asked to name the five freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution, just 3 percent were able to name the right to petition, 16 percent the freedoms of press and assembly, 19 percent freedom of religion and 64 percent freedom of speech.

One can cling to the belief that this survey is a fluke, that Americans can't possibly be so ill-informed of their essential liberties, especially given the increasing curtailment of those liberties. The results of the survey, however, have been fairly consistent over the past 10 years, exposing us for the hypocrites we are.

Labels: America, Christianity, First Amendment Center, Rebecca Mahfouz, religion, US Constitution

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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

What Teenagers Look for in a Church

Teens' Spiritual Expectations

by Barna Group

(Ventura, CA) – Teenagers are some of the most religiously active Americans. What does their spiritual experience look like, and what do teens look for in a church? What do they learn in church settings? A new study from The Barna Group explores the spiritual lives and expectations of today’s teenagers.

The most common teen spiritual activity – like that of adults – is prayer. Overall, three-quarters of teenagers (72%) say they pray in a typical week. The next most common activity is attending a worship service at a church – a form of engagement embraced by half (48%) of today’s teenagers. Roughly one-third of teenagers said they attend Sunday school (35%), attend youth group (33%), participate in a small group (32%), and read the Bible (31%).

Compared to American adults, teenagers are more likely to report engagement in corporate forms of worship and spiritual expression – such as attending church, as well as participating in small groups, youth groups, and Sunday school. However, young people are less likely than their parents to pray (72% of teens, 83% of adults) or read the Bible in a typical week (31% of teens, 41% of adults).

However, the research raises caution that teenagers’ prodigious appetites for spiritual activity may be waning. Since a decade ago, teenagers are less likely to pray (down from 81% in the mid-nineties), to attend worship services (down from 53%), and to read from the Bible on their own time (down from 37%).

As some of the nation’s first digital pilgrims, the research shows that one out of every four teenagers (26%) had learned something about their faith or spirituality online in the last six months. This was true of two-fifths of born again Christian teenagers (39%). Furthermore, one-sixth of teenagers (16%) and one-quarter of born again teens (25%) said they had “a spiritual experience” online where they worshipped or connected with God.

Spiritual Expectations

The study also explored teenagers’ expectations related to church. The most common elements sought by young people were “to worship or make a connection with God” (45% described this as very important) and “to better understand what I believe” (42%). About one-third of teens said they wanted “to spend time with close friends” (34%), “to get encouraged or inspired” (34%), or “to volunteer to help others” (30%).

Other expectations of teenagers were less important, including learning about prayer (26%), listening to religious teaching (26%), participating in discussions regarding religion and faith (23%), being mentored or coached in spiritual development (21%), discovering the traditions of their faith (20%), participating in a study class about faith (19%), or studying the Bible (18%).

When asked to choose between a church that teaches the traditions and background of their faith or a church that teaches how their faith should influence everyday decisions and lifestyle, most teenagers preferred the latter (39% versus 16%). However, underscoring the fact that spirituality is only skin-deep for many teens, a plurality of teenagers (45%) admitted they would not care for either type of church.

Spiritual Learning

What do teenagers learn from their experiences in church? The churchgoing teenagers in the sample were asked to identify the teaching or information they received from their church in the last 12 months that had shaped their views. The most common areas of content recalled by teens revolved around moral and ethical standards (65%) and relationships (62%), followed by faith traditions (55%) and personal evangelism (50%).

Just one-third or fewer churched teenagers said they remember any helpful content related to the following topics: media, movies and television (35%); money and finances (30%); the supernatural world (28%); leisure activities (27%); government and law (26%); art and music (22%); health issues (21%); and technology (9%).

Research Details

This report is based upon nationwide telephone and online surveys conducted by The Barna Group with random samples of teenagers, ages 13 to 18. The most recent surveys were conducted in April 2005 and July 2006. The 2005 study involved interviews with 2,409 teenagers (±2.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level); the 2006 survey included 617 teens (±4.1 percentage points). Statistical weighting was used to calibrate the sample to known population percentages in relation to demographic variables.

“Born again Christians” are defined as people who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and who also indicated they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents are not asked to describe themselves as “born again.”

The Barna Group, Ltd. (which includes its research division, The Barna Research Group) conducts primary research, produces media resources pertaining to spiritual development, and facilitates the healthy spiritual growth of leaders, children, families and Christian ministries. Located in Ventura, California, Barna has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984. If you would like to receive free e-mail notification of the release of each new, bi-monthly update on the latest research findings from The Barna Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna website (www.barna.org).

Labels: Barna Group, church, prayer, spirituality, survey, teenagers, worship

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Nativity dispute divides Berkley

Voters will get their say Nov. 6 on whether city should display manger scene on public ground.

Jennifer Chambers / The Detroit News

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted a poll in December 2005 that asked:

Should displays of Christmas symbols like nativity scenes and Christmas trees be allowed on government property, or not?

83 percent: Should be allowed
11 percent: Should not be allowed
4 percent: Doesn't matter/Don't care
2 percent: Don't know/refused

Of the 83 percent who supported the idea:
27 percent: Only if other symbols are displayed
44 percent: OK for Christmas symbols to be displayed alone.

The survey was conducted Dec. 7-11 and included 1,502 respondents.

Carlos Osorio / Associated Press

Because of the controversy and threats of lawsuits, the nativity scene shifted from city hall to area churches. This is at the Berkley First United Methodist Church in 2006. See full image

BERKLEY -- Christmas may be weeks away, but a quarrel that has become an annual holiday tradition across America is in full swing: heated disputes over religious displays on public property.

An infant Jesus, mother Mary and Joseph are again at the center of this long-brewing legal controversy, this time in the city of Berkley, where in an unprecedented election on Nov. 6, voters will decide whether the government should be required to display a nativity at City Hall.

Rulings from the highest court in the land have been anything but consistent on the issue of religious displays in the public square, U.S. Constitutional scholars agree. And so the debate rages on the meaning of the oft-cited but equally vague Establishment Clause -- one of two clauses of the First Amendment that govern the relationship of government to religion -- and Thomas Jefferson's call for a "wall of separation between church and state."

These highly emotional disputes -- where citizens embroil themselves in battles with their local governments and courts over the right to display and not to display -- have become so common nationwide they've been dubbed "The Christmas Wars."

Yet public opinion polls show a majority of Americans favor religious displays on public property.

In December 2005, a poll by the Pew Forum found 83 percent of Americans agreed that displays of Christmas symbols like nativity scenes and Christmas trees should be allowed on government property. Forty-four percent of those respondents said it was OK for Christmas symbols to be displayed alone.

For at least two decades -- some say longer -- Berkley has displayed the modest nativity scene on a small patch of grass behind City Hall on Coolidge Highway.

The figures, along with the three wise men, animals, an angel, a wooden manger and scattered piles of hay, stood quietly on the frozen patch of ground, fixtures in the predominantly Christian, Woodward Avenue suburb.

After the American Civil Liberties Union threatened the city with a lawsuit in 2005, it moved a Santa mailbox closer to the nativity scene. But the ACLU returned in 2006 and the council sent the figures packing after examining several options from its legal department and enduring lengthy public discussion.

The city's nativity tradition has bothered many around town, including resident Richard Scott, who calls a nativity scene, or creche, on government property inappropriate.

Scott, a self-described activist, is distributing a statement to his neighbors encouraging them to oppose the measure and support the compromise that allowed the creche to be displayed outside town churches. Scott said returning the nativity to City Hall grounds would convey an impression of a closed community, indifferent to those not among the Christian faith.

Both sides in the controversy can point to different rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court to strengthen their long-running argument.

The Supreme Court has found a nativity can be constitutional if it's part of a larger display of secular decorations...

Language in the proposed charter amendment, which must pass by 50.1 percent of the vote, says the city must display the nativity "in compliance with governing law" that includes -- at minimum -- an infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Language in the proposed amendment says the display is to be modeled after one in nearby Clawson, which includes a nativity scene surrounded by numerous secular items and was ruled constitutional by the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal court that governs Michigan.

Berkley Mayor Marilyn Stephan said many residents don't think it makes any difference where the nativity ends up. Stephan supports allowing the clergy to rotate the city's nativity.

Stephan said the city is not in possession of numerous other secular items like snowmen and has no plans to buy them.

These "Christmas Wars" that emerge every December in towns across America are all part of a cultural war in the United States that spans several hot-button issues...

"It's a question of social conservatives and more secular, more liberal Americans over abortion, same-sex marriage, God in the public square," he said.

"This is a constant kind of struggle. Sometimes it becomes more."

Labels: Berkley, Carlos Osorio, Christmas, Jennifer Chambers, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, separation of church and state

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Giving Makes You Rich

by Arthur C. Brooks
November 2007 Issue

(Page one of two - as always, click on "external link" for full article)

New proof that it pays to be charitable.

In John Bunyan’s 1684 classic The Pilgrim’s Progress, the character Old Honest poses this riddle to the innkeeper Gaius: “A man there was, tho’ some did count him mad, / The more he cast away, the more he had.” Gaius solves the riddle thus: “He that bestows his Goods upon the Poor / Shall have as much again, and ten times more.”

Less poetically, the idea is this: Giving makes you rich. A lovely sentiment, to be sure, but quite backward-sounding to an economist. You obviously have to have money before you can give it away, right? Or in the pithy words of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, “No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions—he had money too.”

Well, it turns out that Gaius was right, and new economic research backs him up. Emerging evidence—crunchy statistics from real data, not the mushy self-help stuff—supports the contention that giving stimulates prosperity, for both individuals and nations. Charity, it appears, can really make you rich.

The United States is a remarkably charitable nation. The Giving U.S.A. Foundation estimates that Americans donated nearly $300 billion to charity in 2006—more than the gross domestic product (the annualized value of goods and services produced within a nation) of all but 33 countries in the world. More than three-quarters of this came from private individuals. Additional research suggests that between 65 and 85 percent of Americans give to charities each year.

How does all this generosity relate to our high average levels of prosperity? Let’s begin with individuals and families. The Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, completed in 2000, is a survey of about 30,000 people in more than 40 communities across the U.S. and is the best single source of data available on the civic participation of Americans. The S.C.C.B.S., which takes into account differences in education, age, race, religion, and other personal characteristics, shows that people who give charitably make significantly more money than those who don’t. While that seems like common sense, it turns out that the link in the data between giving and earning is not just one-way. People do give more when they become richer—research has shown that a 10 percent increase in income stimulates giving by about 7 percent—but people also grow wealthier when they give more.

How do we know this? When two variables like giving and income are interrelated, economists use something called an instrumental variable to see which is pushing and which is pulling. In a nutshell, that means selecting something that’s closely related to donations but not directly to income, like volunteering. Volunteers tend to be money givers and vice versa because of the same charitable impulse. But income doesn’t always directly affect volunteering. (While people have differing amounts of money, they all have the same amount of time.)

We start by predicting how much money people would donate based on how much they volunteer, regardless of income. This projection essentially strips out the role of income in giving. Next, see if that predicted donation level correlates with income. If it does and the correlation is positive, it means that giving pushes up income and not just vice versa.

Labels: Americans, Arthur C. Brooks, charity, generosity, Giving U.S.A. Foundation, income, Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, wealth

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Monday, October 15, 2007

So what does the Constitution say about religion?

(It may not be what you think.)

By Oliver "Buzz" Thomas

Ask most Americans what the Constitution says about God, and their answers may surprise you.

"One nation under God?"

Nope, that's the Pledge of Allegiance.

"Oh, yeah, right, right. How about, 'Endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights'?"

Sorry, but that's the Declaration of Independence.

"Hmmmm."

Mostly what you'll get is a lot of blank stares. Trust me. I've tried it in nearly 50 states. Fully 55% of the country, according to a recent survey by the First Amendment Center, believes that the U.S. Constitution establishes us as a "Christian nation." Worse still, while nearly all Americans say freedom of religion is important, only 56% think it should apply to all religious groups. The truth is that the Constitution says nothing about God. Not one word. And, you can bet that some of the local clergy back in the 1780s howled about it. Newspapers, pamphlets and sermons decried the drafters' failure to acknowledge God.

One, and only one, reference

Even more interesting is what the Constitution has to say about religion. Although many of the nation's loudest religionists continue to assert that America is a Christian nation in some legal or constitutional sense, the language of the original Constitution itself suggests otherwise. The only reference to religion is tucked away in Article VI and reads: "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."

So, why would the framers of our Constitution do such a thing, and moreover, why two years later would they adopt a constitutional amendment declaring that the new federal government could "make no law respecting an establishment of religion?" Was it because they were militant atheists? Hardly. James Madison, the primary architect of our Constitution, studied under the tutelage of Presbyterian-preacher-turned-Princeton-president John Witherspoon and even considered a career in the ministry before opting for politics.

More likely, the framers were concerned about the corrupting influence the institutions of church and state have on each other when either becomes too cozy. These guys knew their history. They had witnessed the blood shed by governments in the name of religion. Europe was nearly destroyed by it. They also knew their politics. The Baptists, Presbyterians and other Evangelicals were fed up with religion that was "established" by the state (as was the Anglican Church in many Southern colonies and the Congregational Church in New England) and were determined to achieve full-throttle religious freedom for all — believers and non-believers alike. It was prominent Virginia Baptist John Leland who declared, "The notion of a Christian commonwealth should be exploded forever!" Pastor Leland went on to assert that "the fondness of magistrates to foster Christianity has done it more harm than all the persecutions ever did." Leland and his Baptist colleagues played a key role in helping persuade Madison to support a federal Bill of Rights guaranteeing liberty of conscience for all.

What 'separation' really means

America has institutionalized this great theological concept through the political mechanism of the First Amendment. The "no establishment" clause separates the institutions of church and state by prohibiting any government action that has the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion. Government is to remain neutral. No citizen should be advantaged or disadvantaged because of his religious faith.

The separation of church and state does not mean the separation of God and government or of religion and politics. The First Amendment limits only the power of government — not the power of the people or of the church. Religious organizations are free to speak out on the issues of the day. They can preach, pray, proselytize, promote and, yes, even endorse candidates if they are foolish enough to do so. (They will, however, have to forfeit their tax exemption if they use church funds, since we don't allow a tax deduction for monies given to partisan causes — just charitable ones.) Again, it is government — not religious organizations — that is restricted by our Constitution.

Oliver "Buzz" Thomas is a minister, lawyer and author of 10 Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't Because He Needs the Job).

Labels: Christianity, God, Oliver "Buzz" Thomas, separation of church and state, US Constitution

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Friday, October 12, 2007

Christians Urged to Meet Atheists in the Public Square

By Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Oct. 11 2007

Christians shouldn't always turn the other cheek and ignore the attacks of secular thought, says one prominent conservative writer. They need to step out and meet the atheist critique.

"We don't want the public square to be dominated by the atheists," said New York Times bestselling author Dinesh D'Souza.

D'Souza believes Christians have left the public square unoccupied, limiting their expression of religiosity to church on Sunday, their families, and the Christian subculture.

As a consequence, atheists have entered the public square – what Christians thought would have been "neutral space," as D'Souza put it. And they want to drive the Christians out, remove Christian symbolism from coins, the pledge and public buildings.

D'Souza is due to release What's So Great About Christianity next week. It's his first book, among many, dealing with Christianity in America. He originally set out to approach the topic in a modest and more secular way, he said, but found himself in the midst of a number of atheist books hitting stores and greatly widening the attack on religion and, more specifically, Christianity.

The atheistic arguments – that Christianity goes against reason and science and is based on blind faith – are resonating with people, D'Souza noticed, and hitting bestseller lists.

Part of the reason society is seeing an emboldened atheism is that a lot of these outspoken atheists were hoping religion would disappear as society became more modern and developed, according to D'Souza.

Living in a culture that is to a considerable degree secular, D'Souza would like to see in churches across the country apologetics come to center stage not to displace what the churches have been doing but to supplement it in a very important way, he said.

"[Christians] are going to meet arguments that cannot be settled simply by 'the Bible says this, the Bible says that' because the other person will promptly reply that they don't accept the authority of the Bible," D'Souza noted.

He suggests Christians become "bilingual" in which they are educated in both the biblical language and a secular language the world can recognize – a language anchored in history and reason and experience.

In his upcoming book release, due out Oct. 16, D'Souza dispels common myths about faith, many of which are argued by atheists.

Myth #1: Atheism is growing and more people are choosing it over church

Pews might be empty in some urban parts of America, but the world is witnessing a huge explosion of Christianity, says D'Souza who notes Christianity as the fastest-growing religion in the world and that the number of unbelievers is actually shrinking. In America, about half of the population goes to church and an overwhelming majority believes in God. But there are also "powerful currents of secularism" in this country that counter that, the author acknowledged.

Myth #2: Religion has caused history's wars, murders, and violence

The number of people killed in religious wars such as the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition is infinitesimal compared to those killed during modern atheist regimes, the author notes. "We have to keep a sense of proportion," he says.

Myth #3: There is no such thing as a human soul

Atheists use science to argue that there is no soul, as there is no physical evidence of one. "If the atheist universe were true, there would be no free will in it," says D'Souza. The world of science, of atoms and molecules, is one in which there is no free choice because the actions of the atoms and molecules determine the outcome, he argues. Atheists believe the only things that exist are the material things that can be seen under the microscope and smelled and touched to which there is empirical evidence, he adds.

"There are dimensions of reality that cannot be captured in purely material terms. When has science ever located a thought or a feeling or a choice?"

Myth #4: Where is God when bad things happen?

D'Souza turns this question around and asks where is atheism when bad things happen? At the tragic event of the Virginia Tech shooting in April, there were nonstop memorial services and everyone began to speak a very religious language of healing and spirituality, he noted. "Atheism has absolutely nothing to offer us at moments of life that matter the most – birth, marriage, death, suffering."

What's So Great About Christianity is a defense of Christianity, D'Souza explained, "but it's a defense that meets the critics of Christianity by taking them seriously."

Labels: atheism, Christianity, Lillian Kwon, public square

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Footbath hysteria out of bounds

Pierre M. Atlas

Last month The Star reported on plans to install foot-bathing sinks for Muslim cab drivers in the new terminal of the Indianapolis International Airport. The article provoked controversy, even outrage, among some readers. The Star's Sept. 28 editorial supporting the airport's decision attracted nearly 300 TalkBack online responses, mostly negative.

Ablution, the ritual washing of hands, face, arms and feet, is a requirement for Muslims before prayer. More than 100 Muslim cab drivers have been washing their feet in the regular sink in the taxi restroom or going outside with bottles of water. Since special foot sinks are more hygienic, the airport authority says that installing them is in the interest of public health.

According to the Indianapolis Airport Authority Web site, the airport receives no state or local tax dollars and the federal government is paying only for certain aviation-related expenses such as the new control tower. So this is not an issue of spending government revenue to support religious practices.

But the airport is, in fact, a public facility, heavily regulated by government. And unlike the airport's interfaith chapel, the footbaths would be installed to facilitate an activity associated with one particular religion. Does this violate the separation of church and state?

Recently, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, a publicly funded institution with a large Muslim student population, installed footbaths in two restrooms to facilitate ablution.

Is there a double standard here? At a time when Christian symbols are being removed from public places and the "Christmas wars" are fought every December, is Islam getting "special treatment"? Or is this merely a simple and inexpensive gesture of respect toward a major faith group that is widely misunderstood and even vilified in the United States?

These are reasonable questions that should be addressed thoughtfully and civilly. But sadly, the discourse on this topic has been accompanied by xenophobia, racism and open hatred.

A large number of TalkBack responses to the Star's editorial demonstrates a fundamental, even gleeful ignorance of Islam and Muslims. Using insulting and dehumanizing language, many comments paint a portrait of all Muslims as a subversive group of (nonwhite) immigrants. A common theme is that all Muslims are terrorists who threaten America and want to destroy Christianity.

Such demonizing stereotypes are ludicrous and belittle or ignore the tremendous diversity that exists within Islam here and around the world. Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the United States, one that appeals to people of all races and classes.

The interesting challenges posed today by Islam in the public sphere should be addressed with factual accuracy, reasoned discourse and a basic respect for human dignity.

Responding with hatred and irrational hysteria is unbecoming of a country that preaches -- and practices -- pluralism and democracy.

Atlas is assistant professor of political science and director of the Franciscan Center for Global Studies at Marian College.

Labels: ablution, airports, Muslims, Pierre M. Atlas, taxi drivers

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Are social virtues linked to faith?

In today's Post, feature writer Charles Lewis writes about a new survey by University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby that shows that religious believers are more likely to place a higher value on virtues such as friendship, courtesy and patience.

Professor Bibby argues its because religion is good at spreading and exposing many of these values and as society turns away from religion many of these values aren't being spread. The possible effects on society could be quite negative:

While both religious and atheist alike agree that honesty is important, 94% for the church/temple/mosque-set and 89% for non-believer, only 52% of atheists feel that forgiveness is an important virtue. In contrast, 84% of religious people surveyed felt that 'turning the other cheek' was important.

"Look at the culture as a whole and ask yourself: To what extent do we value forgiveness against themes like zero-tolerance? We don't talk very much about what we're going to do for people who fall through the cracks. So I think forgiveness is pretty foreign to a lot of people if they're not involved in religious groups."

Still, Professor Bibby, doesn't think that we should take complete stock in numbers. People can lie when answering survey questions and at the end of the day there are plenty of examples on both sides of the religious divide that dispels the stereotypes.

Labels: Charles Lewis, forgiveness, Reginald Bibby, religion, virtue

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Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Militant Atheism and God

Paul Johnson

Intellectual fashions come and go. The current one is militant atheism. Waves of atheism have swept the West before. One was in the mid-18th century, when the devastating Lisbon earthquake, killing some 60,000 people, shook the belief of many in the benevolence of God. Another was in the mid-19th century, when advances in geology destroyed the traditional chronology of the Old Testament, proving that Earth was much older than the 6,000-odd years the Bible allowed. A third spasm followed the First World War, when the combination of Freud's writings and Einstein's theories of relativity upset established views of the human psyche and the universe. We now seem to be in the midst of a fourth. It is prompted partly by the academic deification of Darwin and his particular theory of evolution, and partly by the revulsion against Islamic fundamentalism and its violent expression, which for some has discredited all forms of belief in God.

Whatever the explanation, books advocating an atheistic view of the universe and arguing that religion is based on delusion are being written, published and widely bought. Their arguments are echoed and amplified on television. And, for the time being at least, atheism seems to have a strong grip on the centers of higher education.

How Important Is This Phenomenon?

Is it a phase? Or is it the harbinger of a fundamental change in the way people see themselves and the world? Ought we to be alarmed--and ought we take action? And if so, what kind of action?

I see no diminution in the cruelty and violence we inflict on one another, at both a personal and a state level. More people were killed by totalitarian states (all atheistic) in the 20th century than in all previous periods of history. The first few years of the 21st century have witnessed no improvement. States that practice mass murder continue to exist but are now accompanied by terrorist movements doing all within their power to acquire nuclear weapons so they can exterminate entire populations--millions, even tens and hundreds of millions.

I could not find content in a landscape whose horizon held no churches or in a civilization whose literature was purged of any reference to a divine being; whose art had blotted out the nativities, crucifixions, saints and angels; and whose music contained no intimations of immortality. And I believe the vast majority of people share such a view.

As for doing something about the militant atheism that threatens our happiness and well-being, it is in the interests of all people that those of us who enjoy religious faith should examine carefully what it has done, is doing and will do to sustain and comfort us in this harsh and difficult world. We should add up all its benefits--and then proclaim the results to the world. There will be plenty who will listen.

Paul Johnson, eminent British historian and author

Labels: God, Militant atheism, Paul Johnson, religion

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Halo 3: Effective Outreach Bait or Not Fit for Church?

By Nathan Black
Christian Post Reporter

Mon, Oct. 08 2007

Another massively popular Halo video game is out, which means another controversial opportunity for churches to outreach to youth.

Already passed $300 million in sales, Halo 3 is being picked up by some churches to draw youth, causing some Christians to shake their heads.

Five years after Halo 2 was released, Halo 3 gives loyal gamers answers to what happens in the end with all those angry aliens and to the game's mysterious, armor-clad protagonist.

Microsoft Corp. announced last week that Halo 3 has become a global phenomenon and the game is one of the most successful entertainment properties in history.

Given that, hundreds churches are utilizing Halo as an effective tool for outreach.

“We play Halo, take a break and have something to eat, and have a lesson,” said Austin Brown, 16, of Sweetwater Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., explaining that the pastor tried to draw parallels “between God and the devil."

Youth ministries specialist Lane Palmer of the ministry Dare 2 Share says the game speaks to the very real spiritual war going on today.

Dare 2 Share encourages youth to use Halo 3 as conversation starters to witness to their friends.

Studies have shown the negative influence of media, including video games, on young people. A recent Barna Group poll revealed that American children will have seen countless murders among the more than 30,000 acts of violence that they are exposed to through television, movies and video games.

But youth workers say churches need to be up-to-date on the latest cultural trends especially something that young people are inevitably going to participate in.

An Ellison Research study found that churchgoers and pastors are not very familiar with video and computer games. Half of lay people are not informed and more than 70 percent of clergy are disengaged from that area of culture.

"Pastors need to be informed about what’s out there in order to understand how the culture is influencing the people they are trying to reach," said Ellison Research President Ron Sellers.

But how relevant is too relevant especially when it involves killing?

Halo 3, for example, is rated “M” for mature audiences.

Still, Christian gamers online say "it's a way to fellowship."

And others call it a fishing hook.

"Teens are our fish," Gregg Barbour, youth minister of Colorado Community Church in the Englewood area of Denver, told the Times. "So we’ve become creative in baiting our hooks."

Since the Sept. 25 launch of Halo 3, more than 2.7 million people have logged on to Microsoft's online service, Xbox Live, to collectively play 40 million hours of "Halo 3" with other gamers, Microsoft reported.

In the game's first 24 hours on sale in the United States, sales hit $170 million, the company added.

Labels: Barna Group, church, clergy, Halo, Nathan Black, youth

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The Fatherless Child

It is a unique cultural moment for the church to act like a family.

A Christianity Today editorial.
posted 10/09/2007 08:37AM

It's not remarkable to say our culture is confused when it comes to family. But the results of the recent Pew Research Center study on marriage and children are remarkable nonetheless.

The survey confirms that Christian notions about marriage and family are still an American ideal. The growth in births to unwed mothers is a "big problem," say 71 percent of Americans. They agree (69 percent) that children need both a mother and a father. Even as rates of births to unwed mothers have skyrocketed, this strong disapproval has held steady.

But the survey also notes that Americans are less able to live up to their ideals: Roughly 37 percent of births are to unwed mothers, and nearly half (47 percent) of adults have lived in cohabitating relationships.

"Marriage exerts less influence over how adults organize their lives and how children are born and raised than at any time in the nation's history," the survey says. Between 1960 and 2005, the rate of unwed childbearing increased sevenfold, from 5.3 percent of all births to 36.8 percent. The survey finds that the average unwed mother "is more likely to be white than black, and more likely to be an adult than a teenager. …" The survey attributes this "sharp increase in non-marital births" to "an ever greater percentage of women in the 20s, 30s, and older … delaying or forgoing marriage but having children."

For years, we have been preaching the supremacy of the two-parent family, offering classes and seminars for young couples and families. But the church is also caught up in an individualistic, ambitious culture, and we find it difficult to carve out time to offer ongoing, concrete help to single-parent families. We pray for them. We urge the parent to find a mate. But, to take the case above, it's hard to find a church that intentionally helps men of the church connect regularly with the children of single mothers. Would a "father program," on the order of Big Brothers and Sisters, be something the "family of God" might institute?

A single mother at Christianity Today International adopted two African American boys. Though she's given them extraordinary care and discipline, she has long felt that they desperately needed adult males in their lives. She says plainly that her church let her and her boys down in this regard. Only after one of the boys ended up in prison did the church's men rally around and enter this young man's life.

A dramatic example, but boys without father figures and girls without mother figures have a strike against them. The latest national study shows that more children than ever are entering the world with such strikes. It's an unprecedented cultural moment for Christians, to see if we can act less like individual consumers of spirituality and more like the family of God.

Labels: Christian, family, fathers, marriage, Pew Research Center survey, unwed mothers

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Thursday, October 04, 2007

Fear Of Religious Litmus Test Rising

McCain’s ‘Christian nation’ comments spark new concern about growing role of religion in the ’08 campaign.

James D. Besser - Washington Correspondent

The prospects for deep religious polarization in the 2008 election took a quantum leap this week in the wake of comments by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that the Constitution created America as a “Christian” nation — and the rousing defense of his comments by some Christian groups.

McCain’s comments, which produced sharp rebukes from several major Jewish groups, echoed views expressed in a recent survey conducted by the First Amendment Center, in which 65 percent of respondents said the nation’s founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation — and 55 percent said that view was enshrined in the Constitution.

The upping of the religious ante in the 2008 campaign also includes a growing rebellion by prominent Christian conservatives against GOP frontrunner Rudolph Giuliani and their threat to back a third-party candidate who meets their religious standards.

And it comes amid continuing questions about whether former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith will be a deal-breaker with many Evangelical voters, and as questions persist about the “Christian nation” views of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the emerging dark horse in the Republican ranks. It also comes as anxious Democrats ramp up their own religious campaigns, with more detailed discussions of the role of faith in their own lives.

All of that, some Jewish leaders worry, is pushing the nation toward the de facto establishment of a religious test for high office.

Earlier in the interview, he stressed his view that the “No. 1 issue people should make [in selecting a president] is, ‘will this person carry on in the Judeo-Christian principled tradition that has made this nation the greatest experiment in the history of mankind?’”

But his unambiguous agreement that the Constitution established a Christian nation stirred the most debate.

But some Christian groups praised McCain’s original comments – and said they could help in a presidential campaign that has been met with skepticism by evangelical voters and leaders.

But a leading Jewish Republican and McCain supporter said it was all a matter of interpretation.

The Republican Jewish Coalition offered only the faintest criticism of McCain’s comments.

Political analysts were divided on whether McCain’s comments were a verbal misfire or part of a conscious political strategy meant to revive his once-front running campaign. But many speculated that the upcoming South Carolina primary has a lot to do with it.

The 2008 presidential race took on even more of a religious charge this week with reports that leading Christian conservatives, including Focus on the Family leader James Dobson, met over the weekend and discussed the possibility of supporting a third-party candidacy because of their dissatisfaction with the current GOP field, and Giuliani in particular.

But Giuliani, according to recent polls, is running strongly among Evangelical voters despite his three marriages and his relatively moderate positions on gay rights and abortion — a trend political experts attribute to his strong image on terrorism and security.

The likeliest recipients of support from the angry Evangelical leaders, he said, is Huckabee, a Southern Baptist preacher, or Romney, who continues to work to combat the view among many Evangelicals that his Mormonism is a dangerous sect.

Labels: Christian, First Amendment Center, James D. Besser, Jewish, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mormonism, religion, Rudolph Giuliani

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Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Are college freshmen losing their religion?

UL campus ministers committed to reaching out, reversing trend; survey says higher-education students more likely to stray from Christianity

Trevis R. Badeaux

Chances are good your Christian teen will walk away from his or her faith within the college freshman year.

A recent LifeWay Research survey indicates 70 percent of church-attending Christian teens fit the bill; that's about 1.2 million a year. Most are in their latter teens, ages 17, 18 and 19.

Surprised? UL campus ministers aren't. What's missing, they say, is a sense of community. Churches have a strong focus on young children and families. Teens and those in their early 20s are left to fall through the cracks.

That's not to say that churches aren't doing their part to reach out. Many have outreach ministries on college campuses that throw a lifeline to those drifting away from beliefs and practices established in their younger years.

The Roman Catholic LIFETEEN initiative and others like it have a record number of teens attending evening services geared toward enhancing their faith and their relationship with God.

So, what's the problem? Why are so many college freshmen and other teens and young adults walking away from their faith?

Community. It's the answer that comes up time and again from anyone in the age category asked these same questions. Teens and young adults lack a sense of connection, a relationship with others in their religions.

There is no way to force anyone to believe in Christ or become an active participant in their faith. However, there are ways campus ministries are reaching out to reverse the trend.

Most facilitate small groups that meet across campus. Students gather to share their beliefs, struggles, ways they can live out their faith and encourage others to join in. Some, like Chi Alpha, host a weekly free lunch with a scripture message or community events that attract teens and young adults.

Labels: Christian, college, faith, religion, Trevis R. Badeaux, youth

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Survey: More Americans Familiar with Big Mac Ingredients than 10 Commandments

A study done in conjunction with the release of a film reports that more Americans know the ingredients of the Big Mac than what the Ten Commandments are.

By Katherine T. Phan
Christian Post Reporter

Wed, Oct. 03 2007 03:23 PM ET
Think most Americans know the Ten Commandments?

Think again.

Despite living in a country with a rich and still prevalent Christian heritage – as evident from the Pledge of Allegiance to the nation’s motto, “In God We Trust” – Americans were found to be more familiar with the ingredients of the McDonald’s Big Mac hamburger than some of the Ten Commandments.

In a new study conducted by Kelton research in conjunction with the upcoming release of the animated feature film, The Ten Commandments, 80 percent of respondents knew "two all beef patties" were among the ingredients of the Big Mac but only six out of ten could identify "Thou shalt not kill” as one of the Ten Commandments. Also, while 43 percent of respondents – including those who regularly attend worship – could recall Bobby and Peter, two of the least-recalled names from the Brady Bunch, they were less familiar with two of the least recalled commandments – "Remember the Sabbath" (34 percent) and "Do not make any false idols" (29 percent).

“This gradual erosion of our knowledge of the Ten Commandments is a pretty serious issue,” said Paul Lauer, founder and president of Motive Entertainment, the group marketing the Ten Commandments film. He adds that he was shocked because these were statistics coming from a country that is known as “a Christian nation.”

Lauer, along with makers of the Ten Commandments movie, say they hope the film will inspire Americans to improve their literacy of the Ten Commandments and the Bible. The film, produced by Promenade Pictures, is slated to hit theaters Oct. 19.

The family-friendly film tells the story of Moses, the reluctant prophet of God, who leads the enslaved Chosen People from Egypt to the Promised Land. During the journey, Moses, who is also accompanied by his brother Aaron and sister Miriam, delivers the Ten Commandments given to him by God to the people.

The film is unlike other movies carrying the Ten Commandments theme not only because it works more from actual scripture but also because it traces the development of Moses as he gets more comfortable, more assertive, and more connected with his calling ...

The upcoming Ten Commandments film is the first installment of a 12-part series called "Epic Stories of the Bible" from Promenade Pictures. The second release in the series will be Noah's Ark: The New Beginning. Other installments will feature the story of David and Goliath, the battle of Jericho, and possibly Daniel and the lions and Genesis.

As part of a grassroots campaign for the movie, Motive Entertainment has launched the “Ten Commandments Challenge,” available on the movie’s website, that will enable participants to test their knowledge about the Ten Commandments and see how well they stack up to the national average in their age bracket.

The Ten Commandments will be distributed in 150 markets and shown on 700 screens.

Labels: Christian, filmmakers, Katherine T. Phan, Ten Commandments

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Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Capitalising on the spirit

Page 1 of 3

Wednesday October 03, 2007

The days when businesses could operate solely on self-interest, short-term gain and with an eye on the bottom line are numbered as customers, employees and shareholders insist on knowing what companies are doing in the world.

There is a growing interest in what is being called 'spiritual capital'.

Financial planner, chartered accountant and managing director of Money Matters and Rodger Spiller & Associates, Dr Rodger Spiller, says spiritual capital is the value reflected in a business's commitment to quality of life.

"It is a bit of an intangible - like brand worth," he says. "It's something that helps companies be better able to attract customers and employees.

"It's about focusing on quality of life and sustainability. These are things that citizens are getting more aware of and are seeing as more important."

A recent survey in Britain showed that 53 per cent of workers felt a tension between their spirituality and daily work. "This needs to be addressed," Rodger says, "as it affects productivity and engagement."

Rodger points out that wealth is being redefined but, in some ways, it's reverting to its original meaning.

According to Wikipedia, wealth comes from the old English word "weal", meaning "well-being" or "welfare", and the term was originally an adjective used to describe the possession of such qualities.

"Spiritual capital reflects the original definition of wealth as wellbeing - not just money," Rodger says.

"It's about individuals and businesses being environmentally and socially responsible and wanting to improve wellbeing for all.

"Employees want to work for companies that take into account these things. Interestingly, companies with this broader perspective who look to enhancing quality of life are doing better financially.

"Responsible investors who prefer these companies are doing well by doing good. Stakeholders want to work and invest in companies that make a difference in the world and make money at the same time."

A famous quote from Body Shop founder the late Anita Roddick is: "The end result of kindness is that it draws people to you."

Rodger talks of the four Ps of spiritual capital: purpose, principles, practices and performance.

He says the old idea that greed is good has been rejected by a lot of people who don't merely want to work to finance the weekend. They want to feel good about the work they're doing.

"People are searching for meaning, and becoming more aware of spirituality. Employees who feel in tune with their company's efforts will be more productive and enthusiastic," Rodger says. "People's purpose in the world is more than just about money.

Labels: 'spiritual capital', business, spirituality, wealth

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Increased Spirituality and Social Awareness Top Effects of Ignatian Volunteer Corps, Says Recent Study

MEDIA ADVISORY, October 2 /Christian Newswire/ --

With Americans living longer, what was once deemed the "Golden Years" has evolved into just another stage in life. For many Americans this is their time when they get to choose how they spend their time. More and more of them are choosing to volunteer. In fact, the rate of volunteering among Americans 65+ is 64 percent higher today than it was in 1974.

That's a good thing for Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC), a national service organization for retired men and women that recently commissioned a study to look at how their program impacts volunteers. Headquartered in Baltimore with 12 regional offices, IVC wanted to examine how well they are meeting their mission and goals by measuring the effect that the program has on their volunteers.

"The Impact of Service on Spirituality: A Survey of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps," conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University, consisted of three surveys mailed to IVC volunteers, their spouses and IVC reflectors who offer one-on-one spiritual companionship to volunteers. According to the study, "each group affirms the value of the IVC program in helping participants feel as though they are spending retirement in a fulfilling way, deepening their spirituality, and increasing their social awareness."

Findings include:

• 93% feel they are spending their retirement in a fulfilling way;

• 89% feel that are making a difference in peoples' lives;

• 86% are using skills that they had before joining to help others;

• 85% are learning about problems of poverty and other social problems;

• 82% recognize social injustice;

• 79% have come to know individuals on a personal basis who are economically poor or needy.

The study comes at a time when IVC is growing and re-branding with a new modern logo to reflect its relevance in today's society. "Our new logo and tagline 'Experience. Service. Reflection.' describes who we are and what we do. The CARA study clearly shows that these program components ring true for our volunteers also," says Suzanne Geaney, IVC Executive Director.

IVC has regional offices in Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia.

Labels: fulfillment, Ignatian Volunteer Corps, retirement, spirituality, volunteering

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Monday, October 01, 2007

Science and religion collide for galactic conference

Vatican turns eyes to heavens

By Lucy Sherriff

Published Monday 1st October 2007

The Vatican is hosting its second astronomy conference in seven years, as the Roman Catholic church strives to avoid being seen as anti-science. Delegates are expected from 26 countries, including Britain, the US, Italy, Germany, and Russia, the BBC reports.

Father Jose Funes, head of the Vatican Observatory, said the conference would focus on disc galaxies, cold dark matter, and black holes. "Disc galaxies are a hot topic," he told the BBC.

Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, will be the first subject for discussion. The delegates will go on to discuss the latest theories and ideas in galaxy, star, and planet formation.

The Vatican's history of involvement in astronomical research has its roots in the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Then Pope Gregory XIII set up a task force to consider the full scientific implications of the 1582 switch in timelines. But it wasn't until 1789, almost two centuries after Galileo's "heretical" proposal that the Earth orbited the Sun, that the church set up its own observatory.

Since then, the tradition of scientific exploration has been maintained, and the Vatican now runs an observatory - the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope with its 1.8 metre mirror - out in Tucson, Arizona.

Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, a member of Father Funes's 13-strong team, explains that the Church has maintained its interest because science holds no fears for the faithful.

He told the BBC: "This is our way of seeing how God created the universe and they want to make as strong a statement as possible that truth doesn't contradict truth; that if you have faith, then you're never going to be afraid of what science is going to come up with." ®

Labels: astronomy, faith, God, Milky Way, Vatican, Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope

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Study asks whether chemicals and communion are one

Monday October 11th, 2004

By Jennifer Woods

Dr. Mario Beauregard, a neuroscientist from the University of Montreal, is using medicine’s most powerful brain imaging tools to study Carmelite nuns when they remember Unio Mystica, the Christian mystical union with God. Most nuns only experience the mystic union once or twice in their lifetime, if at all.

The mystical union happens when a person finds “the center of themselves in God,” said Ilia Delio, a neuropharmacologist and professor of spirituality at Washington Theological Union. During this state, the individual is so immersed in God that “they couldn’t even conceive of their life apart from God,” she added.

Beauregard’s new field, known as spiritual neuroscience, raises questions about the human soul and God. Hoping to find a biological basis for religious experiences, Beauregard has dealt with criticism from those who “are happy with the separation” of science and religion, he said.

Finding nuns willing to participate in the research hasn’t been easy, Beauregard said, as many worry he is trying to prove that religious experiences are simply an illusion of the mind.

Beauregard said the nine nuns in the study are “convinced that we’re going to find something.”

In order to understand what is happening in the brain electrically, chemically and physiologically, Beauregard’s research is divided into three parts.

The first part of the study uses electroencephalography, or EEG, to measure the nuns’ brain waves.

As expected, the scientists discovered a slow brain wave pattern in the nuns, “which is comparable to those previously found in yogis and Buddhist monks during deep meditative states,” Beauregard said.

The second trial will use a PET scan, or positron emission tomography, to measure the brain’s levels of serotonin, which helps regulates a person’s moods.

In the final phase, Beauregard will use functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, which shows the brain’s active areas.

Through this research, it might be possible to help individuals enhance or even induce a spiritual experience, Beauregard said. He said he hopes his research will lead to helping “normal people, not mystics, to have access to that type of experience by perhaps stimulating the brain.”

The scientists are looking for six more nuns to participate in the research. Beauregard expects all three studies will be done in about a year.

Delio said it is important to explore the link between science and religion. “We’re talking about the human person and the human person is not simply spirit. The human person is concrete matter that expresses itself spiritually,” she said.

Jennifer Woods is an editorial intern at Science & Theology News.

Labels: Dr. Mario Beauregard, God, nuns, spiritual neuroscience, Unio Mystica

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Family, religion make youth happy, survey says

Respect for other beliefs is high

Ecumenical News International
Oct 1, 2007
Oxford, Ohio

A newly-released survey by the Associated Press and MTV, a music video channel aimed at young people, has found that religion and family are two of the strongest components contributing to the happiness of people aged 13 to 24 in the United States.

“It’s easier for kids who are happy and have things going well in their life to find the time and energy to participate in religion,” Lisa Pearce, co-principal investigator for the National Study of Youth and Religion, told AP.

The survey included more than 100 questions asked of 1,280 people aged 13-24. It found that 80 per cent of those who call religion or spirituality the most important thing in their lives say they are happy, while of those who say faith is not important to them, 60 per cent consider themselves happy.

Forty-four per cent of respondents said religion and spirituality is at least very important to them, 21 per cent responded that it is somewhat important, 20 per cent said it plays a small part in their lives and 14 per cent said it plays no role.

When it comes to spirituality, nearly 7 in 10 said that while they follow their own religious or spiritual beliefs, other beliefs might also be true. Sixty-eight per cent said they agreed with the statement, “I follow my own religious and spiritual beliefs, but I think that other religious beliefs could be true as well.”

Spending time with family was the top answer to the open-ended question, “What brings you happiness?"

Labels: Associated Press, family, MTV, National Study of Youth and Religion, religion, spirituality, youth

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