When Americans Say They Believe in God, What Do They Actually Mean?
Ask Americans if they believe in God, and 80% of them will say yes. But what God do they believe in? The one described in the Bible, or something else? These are the questions the Pew Research Center set out to answer in ...
Category: Religion Science Spirituality
What Is a Megachurch and Why Do So Many Americans Choose To Attend One?
By definition, a megachurch is a Protestant church with a consistent weekend congregation of at least 2,000. While some Catholic churches have memberships of this size, the term megachurch applies only to huge Protestant ...
Category: Religion
The Rise of the Nones
Ever since the 1990s, America has seen an increasing number of people who self-identify as a None; i.e., someone unaffiliated with any particular organized religion. Nones also include those who view themselves as agnost ...
Category: Religion Spirituality
Learning About Mortality From Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius (121–180 AD) was a Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. He’s most remembered today for his plethora of pithy comments such as the following: Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Eve ...
Category: Aid ULC Topics
Mormon Church Changes Stance on LGBT Baptisms
In a stunning move on April 4 of this year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, announced that it will now baptize the children of LGBT parents. This new policy reverses ...
Category: Social Equality Christianity
Are There Such Things as Guardian Angels?
If you’re of a certain age, you likely remember “Touched by an Angel,” the wildly popular TV series that ran on CBS on Sunday evening (when else?) from 1994–2003. If you’re of a younger cert ...
Category: Religion Superstitions
Has Marriage Become Merely a Trophy?
Once upon a time, a wedding signified a rite of passage between American childhood and adulthood. When a couple got married, whatever their ages, they were publicly declaring that they were two responsible adults ready t ...
Category: Gay Weddings Weddings
Is Atheism Its Own Religion?
As with so many other questions nowadays, the answer to whether atheism is its own religion depends on two things: who you ask and how you define your terms. While our question seems like a simple and straightforward one ...
Is Pope Francis Opening the Door for Married Catholic Priests?
Last week, the Vatican formally opened renewed debate on the controversial issue of allowing married men to become ordained priests. The proposal is a prelude to the scheduled October meeting of the South American bishop ...
Category: Religion
Some Zen Principles That Really Work
Before you groan and go, “Oh great, another hippy-dippy, feel-good, I’m-okay-you’re-okay lecture about the value of self-centeredness,” stop right there. Zen principles definitely have everything ...
Category: Eastern Philosophy