How Religious Is Your State?

"Which of the 50 states has the most religious population? Since there are many ways to define 'religious,' there is no single answer to this question. But to give a sense of how the states stack up, the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life
used polling data to rank them on four measures: the importance of religion in people's lives, frequency of attendance at worship services, frequency of prayer and absolute certainty of belief in God. Mississippi stands out on all four, and several other Southern states also rank very high on the measures."

Decade in Review: New Leaders, Scandal, Conflict in Religion

"The decade's religious news featured scandal, conflict, new leaders and a new statistical portrait of American religiosity. . ."

Year in Review: God, Politics, Pop Culture Intertwined in '09

A retrospective on subjects related to religion/politics/popular culture that appeared in 2009.

Interview With Author - Book on Religious Colleges in 21st Century

"In his new book, Seeing the Light: Religious Colleges in 21st Century America (Johns Hopkins University Press), Schuman makes use of his administrative experience, but at institutions different from those he led. He focuses on 3 Roman Catholic colleges and 10 Christian colleges. Generally, the book finds much to praise at religious colleges, but Schuman also notes biases against them and widespread ignorance about them. In an e-mail interview, he discussed the themes of the book."

Spiritual Needs Rank High as Death From Cancer Nears

"Addressing the spiritual needs of someone with advanced cancer could be just as important as taking care of their medical needs, a new study suggests."

Oral Roberts Remembered as Charismatic Leader

"For decades, Oral Roberts deftly used television to become one of the nation's most recognized and influential preachers. On Monday, that same medium was used to broadcast the memorial service for the godfather of TV evangelism to tens of millions of homes across the world."

Survey: Southerners Lead U.S. in Religious Devotion

"There's a reason the South is known as the Bible belt: A survey shows that Southerners— and Mississippians in particular — are most active in their religious practices and beliefs."

Barna Studies the Research, Offers a Year-in-Review Perspective

"Based on his company’s interviews with thousands of people during the year, researcher George Barna synthesized the findings across numerous studies and summarized four themes that emerged from his research regarding religion in 2009."

First Jesus-Era House Found in Nazareth, Israel

"Days before Christmas, archeologists on Monday unveiled what they said were the remains of the first dwelling in Nazareth that can be dated back to the time of Jesus — a find that could shed new light on what the hamlet was like during the period the New Testament says Jesus lived there as a boy."

Religious Interest Among Historians

"Religion is the most popular theme studied by historians, according to a new survey of members of the American Historical Association."

Evangelicals at a Crossroad: A Dialogue

"Three Bethel University professors discuss the historic significance and present health of evangelicalism."

Irish Bishop Resigns Over Sex-Abuse Scandal

"A Roman Catholic bishop in Ireland has resigned after an investigation into child sex abuse by clergymen accused him of ignoring reports of crimes by priests in his diocese, the Vatican said Thursday."

Multi-Site Churches Mean Pastors Reach Thousands

"Megachurches with two or more locations under the same leadership made up 37% of U.S. Protestant churches in 2008, up from 22% in 2000, according to a study by the Leadership Network and Hartford Institute for Religion Research in Hartford, Conn."

Study: Muslims Feel They're Being Shut Out of European Society

"The report, published on Dec. 15, surveyed Muslims in 11 cities across the E.U., and found that 55% of respondents believed religious discrimination had risen in the past five years. And while many Muslims are a long-standing and integral part of the fabric of their cities, the report says they are still almost three times more likely to be unemployed than non-Muslims."

Study: Religion Repressed in Third of All Nations

"A new report has found that nearly a third of countries have stiff restrictions on religious practice, either because of government policies and laws or hostile acts by individuals or groups. The study by the Pew Research Center, "Global Restrictions on Religion," also found that of the world's 25 most populous countries, citizens in Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and India live with the most restrictions when both measures are taken into account."

Here is the actual Pew Study.

Shroud From Jesus' Era Found, Researchers Say

"Researchers said Wednesday for the first time they have found what they believe to be pieces of a burial shroud from the time of Jesus."

Fast-Growing Christian Churches Crushed in China

"While the Chinese constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Christians are required to worship in churches run by state-controlled organizations: The Three-Self Patriotic Movement for Protestants and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association for Roman Catholics. But more and more Chinese are opting to choose their own churches, despite them being technically illegal and subject to police harassment. Christians worshipping in China's independent churches are believed to number upwards of 60 million, compared to about 20 million who worship in the state church, according to numbers provided by scholars and church activists."

Americans' View of Clergy's Ethics Hit 3-Decade Low

"Americans' views of the 'honesty and ethics' of clergy have hit a 32-year low, with just half rating their moral caliber as high or very high, according to Gallup's annual Honesty and Ethics Ratings of Professions survey."

Pew Forum: Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths

"The religious beliefs and practices of Americans do not fit neatly into conventional categories. A new poll by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions."

A New Online Project Seeks to Purge Liberal Views from the Scriptures

"The conservative online encyclopedia is hosting a project of amateur conservative readers that are putting together their own interpretation of the Bible, to counter what they say is liberal bias by scholars."

Religious Groups Active in Climate Debate

"In all, as many as 100 religiously affiliated representatives from the USA plan to attend the summit, estimates Tyler Edgar, assistant director for the environmental arm of the NCC. Worldwide, she says that number will likely run 'in the hundreds.'"

Business as Mission

"The Business as Mission movement began in the 1990s, when globalization allowed Christian business people to build companies overseas. Often they did so without the help of churches. This missions model required some initial capital but no long-term subsidies. Business missionaries could become integral parts of a community, build trust with locals through business relationships, and minister every day of the week—not just Sunday—to employees, vendors, suppliers and customers."

Nuns Offer $193 Million for Child Abuse Cases

"A major Irish order of Roman Catholic nuns, the Sisters of Mercy, offered Thursday to pay child abuse victims, the government and charities a further $193.5 million to compensate for decades of abuse in its schools and orphanages."

N.Y. Protestant Churches Apologize to Native Americans

"Four hundred years after their spiritual ancestors took part in the decimation and dislocation of Native Americans in New York, one of the nation's first Protestant churches held a 'healing ceremony' to apologize."

Resources on Worship in the Early Church

Here are a number of interesting articles from Christian History.

Experts: Bishops Covered up Priests' Child Abuse

"Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Dublin covered up decades of child abuse by priests to protect the church's reputation, an expert commission reported Thursday after a three-year investigation."

Study: Man Creates God in his Own Image

"U.S. researchers conclude that on important (and controversial) matters, people project their own beliefs on those attributed to God, New Scientist reports. 'Intuiting God's beliefs on important issues may not produce an independent guide, but may instead serve as an echo chamber to validate and justify one's own beliefs,' writes a team led by Nicholas Epley of the University of Chicago."

We May Be Born With an Urge to Help

"What is the essence of human nature? Flawed, say many theologians. Vicious and addicted to warfare, wrote Hobbes. Selfish and in need of considerable improvement, think many parents. But biologists are beginning to form a generally sunnier view of humankind. Their conclusions are derived in part from testing very young children, and partly from comparing human children with those of chimpanzees, hoping that the differences will point to what is distinctively human."

Why Ireland Is Running Out of Priests

"Earlier this month, the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, made a grim prediction about the future of the church in Ireland: If more young priests aren't found quickly, the country's parishes may soon not have enough clergy to survive. He told the congregation at St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin that his own diocese had 46 priests aged 80 or over, but only two under 35 years old. It's a similar story all over the island. According to a 2007 study of Catholic dioceses in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, about half of all priests are between the ages of 55 and 74."

Arrest Highlights Clergy's Role in Rwanda Genocide

"The Rwandan government alleges that Uwayezu sowed the seeds for ethnic hatred at the school by blaming the nation's troubles on the 'inyenzi,' a term meaning cockroach, used by Hutu extremists to describe Tutsis. The government says the priest then alerted security forces, trapped the students and organized their killing at the nearby College of Arts on May 7, 1994."

Funeral Humor

A young minister was asked by a funeral director to hold a graveside service for a homeless man, with no family or friends. The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.

As he was not familiar with the backwoods area, he became lost; and being a typical man did not stop for directions. He finally arrived an hour late. He saw the backhoe and the crew, who were eating lunch, but the hearse was nowhere in sight.

The minister apologized to the workers for his tardiness, and stepped to the side of the open grave, where he saw the vault lid already in place. He assured the workers he would not hold them up for long, but this was the proper thing to do. The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. He poured out his heart and soul.

As he preached the workers began to say "Amen," "Praise the Lord," and "Glory!" He preached like he'd never preached before, from Genesis all the way to Revelation.

He closed the lengthy service with a prayer and walked to his car. As he was opening the door and taking off his coat, he overheard one of the workers saying to another, "I ain't never seen nothing like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."

Atheist Student Groups Flower on College Campuses

"Campus affiliates of the Secular Student Alliance, a sort of Godless Campus Crusade for Christ, have multiplied from 80 in 2007 to 100 in 2008 and 174 this fall, providing the atheist movement new training grounds for future leaders. In another sign of growing acceptance, at least three universities, including Harvard, now have humanist chaplains meeting the needs of the not-so-spiritual."

Kennedy Dispute Showcases Divide Among Catholics

"A bitter dispute over abortion that prompted Rhode Island's Roman Catholic bishop to ask Rep. Patrick Kennedy not to receive Holy Communion has revealed the depth of the divide among Catholics over how politicians should reconcile their faith with their public duties."

Letters to Pastors

Dear Pastor,
I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister.
Yours sincerely,
Arnold
Age 8, Nashville


Dear Pastor,
Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson.
Sincerely,
Pete
Age 9, Phoenix


Dear Pastor,
My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something.
Robert
Age 11, Anderson


Dear Pastor,
I'm sorry I can't leave more money in the plate, but my father didn't give me a raise in my allowance. Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance?
Love,
Patty
Age 10, New Haven


Dear Pastor,
I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there.
Stephen
Age 8, Chicago


Dear Pastor,
I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland.
Loreen
Age 9, Tacoma


Dear Pastor,
Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God's help or a new pitcher.
Thank you.
Alexander
Age 10, Raleigh


Dear Pastor,
My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don't think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house.
Joshua
Age 10, South Pasadena


Dear Pastor,
Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class.
Carla
Age 10, Salina


Dear Pastor,
I like your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished.
Ralph
Age 11, Akron

Report: No Evidence Between Homosexuality and Priest Abuse

"A preliminary report commissioned by U.S. Roman Catholic bishops finds no evidence that gay priests are more likely to abuse children. Researcher Margaret Smith from John Jay College of Criminal Justice said the study so far has found no connection between being gay and an increased likelihood of abuse."

Bishops in Fact If Not in Name

Bitel "compares two women who lived in vastly different societies and who acted outside conventional expectations for their gender. Both Genovefa (ca. 420-509) and Brigit (ca. 452-524) were builders of the new Christian communities in their respective regions—Genovefa in Gaul and Brigit in Ireland."

Germany's 'Cold Religion'

"A Berlin-based journalist says that Martin Luther would have driven most of Germany's bishops from their pulpits."

A Pastor in Germany Assesses Germany's Spiritual Climate

"Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a pastor in Berlin assesses Germany's spiritual climate."

Long-Term Effect of Spiritual Activity among Children and Teens

"What is the connection between childhood faith and adult religious commitment? . . .A recent study conducted by the Barna Group provides new insights into this age-old question."

Internet Execs Teach Vatican Web Skills

"Executives from Facebook, Wikipedia and Google are attending a Vatican meeting to brief officials and Catholic bishops about the Internet and digital youth culture. The symposium, which opened Thursday and runs through Sunday, also will address Internet copyright issues and hacking - including testimony from a young Swiss hacker and an Interpol cyber-crime official. The meeting is being hosted by the European bishop's media commission and is designed to delve into questions about what Internet culture means for the church's mission and how the church communicates that mission to others."

Humanist Chaplin

"The Tufts Freethought Society -- a group of about 150 Tuft University students who identify as atheistic, agnostic, or otherwise non-religious -- wants the university to establish a 'humanist' chaplaincy to serve as a resource for students who are interested in exploring how to live 'ethical and meaningful lives' without subscribing to any religion."

Billy Graham's America

"Grant Wacker, professor of Christian History at Duke University and a member of the Christian History advisory board, is working on a cultural biography of Graham, titled Billy Graham's America, to be published by Harvard University Press in 2011. He is giving us an advance peek at his research in the following essay—which is a condensed version of an article by the same title published in Church History, September 2009."

Creationism, Minus a Young Earth, Emerges in the Islamic World

"Creationism is growing in the Muslim world, from Turkey to Pakistan to Indonesia, international academics said last month as they gathered here to discuss the topic. But, they said, young-Earth creationists, who believe God created the universe, Earth and life just a few thousand years ago, are rare, if not nonexistent."

The Church that Helped Bring Down the Berlin Wall

"St. Nikolai Evangelical Lutheran Church hasn't changed much since the 16th century. Bach once played the organ here and the music remains alluring, but it is the church's more recent history in the last days of the Cold War and its role in the fall of the Berlin Wall that draw tourists today."

Gentleman of Justice

"From the oppressed side of apartheid, Albert Lutuli (1898—1967) became the first African to receive a Nobel Prize for Peace."

Scientology Tested by Court Fights, High-Profile Defections

"The Church of Scientology is going through a difficult season. . ."

First Baptist Dallas Unveils $130 Million Building Plan for Downtown Campus

"First Baptist Church of Dallas today announced a $130 million capital campaign to build a 3,000-seat worship center, a religious education building and parking garage, a glass concourse, and a sky bridge."

Internet Believers: Pastors Open Online Churches

"The World Wide Web has become the hottest place to build a church. A growing number of congregations are creating Internet offshoots that go far beyond streaming weekly services. The sites are fully interactive, with a dedicated Internet pastor, live chat in an online 'lobby,' Bible study, one-on-one prayer through IM and communion. (Viewers use their own bread and wine or water from home.) On one site, viewers can click on a tab during worship to accept Christ as their savior. Flamingo Road Church, based in Cooper City, Fla., twice conducted long-distance baptisms through the Internet."

French Court Convicts Church of Scientology of Fraud

"A three-judge panel at the Correctional Court in Paris convicted the church and six of its members of organized fraud, but stopped short of banning the church, as prosecutors had asked. The court also fined the members as much as 400,000 euros ($595,000) each and sentenced them to as much as two years in prison, though the sentences were suspended."

Anglican Deal May Lead to Married Priests

"The Vatican's attempts to heal the centuries-old rift with the Anglican Church may have a consequence nobody intended: an end to celibacy for priests. By offering a new Anglican rite under the umbrella of Catholicism, Pope Benedict XVI has invited married Anglican clergy into the fold—and cracked open the possibility of the same for Catholic priests."

Vatican Makes Anglicans an Offer: Come Back to the Church

"The Vatican has opened an express lane to traditional Anglicans — unhappy with their own church's moves toward accepting female and gay bishops — to reunite with the Roman Catholic Church their forefathers left nearly 500 years ago."

Church of Sweden to Conduct Gay Weddings

"The Lutheran Church of Sweden, of which 74 percent of Swedes are members, announced Thursday it will conduct wedding ceremonies for homosexuals."

Survey Shows Decline in Pastoral Salaries and Benefits

"About half the nation's full-time pastors report they received no salary increase in the past year, continuing a downturn in salaries among top leaders in churches, according to a new survey published by Christianity Today International and Leadership. In fact, the extensive survey, published in the 2010-2011 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, shows a slight decline or stall in pay levels for the majority of all church staff positions surveyed."

New Research Explores How Different Generations View and Use the Bible

"A new research report from the Barna Group examines recent nationwide studies on how different generations of American adults view and use the Bible. For the purposes of this research, the Mosaic generation refers to adults who are currently ages 18 to 25; Busters are those ages 26 to 44; Boomers are 45 to 63; and Elders are 64-plus."

Atheists Split Over How Mean to Be to Faithful

"Can a non-religion schism? Maybe that’s too dramatic a phrase, but there’s a rift growing between so-called 'new atheists,' who favor an aggressive, mocking stance toward religion, and the old live-and-let-live kind."

Army Agrees Kansas Priest Worthy of Medal of Honor

"As his fellow prisoners of war returned home from the Korean War, they shared stories of self-sacrifice about Rev. Emil Kapaun, the humble priest from Kansas. The prisoners of the 8th Cavalry Regiment spoke of how Kapaun, an Army chaplain, continued to look after his men even though he was wounded and sick himself. Risking his own life, Kapaun would sneak out after dark to scrounge food for those too weak to eat, fashion makeshift containers to collect water and wash their soiled clothes. Kapaun died at the camp hospital seven months after he was first taken captive by the Chinese in 1950. More than a half-century later, the Army's top civilian leader has recommended that Kapaun, who is also a candidate for sainthood, receive the Medal of Honor."

Believing in God and Evolution

There is a "theological and scientific struggle taking place at Christian colleges. Some professors, with support from prominent scientists, are trying to defend the teaching of evolution and to make it safe for those who teach biology and the Bible to talk about ways in which belief in evolution need not represent an abandonment of faith. Many Christian colleges have statements of faith -- which in some cases must be followed by all students and faculty members -- that endorse the literal truth of the Bible or of specific parts of the Bible (six literal days of creation, for example, or that Adam and Eve are the parents of all humans). So teaching evolution as scientific fact, which would just be taken for granted at many non-Christian colleges and universities, raises all kinds of delicate issues."

Rev. Moon Marries 45,000 Mass Wedding

A total of 45,000 people worldwide "took part in a mass wedding that was the largest in a decade — and quite possibly the last for the church's controversial founder, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon."

Evangelicals Endorse Immigration Reform

"The National Association of Evangelicals' board overwhelmingly approved a resolution to seek 'faith and equal treatment' of immigrants"

Global Report: 1 in 4 Practice Islam

"The global Muslim population stands at 1.57 billion, meaning that nearly 1 in 4 people in the world practice Islam, according to a report Wednesday billed as the most comprehensive of its kind."

Solving the Catholic School Crisis

"Nearly 1 in 5 Catholic schools in the U.S. have closed their doors this decade. . .Many Catholic schools, however, are following in the steps of their public brethren and trying to survive by changing the way do business. Mandating that students work to pay off tuition, forging partnerships with philanthropists and foundations, converting to charter schools, and taking control away from pastors and putting it in the hands of lay experts — these are just some of the ways in which dioceses (essentially a Church district) are hoping to stem the school closure tide, which has reached worrisome proportions in America's urban areas, where close to half of all parochial schools are located."

People With 'No Religion' Gain on Major Denominations

"Americans who don't identify with any religion are now 15% of the USA, but trends in a new study shows they could one day surpass the nation's largest denominations — including Catholics, now 24% of the nation. American Nones: Profile of the No Religion Population, to be released today by Trinity College, finds this faith-free group already includes nearly 19% of U.S. men and 12% of women. Of these, 35% say they were Catholic at age 12."

Racetrack Humor

Charlie was a regular visitor at the racetrack. One afternoon he noticed an unusual sight. Right before the first race, a Catholic priest visited one of the horses in the stable area and gave it a blessing. Charlie watched the horse race very carefully, and sure enough the blessed horse came in first!

Charlie followed the priest before the next race, and again he went to the stables and performed a similar procedure. Charlie played hunch and put a couple of dollars on the blessed horse. Sure enough the blessed horse came in by two lengths and Charlie won close to fifty bucks!

The priest continued the same procedure through the next few races and Charlie won each time. He was now ahead $1,000, so between races Charlie left the track and went to the bank and withdraw his life's savings $20,000.

The biggest race of the day was the last one. Charlie followed the priest and watched carefully which horse he blessed. He then went to the betting window and put his whole $21,000 bundle of cash on that horse to win.

Then Charlie went out to watch the horses race. Down the stretch they came, and as they crossed the finish line, the horse Charlie's fortune was bet on was dead last!

Charlie was crushed. He located the priest and told him that he had been watching him bless the horses all day, and they all became winners except the last horse on which he had bet his life savings. Charlie then asked, "What happened to the last horse which you blessed? Why didn't it win like the others?"

"That's the trouble with you Protestants," sighed the priest. "You can never tell the difference between a blessing and the last rites."

Reports: Biggest U.S. Churches 'Contemporary, Evangelical'

"Two new reports on the size and strength of American congregations present contrasting pictures of church life today."

U.S. Survey: More Know About Islam, Fewer Think it's Violent

"Americans are learning more about Islam, and familiarity with the faith makes people more likely to view Muslims favorably and less likely to believe Islam encourages violence, according to a new study."

Computer Algorithm to Decipher Ancient Texts

"Researchers in Israel say they have developed a computer program that can decipher previously unreadable ancient texts and possibly lead the way to a Google-like search engine for historical documents."

Twitter Site Offers Visitors Direct Line to God

"An Israeli university student has opened a Twitter site where visitors can tweet private prayers to be placed in the crevices of Jerusalem's Western Wall, a Jewish holy site that faithful believe provides a direct line to the Almighty."

Twitter Site Offers Visitors Direct Line to God

"An Israeli university student has opened a Twitter site where visitors can tweet private prayers to be placed in the crevices of Jerusalem's Western Wall, a Jewish holy site that faithful believe provides a direct line to the Almighty."

More People Forgo Clergy-Led Funerals

"John Reed Sr., president of the National Funeral Directors Association, says 50% of Americans today say they don't belong to a church and don't see value in a religious funeral. But 'they still want ceremony and celebration at the end of life.' More than one in four U.S. adults (27%) say that when they die, they don't expect to have a religious service, according to a national survey of 6,000 people. It was part of the 2008 American Religious Identification conducted by researchers at Trinity College's Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture in Hartford, Conn."

The Little Woman With the Big Legacy

"In her life as a missionary in China, Lottie Moon stood barely more than four feet tall. In death, she weighed about 50 pounds. Her impact on the history of missions, however, has been enormous."

Global Study: Young People and Spiritual Development

"A major new international study offers the first in-depth look at young people's spiritual development across multiple countries and traditions."

Khmer Rouge Chief Asks for 'Harshest Punishment'

Kaing Guek Eav was the "former head of the Khmer Rouge's main torture center" but later became an evangelical Christian. Now he is repentant and asks that he receive a very harsh sentence for his crimes.

"'I accept the regret, the sorrow, and the suffering of the million Cambodian people who lost their husbands and wives,' the defendant said. 'I would like the Cambodian people to condemn me to the harshest punishment.' Up to 16,000 were tortured under Duch's command. Later he became an evangelical Christian and worked for international aid organizations, but he says his crimes were 'like the death of an elephant which no one can hide with only two tamarind tree leaves.'"

Study: More Diverse Recruits Joining Catholic Orders

"The newest and next generation of priests, brothers, sisters and nuns who belong to Roman Catholic religious orders in the U.S. are more ethnically diverse and tradition-bound than their predecessors, according to a new portrait of Catholic religious life released Tuesday. The underlying numbers remain dire. Most religious orders in the U.S. suffer from aging membership, diminishing numbers and few if any new candidates, according to the study conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate for the National Religious Vocation Conference."

U.S. Religious Left Wades Into Healthcare Fight

"Liberal religious groups announced on Monday they are teaming up with President Barack Obama in a national campaign to counter the surprisingly vehement conservative opposition to his plan for overhaul of the U.S. healthcare industry this year. Organized by liberal-leaning evangelicals, some mainline Protestant clergy, and some Catholic groups, it will include Obama participating in a call-in program with religious leaders streamed on the Internet on August 19, prayer meetings and nationwide television ads."

Churches Put Faith in Housing Business

"Churches that have long called for an increase in affordable housing have started taking matters into their own hands, the Washington Post reports: A growing number of them have launched their own housing projects, partnering with developers to build whole communities. Their weekly flow of donations allows them to qualify for financing, and the resulting real estate revenue diversifies church income and helps underwrite community programs like food banks."

Archaeologists Unearth 'Birthplace of Roman Emperor' in Italy

"Archaeologists said Thursday they had unearthed the ruins of a villa believed to be the birthplace of a Roman Emperor who reigned almost 2,000 years ago. Professor Filippo Coarelli, who is leading the dig, said "numerous clues" pointed to the site as the house of Emperor Vespasian, who ruled the Roman Empire from 69 AD to 79 AD."

Report: Faith Groups More Likely to Attract Volunteers

"Faith-based organizations attract more volunteers than any other type of organization, according to a survey by the Corporation for National and Community Service. More than one-third of the country's almost 62 million volunteers served through religious organizations last year."

Faithful Can Now 'Tweet' Prayers to Western Wall

"People of all faiths can now 'tweet' their prayers via Twitter to the Western Wall, one of Judaism's most sacred sites."

Survey: What Muslims Detest Most About the West

"Surveys of the world's Muslims find that most Muslims support democracy and freedom. Indeed, many Muslims complain that they are ruled by Western-supported secular despots who deny people their right to self-government. Most Muslims also support scientific advancements and seek more prosperity through free markets and global trade. However one reads the Qur'an or the historical record of Islam, no one familiar with this data can call contemporary Muslims enemies of modernity. At the same time, there are some anomalies. Esposito and Mogahed's analysis shows that Muslims fear that "Islam is under attack" and that the West is leading that attack. In addition, while most Muslims don't support theocracy, they do want religion to have an important role in shaping their private and public lives. Even Shari'ah, with its draconian provisions against theft and adultery, enjoys wide support among Muslims, at least in the domestic sphere."

Restructuring, Not Schism, Ahead for Anglicans

"The head of the Anglican Communion said Monday that restructuring the world's third-largest Christian denomination appears inevitable in the face of irreconcilable differences on sexuality and the Bible."

Spiritual Outlook Can Affect Mental Health in Breast Cancer

"Among breast cancer patients, a positive religious attitude is not linked to measures of well-being, but a negative religious or spiritual outlook can lead to worse emotional and mental health, a recent study suggests."

Barna on Casual Christians and the Future of America

"In a wide-ranging discussion about the state of faith in America, veteran researcher George Barna recently addressed questions raised by his new book, The Seven Faith Tribes: Who They Are, What They Believe, and Why They Matter. In that book, Barna outlines seven diverse faith segments, profiling their lifestyles, religious beliefs and practices, values and life goals. The seven tribes include Casual Christians, Captive Christians, Mormons, Jews, Pantheists, Muslims and Skeptics."

JISC Helps to Bring Key Islamic Resources Online

"Two of the oldest known copies of the Qur’an will be available to researchers and scholars across the world today (8 July 2009) – as part of a major project to digitise one of the richest collections of Eastern manuscripts. The two Qur'ans, one of which may date from the 7th century A.D, are part of the priceless Mingana Collection, which is housed by the University of Birmingham."

This is actual site of the Virtual Manuscript Room where the Qur'ans are found online.

Obama's 10 Most Important Faith Leaders

"Even before Barack Obama was elected president, religious figures loomed large in his political career. . .In an administration that keeps in touch with hundreds of faith leaders, here are the 10 most important."

Is the Economic Crisis a Sin for Society?

Article Subtitle: "Why America needs a new Social Gospel"

This is an interesting article by Gary Dorrien, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Religion at Columbia University.

Living Together First Can Spoil Marriage, Study Finds

"Couples who shack up before tying the knot are more likely to get divorced than their counterparts who don't move in together until marriage, a new study suggests."

Interview with Historian Mark Noll on Global Christianity

"No one doubts that American Christianity has had a profound effect on the shape of world Christianity. It's figuring out the exact nature of that influence that still requires investigation and fresh thinking. University of Notre Dame historian Mark Noll has brought his usual careful research and wisdom to bear on this theme in his most recent work, The New Shape of World Christianity (IVP). Christianity Today Media Group editor in chief David Neff talked with Noll about the myths and realities of American influence overseas."

U.S. Nuns Facing Vatican Scrutiny

"The Vatican is quietly conducting two sweeping investigations of American nuns, a development that has startled and dismayed nuns who fear they are the targets of a doctrinal inquisition. Nuns were the often-unsung workers who helped build the Roman Catholic Church in this country, planning schools and hospitals and keeping parishes humming. But for the last three decades, their numbers have been declining — to 60,000 today from 180,000 in 1965."

Survey Shows How the Faith of America’s Hispanics Has Changed

"A new survey by The Barna Group indicates that Hispanics are assimilating the faith of the Caucasian population faster than anyone would have predicted, essentially mirroring the faith of the nation’s white population."

Historic Bible Pages Put Online

"Visitors to the website www.codexsinaiticus.org can now see images of more than half the 1,600-year-old Codex Sinaiticus manuscript."

Ministry Lessons From a Muslim

"Eboo Patel is not the most likely seminary professor. His credentials are not the issue. Patel earned his doctorate from Oxford University, and he is a respected commentator on religion for The Washington Post and National Public Radio. He has spoken in venues across the world, including conferences for evangelical church leaders. What makes Eboo Patel an unlikely seminary professor is that he is Muslim."

The Gospel Of Green

"Two llamas, four months and 1,000 miles. That's all it took to turn Peter Illyn into an evangelizing environmentalist. Illyn embarked on the llama-supported trek through the Cascade Mountain Range, having spent nine years as a minister in several churches across the Northwest. He finished reinspired by the wonder of the wilderness he had crossed. All he wanted to do, he says, was work to protect the Earth—a mission he sees as firmly rooted in his Christian faith."

Christian Soldiers

"The growing controversy over military chaplains using the armed forces to spread the Word."

Benchmarks: The Typical Small Group

"Because it is difficult to get a handle on what is going on in other small groups outside of your own (or your own church), SmallGroups.com does live surveys each month on a variety of small-group topics. The purpose of these surveys is to uncover a sense of what is going on in small groups around the world, and particularly in North America. . . .here are some results of SmallGroups.com surveys on the subject of what goes on during typical small-group meetings."

Interview with Robert Wuthnow: Global is the New Local

"Today, globalized economic and communications networks create new possibilities for American congregations, says Princeton University's Robert Wuthnow in his most recent book, Boundless Faith: The Global Outreach of American Churches. Since 2000, for instance, 12 percent of active churchgoers reported having gone overseas on a short-term mission while in their teen years. That is up from 5 percent in the 1990s, 4 percent in the 1980s, and only 2 percent before that. Currently, this represents about 100,000 congregations (or one-third of all congregations) every year sending teams that average about 18 members."

People Unsure of Beliefs Are More Close-Minded

"People who are less confident in their beliefs are more reluctant than others to seek out opposing perspectives, researchers said today. The findings, which are based on a review of more than 90 studies, shed light on the debate over whether people intentionally steer clear of views conflicting with their own, or whether they are just exposed more often to ideas that conform to their own."

The Justification Debate: A Primer

"Since Christianity Today's August 2007 cover story, "What Did Paul Really Mean?" Piper and Wright have taken the debate on justification from the academy to the masses. Here is where the two evangelicals differ."

Study: Generation Gap in U.S. Largest Since ’60s

"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 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."

Report: Scientology Leaders Often Violent

"The leader of the Church of Scientology struck his subordinates numerous times and set an example for physical violence among the tightly controlled religion's management team, four former high-ranking executives told a newspaper for a story published Sunday."

Study: Megachurch Crowds Tend to be Younger

"Despite their reputation as symbols of baby-boomer America, Protestant megachurches attract a younger crowd and more singles than the average Protestant church, according to large-scale study released Tuesday."

Undercover At An Evangelical University

"Taking a semester off to travel and focus on writing isn't that unusual for a student at Brown University. But instead of studying comparative literature in Europe, Kevin Roose decided to go to Lynchburg, Va., and enroll at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University."

Ancient Holy Land Quarry Uncovered, Team Says

"Israeli archaeologists said on Sunday they had discovered the largest underground quarry in the Holy Land, dating back to the time of Jesus and containing Christian symbols etched into the walls. The 4,000-square-meter (yard) cavern, buried 10 meters beneath the desert near the ancient West Bank city of Jericho, was dug about 2,000 years ago and was in use for about half a millennium, archaeologist Adam Zertal said."

God's Timing Humor

A man once asked God, “Lord, how long is a thousand years to you?” And the Lord replied, “My child, they are as a second.”

And the man asked, “Lord how much is a million dollars to you?” And the Lord replied, “My child, it is just as a penny.”

So the man asked, “Lord can I have a penny?” And the Lord replied, “Yes my child… In just a second.”

Barna: Spiritual Profile of Homosexual Adults

"The gay and lesbian population, which constitutes about 3% of adults, has garnered national attention in the past several years thanks to issues like gay marriage, gay adoption, and other gay rights conflicts. In the wake of those controversies and the spotlight aimed at gays, Americans have developed numerous assumptions about the lives of the homosexual population. A new survey by the Barna Group explores the spiritual life of gay and lesbian individuals, providing some surprising results."

New U.S. Anglicans Launch, to Ban Women, Gays as Bishops

"Hundreds of formerly Episcopal parishes are meeting this week to unify as a new national church: the Anglican Church in North America. Organizers, led by former Episcopal Bishop of Pittsburgh gathering that begins Monday."

Koogle: A Search Engine for Orthodox Jews

Koogle is "a Hebrew-language search engine that filters out non-kosher content and appears to meet Orthodox standards."

Study: Purpose in Life Associated With Longer Life

"If you have a purpose in life -- lofty or not -- you'll live longer, a new study shows."

PBS to Begin Phasing Out Religious Programming From Airwaves

"PBS board members have decided to enforce a rule barring religious broadcasts in a move that spells the beginning of the end for most spiritual shows like Catholic Masses and Mormon devotionals on public television."

Lee Strobel on the Changing Face of Apologetics

Lee Strobel has written several books on Christian apologetics, but in his most recent one, he argues that the traditional methods advocated are not effective any longer.

Study: Jehovah's Witnesses More Likely to Die in Childbirth

"Pregnant women who are Jehovah's Witnesses are six times more likely to die during childbirth and three times more likely to have serious complications than the general population, according to a new study by Dutch researchers."

Poll: Few Americans Have Good View of Muslim World

"Shortly before President Obama departs for a trip to the Middle East, a new national poll suggests that one in five Americans has a favorable view of Muslim countries. That view compares with 46 percent of the people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey who say they have an unfavorable opinion of Muslim countries. That's up 5 percentage points from 2002, when 41 percent indicated that they had an unfavorable view. Meanwhile, three in 10 say they have a neutral opinion of Muslim countries. The poll also suggests that most Americans suspect people in Muslim countries don't think highly of the United States. Nearly eight in 10 questioned say people in Muslim countries have a unfavorable opinion of the United States, with 14 percent saying Muslims hold a favorable view."

Religious School Grads Likelier to Have Abortions

"Unwed pregnant teens and 20-somethings who attend or have graduated from private religious schools are more likely to obtain abortions than their peers from public schools, according to research in the June issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior."

Barna on Casual Christians and the Future of America

"In a wide-ranging discussion about the state of faith in America, veteran researcher George Barna recently addressed questions raised by his new book, The Seven Faith Tribes: Who They Are, What They Believe, and Why They Matter. In that book, Barna outlines seven diverse faith segments, profiling their lifestyles, religious beliefs and practices, values and life goals. The seven tribes include Casual Christians, Captive Christians, Mormons, Jews, Pantheists, Muslims and Skeptics. During the course of the conversation, Barna answered a series of questions about the largest – and potentially most powerful – tribe, the Casual Christians. Barna’s studies indicate that Casual Christians represent 66% of the adult population of the U.S. (The percentage of the adult population represented by the other half-dozen tribes included 16% who are Captive Christians, 2% Jews, 2% Mormons, 2% Pantheists, one-half of 1% Muslims, and 11% Skeptics.)"

Twittering in Church, with the Pastor's O.K.

"There's a time and place for technology, and most houses of worship still say it's not at morning Mass. But instead of reminding worshippers to silence their cell phones, a small but growing number of churches across the country are following Voelz's lead and encouraging people to integrate text-messaging into their relationship with God. In Seattle, Mars Hill churchgoers regularly tweet throughout the service. In New York City, Trinity Church marked Good Friday by tweeting the Passion play, detailing the stages of Jesus' crucifixion in short bursts. At Next Level Church, outside Charlotte, N.C., it's not only O.K. to fuse social-networking technology with prayer; it's desirable. . ."

Pope on Facebook in Attempt to Woo Young Believers

"You won't get an email saying Pope Benedict added you as a friend and you can't 'poke' him or write on his wall, but the Vatican is still keen to use the networking site Facebook to woo young people back to church. A new Vatican website, www.pope2you.net, has gone live, offering an application called 'The pope meets you on Facebook,' and another allowing the faithful to see the Pope's speeches and messages on their iPhones or iPods."

The Science of Spirituality

Barbara Bradley Hagerty, an award-winning NPR Religion reporter, recently published a very interesting book entitled Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality. What is good about Hagerty is her excellent reporting skills, combined with an openness to religious ideas. While most people examining the subject of the science of spirituality are secular in outlook, she is open to the possibility that more is involved. That is, she is not reductionistic.

Hagerty has done several radio broadcasts based on her research for her book that you might find of interest. You can read the transcripts or click on the podcasts to listen to Hagerty's broadcasts.

This site links to all the broadcasts:

http://www.npr.org/templates/archives/archive.php?thingId=104257486&startNum=1

Black Woman About to Break Ground as Rabbi

"A convert to Judaism who was raised as a Pentecostal Christian is about to become the first black woman rabbi in the United States, Jewish educators say."

Pope Prods Young Catholics to Spread Word Via Internet

"Pope Benedict XVI has encouraged young Catholics to use the Internet to spread the church's message. The pope promoted the use of the digital world as a means of making the Gospel known in remarks to 20,000 pilgrims at his weekly audience Wednesday."

Survey: Protestant Clergy Back Gay Rights, Not Marriage

"Most mainline Protestant clergy do not support legalizing gay marriage, even if they're not required to officiate at same-sex ceremonies. It was the only point on which the majority did not support gay rights, according to a survey of clergy from the seven historic mainline Protestant denominations to which 18% of Americans belong."

Medicine, Religion Collide in Chemo Refusal

"A non-profit group called Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty is tracking five criminal prosecutions around the U.S., all cases that involve children being denied health care because of religious beliefs. Including the Wisconsin case, there are two cases in Oregon; one case in Tennessee; and one case in Pennsylvania. Since 1983 the group, which says it works to stop abusive religious and cultural practices, has tracked 66 similar prosecutions."

Report Reveals Decades of Child Abuse in Irish Institutions

"Thousands of children suffered sexual abuse, beatings, malnutrition and emotional abuse for decades in the Irish institutions where they were raised, an Irish government commission said Wednesday. Catholic clergy ran the vast majority of the reformatories and orphanages where the abuse allegedly took place, it said. There were institutions where sexual abuse was a 'chronic problem' and where 'floggings' that 'should not have been tolerated in any institution' were 'inflicted for even minor transgressions,' the commission's wide-ranging report says."

Religious Citizens More Involved -- And More Scarce?

"First, the silver lining: people of faith are better citizens and better neighbors, and America is 'amazingly' religious compared to other countries, says Harvard University professor Robert Putnam. Now, the cloud: young Americans are 'vastly more secular' than their older counterparts, according to Putnam. . .Putnam and Campbell unveiled some of their research at a recent conference in Key West, Fla., hosted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life."

Religion and Money: The Price of Faith

"For the most devout practitioners - perhaps 15% of Americans, if measured by how frequently they attend services - following their faith's precepts often has a profound financial impact: Religion guides how they make, spend, and invest their money. And it often leads to financial decisions and stresses far different from those of people who don't share their beliefs. To explore how religion affects the way people manage their money, we visited with three families of different faiths who are struggling to reconcile their spiritual beliefs with their wallets. Their stories, and our advice to them, follow. What all three households have in common: the desire to let faith guide their economic prospects, without undermining their family's security or long-term goals. As you'll see, that isn't always an easy task. . ."

A Faith for the Nones

"There is a book that everyone will be talking about -- when it appears over a year from now. "American Grace: How Religion Is Reshaping Our Civic and Political Lives," being written by Robert Putnam and David Campbell, is already creating a buzz. Putnam, the author of Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, is the preeminent academic expert on American civic life. . ."

Many Churchgoers and Faith Leaders Struggle to Define Spiritual Maturity

"[A] new study from the Barna Group identifies an underlying reason why there is little progress in helping people develop spiritually: many churchgoers and clergy struggle to articulate a basic understanding of spiritual maturity. People aspire to be spiritually mature, but they do not know what it means. Pastors want to guide others on the path to spiritual wholeness, but they are often not clearly defining the goals or the outcomes of that process."

Two Religious Biographical Dictionaries

The Dictionary of African Christian Biography and the Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity

Insights from Reveal Study Done by Willow Creek Church

"Reveal is a survey to uncover the depth of spiritual growth in a congregation and what triggers that growth. The study defines spiritual growth as 'an increasing love for God and for other people.' So far the survey has been taken in more than200 churches and with more than 100,000 people, making it a reliable study."

Survey Reveals European Muslims' Attitudes

"European Muslims have much more loyalty to the countries they live in than is generally believed, a survey says."

Young Americans Losing Their Religion

"New research shows young Americans are dramatically less likely to go to church -- or to participate in any form of organized religion -- than their parents and grandparents. 'It's a huge change,' says Harvard University professor Robert Putnam, who conducted the research."

A New Website on What Other Religions Believe

"Enter a new website that sets out to explain the differences between religions as well as illuminate the areas of common ground. Patheos.com, which is launching on Tuesday, is a mash-up of path and theos, the Greek word for god. Its founders, husband and wife Leo and Cathie Brunnick, have created a library of the histories and belief systems of 50 (and counting) of the world's faiths, along with maps of their origins and videos of their religious services, so people can learn more about their own faith and explore others in a nonsectarian format. Each week experts will present a debate on a new topic, such as religion on the Web or abortion. Moreover, all the content on the streamlined, reader-friendly site is written and peer-reviewed by divinity scholars and other experts, including theologians at Harvard and the University of Southern California, where some undergrads will be using Patheos in introductory religion classes this fall."

Helping Christians Reconcile God With Science

"The revelation that everything in the Bible may not have happened exactly as written can be startling. And when the discovery comes along with scientific evidence of evolution and the actual age of planet Earth, it can prompt a full-blown spiritual crisis. That's where Francis Collins would like to step in. A renowned geneticist and former director of the Human Genome Project, Collins is also an evangelical Christian who was the keynote speaker at the 2007 National Prayer Breakfast, and he has spent years establishing the compatibility between science and religious belief. And this week he unveiled a new initiative to guide Christians through scientific questions while holding firm to their faith.Through the Washington-based foundation, Collins says he and his colleagues hope to support scholarship that 'takes seriously the claims of both faith and science.' Its online component, biologos.org, is designed to be a resource for skeptics and nonbelievers who are interested in religious arguments for God's existence. But the primary audience for BioLogos is Collins' own Evangelical community."

Survey: Support for Terror Suspect Torture Differs Among the Faithful

"The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey."

A. Lincoln, Private and Public (Interview with Historian Ronald C. White)

"Ronald C. White Jr., a Huntington Library fellow and a visiting professor of history at UCLA, is the author of the bestselling books Lincoln's Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year) and The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words. His latest book A. Lincoln: A Biography (2009) has been a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller and a History Book Club selection." This article is an interview with White about Lincoln.

Effects of Infidelity on Men vs. Women Surprise Researchers

"How guilty would you feel if you cheated on your partner? The answer has a lot to do with the type of infidelity - and your gender. Men feel guiltier following sexual infidelity, while women feel guiltier after emotional transgression, a new study finds."

Survey: Half of U.S. Adults Have Switched Religions

"More than half of all Americans have switched religions at least once, according to an in-depth survey released today. . .Pew's new Faith in Flux survey is based on re-contacting 2,800 people from its U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, released last year, which surveyed 35,000 people."

Riding the Self-Regulation See Saw

"The April issue of Psychological Science includes an interesting paradoxical study on moral self-regulation. Building on previous research that examines why people act altruistically even when such action is costly, researchers wanted to take a closer look at the moral back-and-forth we all engage in when deciding how to act."

Survey: Americans Reclassifying Luxury, Necessity in Recession

"A Pew Research Center survey released Thursday finds that the recession has changed Americans' minds about many items that used to seen as necessities. In a 2006 Pew survey of luxuries and necessities, 68% said a microwave was a necessity; now that's 47%. And 52% say a TV is a necessity today, down from 64% in 2006."

Religion Provides Emotional Boost to World’s Poor

"A tour of the world's most religious countries wouldn't be all mountaintop shrines and magnificent temples -- it would also take you to some pretty bleak places. Gallup Polls in 143 countries reveal that among countries where average annual incomes are $2,000 or less, 92% of residents say religion is an important part of their daily lives. By contrast, among the richest countries surveyed -- those where average annual incomes are $25,000 or more -- that figure drops to 44%."

2008 American Religious Identification Survey

2008 American Religious Identification Survey

World Digital Library

"The World Digital Library (WDL) makes available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from countries and cultures around the world." While the focus is not on religion, one can do a keyword on religion and see numerous items from different cultural settings.

Study: Nearly Half of New Priests Were Discouraged Against Seminary

"Conversations around the kitchen table may be more responsible for the shortage of Roman Catholic priests in the U.S. than influences from American culture, a new study suggests. Almost 45% of Catholic priests planning to be ordained this year said they were discouraged from considering the priesthood, according to a survey produced by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University for the U.S. bishops."

Religious Groups' Views on Global Warming

"One issue at the center of public discussions about the environment is global warming: whether it is occurring and what its causes might be. An analysis by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life of a 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press examines views on global warming among major religious traditions in the U.S."

Your Hidden Curriculum

"What do people learn from you about the Christian life? Sometimes it's what you never intended to teach." The article applies this idea to pastors and how they lead.

God and Mental Health

"In a paper in the online edition of the Journal of Religion and Health, psychologist Kevin Flannelly of the Spears Research Institute, Healthcare Chaplaincy, and colleagues analyzed the link between particular beliefs about god and psychiatric symptoms in 1,306 adults in the U.S. They used data from a 2004 survey asking people what they thought about god as well as asking about their mental health. For the first part, the survey asked whether the god they believed in was close and loving, approving and forgiving, or creating and judging. Eliminating people who professed no religion (3 percent), Flannelly and his team then compared the incidence of general anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsion disorder, paranoid ideation and social anxiety in the three groups. If your goal is mental health, they found, it’s a whole lot better to believe in a close and loving god. People with that belief had significantly lower rates of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsion and paranoid ideation than people who believed in an approving and forgiving god. Belief in that sort of god reduced incidence of those disorders slightly. Belief in a creating and judging god raised the risk of all those mental disorders, especially of paranoid ideation. Well, sure: if you think an omnipotent and omniscient god is watching your every move and will smite you for any infraction, that can indeed make for a bit of paranoia."

De-Baptism Gains a Following in Britain

"More than 100,000 former Christians have downloaded 'certificates of de-baptism' in a bid to publicly renounce the faith, according to the London-based National Secular Society (NSS)."

Christianity Today Podcasts

This site has a collection of interesting podcasts from Christianity Today. They continually will update this list with new ones as well. Or, one can subscribe to the podcasts and receive information when new ones are available.

Barna Survey on American Christian's Spiritual Beliefs

"A new nationwide survey of adults’ spiritual beliefs, conducted by The Barna Group, suggests that Americans who consider themselves to be Christian have a diverse set of beliefs – but many of those beliefs are contradictory or, at least, inconsistent. The survey explored beliefs about spiritual beings, the influence of faith on their life, views of the Bible, and reactions to faiths other than their own."

New Technology Alerts Muslims to Prayer

"U.S. technicians have created a new mobile telephone application that alerts Muslims when it's time for one of their five daily prayers. Susan Wyche, a Georgia Institute of Technology doctoral candidate, said she and her colleagues focused on Islam, partially because of the religion's popularity and partially because Muslims have historically used technology, such as compasses and telescopes, to help them determine the direction to face during prayer. Sun Dial tells users the time to pray is approaching by using an image of the sun lining up with a green circle, she said. 'When the sun lines up with the circle, it's time to pray. Unlike similar systems, ours relies on graphics rather than text and graphs to communicate prayer times,' said Wyche. 'Users drove this choice by telling us that tracking the sun was the most religiously valued method to determine prayer times.'"

Mecca mosques 'Wrongly Aligned'

"All mosques have a niche showing the direction of the most sacred Islamic site, the Kaaba, an ancient cube-like building in Mecca's Grand Mosque. But people looking down from recently built high-rises in Mecca found the niches in many older mosques were not pointing directly towards the Kaaba. Some worshippers are said to be anxious about the validity of their prayers."

The End of Christian America

"The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades. How that statistic explains who we are now—and what, as a nation, we are about to become."

Nearly Half British Babies Out of Wedlock

"The percentage of British babies are now born out of wedlock continues to approach 1-in-2, official figures show. Data published by the Office for National Statistics show that in 2007, 44.4 percent of live births were outside marriage, The Daily Telegraph reported."

Vindictiveness Costs Money, Not Satisfying

"Vindictive people experience more unemployment, have fewer friends and say they are less satisfied with their lives, German researchers say. . .Anyone who prefers to act according to the Old Testament motto of 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth' has, on average, fewer friends and is clearly less than satisfied with his or her life, the researchers said."

Sick of Compromise, Christian Right Drops Politics

"A new generation of religious conservatives is turning its back on political activism, Kathleen Parker writes in the Washington Post. Today's Moral Majority accuses Christian leaders like James Dobson of bringing the cultural wars from churches to Congress and compromising their beliefs. Now, 'Dobson and the Christian right political movement is a failure,' said one, calling the loss 'self-inflicted.'"

Pope May Reshape US Church as Bishops Age Out

"With many bishops nearing the age of required retirement, the Vatican has a chance to reinvent the US Catholic Church, moving beyond church sex scandals and adapting to a growing immigrant presence, reports the Los Angeles Times. Almost a third of 265 current US bishops must step down in the next 5 years; more than half must resign within a decade."

England, Wales Get New Catholic Leader

"The Vatican on Friday appointed an outspoken English archbishop to become the leader of the the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales."

Worm Humor

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars.

- The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
- The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.
- The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.
- The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:

- The first worm in alcohol - Dead.
- The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.
- Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.
- Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

Just then a little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said, "I get it! As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

Mormons Reach Out to Hispanics

"The Mormon Church is reaching out to Hispanics in the United States and attracting a growing number of converts, many of them illegal immigrants. That is a dilemma for the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, the Arizona Republic reports, because obeying the law is a central obligation. Some Mormon politicians also have been at the forefront of efforts to crack down in undocumented workers."

Willow Creek in Africa

". . .In fact, Willow Creek's outreach to Africa—specifically Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa—is as extensive as it is extraordinary. And it is extensive, ironically and precisely, because it bypasses multimillion-dollar nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to work mostly with local churches. And hardly ever with other megachurches, but small, small churches. Furthermore, Willow refuses to bring to bear most of its vast expertise and technological resources. Instead, it relies on the basic resources and expertise of that small, local church. . ."

NYC Team to Fight Sex Abuse Among Orthodox Jewish

"Prosecutors, counselors and religious leaders on Wednesday announced a program to combat sexual abuse among members of the insular world of Brooklyn's ultra-Orthodox Jews — a problem one lawmaker says extends beyond New York. The centerpiece of the outreach program, announced by Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes and Jewish community leaders, is a hot line abuse victims can call and speak to a 'culturally sensitive' social worker."

U.S. Singles Out 8 Nations for Religious Freedom Violations

"Just before the end of the Bush administration last January, the U.S. State Department redesignated eight nations as 'countries of particular concern' because of their religious freedom violations. The independent U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom learned of the designations, which were authorized Jan. 16 under then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and announced them on Friday. The panel had asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in February to release the department's latest list of designated countries."

Poll: U.S. Catholics Lean Left on Social Issues

"American Catholics are more liberal than the general population on social issues like divorce and homosexuality, despite the Catholic Church's longstanding conservatism on both issues, according to a new survey."

In Times Like These, More People are Going to Church for Help

"Pleas for help — spiritual and financial — are flooding U.S. churches, from tiny congregations to megachurches, as recession woes seep into the pews, a new survey finds."

LifeWay Research: Americans Open to Outreach From Churches

"Despite worries among evangelicals that Americans are set against attending church, most people would attend if invited in the right manner. A recent study by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and LifeWay Research found that 67 percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a family member would be effective in getting them to visit a church. A personal invitation from a friend or neighbor would effectively reach 63 percent. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) are willing to receive information about a local congregation or faith community from a family member, and 56 percent are willing to receive such information from a friend or neighbor."

Southern Baptists Urge Their Members to Evangelize More

"The Southern Baptist Convention, which is launching a new national campaign to bring unbelievers to Jesus, is up against a major obstacle: motivating its own members to evangelize. But it may be the only effective way to reach people, according to a survey of 15,173 people by LifeWay Research, a Christian research firm. The survey found only two ways most people said they were somewhat or very willing to "receive information" about Jesus: 63% would hear it in a 'personal conversation with a family member,' or with a friend or neighbor from the church (56%)."

A Study Bible Wins 'Christian Book of the Year' Award

"The ESV Study Bible has been named the 'Christian Book of the Year' by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, marking the first time the honor has been given to a study Bible. The Bible, which is in the English Standard Version, includes study notes from evangelical Christian scholars and other reference materials. Published by Crossway, it also won in the best Bible category."

Time: 10 Ideas That are Changing the World

Included in this slideshow is an item on "the new Calvinism."

The Guard Who Found Islam

"Terry Holdbrooks stood watch over prisoners at Gitmo. What he saw made him adopt their faith."

Churches Adopting Point-Click Hymnal

"When Joe Christian started planning church services 35 years ago, it meant spending hours flipping through hymnals and copying sheet music. Today, it's point, click, worship. Christian, the music minister at Una Baptist Church in Nashville, is one of more than 12,000 people who have signed up for a new iTunes-like website called LifeWayworship.com. Along with buying recordings of worship songs and hymns, users can create and download sheet music for church bands and choirs. LifeWay officials hope their new site will make life easier for music ministers, while following copyright laws."

Jesus From a Middle Eastern Perspective

"Most scholars recognize that a cultural gap exists between what we read in the gospels and what actually happened in Galilee some 2,000 years ago. Modern exegesis labors to extract meaning from these gospels using well-established methods of interpretation. Every student has to master the Greek text along with the nuances of its syntax and grammar, word choices, and idioms. The problem with this method is that, just as a gap exists between that Greek text and our modern English translations, so too a gap existed long ago between the original stories of Jesus told by Aramaic-speaking Jews and their final write-up in Greek by the evangelists, who understood Middle Eastern culture (though they were writing in Greek). . . ."

Growing African Church Often Splits With Pope

"As Pope Benedict XVI makes his first pilgrimage to the continent this week, the church faces enormous challenges. Yet the number of Catholics has ballooned in the last century from fewer than 2 million to nearly 140 million — making it the most fertile ground in the world for Catholicism. Africa also is producing priests at a higher rate than anyone else, with ordinations rising by nearly 30 percent in 2007, the Vatican reported last month. . ."

Seminaries Face Financial Woes

"Sagging endowments and other shrinking revenue streams are challenging the status quo at the nation's seminaries, most of which aren't cushioned by a link to an endowed university. Among the 175 'free-standing' institutions in the Association of Theological Schools, 39% were 'financially stressed,' with less than a year's worth of spendable assets, a fall 2008 report says. That's up from 26% a year earlier, and the data don't reflect fallout from the stock market crash in the fall."

US Births Break Record; 40 Percent Out-of-Wedlock

". . .Behind the number is both good and bad news. While it shows the U.S. population is more than replacing itself, a healthy trend, the teen birth rate was up for a second year in a row. The birth rate rose slightly for women of all ages, and births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high of about 40 percent, continuing a trend that started years ago. More than three-quarters of these women were 20 or older."

"'For a variety of reasons, it's become more acceptable for women to have babies without a husband,' said Duke University's S. Philip Morgan, a leading fertility researcher. Even happy couples may be living together without getting married, experts say. And more women - especially those in their 30s and 40s - are choosing to have children despite their single status."

The Red Sea Might Save the Dead Sea

"Abundant water from the Red Sea could replenish the shrinking Dead Sea if Jordan, Israel and the Palestinians decide to commission a tunnel north through the Jordanian desert from the Gulf of Aqaba."

Religious Belief Influences End-of-Life Treatment Choices

"Terminally ill cancer patients who drew comfort from religion were far more likely to seek aggressive, life-prolonging care in the week before they died than were less religious patients and far more likely to want doctors to do everything possible to keep them alive, a study has found."

Collection of Offerings in American Churches - Historical Perspectives

"After America ended state support of churches in the early 19th century, the collection of 'tithes and offerings' became a standard feature of Sunday morning worship."

Pope Admits Mistakes in Letter About Holocaust Denier

Pope Benedict is somewhat unique in his willingness to admit mistakes. This is the second time he has done so:

"Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the letter — released in six languages — was 'really unusual and deserving of maximum attention.'"

Boom-Years Borrowing Hits Churches

"Add houses of worship to the list of casualties of the mortgage crisis. Foreclosures and delinquencies for congregations are rising, according to companies that specialize in church mortgages. With credit scarce, church construction sites have gone quiet, holding shells of sanctuaries that were meant to be completed months ago. Congregants have less money to give, and pastors who stretched to buy property in the boom are struggling to hold onto their churches."

Online Bible Atlas that Uses Google Maps

Online Bible Atlas that Uses Google Maps

Scientists Locate 'God Spot' in Human Brain

"Science can't say whether God represents a loving, vengeful or nonexistent being. But researchers have revealed for the first time how such religious beliefs trigger different parts of the brain. Brain scans showed that participants fell back on higher thought patterns when reacting to religious statements, whether trying to figure out God's thoughts and emotions or thinking about metaphorical meaning behind religious teachings. 'That suggests that religion is not a special case of a belief system, but evolved along with other belief and social cognitive abilities,' said Jordan Grafman, a cognitive neuroscientist at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland."

Top 15 Biblical Ways to Acquire a Wife

~ Find an attractive prisoner of war, bring her home, shave her head, trim her nails, and give her new clothes. Then she's yours. (Deuteronomy 21:11-13)

~ Find a prostitute and marry her. (Hosea 1:1-3)

~ Find a man with seven daughters, and impress him by watering his flock. (Moses--Exodus 2:16-21)

~ Purchase a piece of property, and get a woman as part of the deal. (Boaz--Ruth 4:5-10)

~ Go to a party and hide. When the women come out to dance, grab one and carry her off to be your wife. (Benjaminites--Judges 21:19-25)

~ Have God create a wife for you while you sleep. Note: this will cost you. (Adam--Genesis 2:19-24)

~ Agree to work seven years in exchange for a woman's hand in marriage. Get tricked into marrying the wrong woman. Then work another seven years for the woman you wanted to marry in the first place. That's right. Fourteen years of toil for a wife. (Jacob--Genesis 29:15-30)

~ Cut 200 foreskins off of your future father-in-law's enemies and get his daughter for a wife. (David--1 Samuel 18:27)

~ Even if no one is out there, just wander around a bit and you'll definitely find someone. (It's all relative, of course.) (Cain--Genesis 4:16-17)

~ Become the emperor of a huge nation and hold a beauty contest. (Xerxes or Ahasuerus--Esther 2:3-4)

~ When you see someone you like, go home and tell your parents, "I have seen a ... woman; now get her for me." If your parents question your decision, simply say, "Get her for me. She's the one for me." (Samson--Judges 14:1-3)

~ Kill any husband and take HIS wife (Prepare to lose four sons, though).
(David--2 Samuel 11)

~ Wait for your brother to die. Take his widow. (It's not just a good idea; it's the law.) (Onana and Boaz--Deuteronomy or Leviticus, example in Ruth)

~ Don't be so picky. Make up for quality with quantity. (Solomon--1 Kings 11:1-3)

~ A wife?...NOT? (Paul--1 Corinthians 7:32-35)

Most Religious Groups in USA Have Lost Ground, Survey Finds

"When it comes to religion, the USA is now land of the freelancers. The percentage of people who call themselves in some way Christian has dropped more than 11% in a generation. The faithful have scattered out of their traditional bases: The Bible Belt is less Baptist. The Rust Belt is less Catholic. And everywhere, more people are exploring spiritual frontiers — or falling off the faith map completely."

The full report of the the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey is located here.

Blacks, Asians Use Less Hospice Care

"BibleMap.org is developed by the duo at He Lives Ministries (HeLives.com). The motivation for developing the site was simple, create a free Bible atlas which harnesses Google maps."

Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding: Documents and Statements

Collection of "the principal documents and statements available in English that have helped to chart and mark the direction and discussions of Christian-Jewish understanding and relations since the Second World War. Also included ... [are a few] Jewish-Christian-Muslim documents." Provides documents including the "Balfour Declaration" (1917), Roman Catholic statements, Protestant documents, and Jewish-Christian documents such as "The Vatican and the Holocaust, A Preliminary Report" (2000). From Sacred Heart University. (Lii.org)

More Americans Say They Have No Religion

"A wide-ranging study on American religious life found that the Roman Catholic population has been shifting out o of the Northeast to the Southwest, the percentage of Christians in the nation has declined and more people say they have no religion at all. Fifteen percent of respondents said they had no religion, an increase from 14.2 percent in 2001 and 8.2 percent in 1990, according to the American Religious Identification Survey."

Barna Survey Examines Changes in Worldview Among Christians

"A new nationwide survey conducted by The Barna Group among a representative sample of adults explored how many have what might be considered a “biblical worldview.” The report from Barna compared current results to the outcomes from a similar survey the company conducted in 1995, 2000 and 2005."

Study: Religious People Less Anxious

"Research from the University of Toronto found that those who believe in God have less anxiety and stress than those who are not as religious. To test the theory, the university’s assistant professor of psychology Michael Inzlicht conducted two studies in which he hooked participants up to electrodes to test their brain activity. The result proved believers and non-believers have significant differences in their brains."

A Digital Window on the Medieval World

"Thousands of medieval manuscripts have been digitized by libraries around the world. The trick has been finding them. Matthew Fisher, an assistant professor of English at the University of California at Los Angeles, thought up a solution: the Catalogue of Digitized Medieval Manuscripts, a centralized online archive of holdings around the world."

Academic Freedom, Christian Context

"Academic freedom at religious institutions has always been a vexed and complex subject. Many religious colleges assert that they have academic freedom, while also requiring professors to sign statements of faith in which they subscribe to a certain worldview -- and there is not necessarily a public attempt to reconcile these principles. One evangelical Christian college has tried to change the conversation – reframing limitations on inquiry implied by signing a statement of faith, for instance, as opportunities."

US Muslims: Young, Diverse, Striving

"A 'national portrait' of Muslim Americans, released Monday by Gallup, depicts the youngest and most racially diverse religious community in the country as striving for a secure place in American society and an active role in public life. The report describes a group that has achieved successes and shares much in common with other Americans, yet struggles for a sense of belonging in a country where some citizens harbor post-9/11 suspicions about the Islamic faith. Drawing on data from three distinct Gallup surveys, the report compares Muslim Americans with other religious groups and the general US population, as well as with Muslims in other countries. Muslim Americans, for instance, are among the most highly educated religious groups in the US, second to Jews. In a remarkable finding, 43 percent of Muslim-American women hold a college or postgraduate degree, compared with 29 percent of US women overall. They are as likely as Muslim men to hold professional jobs. The group shows strong employment rates, including 30 percent in professional work and 25 percent self-employed."

Vatican: After Decline, Number of Priests Rises Slowly

"The Vatican says the number of priests worldwide is slowly but steadily rising. The Holy See presented its yearbook filled with statistics to Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday.Since 2000, the number of priests has gone up by several hundred each year. The two decades before that had witnessed a marked decline. The percentage of Catholics worldwide remains stable, at about 17.3%."

Top 100 Theology Blogs

"The study of religion is interesting, and you'll find a variety of blogs devoted to it. . . .Follow this list of top notch theology blogs to gain a deeper understanding of religious studies."

Reasons I Stopped Attending Sports Events

TWELVE REASONS WHY I STOPPED ATTENDING SPORTS EVENTS

~ Every time I went, they asked me for money.

~ The people with whom I had to sit by didn't seem very friendly.

~ The seats were too hard and not comfortable at all.

~ The coach never came to call on me.

~ The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.

~ I was sitting with some hypocrites -- they came only to see what others were wearing.

~ Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.

~ The band played some numbers that I had never heard before.

~ The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.

~ My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.

~ Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.

~ I don't want to take my children, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

Barna Survey on Spiritual Gifts

"Two-thirds of Americans (68%) who say they are Christian noted they have heard of spiritual gifts, according to a national survey by The Barna Group. That represents a small decline from past surveys, which found 72% awareness in 2000, and 71% in 1995. Awareness of spiritual gifts was most common among self-described Christians who live in the South (75%) and West (71%), and least common among those living in the Midwest (63%) and Northeast (58%)."

For Catholics, a Door to Absolution Is Reopened

"The announcement in church bulletins and on Web sites has been greeted with enthusiasm by some and wariness by others. But mainly, it has gone over the heads of a vast generation of Roman Catholics who have no idea what it means: 'Bishop Announces Plenary Indulgences.' In recent months, dioceses around the world have been offering Catholics a spiritual benefit that fell out of favor decades ago — the indulgence, a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife — and reminding them of the church’s clout in mitigating the wages of sin."

Darwin on a Godless Creation: "It's Like Confessing to a Murder"

Here is an interesting article on Darwin and religion.

New Research Explores How Technology Drives Generation Gap

"Technology is fast becoming the latest driving force behind what is often called the 'generation gap.' While Americans of every age have become quite comfortable with and dependent on technology, a new study by The Barna Group explores how technology is shaping different experiences and expectations among generations."

The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online

The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online "provides Reliable information on Anabaptist-related (Amish, Mennonite, Hutterite, Brethren in Christ) topics, including history, theology, biography, institutions and local congregations. Secular topics from an Anabaptist perspective and full-text source documents are also included."