Twenty percent of Protestants and 28 percent of Catholics said they believe in reincarnation, which flies in the face of Christianity's rapture scenario. Furthermore, about the same percentages said they believe in astrology, yoga as a spiritual practice and the idea that there is "spiritual energy" pulsing from things like "mountains, trees or crystals." Uh-oh. Someone's God is going to be jealous.
Read moreHe is seconded by his guest, a well-known ex-Marxist journalist and political commentator, who has written a book on the same subject. Together they make witty, withering and scornful attacks on religious belief in general and Christianity in particular.
Read moreAccusing Israel
There are, I think, a number of wrong ways to respond to this problem. One is to accuse Israel. What people say is, "God is not really like that. What actually happened was that Israel justified these massacres by claiming that God ordered them, but he didn't really." This gets God off the hook, but it undermines the trustworthiness of the Bible, which says quite explicitly this was God's doing.
Read moreWe live in a consumer-driven culture, and as such our mindset about nearly everything is from the perspective of being consumers: What does this offer me? Is this a good deal for my money (or time, or energy, etc.)? What do I get out of this? If we don't like this show, we turn the channel. If we don't like our neighbors, we build a fence. If we don't like the pastor's preaching, we find a new church.
Read moreThere are 109 dioceses in the Episcopal Church, spanning 16 countries. Not all have bishops, due to vacancies in a handful of dioceses. In order to receive consent for the election of a new bishop, the diocese must send notification of the election to each standing committee and bishop with jurisdiction (in this case, an active diocesan bishop).
Read moreThe first group, traditionalists, have a great heritage of Christian thinking behind them. Neither the Orthodox nor Roman Catholics permit women to be ordained. Historically, Anglicans have agreed with this position, and only recently – as recently as the 1960’s – have some branches of the Anglican Communion begun ordaining women to the priesthood.
Read moreThe Rev. Eddy Rix, rector of All Saints', Wynnewood, PA, and Vice President of the U.S. Prayer Book Society, and the Rev. Jason Patterson, a PBS Board member who leads St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Asheboro, North Carolina, write in the latest edition of the Society publication, Mandate, of visits over the summer to Uganda and Tanzania.
Read moreKeller is a 59-year-old bald, large-framed man, dressed today in a blue blazer and gray slacks. For those expecting hellfire and brimstone, the first surprise is the voice. Keller doesn't speak in theatrical, over-the-top tones but in a soft, conversational manner, as if he's sharing a confidence with a friend.
Read moreIt was noble, humble Samwise Gamgee who kept Frodo on the right path despite distractions and dangers. Sam never sought to be the hero but spoke and acted with clarity and decisiveness when everyone else was confused. He made the hero's way passable.
Read moreBy the "sad alumni" of the Christian faith, I mean the hundreds whose acquaintance with the Christian church was often one in which they were helped to move from unbelief (or from rank moralism) into professing faith in Jesus Christ. They heard the preaching of God's law and then heard the announcement of Christ's work on their behalf on the cross - Jesus as the God-man who met the Law's demands for them and died for their sin, died to save them, died to give them eternal life.
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