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Religion News

2015-03-13T22:09:10-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is bad news good business?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

PATRICK (no location posted) ASKS: From a newspaper marketing perspective, is it good business to publish bad, one-sided journalism on religion?… When somebody writes something full of egregious errors are they disciplined? Accountable?… THE GUY ANSWERS: Obviously Patrick is among America’s serious-minded news consumers who are deeply disappointed these days, disappointed by sloppiness and unwanted slant, and in this instance by the quality of religion coverage. He offers no specific gripes but YOU RELIGION Q & A READERS OUT THERE are... Read more

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2015-03-13T22:09:10-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why do Americans shun religious denominations?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

DUANE IN NEW JERSEY ASKS: Picking up on your comments on denominations, (a Gallup poll indicates) Americans still have a religious bent but that more folks don’t associate themselves with a particular denomination. Why? THE GUY ANSWERS: For perspective, note that in 1776 only a fifth of the population belonged to a church. Americans have always tended to be cussedly independent and indifferent toward the niceties of religious doctrine. American Christianity from the start has been fissiparous — The Guy has always... Read more

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2015-03-13T22:09:10-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why do Christians ignore so many biblical laws?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

EYTAN IN COLLEGE PARK, MD., ASKS: Why do Christians not follow Jewish law or celebrate Jewish holidays if they believe in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible? THE GUY ANSWERS: A classic issue. Eytan is correct that Christianity ignores many laws and festivals in the Bible’s first five books, yet fully embraces the Hebrew scriptures (“Old Testament”) alongside its New Testament. The church decided this with finality in the 2d century when it spurned Marcion and other heretics... Read more

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2015-03-13T22:09:10-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Oscars, Lincoln, coincidences — and God

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

CHRIS IN MASSACHUSETTS ASKS: Christians and non-Christians alike announce that “there are no such things as coincidences” (so that e.g. getting a good parking space) is an act of direct divine intervention…. Are all of these coincidences “little miracles” that God hands out to virtually everyone? THE GUY ANSWERS: Good theme for the days between Lincoln’s Birthday and the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony where the movie “Lincoln” is up for 12 Oscars. Why? Historian Allen Guelzo’s magnificent biography “Abraham Lincoln:... Read more

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2015-03-13T22:09:11-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Pope abdicates!

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

THE RELIGION GUY, instead of waiting for a question to be posted, offers some quick thoughts on Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise announcement today that he will resign February 28 as leader of the world’s billion-plus Catholics. The timing is notable, coming just before Ash Wednesday without waiting till after Holy Week. Far more amazing is the resignation itself. Like England’s monarchs or certain other religious dynasts, popes simply do not resign. The last one who did, Gregory XII, stepped down in a 1415... Read more

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2015-03-13T22:09:11-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jesus was given two names. How come?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

JOHN IN NEW JERSEY WONDERS: (In Matthew 1:21-23) the angel tells Joseph to call the baby Jesus, meaning “the Lord saves,” and that this relates to the Old Testament and fulfills what was written there: They will call him Immanuel, which means “God with us.” How does one reconcile these differences? THE GUY ANSWERS: Like his New Jersey namesake, Father John Meier of the University of Notre Dame says “at first glance” it’s indeed “puzzling” that Matthew provides two names,... Read more

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2015-03-13T22:09:11-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

More on Mormons & Mitt

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

KEN IN PENNSYLVANIA ASKS: What effect do you think the Romney campaign had on Mormons? THE GUY ANSWERS: Politically, not so much. In favoring Mitt Romney, a notably devout member of their church, Mormons (a.k.a. Latter-day Saints) merely continued longstanding, lopsided fidelity to Republicans, including McCain 2008 and Bush 2004. Heavily Mormon Utah hasn’t voted for a Democratic president since 1964 or a Democratic U.S. Senator since 1970. As is customary, church officialdom carefully avoided hints of partisanship and the... Read more

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2015-03-13T22:09:11-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Hell: Challenging a somewhat delicate doctrine

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

PETER IN N.J. ASKS: (Regarding Rob Bell’s book about hell) I was wondering to what extent his views are or are not new across prominent Christian traditions THE GUY ANSWERS: Conservative Christians might have thought “hell’s bells” upon hearing about Bell’s hell. His “Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived” (HarperOne) generated a “Time” magazine cover story, a “New Yorker” profile, and a heckuva reaction. It’s no big deal when liberals... Read more

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2015-03-13T22:09:12-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is the Episcopal Church really all that important?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

MARK (listing no location) ASKS: Why do so many journalists seem to think that the small (and dwindling) Episcopal Church is the most important of the “mainline” churches? THE GUY ANSWERS: Small? In the current “Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches” the Episcopal Church reports annual proceeds of $2 billion and an “inclusive” membership of 1,951,907, or #14 in size among U.S. religious bodies. Dwindling? For sure. It boasted 3,647,297 members in the peak year of 1966 (using a somewhat... Read more

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2015-03-13T22:09:12-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why are holy scriptures so complicated?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm By Richard Ostling

ELIZABETH IN MASS. ASKS (on behalf of a Prison Fellowship pen pal): If divinely inspired holy books are for our guidance, benefit, spiritual enlightenment, etc., why is much of it so obscure and beyond the common lay person’s understanding? Where do I draw the line between sticking to what I can grasp and what another source asks me to believe? THE GUY ANSWERS: How great is it that an inmate is making good use of time behind bars to ponder important questions! The... Read more

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