TruthBook Religious News Blog

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) July 29, 2009 --

Almost eight years following our experience of 9-11, Americans remain dramatically conflicted about the religion of Islam, practiced by 20 to 25 percent of the people of the planet. In a new book just released, Journeys into the Heart and Heartland of Islam, written by Marvin W. Heyboer, Ph.D., published by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc., Pittsburgh, the author urges readers to answer the vital question: In the wake of terrorist attacks and threats of jihad, how do we and how should we relate to Muslims? Heyboer asserts that it is not a problem of identifying good Muslims and bad Muslims. Rather it is a matter of understanding the teachings of Islam regarding terror so that we can understand whether acts of terror are an aberration of or are consistent with the principles of Islam as taught by its prophet Mohammed.

In the end, Heyboer provides an answer to the question: Why do Muslims hate us so much? He concludes it is because the Judeo-Christian civilization refused to believe Mohammed was the fulfillment of the prophecies of Moses and Jesus. He sets forth his belief that our concern should not be about what each Muslim does or does not do but about what Islam instructs all Muslims to do. He believes that because of our ignorance of and refusal to openly discuss and critically study Islam, we are on a collision course with Islamic holy law and that America's freedom is at jeopardy. This opinion is hardly politically correct or perhaps even charitable, but the stakes are too high to ignore this well researched and thoroughly documented work.

Please click on "external source" for the complete review of this interesting book.

Labels: 9/11, America, Journeys into the Heart and Heartland of Islam, Marvin W. Heyboer, Mohammed, Muslims

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God and Majors

July 28, 2009

Some parents of faith have long worried about the possible impact of (secular) colleges on the religious observances of their children.

A new national study that looks at trends between study of certain subjects and religious observance provides some evidence to back up those worries, but also may surprise members of some disciplines and some faiths. And the research also finds that religious students are more likely than others to attend college. The study is by four scholars at the University of Michigan and was released Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research (abstract and ordering information available here).

Among the findings:

Please click on "external source" for the complete study results

Labels: children, college, faith, National Bureau of Economic Research, parents, religion

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Lone priest shepherds tiny flock of Catholics in Afghanistan

KABUL-SHEPHERD Jul-27-2009

Lone priest shepherds tiny flock of Catholics in Afghanistan

By Jessica Weinstein
Catholic News Service

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNS) -- In the midst of the escalating war in Afghanistan, there is a place of peace for Kabul's tiny Catholic population.

Inside the Italian Embassy compound visitors will find a small white building marked simply with a cross. Its guardian is the shepherd of Kabul, Barnabite Father Giuseppe Moretti.

A warm 70-year-old Italian with graying hair and a sharp sense of humor, Father Moretti is the only priest in Afghanistan.

"Our presence is the presence of the master's seed," he said in an interview with Catholic News Service.

Father Moretti first arrived in Afghanistan in 1977, two years before an invasion by the former Soviet Union touched off a generation of fighting. When the war between the Soviets and the Afghan Muslim fighters known as mujahedeen ended in 1982, it was quickly followed by a civil war that raged throughout the 1990s. In 1994, the embassy was attacked and Father Moretti was shot. He survived, but he left the country.

After American forces drove the Taliban, a Sunni Muslim fundamentalist religious and political movement, from Kabul in 2001, Pope John Paul II asked Father Moretti to return.

"It was my duty as shepherd to stay with my flock," he said.

Please click on "external source" to access this entire inspirational article.

Labels: Catholic, Father Giuseppe Moretti, Jessica Weinstein, Kabul

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Technology and the megachurch

July 26, 2009
by Daniel Terdiman

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--If you're in charge of what is thought to be one of the most powerful, influential and important megachurches in the United States, if not the world, how do you make sure that your message is reaching the largest possible audience?

To Brady Boyd, the lead pastor at the New Life Church here, the famous, 10,000-plus member nondenominational church that's directly across Interstate 25 from the Air Force Academy, the answer is technology.

It's not that the New Life Church is light years ahead of anyone else--in fact, it may well even be slightly behind some other churches--but to Boyd the key is that he and his large support team are philosophically open to technology.

As part of Road Trip 2009, I stopped in at the New Life Church for an interview with Boyd. I wanted to know how this megachurch uses technology, and just how important tech is considered. The short answer? A lot.

"Churches have to stay current. We're in the communications business," Boyd told me. "The whole purpose of a church is to communicate a message of truth....We have to stay informed and we have to realize that most of the world is rapidly advancing in their ability to communicate."

In particular, Boyd pointed to Web 2.0 technologies like Facebook and Twitter. He said, in fact, that he Twitters constantly and recently maxed out his number of friends on Facebook.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article.

Labels: Brady Boyd, church, communications, Daniel Terdiman, megachurches, New Life Church, technology

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Interfaith relationships require strength

Married couples of different religions find ways to make it work
July 25, 2009
BY TINA ARONS

Santos Uvalle glanced at his wife as he thought about how to describe the first half of their marriage.
"It was hell on wheels," the 33-year-old said.

He married his wife, Myra Uvalle, when he was 17. She was 16. They promised the usual things — for better, for worse — but they never thought getting through religious differences would be so hard.

Santos Uvalle, who works at an oil reclamation plant, grew up evangelical. Myra Uvalle, a student nurse, grew up Catholic.

"He refused to change, and I refused to change," Myra Uvalle, 32, said.

Jason Harmeyer, pastor of volunteer ministries at CrossRoads Fellowship, said differing faiths can "play a very significant role" in a marriage.

Harmeyer, who works with married couples in their 30s, said research usually ranks religious disagreement somewhere in the top 10 causes for divorce.

"I counsel four to six couples per week dealing with relationship issues. No doubt some of that comes down to belief issues," he said. "By the time it gets to my office, these things are inflated. You might consider it a pebble in the shoe, but these people have been walking with that pebble in their shoe for six months to a year."

For Santos and Myra Uvalle, the pebble bounced around for a decade.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article

Labels: divorce, interfaith, intermarriage, Tina Arons

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Survey: Faith of Blacks Grows Stronger, More Orthodox

By Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter
Sat, Jul. 25 2009

Blacks remain the most religious ethnic group in America, a new study shows.

And over the last 15 years, African Americans have grown even more religious and orthodox in their Christian beliefs, according to The Barna Group.

Findings from surveys that included 1,272 African American respondents reveal that blacks today are more likely than they were in the early 1990s to believe that the principles taught in the Bible are totally accurate; to say that their religious faith is very important in their life; to have a biblically orthodox understanding of the nature of God; and to be born again.

African Americans were found to be the most likely ethnic group to consider themselves Christian with 92 percent saying so. Nationally, 85 percent of Americans in general consider themselves Christian. Blacks were also the most likely to be born again Christians (59 percent vs. 46 percent nationally).

Moreover, blacks had the lowest population of unchurched adults and were least likely to be Catholic.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article...

Labels: Audrey Barrick, Barna Group, Bible, Christian, church, faith, religion

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Darwin survey shows international consensus on acceptance of evolution

Darwin survey shows international consensus on acceptance of evolution

Posted by Desta Bishu | July 25th, 2009

A British Council poll into awareness of Charles Darwin and attitudes towards evolution has found that there is a broad international consensus of acceptance towards his theory of evolution.

The British Council, the UK’s international body for cultural relations, announced the results of its global survey at the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) in London on Tuesday 30 June, 2009, as part of its international programme Darwin Now, to mark the publication of Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking work On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection on 24 November, 1859.

The research, conducted by Ipsos MORI, surveyed over ten thousand adults across ten countries worldwide including Argentina, China, Egypt, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Great Britain and the USA.

Please click on "external source" for the complete survey results.

Labels: Charles Darwin, Desta Bishu, evolution, international, The British Council, WCSJ

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The Elders - Peace-Building and Human Progress

Please click on "external source" to access a website called "The Elders," an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.

Labels: humanity, peace, peacemaking, suffering, The Elders

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A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S.

July 24, 2009

In Utah, July 24 is Pioneer Day, a state holiday commemorating the day in 1847 when the first Mormon settlers, led by Brigham Young, entered the Salt Lake Valley. Today, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Mormon groups make up 58% of Utah's population and 1.7% of the total U.S. adult population, according to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life in 2007. The religious tradition, founded in the United States in 1830, has come under increased public scrutiny in recent years as a result of prominent Mormons in the news, such as Mitt Romney, a 2008 Republican presidential primary candidate and former governor of Massachusetts, and Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the majority leader in the U.S. Senate, as well as the involvement of the LDS church in political issues, such as the recent debate over gay marriage in California.

A new analysis of the Landscape Survey data reveals that as a group Mormons are among the most devout and conservative religious people in the country. The Mormon community is also internally diverse, with differences according to levels of religious commitment and educational attainment, regions of the country where Mormons live, and between lifelong Mormons and those who have converted to the faith. This report explores Mormons' unique place in the American religious landscape and is divided into three parts: demographic characteristics, religious beliefs and practices, and social and political views.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article, along with breakdowns of the survey.

Labels: Church of Latter Day Saints, demographics. politics, Mormonism, pew Religious Landscape Survey, religion

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Friday, July 24, 2009

Jimmy Carter confronts 'religious prejudice' against women

By: Eric Young
Christian Post
Thursday, 23 July 2009

Former president Jimmy Carter and The Elders group of global leaders are calling for a change to "the harmful and discriminatory practices against women and girls and give their full support to the equality of all”.

"Religion and tradition are a great force for peace and progress around the world," said The Elders, a group of global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela, in statement to mark the launch of their latest initiative.

"However, as Elders, we believe that the justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a higher authority, is unacceptable," added the 12-person organisation brought together by former South African president Nelson Mandela.

In an effort to bring change to and end religious and traditional practices that discriminate against women and girls, The Elders are using their latest initiative to reveal how the "deep-rooted belief that women are worth less than men has infected every aspect of our societies."

They say such beliefs have led to brutal violence and mistreatment against women and have denied girls and women fair access to education, health, employment, property and influence within their own communities.

"It is not just women who are paying an enormous price for this cultural and religious prejudice. We all suffer when women and girls are abused and their needs are neglected. By denying them security and opportunity, we embed unfairness in our societies and fail to make the most of the talents of half the population," The Elders state.

Last week, former President Carter attempted to draw greater attention to The Elders’ gender equality initiative by submitting an op-ed to newspapers including The Observer.

In his piece, Carter recalled his "painful and difficult" decision to sever ties with the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000 after having been a part of the denomination for six decades.

The decision, he said, was "unavoidable ... when the convention’s leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be ‘subservient’ to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military...

Please click on "external source" for the complete article

Labels: discrimination, equality, Eric Young, Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, religion, The Elders

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Muslim men join together to prevent violence against women

by J. Samia Mair
July 21,2009

Violence against women is epidemic. According to a CDC Fact Sheet on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), each year in the United States about 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes are committed against women. Women account for 75% of the IPV-related deaths.

Violence against men is also a major problem. Each year, men experience about 2.9 million intimate partner-related physical assaults.

The CDC defines IPV as:

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is abuse that occurs between two people in a close relationship. The term "intimate partner" includes current and former spouses and dating partners. IPV exists along a continuum from a single episode of violence to ongoing battering.

IVP is not just physical abuse. It also includes sexual abuse, threats, and emotional abuse. These 4 types of behavior are not exclusive and several types of IVP may occur simultaneously. IVP often starts with emotional abuse and then progresses to sexual or physical abuse.

The health effects of IVP are far reaching and, in general, the longer the abuse continues the more serious the consequences. Physical injuries are common, including minor injuries such as cuts and bruises to more serious injuries such as broken bones, internal bleeding, head trauma, and death. Emotional trauma can result in low-self esteem, difficulty in trusting others and forming healthy relationships, eating disorders, depression, suicidal thoughts, and more.

Violence against women does not discriminate. Women suffer throughout the world, regardless of country of origin, economic status, educational level, religion, etc.

Concerned brothers have joined together to address this issue in the Muslim community. One such group is the Muslim Men Against Domestic Abuse (MMADA), established in February 2009 and "dedicated to domestic tranquility."

Please click on "external source" for the complete article about this promising development.

Labels: IPV, J. Samia Mair, Muslim Men Against Domestic Abuse, Muslims, violence

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Meditation as medicine

Ancient practice is helping people slow down and find serenity and, evidence suggests, improve their health

By KELLY BOTHUM • The News Journal • July 21, 2009

Russ Apple has practiced meditation for 35 years as a way to live in the moment and find the calm amid the sea of chaos around him. Through meditation, he has explored what it means to live life from the inside out and learned how to escape a mind always in motion.

While others boast of their Bluetooths and BlackBerrys that allow them to juggle five tasks simultaneously, Apple remains deliberate in finishing one thing at a time. A one-on-one conversation is just that -- him and another person talking, with no other distractions or filters to get in the way.

His appreciation for the power of meditation has only deepened since his diagnosis of appendiceal cancer in 2008. Despite two surgeries and several rounds of chemotherapy, the cancer has not abated. But Apple has found strength in continuing to live life in the present, one of the key focus points of meditation.

"The thing with cancer is, there's this threat of death. And the threat of death is the understanding that the tomorrow may not be," said Apple, who has decided to forego traditional cancer therapies and follow alternative treatments. "The blessing, if one's willing to look at it like that, is that I no longer live in the tomorrow or in the past. I've got today."

On the surface, something as simple as sitting silently or chanting mantras in a lifelong search for inner peace seems out of place in an always-on-the-go, technology-driven society. But it's an ancient practice that has remained popular despite our infatuation with speeding up life and staying busy.

An estimated 20 million Americans had practiced meditation within the past year, according to a 2007 survey by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. By comparison, about 15 million people had practiced meditation in 2002.

Across the country, medical centers like St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington are even offering guided imagery and other relaxation techniques to help patients preparing for surgery or living with chronic health problems.

This is the first of a five-page article about the benefits of meditation. Please click on "external source" for the whole article.

And, here is another view, with a Jesusonian twist; this article discusses "Jesus-Style" meditation

Labels: cancer, health, Kelly Bothum, meditation, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Science, religion is a theme in new Galileo book

Issues from scientist’s 17th-century trial still prevail, author says

By Ed Stoddard
July 20, 2009

DALLAS - The current struggles between religion and science in areas such as evolution and "intelligent design" are thrown into sharp relief in a new book about the Italian astronomer Galileo and his trial by the Roman Inquisition.

Author Dan Hofstadter described the Galileo affair as "the great religion-science clash of 1633 that in some form has persisted into our time."

The focus of the trial was the scientist's embrace of the Copernican view that the Earth revolves around the sun — a view informed by the observations Galileo made with his famous telescope.

Christians had been ordered not to teach or promote the Copernican take on the solar system. It was essentially for this reason that Galileo found himself in hot water with the clerical establishment.

Hofstadter spoke with Reuters about his book "The Earth Moves: Galileo and the Roman Inquisition," and the relevance of this 17th-century episode today.

Please click on "external source for the interview with the author.

Labels: Dan Hofstadter, Ed Stoddard, Galileo, religion, science

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The new Christian bridge builders

A new crop of Christian leaders, such as Rick Warren, are demonstrating a willingness to reach out to Muslims in spite of the "Islam is evil" message delivered by many of their counterparts. Are American Muslims ready or able to reciprocate beyond dialogue?

By Junaid M. Afeef,
July 20, 2009

Rick Warren, the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, spoke recently at the 2009 ISNA Convention in Washington, DC. He arrived at the convention center and made his way across the registration and information booths, up two flights of escalators and then again across the numerous exhibitors’ booths just outside of the auditorium where he was to speak. Several ISNA executives were with him, but he was able to pass by most convention attendees without any fanfare.

Given that the ISNA convention is a racially diverse gathering the sight of a white man in a summer suit was hardly noteworthy on its face, but given what his presence at ISNA means, perhaps a little more fanfare was in order. Rick Warren’s willingness to reach out to Muslims is a bold step towards greater inter-religious dialogue in the United States. Warren’s gesture at ISNA, as with the MPAC convention last year, represents a marked departure from the "Islam is evil" message delivered by other Evangelical Christian leaders like Franklin Graham.

After all, several reputable national studies after 9/11 have shown that Evangelical Christians hold very unfavorable opinions of Islam and of Muslims. Right after 9/11 a Pew poll found that 62 percent of Evangelical Christians believe that their faith is very different from Islam and a 2003 Beliefnet/Ethics and Public Policy survey found that 77 percent of Evangelical Christian leaders had an unfavorable view of Islam.

Warren is obviously part of that very small minority of Evangelical Christian leaders who does not have an unfavorable view of Islam and who does not think his faith is that much different from Islam. That is why he is willing and able to come to speak sincerely to large Muslim audiences. It is good for American religious pluralism that Rick Warren and the national American-Muslim leadership have found one another.

This relationship and the ensuing dialogue are important because they help pave the way for grassroots dialogue between their faith communities. The grassroots inter-religious dialogue is where great gains in understanding and bridge-building can be made. Understanding and relationships between American-Muslims and Christians are vital to sustaining America’s tradition of religious pluralism.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article

Labels: Christian, evangelicals, interfaith, Islam, ISNA, Junaid M. Afeef, Muslims, pluralism, Rick Warren

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NIH nominee Collins smartly balances top science, real religion

By MICHAEL GERSON
Washington Post

According to one survey, just 7 percent of elite American scientists believe in a personal god — the kind to whom you pray. About 8 percent, however, affirm their belief in personal immortality — indicating that some egos are so large that they fill eternity.

Should it matter that President Barack Obama’s nominee to be director of the National Institutes of Health — the Supreme Court nomination of the scientific world — is part of the believing few?

Francis Collins presents a perfect test case. His qualifications are beyond dispute. As a pioneering gene hunter, he helped identify the genetic markers for cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntington’s disease and adult onset diabetes. He was in charge of the program at NIH that mapped the human genome, the biological equivalent of the Apollo space program.

Collins is also an evangelical Christian who sings hymns while playing the guitar.

For some scientists, this combination of scientific excellence and religious faith is contradictory — like being a geneticist and believing in unicorns or astrology. "You clearly can be a scientist and have religious beliefs," says Peter Atkins of Oxford University. "But I don’t think you can be a real scientist in the deepest sense of the word because they (religion and science) are such alien categories of knowledge."

To which Collins, who has written and spoken extensively on this topic, replies that there are two categories of knowledge, two ways of knowing. And though they are different, they are not "alien" or contradictory.

For a further explanation, and the complete article, please click on "external source."

Labels: Francis Collins, Michael Gerson, NIH, religion, science

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Survey: 1 in 3 Scientists Believe in God

By Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Jul. 16 2009

About one out of every three scientists in the United States professed believing in God, a recent survey found.

That figure is strikingly lower than the proportion of the general American public that say they believe in God (83 percent), according to the report by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

However, a Christian biochemist after examining the report said the comparably small number of scientists who believe in God is nothing to be alarmed over.

Dr. Fazale Rana, vice president of research and apologetics at Reasons to Believe ministry, said the percentage of American scientists who believe in God has remained constant for more than three-quarters of a century.

In the early 1920s, he explained, there was a similar survey conducted that found a similar proportion of scientists who believe in God.

"I see a lot of reason to be very encouraged by these results," said Rana, who has a Ph.D. in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry and was a senior scientist in product development for Procter & Gamble, to The Christian Post on Wednesday.

"The take home message is that if science and religion are incompatible then there is no way we would still see 30-40 percent of scientists acknowledge there is a God or higher power behind everything," he contended.

Besides asking about belief in God, the survey also asked the public and scientists about their belief in a higher power. Eighteen percent of scientists said they believe in a higher power or universal spirit, while 12 percent of the public said so.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article.

Labels: belief, God, Michelle A. Vu, scientists, survey

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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Freedom From Religion: Buddhism Wins Best Religion in the World Award

Wednesday July 15, 2009

Linda Moulin | 15.07.2009 | 16:55

Tribune de Geneve

In advance of their annual Leading Figure award to a religious figure who has done the most to advance the cause of humanism and peace, the Geneva-based International Coalition for the Advancement of Religious and Spirituality (ICARUS) has chosen to bestow a special award this year on the Buddhist Community. "We typically prefer an under-the-radar approach for the organization, as we try to embody the spirit of modesty found in the greatest traditions," said ICARUS director Hans Groehlichen in a phone conference Monday. "But with organized religion increasingly used as a tool to separate and inflame rather than bring together, we felt we had to take the unusual step of creating a "Best Religion in the World" award and making a bit of a stir, to inspire other religious leaders to see what is possible when you practice compassion."

Groehlichen said the award was voted on by an international roundtable of more than 200 religious leaders from every part of the spiritual spectrum. "It was interesting to note that once we supplied the criteria, many religious leaders voted for Buddhism rather than their own religion," said Groehlichen. "Buddhists actually make up a tiny minority of our membership, so it was fascinating but quite exciting that they won."

Criteria included factors such as promoting personal and community peace, increasing compassion and a sense of connection, and encouraging preservation of the natural environment. Groehlichen continued "The biggest factor for us is that ICARUS was founded by spiritual and religious people to bring the concepts of non-violence to prominence in society. One of the key questions in our voting process was which religion actually practices non-violence."

Labels: Buddhism, ICARUS, Linda Moulin, non-violence, peace, religion

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Therapeutic music, part 1 (video)

July 13, 2009
Maria Hoaglund

"And the more souls who resonate together, the greater the intensity of their love and, mirror-like, each soul reflects the other." — Dante

Music has the power to open our hearts. It is a powerful language that speaks volumes. It is also the heart within the heart, the “sacred heart,” where we connect with everything, or the Oneness of All. No wonder music is such a powerful, healing blessing to us. The following piece was written by Jeri Howe, a Seattle musician who offers her healing, magical harp melodies to the dying, through an organization called Sacred Harmonies.

AT THE ROOT OF ALL CARING IS TOUCH

Sacred Harmonies, using harp and voice, offers music at the bedside of the ill or dying to ease physical, spiritual, and emotional pain, and to create an atmosphere of loving kindness that supports the soul in transition. Often we forget that the dying are losing their whole world: their body, their relationships, their identity. These are overwhelming losses to face. A music “vigil” at the bedside is very beneficial for both the patient and loved ones. The musical medicine that is offered is prescriptive to the patient and conveys a sense of serenity and consolation that can be profoundly soothing. Deeply spiritual in intention, the musical vigils are very practical; often the music aids in helping people sleep, or find deep rest and peace.

We play our harps for the dying because of our love and appreciation for life. The music provides a voice for this love. We play our harps so the music can accompany and journey with the person who is dying—to ease their fears and surround them with a sense of beauty and blessing. We play our harps for those suffering with pain, anxiety, and dementia, to bring them comfort. Music is a living language that communicates without words. The music carries and accompanies us into the unknown and helps release our fears and attachments. It provides us with beauty, warmth, light, and hints that we are not alone.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article, and a soothing video.

Labels: dying, harps, Jeri Howe, Maria Hoaglund, music therapy, Sacred Harmonies, spirituality

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Pew Research survey on science and public attitudes

July 9, 2009
Russell Krauss

Pew Research just published a survey it conducted in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "Public Praises Science; Scientists Fault Public, Media," is how Pew summarizes the results. That's good news as far as the public attitude toward science is concerned. After eight years of Bush administration foot dragging on climate change and the environment, it's refreshing that this evident hostility toward science and knowledge didn't spread beyond Washington. As far as the scientists are concerned, isn't that the attitude of everyone who is an expert in a certain field - that the public is woefully ignorant about the subject? That's human nature.

As part of the study, Pew included a short, 12 question general science quiz which it administered to a random sample of 1005 adults. Pew invites readers of the survey to take the quiz - but do so before reading the report. No peeking. I accepted the challenge, and it took only a couple of minutes to complete, and it was fun to see what sorts of questions they asked. You know the answers or you don't, so it won't take up much time, and then you can compare yourself against the sample by age, sex, and education. More on the results at the end of this post.

The basic survey was conducted among 2001 adults selected randomly from the general population, and 2533 scientists who responded to a mailing to nearly 10,000 members of the AAAS who were likewise chosen randomly. Note, though, the 2533 were not randomly selected, only the pool from which they were drawn. The report is quite lengthy, but well worth reading beyond the summary. I won't repeat the details that were highlighted in the introduction, but there were a few surprises and a couple of jaw-droppers.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article, plus a link to the survey results

Labels: AAAS, Pew Research Center survey, Russell Krauss, science

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Pitt survey indicates spiritual wellness aids in cancer fight

By Allison M. Heinrichs
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, July 9, 2009

Feeling angry with or abandoned by God increases depression in women with breast cancer, according to a survey by Pittsburgh doctors, which advises clinicians to ask patients questions about their religion and guide them to use spirituality to cope.

The yearlong survey of 284 patients explored the relationship between "religious coping" and well-being. The results, published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, indicate that doctors should listen for "red flag" comments such as, "Why is God punishing me?"

"That's a sign for clinicians that these patients are feeling abandoned," said Dr. Randy Hebert, medical director of Forbes Hospice and lead author of the report.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article

Labels: Allison M. Heinrichs, cancer, God, religion, spirituality, well-being

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Thursday, July 09, 2009

Pope calls for 'God-centered' global economy

THIRD ENCYCLICAL

ON A MORAL ECONOMY

Select excerpts from Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), Pope Benedict XVI's new encyclical on the economy and Catholic social teachings:

• "The dignity of the individual and the demands of justice require, particularly today, that economic choices do not cause disparities in wealth to increase in an excessive and morally unacceptable manner ..."

• "We should not be (globalization's) victims, but rather its protagonists, acting in the light of reason, guided by charity and truth."

• "... Ideological rejection of God and an atheism of indifference, oblivious to the Creator and at risk of becoming equally oblivious to human values, constitute some of the chief obstacles to development today. A humanism which excludes God is an inhuman humanism. Only a humanism open to the Absolute can guide us in the promotion and building of forms of social and civic life -- structures, institutions, culture and ethos -- without exposing us to the risk of becoming ensnared by the fashions of the moment."

• Humankind should ask for God's grace ... "to receive the daily bread that we need, to be understanding and generous towards our debtors, not to be tempted beyond our limits, and to be delivered from evil."

• "Profit is useful if it serves as a means towards an end that provides a sense both of how to produce it and how to make good use of it. Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty."

By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY

Pope Benedict XVI today called for reforming the United Nations and establishing a "true world political authority" with "real teeth" to manage the global economy with God-centered ethics.

In his third encyclical, a major teaching, released as the G-8 summit begins in Italy, the pope says such an authority is urgently needed to end the current worldwide financial crisis. It should "revive" damaged economies, reach toward "disarmament, food security and peace," protect the environment and "regulate migration."

Benedict writes, "The market is not, and must not become, the place where the strong subdue the weak."

The encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth) is a theologically dense explication of Catholic social teaching that draws heavily from earlier popes, particularly PaulVI's critique of capitalism 42 years ago. And echoing his predecessor John Paul II, Benedict says, "every economic decision has a moral consequence."

This is a really great article about the Pope's latest encyclical. It is well worth the read...Jesusonian ideals!!! Please click on "external source" for the entire piece.

Labels: Cathy Lynn Grossman, Charity in Truth, ethics, God, Pope Benedict XVI, United Nations

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Michael Jackson recognized the spiritual force and oneness in his work (video)

July 7, 2009

Michael Jackson recognized Oneness.

Michael Jackson was, like all of us, a spiritual being having a physical experience, and he spoke of that spiritual nature in a question about his work. The following is excerpted from that interview:

Question: "Do you feel a special spiritual energy when you're performing? Do you feel you are connected to a higher force because this is what you make many feel when they see you live?"

Say what you will about Michael Jackson, there is no doubt after hearing this interview that he had quite a spiritual bent. Alas, he was not "unbreakable" after all. He is a modern tragic kind of figure, possible only in the strange times in which we live. But, perhaps his words will inspire the young to find spirituality in their own lives.

For the answer to the question above, and an interesting interview. please click on "external source" at the bottom of this excerpt.

Labels: inspiration, interview, Michael Jackson, music, spirituality

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Appalachian Trail becomes spiritual journey

Jul 6, 2009 | by Adam Miller

DAMASCUS, Va. (BP)--In about three months, several hundred hikers will summit a northern Maine mountain called Katahdin, a 5,000-foot-high peak just south of the border with Canada. Many of them will have completed an arduous 2,175-mile journey and fulfilled a dream.

Those who complete the millions of footsteps from Springer Mountain, Ga., to Mount Katahdin are forever changed with stories to tell well into retirement: encounters with bears, demanding 30-mile days, odd new acquaintances, lifelong friends.

And some might tell the story of First Baptist Church in Damascus, Va., where Southern Baptists washed their feet and provided hot showers, medical care, Internet access and a good conversation about God.

"It started as a hotdog cookout," says pastor Wayne Guynn, who credits Linda and Jeff Austin with taking over the ministry and ramping it up.

Now, Guynn says, they partner with churches in Alabama and Georgia and with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia to simply make life more pleasant for hikers who come to the annual event known as Trail Days, which ran May 15-17 this year. In the process, they get to love hikers and tell them about Christ.

Nice kind of outreach - wonder if there are any Urantians in those churches? To read all about it, please click on "external source" for the whole article. Good reading, and a sweet idea.

Labels: Adam Miller, Appalacian Trail, God, hiking, Jesus, service, Trail Days

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Choosing good green living a spiritual journey

By SHARON THOMPSON
McClatchy Newspapers

WILMORE, Ky. -- Nancy Sleeth doesn't use her oven very often. At least not her conventional oven. Instead, she turns to her more energy-efficient toaster oven, microwave and convection oven. When Sleeth bakes bread, she uses a bread machine.

She also uses fresh ingredients and avoids processed foods. Her pantry is filled with grains, fruits and vegetables. The family eats very little meat; when they do, it's locally raised.

Their next-door neighbor grinds wheat for them, and Sleeth and her husband, Matthew, share a garden with their neighbors. "We share our talent and gifts and resources," Nancy Sleeth said.

The Sleeths' food choices and cooking habits are just part of their bigger effort to help the environment. Eight years ago, they decided to face the issue head-on.

They were "living out the American dream. My husband was an emergency-room physician, and we were living in a big house in New England," Sleeth said.

One evening while the family was on vacation, she asked her husband two questions that would change their lives: "What do you think is the biggest problem facing the world today?"

"The world is dying," he replied.

Her next question was: "If the planet is dying, what are we going to do about it?"

A couple of months later, Matthew answered her. "I'll quit my job and put all my energy toward saving the planet."

The story of how the Sleeths and their children, Clark and Emma, downsized their lives, gave away half their possessions and moved to a house the size of their old garage is documented in Nancy Sleeth's new book, "Go Green, Save Green" (Tyndale, $14.99).

As the Sleeths embarked on their environmental journey, they also began a faith journey. When Matthew Sleeth picked up a Gideon Bible in the hospital waiting room on a slow night, "a light came on. Here were the answers we had been seeking," Nancy Sleeth said.

"We took Jesus' advice and began cleaning up our own act before worrying about cleaning up the rest of the world," she said. During the next couple of years, the family began to change its lifestyle.

This is a small part of a two-page article. A good read, and things to think about...please click on "external source" at the bottom of this section to see the whole article.

Labels: environmentalism, Jesus, lifestyle, Nancy Sleeth, Sharon Thompsom

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Music designed to boost physical, spiritual health

July 07, 2009
By Abbie Stancato

Research has shown that music has a profound effect on your body and psyche. In fact, there’s a growing field of health care known as music therapy, which uses music to heal. Music therapy can help with pain management, ward off depression, promote movement, calm patients and ease muscle tension.

Music is thought to link all of the emotional, spiritual, and physical elements of the universe. Music can be used to change a person’s mood, and has been found to cause like physical responses in many people simultaneously.

In the 1973 classic, The Secret Life of Plants, Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird devote a whole chapter on how music affects plants, called “The Harmonic Life of Plants.“

However, do different styles of music have negative effects on the mind, body and soul?

To find out the answer, please click on "external source," at the bottom of this entry.

Labels: Abbie Stancato, emotion, health, music, music therapy, pain management

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Remembering My Battle Against Fundamentalists

Jim Luce
Jim Luce writes and speaks on Thought Leaders and Global Citizens.
Posted: July 6, 2009

I left Wall Street unexpectedly following an appearance on the Phil Donahue Show in 1985. There, on the Oprah Winfrey Show of its day, Richard Yao and I discussed "religious addiction" - the first time that phrase had ever been mentioned on national television.

I explained to Phil the need for an "anonymous" organization to help those recovering from religious addiction, including followers of powerful TV evangelists such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Jimmy Swaggart - then riding high, broadcasting seven days a week, and raking in millions.

The response was so overwhelming -- with 17,000 people asking for help -- that I had to choose between responding to those I had said, "If you're hurting, call us!" and my Japanese banking career.

One woman who soon called us told us an unbelievable story, which turned out to be typical. She was financially unable to give, but was led to believe it was "God's Will" that she keep giving to a TV evangelist. Other stories - thousands of them -- were of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse.

These personal stories were so strong they were written-up, in article after article, by the Associated Press], Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today, Washington Post - even the London Observer and Toronto Star.

Never a Fundamentalist myself, I co-founded Fundamentalists Anonymous and -- with the help of Hank Luce and the Henry Luce Foundation -- raised $1.2 million from 1985 to 1989 to build support groups across the U.S. for recovering fundamentalists. Hank was Presbyterian and I, Episcopalian.

Recovering Fundamentalists, like members of my own family, are those who believed themselves to have been so damaged by their all-or-nothing lifestyle most could not even walk into a Mainline church without feeling nauseas.

This is a lengthy, and interesting article which can be accessed in its entirety by clicking on "external source," below

Labels: evangelism, fundamentalism, Fundamentalists Anonymous, Jim Luce, religious addiction

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Does Religion Ever Retard Moral Growth?

by Paul Sunstone
Sunday, July 05, 2009

Lately, I’ve been wondering whether some religions — some forms of Christianity in particular — retard people’s moral growth.

Of course, it would be ironic if it turned out Christianity retarded people’s moral growth since many Christians seem to believe they have a monopoly on morals. But nonsense like that one aside, I’ve been wondering if some religions don’t for the most part do exactly the opposite of what they boast of doing. That is, instead of promoting our moral growth, they actually discourage it.

I have a little story that might illustrate the point. Some long time ago when I was attending university, I had a three or four male friends from the Middle East. Nothing in their own countries had prepared them for the sight of “half-naked” American women. My friends would ask me how I and other American males managed to contain ourselves with so many of our American women walking around “half-naked”.

I was sympathetic to their problem. It seemed to me the ordeal they were describing was something I myself had gone through. But not, like them, at 19 and 20. Instead, I had gone through much the same thing at puberty — that time in the life of males when everything female turns electric.

Yet, there was a difference between myself and my friends. I had gone through puberty in a culture that told me girls have a right to go around “half-naked”, and that, if there was a problem with it, it was my problem. My culture forced me to psychologically adapt to the sight of female thighs and cleavage. And, before I was 19, I was reasonably well adapted.

This is an opinion piece with some thoughtful ideas. Please click on "external source" for the complete article.

Labels: culture, men, morality, Paul Sunstone, religion

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Churches Face the Boomer Challenge

MIKE HARTON TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
Published: July 5, 2009

Two recent conversations haunt me. An old college friend, a leading-edge baby boomer (age 63) whom I knew to be a person of faith in college, told me he and his wife "had given up on the institutional church." The other con versation was with an educated professional friend, also a baby boomer, who describes herself as spiritual but not religious.

These friends' attitudes are consistent with American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS, 2008) findings that more and more of us are claiming no religious affiliation. A similar study by The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 16 percent of the population has no religious identity.

Why did my college friends give up on church? Why is my spiritual friend not religious? In light of what we know about both boomers and many churches, it is not hard to speculate.

Baby boomers are as diverse a cohort as we have known. Their religious experiences run the gamut from no affiliation or faith identity to former "Jesus freaks" (from the 1960s) to very involved, regular church attenders. Some who formerly never darkened the doors of a house of worship are now actively engaged. Others who grew up in church have dropped out, many with no intention of returning.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article.

Labels: ARIS, Baby Boomers, church, faith, Mike Harton, religion, spirituality

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Monday, July 06, 2009

Are we really a Christian nation? Readers chime in

By TRACIE SIMER
July 4, 2009

Today is the day the United States celebrates its independence. This country's forefathers are considered by most to be patriotic.

There is debate, however, about whether any of those men were Christians or even religious, and if they founded the United States as a Christian nation.

Micah Watson, assistant professor of political science at Union University, said the United States has never had a Christian government.

"The forefathers could've put in explicitly Christian language in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; that would've been quite common for that time, but they did not," Watson said.

According to a 2006 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 81 percent of Americans identified themselves as Christian. Almost 2 percent said they were Jewish, and 0.5 percent said they were Muslim.

Those who identify as "non-affiliated" or "other" were about 15 percent, the survey said.

Watson said there is only one mention of God in the Declaration, with mention of a "Creator." Men such as Thomas Jefferson who authored those documents were most likely theistic, he said.

"We have always been a predominately Christian people," he said. "Even if they weren't devout, they were respectful of Christian ideals and norms."
A Muslim nation?

In June, President Barack Obama talked with a French reporter before his trip to the Middle East, saying that America could be one of the largest Muslim nations in the world.

Watson said Obama's speech about America's religious identity was about him trying to present a new face to the Muslim world. He grew up in the Muslim culture and has credibility others didn't, he said.

"We do have a lot of Muslims, but if you look at the percentages, it doesn't quite work," he said. "Most Muslims hear that and say 'Yeah, right.'"

Lucy Overstreet, who attends Evangelical Community Church in Jackson, disagrees with Obama's views on America's religious culture. She said America is not and never will be a Muslim nation and was founded on Christian principles.

This only the first of a three-page article. Please click on "external source" for the complete article.

Labels: America, Christianity, Declaration of Independence, religion, Tracie Simer

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Women’s Spiritual Voices: Muslim, Jewish, and Christian

July 2nd, 2009

On May 21, 2009 the Moroccan American Cultural Center and the American Jewish Committee sponsored an interfaith panel discussion in New York City on “Women’s Spiritual Voices: Crossing Continents, Finding Common Ground.” Panelists explored the roles of women religious leaders in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and they included three Moroccan women, Fatima Zahra Salhi, Nezha Nassi, and Ilham Chafik, who are “mourchidates” or religious counselors; Mahara’t Sara Hurwitz, a member of the rabbinic staff at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, New York; Rabbi Stephanie Dickstein, spiritual care coordinator at the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services in New York City; the Reverend Elizabeth Garnsey, associate rector at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City; and moderator Sarah Sayeed of the Interfaith Center of New York. In 2006, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI created the mourchidates program for women to serve as religious counselors in community health programs, women’s detention centers, and mosques. Fifty mourchidates are chosen from approximately 1,000 highly qualified applicants, and they receive intensive training in 32 subject areas including law, psychology and theology. They must also have learned at least half of the Qur’an by heart. Watch excerpts from the panel discussion edited by Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly intern Juliana Comer, a senior at James Madison University.

Please click on "external source for access to the complete article, including video.

Labels: Christianity, interfaith, Islam, Judaism, spirituality

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Majority think it is possible to believe in God and Darwin

Most people feel it is possible to believe in God and evolution, according to a survey.

01 Jul 2009

The poll carried out by the British Council found that 54 per cent thought that science and religion are compatible.

Only 19 per cent of those questioned said it is impossible to believe in a God while also holding the view that life on earth evolved as a result of natural selection. This is the theory proposed by Charles Darwin exactly 150 years ago in his groundbreaking book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

The study, which surveyed the opinions of more than 10,000 people across 10 countries worldwide including Great Britain, also uncovered wide regional variations in the acceptance of evolutionary theory.

Please click on "external source" for the complete results from the survey

Labels: Charles Darwin, evolution, God, Great Britain, religion, science

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New poll finds growing ‘religion gap’ between old, young Americans

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON – There is a growing “religion gap” between older Americans and those under 30, according to a new Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends survey.

The study released June 29 found that one-fourth of Americans ages 18-29 said they were atheists, agnostics or had no religion, while only 7 percent of those 65 and over described themselves that way. Eighteen percent of those ages 30-49 and 13 percent of those 50-64 fell into the no religion/atheist/agnostic category.

At 7 percent, the under-30s also were more than twice as likely as those 65 and over (3 percent) to say they belonged to a religion other than Protestant, Catholic or Jewish.

Catholics made up 24 percent of the 65 and over group and the 30-49 group, 23 percent of those aged 50-64 and 20 percent of those between 18 and 29.

The 152-page study, called “Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality,” addressed a variety of issues related to aging. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.6 percentage points for the survey, which involved telephone interviews with 2,969 adult Americans between Feb. 23 and March 23 this year.

Please click on "external source" for the rest of the article.

Labels: aging, Nancy Frazier O’Brien, Pew Research Center survey, religion

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Let doctors pray for patients, BMA to hear

British Medical Association conference to be told praying for patients should not be grounds for NHS disciplinary action

Doctors' attempts to discuss spiritual affairs with patients or to offer prayers for them should not trigger NHS disciplinary action, the British Medical Association will be told this week.

The issue has been raised in a series of critical motions to be debated at the BMA's conference in Liverpool during a session on medical ethics.

Concerns about what is professionally appropriate have been highlighted by the case of a nurse, Caroline Petrie from Weston-super-Mare, who was suspended after a patient complained she had offered to pray for her.

Her primary care trust later agreed she could continue to pray for patients as long as she asked them first if they had any spiritual needs.

Most of the BMA motions effectively support that position but insist spiritual discussions should not be grounds for disciplinary intervention by NHS managers.

The main motion, put forward by the BMA's agenda committee, states that it "is concerned that ... any discussion of spiritual matters with patients or colleagues could lead to disciplinary action".

It adds: "Offering to pray for a patient should not be grounds for suspension." Spiritual matters should be raised, it suggests, "with respect for the views and sensitivities of individuals".

Please click on "external source" for the complete article

Labels: British Medical Association, medicine, prayer

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Generation Gap A Chasm, Study Finds

Nearly 8 In 10 Believe There Is Major Point Of View Difference Between Younger, Older Americans

(AP) American adults from young to old disagree increasingly today on social values ranging from religion to relationships, creating the largest generation gap since divisions 40 years ago over Vietnam, civil rights and women's liberation.

A survey being released Monday by the Pew Research Center highlights a widening age divide after last November's election, when 18- to 29-year-olds voted for Democrat Barack Obama by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Almost eight in 10 people believe there is a major difference in the point of view of younger people and older people today, according to the independent public opinion research group. That is the highest spread since 1969, when about 74 percent reported major differences in an era of generational conflicts over the Vietnam War and civil and women's rights. In contrast, just 60 percent in 1979 saw a generation gap.

Asked to identify where older and younger people differ most, 47 percent said social values and morality. People age 18 to 29 were more likely to report disagreements over lifestyle, views on family, relationships and dating, while older people cited differences in a sense of entitlement. Those in the middle-age groups also often pointed to a difference in manners.

Religion is a far bigger part of the lives of older adults. About two-thirds of people 65 and older said religion is very important to them, compared with just over half of those 30 to 49 and 44 percent of people 18 to 29.

Please click on "external source" for the rest of the article, and highlights of the survey.

Labels: generation gap, morality, religion, social issues, values

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For Bahais, a Crackdown Is Old News

By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN
Published: June 26, 2009

Sometimes during the past two weeks, making her rounds as a hospital resident, Dr. Saughar Samali has caught a glimpse of television news in a patient’s room or heard a bulletin on the radio in the family-practice office. Against her desire, against her better judgment, she has been plunged back into the maelstrom of Iran.

As long as she is on duty, Dr. Samali can suppress what she sees and hears of the marchers, the arrests, the beatings. But when she leaves St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson and returns home to nearby Clifton, the present conjures up a terrible past.

She remembers when her father’s factory in Tehran was set afire, leaving him severely scarred and blind in one eye. She remembers her family’s trying to escape to Pakistan, traveling in a smuggler’s Jeep, headlights out on a midnight desert. She remembers the army bullets that shattered the windshield and pierced the tires, and she remembers the months in prison that followed.

It was 1985, and she was 5 years old. In all the years since, even after a subsequent, successful escape and a new life in the United States, Dr. Samali has not forgotten what it meant to be a Bahai in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article

Labels: Bahá'í, Iran, religious freedom, Samuel G. Freedman, Saughar Samali

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Book Review: Does quantum mechanics show a connection between the human mind and the cosmos?

'Quantum Gods' analyzes purported link between physics and cosmic consciousness

Does quantum mechanics show a connection between the human mind and the cosmos? Are our brains tuned into a "cosmic consciousness" that pervades the universe enabling us to make our own reality? Do quantum mechanics and chaos theory provide a place for God to act in the world without violating natural laws?

Many popular books and films make such claims and argue that key developments in twentieth-century physics, such as the uncertainty principle and the butterfly effect, support the notion that God or a universal mind acts upon material reality. Physicist Victor J. Stenger, author of New York Times bestseller God: The Failed Hypothesis, examines these contentions in QUANTUM GODS: CREATION, CHAOS AND THE SEARCH FOR COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS (Prometheus Books, $26.98), a carefully reasoned and incisive analysis of popular theories that seek to link spirituality to physics.

"The public understanding of modern physics is seriously out of whack, thanks largely to pop junk like The Secret and What the BLEEP Do We Know? [that] promote a bogus version of quantum mechanics—the belief that 'you create your own reality' by controlling the laws of physics with your mind…," said Geoff Gilpin, author of The Maharishi Effect: A Personal Journey Through the Movement That Transformed American Spirituality. "The world has needed a book like this for a long time. If you care about scientific literacy, Quantum Gods is not optional."

Throughout the book Stenger alternates his discussions of popular spirituality with a survey of what the findings of twentieth-century physics actually mean. Thus he offers the reader a useful synopsis of contemporary religious ideas as well as basic but sophisticated physics presented in layperson's terms.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article

Labels: God, quantum physics, spirituality, Victor J. Stenger

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