TruthBook Religious News Blog

December 21, 2009
By Joe Hildebrand

GOD exists. Sort of. In a Galactic exclusive, The Daily Telegraph has obtained an interview with the creator of the universe - or at least the next best thing.

We asked six of Australia and the world's top religious leaders and scientists what God was like and found out that all of them agreed there was something extraordinary moving throughout humanity and the laws of nature.

From archbishops to astronomers, physicists to sheiks, all came back to one theme - a sense of wonder at the world and how we came to be in it.

There were big surprises and an extraordinary convergence between religion and science.

Both the arch-conservative Catholic Cardinal George Pell and the fire-and-brimstone Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen accepted the big bang and evolution.

At the same time Australian scientists leading the world in the search for hard evidence of the origins of the universe said they had a sense of something transcending physical.

Take the words of astronomer Brian Schmidt, the man who is leading the "SkyMapper" project, an unprecedented international survey of the heavens that will allow human beings to gaze upon stars and galaxies never before seen.

"I have faith that there is an absolute truth - a structure to the laws of nature which underlies all things - and if I have a God, this is it," he told The Daily Telegraph.

Indeed, Schmidt - who also led the international team that discovered the universe was expanding more and more rapidly - said that scientists must be open to the possibility of a God.

He describes himself a "militant agnostic".

"I don't know and neither do you," he said.

Please click on "external source" to read the statements of two of these religious leaders.

Labels: Archbishop Peter Jensen, Brian Schmidt, Cardinal George Pell, God, Joe Hildebrand

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The Death of Oral Roberts and the Dimming of American Pentecostalism

12/16/09

Pentecostals have always been the red-headed stepchildren of American Christianity -- holy rollers who were known for speaking in tongues or laughing wildly and even barking like dogs while seized by religious ecstasy, or producing miracle healings on command and handling venomous snakes without fear.

All of that was made possible, of course, by calling on the Holy Spirit -- yet was too embarrassing for sober-sided mainline Protestants and even hellfire Southern Baptists, and incomprehensible to the point of batty for Roman Catholics and other high-church folks.

Or at least it was until Oral Roberts came along.

Roberts, who died Tuesday at 91, was a force in American religious history, a pioneer in mass media evangelism and a mentor -- either directly or by his influence -- to a generation of preachers and politicians who continue to shape American culture and global Christianity. He was second only in popularity and visibility to Billy Graham. But before there was Jerry Falwell, before there was Pat Robertson, and certainly before there were striplings like Rick Warren or Joel Osteen, Oral Roberts was holding forth on television and bringing what had previously been seen as a backwoods religiosity into the homes of America's fast-spreading suburbs.

"Oral Roberts helped bring the movement into the American mainstream," Kim Lawton, managing editor of the PBS show "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly," told me. "He attracted a huge following that included not only evangelicals, but 'spirit-filled' mainline Protestants and Catholics as well." Roberts began broadcasting in 1954, and in the 1970s his program, "Oral Roberts and You," was the most popular religious program in the nation.

"I think he planted the seeds publicly of what became the charismatic renewal after 1960 because the American public first saw Pentecostalism in their living rooms through his televised tent crusades," Vinson Synan, a historian of Pentecostalism at Pat Robertson's Regent University told Charisma magazine. Jack Hayford, former president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, agreed: "If God had not, in His sovereign will, raised up the ministry of Oral Roberts, the entire charismatic movement might not have occurred."

At his death, however, Roberts also left behind significant questions about the future of Pentecostalism and spirit-filled Christianity.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article

Labels: Christianity, Oral Roberts, Pentecostalism

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New book journeys into Peruvian perspective on spiritual healing, life and death

Gift of the Jaguar by John Franklin, with Sharon Franklin, combines the healing traditions of Peru with a spiritual story of self-discovery

LYNCHBURG, Va. (MMD Newswire) December 16, 2009 -- An ethnographical novel set in the Andes of Peru, Gift of the Jaguar by Drs. John and Sharon Franklin weaves the tale of a youth's passage into adulthood-with the help of one scary cat.

On the verge of his 18th birthday and ready to take on his own plot of land and the responsibilities that come along with it, Juan is still plagued by dreams of his older sister Marta, who died when he was a young boy. When a deadly, black jaguar begins to stalk him, Juan discovers a powerful connection to the creature that is both a threat and a symbol of his fear of death. The shaman grandfather of his love interest, Rosa, sends Juan on a journey to a holy peak in the Peruvian Andes to discover the truth about his sister and his destiny.

Kirkus Discoveries testifies, "...the Franklins write with a deliberate precision that recalls the simple rhetorical grace of Peter Matthieson-specifically The Snow Leopard, another story of spiritual growth that focuses on the pursuit of an elusive beast. This is high praise, for Matthieson is a modern master, and the Franklins might be on their way. Truly a gift."

Gift of the Jaguar is based on the Franklins' many trips to Peru, where they have traveled since the early ‘90s from their home near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. "From the Andean Mountains to the Amazon Rainforest, we've taken groups of health care professionals and others to work with native Peruvian healers," says John. "In Gift of the Jaguar, the reader can experience the healing traditions of an ancient culture from a contemporary perspective on mind-body-spiritual wellness."

Dr. Theo Paredes, noted cultural anthropologist and a native of Peru, says "many people have an understanding of the ancient teachings of Peruvian culture, but only a few truly embody their essence in the way that John and Sharon do."

Gift of the Jaguar is available for sale online at Amazon.com, BookSurge.com, and through additional wholesale and retail channels worldwide.

About the Authors
Drs. John and Sharon Franklin, licensed veterinarians, sold their animal hospital in 1999. John has since become a certified practitioner of Zero Balancing and of Feldenkrais and Awareness through Movement. Sharon is a Gold Seal flight instructor and teaches the principles of wellness and financial success through an all-green health and wellness product company. The couple lives in Lynchburg, where they run a home-based business that explores the well-being of the body, mind and spirit.

This is an interesting new book, and by clicking on "external source," you will be able to view a video, and find out much more about this new book

Labels: book review, Gift of the Jaguar, John Franklin, Peru, Sharon Franklin

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Religious Independents: God Without the Religion

DECEMBER 17, 2009
By MARK PENN
With E. Kinney Zalesne

This is the season for traditions: chestnuts roasting on an open fire, carolers on the doorstep, and the endless argument about the secularization of Christmas. This isn't the usual complaining about the toy and greeting card companies commercializing the holidays, but a much broader trend involving the secularization of religion around the country.

We are still a nation whose coins say "In God We Trust," where most witnesses in U.S. courts swear "so help me God," and where our school kids pledge allegiance to "one nation, under God, indivisible."

But God, as we have traditionally known Him, is evolving for more and more worshippers. Belief in the God revered by most mainstream religions -- a highly specific, paternalistic deity with an agreed-upon history and behaviors -- is on the decline.

According to the most recent American Religious Identification Survey, only 76% of Americans identify as Christians, down from 86% in 1990. But interestingly, while non-Christians are not choosing Islam or Judaism, neither are they choosing atheism. A poll done by Gallup in 2008 found that 15% of Americans – up from 8% in 1999– say they don't believe in God, but they do believe in a "Higher Power" or "Universal Spirit." More and more, Americans believe that the world was created by a spiritual being, but they reject the Torah, the Koran and the New Testament as the explanation for it.

These universal-spirit worshippers, or what we call Religious Independents, are defining a secular Third Way in religion. They are like political independents who vote but refuse to affiliate with a party. Consequently, attendance at Christmas mass may be declining, but celebration of Christmas and the holidays remains as high as ever. Paradoxically, overall belief in a God is rising, while participation in organized religion is declining.

Demographically speaking, the Religious Independents, like their political counterparts, are more affluent and well-educated than traditional God-believers. We did our own poll to get at the differences between the traditionalists and the Religious Independents, and the results were striking. Americans with just a high school diploma are Religious Independents at a rate of just 10% – but attend even some college, and it shoots up to 30%. As more and more students attend college here and elsewhere, we can expect this trend to mushroom, since higher education strongly correlates with a rejection of organized religion in favor of a more amorphous notion of a Supreme Being.

The data suggest, though, that modern secularization will not lead us back to Sodom and Gomorrah, where lack of religion caused unrestrained amoral and reckless behavior. Religious Independents have a high belief in values like doing good, giving back to the community, and taking responsibility for our planet. They accept most of the Ten Commandments on moral, if not religious, grounds.

Our poll also revealed that whereas almost 70% of traditionalists say that after death, "there is either heaven or hell," 54% of the Religious Independents say that "there is only what people remember of you." A remarkable 75% of traditionalists say that they believe in angels, compared with only 45% of the Independents. And while 53% of traditionalists say they've had a "spiritual or mystical life experience that defies simple scientific explanation," only 1 in 3 Religious Independents says that--and a majority (53%) reject that statement strongly.

Perhaps most importantly, 83% of Religious Independents say it is more important to be ethical than to be devout, compared to only 64% of traditionalists. Seventy-two percent of Religious Independents say that living a good spiritual life depends on how you act, not what you believe -- compared with only 59% of traditional followers. In other words, Religious Independents have just as strong a desire for repairing the world, even as they reject the habits and practices of religion.

Please see "external source" for the complete article

Labels: ARIS, E. Kinney Zalesne, God, life after death, Mark Penn, Religious Independents, Supreme Being

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Top 10 religion news stories of 2009

Written by Scott Lamb
December 17, 12:44 PM

One hundred religion journalists, members of the Religion Newswriters Association, took a survey and ranked the 2009 religion news stories in order of importance.

Here are the results:

Please click on "external source" for the complete list

Labels: Religion Newswriters Association, Scott Lamb, top ten stories 2009

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Author Debates Beyond Reasonable Doubt: God Exists

Friday, 18 December 2009, 12:05 pm
Press Release: Brendan Roberts

Brendan Roberts, author of >God: Fact or Fiction?: Exploring the Relationship of Science Religion and the Origin of Life" will release the second edition of the controversial book in 2010. Using the spectacular Big Bang Theory, Natural Selection, astronomy, biochemistry, archaeology, Intelligent Design, philosophy, miracles, and theology he weaves compelling evidence for the existence of a Creator.

Even atheistic philosophers are being persuaded by the colossal amount of evidence shown through the Intelligent Design debate which is a hot topic in the US. Brendan illustrates how one such philosopher has converted to a deist position and another holds that Intelligent Design should be taught in schools but impartially.

Brendan quotes the astronomer, Sir Fred Hoyle regarding the possibility of the universe coming to exist by chance, like lining up 1050 blind people, giving them all a scrambled Rubik’s cube and finding they solve it at the same moment.
In fact, few realise that the principles of Natural Selection predate Darwin to ancient Greece. But Brendan does not only explore evolution and thus neo-Darwinism but also the distinctness of human beings from the possible ape ancestors.

Humans are unique, rational creatures, able to create distinct signs pointing out that their atheism is probably defunct. If one claims there is probably no God, the door is left open to claim that there is probably a God. Humans have abstract thought and are self-conscious, can enhance and even transcend our natural environment as we can fly even to other planets. Moreover humans have a love for the truth, first able to recognise it – or else science would be meaningless; and also a self-giving love, able to truly love others, including our enemies, at times without any catches and others with great cost or suffering. We also have a unique wonder of life and creation; we ponder our own existence.

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Labels: Brendan Roberts, God, humanity, intelligent design

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Pew poll reflects the human tendency to believe

12.18.2009 9:58 am
By David Lancaster

22% of Christians surveyed by the Pew poll believe in astrology.

Yesterday’s Colleen Carroll Campbell column shifts the blame for the secularization of Christmas away from atheists and other no-good-niks and puts it squarely on the shoulders of confused Christians, citing a fascinating Pew poll that reveals an un-biblical stew of religious concepts—including reincarnation, astrology and tree spirits—infiltrating the beliefs of American Christians.

"Theological confusion and consumerism among Christians," writes Campbell, "pose far greater threats to the Christian character of Christmas than anything the ACLU or American Humanist Association could cook up."

I agree that Christmas has evolved into the current orgy of consumption almost exclusively at the hands of Christians. I disagree that a belief in astrology has anything to do with it.

The consumerist nature of Christmas has grown alongside (and abetted) the American economy and parents’ increasing ability to get their kids anything they want. The very basic human desire to provide for the health and happiness of one’s child sees its ultimate expression in the whoops of joy on Christmas morning. There is scarcely a parent on earth of any faith who wouldn’t shower his or her offspring with the equivalent of American Christmas if they had the resources to do so. Our genetically programmed parental instincts armed with greater buying power have de-Christianized Christmas, not theological confusion.

But back to the poll. The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life found that "large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions."

How diverse?

Please click on "external source" to find out...

Labels: David Lancaster, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, religious practice

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Spirituality makes a comeback

Spirituality makes a comeback

A recent Pew survey points to a drift away from institutionalized religion and a robust tendency towards spirituality. I'll leave a detailed examination of the numbers to others, but I think Catholic America needs to revisit the spiritual side of religion expressed in the term "spirituality."

In the history of Catholicism, spiritualities arose at moments of crisis to renew the Church. Franciscan spirituality, for instance, emerged at a time of increasing commercial wealth that had created a new class of urban poor. The Franciscan spirituality added a new charism to Catholic virtue. While it was eventually approved by the hierarchy, Franciscanism at its core is spirituality arising from among the faithful.

It may be a good thing to see the rise of spirituality in contemporary Catholic America, even if the hierarchy does not command the movement. It proves the vitality of the faith, although it probably will require a lot of hard work to keep this energy focused on renewing today's institutionalized Church.

Church leaders run the risk of ignoring the current rise of the "NONES." This is a category for religious surveys developed by my colleagues Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar and incorporated in the American Religious Identification Surveys (ARIS) over more than two decades. A NONE says to the survey that he/she has "no particular religion." But the NONES are not the same as atheists. The NONES may deny the importance of institutionalized religion but they do not share the atheist's common belief that the spiritual world does not exist.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article

Labels: atheism, Catholicism, faith, Nones, spirituality

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Majority of Americans Celebrate Christmas as Religious Holiday

Thu, Dec. 17 2009 01:55 PM EDT
By Audrey Barrick|Christian Post Reporter

About two thirds of Americans celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, a new survey reveals.

Meanwhile, 20 percent celebrate the event as a secular holiday, according to Rasmussen Reports.

Among those who celebrate Christmas, 72 percent say Jesus was born to a virgin and 81 percent believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to die for our sins.

Christians believe Christmas is one of the most important days of the year because it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, and those who celebrate Christmas overwhelmingly agree with the central tenets of the Christian faith associated with the holiday, the survey says.

While most Americans seem to affirm Christmas, a number of pastors believe Christians have lost the true meaning of the event.

Pastor Rick McKinley of Portland, Ore., says he's tired of "the monumental moment of Christmas, being ripped by the culture and people being absorbed by spending and chaos and really missing out together as a community on what it means to worship Jesus."

McKinley and two other pastors began a movement called Advent Conspiracy a few years ago to help redeem the Christmas story that they believe has been short sold to them by the culture. This year the movement has gone viral, catching national media attention and drawing the participation of over a thousand churches and more than 45,000 Facebook fans.

"The greatest thing about Christianity to a non-believer like myself is that, even after you strip away the more miraculous elements of the faith, you are left with a central figure in Jesus Christ, who preached love and forgiveness and charity and goodwill to his fellow man," one former Catholic and now professing atheist said in an e-mail to those behind the Advent Conspiracy movement. "At its best, Christianity is a religion about love and peace and I believe that message is all but lost among far too many of today’s Christians,"

Please see "external source" for the rest of the article

Labels: Advent Conspiracy, Americans, Audrey Barrick, Christian, Christmas

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Obama speech voted top religion story of 2009

Posted By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

U. S. President Barack Obama's address to the Muslim world last June was chosen as the top religion story of 2009 in a survey of journalists who cover the beat.

Obama extended a hand to the Islamic world in a speech in Cairo while quoting from the Qur'an, the Gospel of Matthew and the Talmud, the collection of Jewish law.

"So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity," Obama said in the speech. "And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end."

The survey of more than 100 journalists was conducted by the Religion Newswriters Association. The No. 2 religion story was the government health-care overhaul and the role the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other faith groups played in the debate.

Please click on "external source" for more of the list

Labels: Muslim world, President Obama, Religion Newswriters Association

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Seeing the might of the box office, Hollywood is finally getting religion

Originally published December 18, 2009
By Robert W. Butler

McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

Call it religion. Or if that makes you uncomfortable, go with the more general "spirituality."

Whatever you call it, it's everywhere at the multiplex these days.

In movies as varied as the dead serious "The Road," the uplifting family picture "The Blind Side," the biting comedy "The Invention of Lying" and even James Cameron's sci-fi opus "Avatar," issues of faith and morality and mankind's place in the universe are all the rage .

Not all of these movies embrace religion. Some question human gullibility. Some ask for evidence of a higher purpose in what often seems a random universe. But whether they encourage prayer or doubt, they're all part of the zeitgeist.

But why now?

"There are two schools of thought about that," said Greg Wright, an editor at www.HollywoodJesus.com, a Web site that examines popular culture from a religious perspective.

"The more paranoid elements of our culture tend to think Hollywood has a proactive agenda, that producers have a grand scheme to use movies to shape the thinking of audiences. I don't subscribe to that school.

"I believe that Hollywood gives audiences what audiences want to see. If people don't want to see movies with certain messages, they won't buy tickets.

"So if there's a trend out there, it's one reflecting what people are already thinking and feeling."

And what are we thinking?

Sister Rose Pacatte, who reviews movies for the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles, says it isn't mere coincidence that a new animated version of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" came along in 2009. She notes that the film was released in the wake of an economic crisis fueled by greedy self-interest on an unprecedented scale.

"Being a good man of business will not save your soul. That's an essential message of 'A Christmas Carol' and one emphasized by this version," she said.

Dickens' tale may have little to say about God and Jesus, but it stresses charity and the dangers of poverty and ignorance, she noted.

Please click on "external source" to find out more about spiritually-themed movies.

Labels: Hollywood, movies, Robert W. Butler, spirituality

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More people seek out mix of religions

By Kelly Jasper| Staff Writer
Saturday, December 19, 2009

Claude Tate grew up Baptist. A move to Atlanta changed his mind.
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"I started questioning the things I believed," Mr. Tate said. He had already tried Methodist churches and Apostolic churches and had gone back to Baptist churches before deciding none was for him.

His spirituality now includes meditation, music and a Zen rock garden. The Augusta native attends Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta, where he is studying pan-indigenous religions.

Americans are mixing Eastern practices, among other things, into their religion, according to a recent poll from the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The survey found that the religious beliefs and practices of Americans no longer fit into conventional categories.

Though Americans overwhelmingly identify themselves as Christian, the poll says, they are customizing their beliefs by combining the traditions of various faiths and spiritual paths. A "sizeable minority" blends Eastern beliefs such as reincarnation or New Age ideas such as astrology in with traditional Christianity.

Sixty percent of adults say they have experienced supernatural phenomena such as communicating with the dead. With the exception of white evangelicals, supernatural beliefs are consistent across all religious groups in the United States, although older people expressed less acceptance of these beliefs than younger people.

Not just beliefs are shifting. Worship habits are, too, according to the Pew study, which found that nearly a quarter of Americans participate in services outside their faith.

In all, more Americans say they have had religious or mystical experiences.

A 1962 Gallup poll found that 22 percent of Americans had such an experience. Now, nearly half -- 49 percent -- say they've had a "moment of sudden religious insight or awakening."

Please click on "external source" to see the complete article, including a chart of survey highlights

Labels: Americans, Kelly Jasper, New Age, religion, religious belief, worship

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Research points to sharp decline in faith in Britain

By: Jenna Lyle
Saturday, 19 December 2009

According to the National Centre for Social Research, the number of people in Britain describing themselves as Christian has fallen by 16 per cent in the last 25 years.
((PA))
New research from the National Centre for Social Research paints a bleak picture of declining faith in Britain.

The survey of more than 4,000 people across Britain found that the number of people describing themselves as Christian has dropped in the last 25 years from 66 per cent to 50 per cent.

NatCen said the drop was due largely to the steady decline in numbers belonging to the Church of England, with only 23 per cent of those surveyed describing themselves as Anglican today in comparison to 40 per cent of the population in 1983.

The survey found that even among those describing themselves as Anglican, half said they never attended church at all and less than one fifth said they attended church once a month.

While the Church of England has experienced a sizeable drop in attendance, non-Christian faiths have seen a small increase in affiliation, from two per cent to seven per cent. NatCen said immigration and population growth amongst ethnic minorities had contributed to the growth.

The number of Britons saying that they do not belong to any particular faith rose from 31 per cent in 1983 to 43 per cent today.

NatCen also conducted the survey in the US, where it found ties to religious faith to be far stronger than in Britain.

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

Labels: Christianity, Church of England, faith, Great Britain, Jenna Lyle

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Religious freedom not the rule for majority of world: Pew report

The majority of the world – seven in 10 – lives in countries with high restrictions on religious freedom, according to a newly released Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life report.

By Taylor Barnes Correspondent / December 18, 2009

The majority of countries and territories across the world have laws or constitutions calling for freedom of religion. But religious freedom is not the reality for the majority of the globe’s people.

Nearly 70 percent of the world’s population lives in countries with "high" or "very high" religious restriction – that's the finding of a first-of-its-kind Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey. It notes that some of the strictest countries in the world are also the most populous. But no nation is fully free of religious restriction, it adds.

"We found that there’s sort of no discrimination in terms of who gets abused or discriminated against. Every religious group experiences discrimination of one sort or another," says Pew Senior Researcher Brian Grim. For example, he says, even members of a nation’s majority faith often come under restrictions. Largely Christian or Muslim countries, for example, still may discriminate against particular Christian or Muslim sects. "It is an unfortunately shared experience."

The study is unique because it quantifies the levels of social hostilities and government actions that restrict practice of religions in 198 countries and self-governing territories. These include crimes motivated by religious bias and religion-related terrorism, as well as restrictive laws or state favoritism. Countries such as China and Vietnam, Dr. Grim notes, have high levels of government control but relatively low social hostilities among religious groups. (See chart.)

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Labels: government, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, religious freedom, Taylor Barnes

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Majority of Australians believe in God, miracles

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Sydney: A new poll conducted has found that a majority of Australians believe in God or a similar universal spirit, miracles, heaven, life after death and angels.

The findings by a Nielsen poll showed that Aussies are willing to mix and match religious faith with belief in other phenomena.

The research showed that Australians are more religious, with 68% believing in God or a universal spirit, and 50% saying religion is important or very important in their lives.

But atheists and agnostics also had a strong showing in the national survey of 1000 respondents, taken early this week.

Almost one in four Australians (24%) do not believe in either God or a universal spirit, and 7% are not sure or say they "don't know'".

Women have more faith than men, with 56% saying they believe in God and 13% saying they believe in a universal spirit, compared with 43% and 11% of men, respectively.

Most people with faith hold it strongly, with 88% saying they were either absolutely or fairly certain in their belief.

Christianity, generally considered to be on the decline, was still the largest faith, with 64 % of believers nominating it as the religion they most identified with.

The next biggest was Buddhism, at 2%, followed by Hinduism and Islam, which each had 1% of believers.

Judaism accounted for less than half of 1% of believers.

But God is not the only thing Australians believe in. They place their faith in a range of other phenomena. For example, 63% believe in miracles, and 53% believe in life after death.

Angels are also popular, with 51% of respondents saying they believe in them, slightly more than the 49% who hold faith in psychic powers such as ESP.

While 56% of people believe in heaven, only 38% believe in hell, and belief in God is much more popular than faith in the devil, with only 37% of respondents believing in Satan.

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Labels: angels, Australia, God, heaven, life after death, Nielsen poll

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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Obama administration has religion on its side

The current White House is viewed as more friendly toward religion than the overall Democratic Party, a Pew poll finds.

By Andrew Malcolm and Kate Linthicum

December 6, 2009

President Obama's administration is seen as more friendly toward religion than the Democratic Party as a whole, a new Pew poll has found.

Thirty-seven percent of Americans polled said they view Obama as religion-friendly, and only 29% said they see the Democratic Party that way, according to the poll.

The findings aren't surprising. During his campaign for the presidency, Obama courted religious voters more aggressively than most recent Democratic presidential candidates by putting faith front and center.

In July 2008, during the height of the presidential race, then-Sen. Obama pledged to expand a controversial White House program that gives federal grants to churches and small community groups.

Later that summer, during a forum at evangelical Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Orange County, Obama, a Christian, spoke of "walking humbly with our God" and quoted from the Gospel of Matthew.

It paid off.

Forty-three percent of voters who said they attend church weekly chose Obama over Republican John McCain, according to the National Election Pool exit survey, a change from recent election trends, in which religious voters overwhelmingly chose Republican candidates. Among occasional worshipers, Obama won 57% of the vote.

The Pew poll found that the Republican Party is still seen as friendlier toward religion than either Obama or Democrats. Forty-eight percent of those polled viewed the GOP as friendly toward religion.

The poll, which was conducted in August by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, also asked people about their views of the news media, scientists and Hollywood related to religion.

Fourteen percent of voters said they view the news media as friendly toward religion, and 12% said they view scientists that way. Only 11% said they see Hollywood as friendly toward religion.

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Labels: Democratic Party, President Obama, religion, White House

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Darwin hasn't destroyed faith of scientists

Posted on Sat, Dec. 05, 2009
By David Masci
Los Angeles Times

A century and a half after Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection," the overwhelming majority of scientists in the United States accept Darwinian evolution as the basis for understanding how life on Earth developed. But although evolutionary theory is often portrayed as antithetical to religion, it has not destroyed the religious faith of the scientific community.

According to a survey of members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, conducted by the Pew Research Center in May and June this year, a majority of scientists (51 percent) say they believe in God or a higher power, while 41 percent say they do not.

Furthermore, scientists today are no less likely to believe in God than they were almost 100 years ago, when the scientific community was first polled on this issue. In 1914, 11 years before the Scopes "monkey" trial and four decades before the discovery of the structure of DNA, psychologist James Leuba asked 1,000 U.S. scientists about their views on God. He found the scientific community evenly divided, with 42 percent saying that they believed in a personal God and the same number saying they did not. Scientists have unearthed many important fossils since then, but they are, if anything, more likely to believe in God today.

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Labels: Charles Darwin, David Masci, evolution, faith, science, scientists

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Odyssey to Deliver Exclusive Videos of 'Faith at the Summit' from Copenhagen

NEW YORK, Dec. 3 /Christian Newswire/ --

Odyssey Networks, the nation's largest coalition of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith groups promoting the causes of tolerance, peace, and social justice through media production, is providing video coverage of the world's interfaith community in action at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP-15). Odyssey's "Faith at the Summit" is believed to be the only video news coverage focusing solely on the activities of religious leaders and organizations at the crucial climate conference.

From December 8 through December 15, Odyssey will deliver daily video reports from Copenhagen, with a special wrap-up report on December 19 from London. The videos will be available for viewing at www.odysseynetworks.org. Odyssey is sharing highlights of the daily video reports with over 100 major climate change organizations and religious institutions. Lead producer/presenter of "Faith at the Summit" is the award-winning documentarian Mark Dowd, formerly of the BBC and Channel 4 and the UK's "Religious Broadcaster of the Year" (2006). He is currently campaign strategist for Operation Noah.

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Labels: interfaith, Odyssey Networks, United Nations Climate Change Conference

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The Pope's Message for the World Day Of The Sick 2010

December 3,2009
by Joseph Speranzella SFO

VATICAN CITY, 3 DEC 2009 (VIS) - Made public today was the Pope's Message for the eighteenth World Day of the Sick, which is due to be celebrated in the Vatican Basilica on 11 February 2010, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Noting how the forthcoming Day coincides with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the foundation of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, the Holy Father expresses the hope that this fact "will be the occasion for a more generous apostolic commitment at the service of the sick and of their carers".

"In the mystery of Christ's passion, death and resurrection", writes the Pope, "human suffering finds meaning and fullness of light. ... At the Last Supper the Lord Jesus, before returning to the Father, bent to wash the Apostles' feet in a foretaste of His supreme act of love upon the Cross. With this gesture He invited His disciples to follow His own logic of a love that especially gives itself to the weakest and to those most in need. Following His example all Christians are called to relive, in different contexts, the parable of the Good Samaritan".

Please click on "external source" to access the rest of the article.

Labels: Jesus, Joseph Speranzella, Pope Benedict, prayer, sickness

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Thursday, December 03, 2009

How Best To Teach Children About Religion?

Nov 2, 2009
By Amelia Santaniello and Frank Vascellaro
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (WCCO) ?

According to a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 92 percent of Americans believe in God. It's a smaller number -- 54 percent -- who attend services regularly.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise when WCCO-TV asked first-graders at the International School of Minnesota if they regularly attend religious services, about half the children raised their hands. Then we asked them if they believe in God. The answer: a loud and collective, "Yes." The children don't just believe. They like God.

Six-year-old Evan said, "God is kind and nice because he brings people happiness." Seven-year-old Jerod said, "I really like God 'cause he made our whole world." Their classmate Anna said simply, "I love God."

If they could ask God anything, what would it be?

Trudie, the class clown, wants to ask God "to give me $1,000." More seriously, Apurva would ask God to "help other people who don't have money, give them more money."

Then there are the big questions.

From Will, "How did you create people?" Victor one-upped that one with, "How did you create everything in the whole entire universe?"

"Some of those are the earliest questions, why and where and how," said Carol Dittberner. "And of course the big question, 'Who made God?'"

Dittberner is the director of religious education at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in Minneapolis. For 27 years, she's been teaching children about Catholicism using Maria Montessori's hands-on approach.

What does she think is the best way to teach children about God and religion?

"By example," answered Dittberner. "The best thing is to always include your children when you go to worship, when you go to church, when you say your prayers."

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Labels: Amelia Santaniello, children, Frank Vascellaro, God, religion

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TEXAS FAITH: How can we have a real interfaith dialogue?

Tue, Nov 03, 2009
William McKenzie/Editorial Columnist

We had a meeting of Texas Faith panelists last week, and the discussion was so good that some of us stayed around for an extra hour. The after-conversation that Joe Clifford, Lillian Pinkus, Amy Martin, Ric Dexter and I had led to this topic for the week:

In a world filled with too much religious tension, we often hear calls for more interfaith dialogue. Unfortunately, such discussions can lead to people suggesting that all religions are the same, which they are not. Or they can lead to one group shouting down the other. Neither is satisfactory nor gets us very far.

So, here's the question for this week:
How can we have an interfaith dialogue without it diluting the essentials of each faith and without it ending up in a Dallas Cowboys/Washington Redskins-type standoff?

Please click on "external source" to access this interesting compilation of views on interfaith dialogue.

Labels: interfaith, religion, Texas Faith, William McKenzie

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150 years later, 'Origin' is both a pillar of science and a still-volatile subject 150 years later, 'Origin' is both a pillar of science and a still-v

By Sharon Schmickle | Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009

Here's professor Sehoya Cotner's "Five Cent Tour of Human Evolution" in summary: Fossils, DNA and other evidence add up to the unassailable conclusion that humans gradually emerged more than 100,000 years ago as part of the great ape family.

For many of the 200 students in Cotner's University of Minnesota biology class her "tour" was the first serious exposure to the subject, even though evolutionary theory is a foundation for biology and many other courses they should have prepared to study in college.

"They didn't allow evolution to be taught in my high school because of the controversial issues," student Brandi Ziegler said after the class.

It is 150 years ago today since Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of the Species," laying down a theory for understanding the intricacies of life on the planet. If Darwin could come back today and walk through laboratories and libraries in Minnesota alone, he surely would be amazed see the vast body of knowledge built upon that theory.

Still, evolution remains so culturally volatile that many high-school teachers shy away from it, leaving students with major gaps in their understanding of basic science, according to research by Cotner and professor Randy Moore, another U of M biologist who has written books about evolution.

Here are highlights from survey findings they reported in BioScience, a journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences:

• Minnesota law requires that academic standards — including the theory of evolution — be taught in the state's public schools. Yet, most students entering college failed a test on the basic principles of evolutionary theory.

• Courts have held the teaching of creationism to be a violation of the Constitution's prohibition on establishment of religion. Yet, roughly one in four students entering U of M biology classes said they had been taught creationism along with evolution in high school.

• Despite state law, many high-school teachers apparently avoided the controversial subject altogether. Nearly 10 percent of the students said they had been taught nothing about evolution or creationism.

• Even many students who had been introduced to evolution in high school said they had seen only a timid brush with the landmark theory. "We merely touched on it," one student commented.

"We have done many surveys on this subject and the results are stunningly consistent," Moore said.

Please click on "external source" for the complete article, as well as the survey results.

Labels: Charles Darwin, evolution, Sharon Schmickle

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American Bible Society CEO discusses ministry, poverty-themed Bible

November 25, 2009
By Peter Elliott
Contributing Editor

As CEO of the American Bible Society, Lamar Vest is continuing a career anchored in ministry.

He is a former chairman of National Association of Evangelicals, executive leader of the Church of God and president of Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn. The 193-year-old organization is focusing efforts on illuminating the Bible’s numerous instructions regarding serving the poor and helping them find justice in an unjust world.

"The Poverty and Justice Bible" has been printed in conjunction with humanitarian organization World Vision. Its most striking feature is the nearly 2,900 verses highlighted in orange with the graphic appearance of having been done by hand. The intentionality of seeking out biblical teachings is further emphasized by a breakout section called “The Core” located in the middle of Proverbs. It invites deeper study and contemplation of poverty-related topics such as bribery, persecution and addiction.

In an interview with Everyday Christian, Vest reflected on how his life in ministry has underscored the need to serve people on society’s lowest rungs.

"I’ve had the privilege of serving in national church and Bible ministry leadership for the better part of the last three decades," Vest said. "This has been a great blessing, but it’s also given me a pretty broad view of painful and critical challenges we cannot ignore. From homeless veterans within every city in this country, whole communities in rural America whose economic futures are unclear, to kids falling way behind in basic education and ratcheting up their risk for dangerous life choices — I can’t ignore the faces of people I’ve come to know, people God so clearly loves.

"From early in my ministry, I was touched quite deeply by a trip I made to South America, visiting ministries reaching out to people struggling hard, below the poverty line. I’ll never forget the counsel that was given to me while there: 'If you’re going to bring God’s Word in one hand, you better have a potato in the other.'"

"The Poverty and Justice Bible" is one of the latest in a string of thematic Bibles to hit store shelves running the gamut from the environment to teen spirituality. Vest sees the growth of this marketing strategy as a contemporary adaptation of the Bible’s traditional messages.

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

Labels: American Bible Society, Lamar Vest, Peter Elliott, Poverty and Justice Bible

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