212 Articles

Religion





    Meditation For Children

    All parents and educators know how open children can be to new learning and how receptive when interested We also know how responsible we must be with respect to what we teach our children and allow them to absorb

    Buddhist Meditation

    While most religions in the world have some form of meditation as a core practice (be it Christian monasticism or Islamic daily prayer), none have made it so central a tenet as Buddhism has As such, there are many variations in the practice and goals of meditation within Buddhism

    What Happens When a Fundamentalist Quits?

    In the holiday movie, White Christmas, Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye are faced with the terrible downturn in fortunes experienced by their former commanding officer from the European theater in World War II The general, a well beloved man, has retired after the war to a small inn located in Vermont

    Why it is Difficult to Reason With Fundamentalists

    It is difficult to reason with fundamentalists In fact, it is virtually impossible

    Shepherds and the Nativity

    • By Katie
    • Published Wednesday 27th 2008
    • Religion
    • Rating: Unrated


    Shepherds When people think of the Nativity, the Holy Family and the three Wise Men are often thought of Also, the angel who announced Jesus’ birth

    The Road to Fundamentalism

    What is the road, the path that leads to fundamentalism The traditional answer associates fundamentalism with poverty, low educational attainment, and low socioeconomic status in general

    Learn the History of Jesus Christ

    All throughout the Old Testament are various prophecies detailing the coming of the Messiah The biblical text are numerous and telling of the life of the Lord

    Analysis and History of Jesus Christ

    Jesus Christ is the most influential figure in all of history Whether or not Christ really was the son of God, his impact on society has been more monumental than any other character

    Social Events For Christian Singles

    When you are single and Christian, you want to meet someone who shares your religious beliefs It is important to meet someone that has similar values and moral code

    Benefits of Christian Social Networking

    Traditional social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook are fine decisions for those who want to get in to the social networking scene They have tens of millions of members and are constantly growing at a rapid pace

    Add Daily Bible Study to Your Life

    Many people have studied the Bible It is considered one of the most ancient and respected books on earth

    Who is God and What Are His Characteristics

    The topic of God is one of the most controversial and, for many people, important of our time Whether or not one believes in God, nobody can deny the immense power that the subject has over the world

    Ten Signs That You Might be a Fundamentalist

    Presently, fundamentalism is a hot topic Many folks have been astonished at the level of evil perpetrated by Islamic fundamentalists, the most notable example being the events of 9/11

    Church Chairs a Long Due Makeover

    A few centuries ago, in the 1600’s you may not have been likely to find chairs in all churches If you did find seating, chances are good it would not have been in good shape because money was not readily available and churches often had their congregation stand rather than sit

    Church Pews a Historical Perspective

    Picture this scenario It is about 8:00 am on a Sunday morning and you have stumbled out of bed knowing that it is your responsibility to wake up your other family members, feed them breakfast, and get them dressed in their “Sunday best

    How to Choose the Best Furniture For Your Church

    Church furnishing can create the atmosphere you desire the most in your particular house of worship Carefully choosing what will work best for you and your congregation can make your church comfortable and homey, fancy and ornate, or any combination of the two

    Are All Fundamentalists Extremists?

    In this article, we wish to explore the nature of two words, fundamentalism, and extremism What connotation do we arrive at when we hear these words

    Are the Terms "Fundamentalism" And "Cult" Equivalent Terms?

    In my mind, the term "cult" is an ugly word It acquires that connotation by its usage

    You Don't Have a Soul

    What would you do if you were told that you don't have a soul What if you were told that you must develop your soul in order for you to live on past this life

    Palm Sunday's Tradition Traverse Many Cultures

    Palm Sunday is the last Sunday of Lent It is always the start of Holy Week and the last Sunday of Lent

    How Do You Become Catholic

    How does a person become Catholic The short answer is to contact the local Catholic Church in their community and ask to speak with the RCIA director or the Adult Education Dept

    Evolution Vs. Creationism

    The idea that evolution (macro evolution) is anti-God or anti Christian is a falsity too often purported by the creationist movement Evolution is soundly grounded by science and is accepted by many mainstream Christian faiths most notably the largest and oldest Christian denomination the Roman Catholic Church

    Reincarnation Stories

    The best reincarnation stories not only entertain us, but offer examples of how reincarnation may impact our own lives, and keys to see our own past-life influences Here is a reincarnation story that does all three

    Advent Tradition Circles Around a Wreath

    If you ask any Catholic, they will tell you the season of Advent is a period of penance and preparing their heart for the coming of the Baby Jesus But although not part of the Holy See’s opinion on Advent, the advent wreath, advent season and the family activities helps families stay focused on the real meaning of the season, Jesus, and not the commercialism Christmas has become

    Celtic Advent Wreaths Help Keep Irish Family Traditions

    A Celtic Advent Wreath may be one that uses tradition advent candles or some use dark and light green tapers in place of the purple and pink The Celtic Advent and the Easter Orthodox Advent or Nativity fast last for 40 days and starts mid November but most Advent wreaths have a maximum of 5 candles

    Look to the Mountains

    What is a Trail Thought To me it is what happens when you venture outside on a clear, cold winter night and gaze into the heavens

    Biblical Wisdom Defined

    We often think of wisdom in the abstract — as if it represents a human philosophy, constructed by the hands of men, with only a theoretical application to everyday life But according to scripture, wisdom pre-existed the creation of the world and comes from the heart of God

    Bankrupt in Bridgeport

    In the preface to Trail Thoughts, I describe my early life of career building as a pursuit of the youthful dreams common in those times: "…I was drawn to Manhattan because of its magnetic energy, its endless promise and its aura of mystery" But while the initial trajectory of my life there seemed to be rising to the upper reaches of success, the reality was just the reverse

    Jesse Tree and Advent

    Jesse Tree and Advent are tied together where as the Jesse Tree has biblical root Some parishes defer the use of a Christmas tree to a Jesse Tree in the Altar or sanctuary area

    How I Came to My 'Jonah Moment'

    As a young man, I was drawn to Manhattan because of its magnetic energy, its endless promise and its aura of mystery To me, Manhattan was an imaginary city of glittering majesty, the city described by Fitzgerald as a place that has all the "…wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world

    The Unbearable Darkness of Being Without God

    The news is not good A Governor of a large state throws everything away for a few hours of hidden pleasure with an expensive prostitute

    Nothing Gold Can Stay

    Our culture is obsessed with the acquisition of material goods and worldly status However, in the race to attain these temporal things, people forget to pursue spiritual riches

    The Priests - Their Story

    From time to time, music seems to take a decided style change, with listeners demanding music that allows them to get back to the basics This certainly seems to be the case now as three priests have recently signed a recording deal with music legend Sony BMG

    The Nicene Creed

    “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, of all that is, seen and unseen We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father

    The King

    Who comes to mind when you hear the words “the king” Some may think of Elvis or perhaps Henry VIII or King Arthur

    Stop Worrying and Start Feeling Good Again!

    Does it sometimes seem like you can’t go on anymore with all the stressful things in your life Rest assured, help is always there with you

    7 Step "Tongue-in-Cheek" Guide to Never Having an Experience of God

    Are you one of those people who secretly wish you believed in God Or are you one of those people who believe in God in an abstract way rather than a personal way

    Does God Heal Those Who Pray or Do We Heal Ourselves?

    We have all heard stories of how people who were afflicted with serious diseases prayed to God and were healed Despite the fact that many times prayer does not help, in those cases where it was effective this strengthens the faith of those who prayed and further seals their belief that God exists

    Do Atheists Have to be Anti-Faith or Anti-Religion?

    Since the religious terrorism of 9/11 a number of books have appeared by atheists that are staunchly anti-faith and anti-religion, placing many of the evils of modern society at the feet of religion These include Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion, Sam Harris' The End of Faith, Daniel Dennet's Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon, and Christopher Hitchens' God is Not Great

    The Night Battles and Friulian Society

    Friulian society was one of superstition, a rural society in which the old traditions, many of them pre-Christian traditions died hard and were completely foreign to the non-Friulian inquisitors Many of the people in the society were uneducated and sought to explain hard times they encountered through supernatural means, such as witches and the benandanti

    Ave Maria

    Over the years, the hymn Ave Maria has been set to music numerous times The most famous of those was composed by Franz Schubert

    A Vision Check With Jesus

    Jesus is all about vision In John 14:6, one of His classic "I am" statements Jesus said, "I am the way

    Looking at the Importance of Songs in Worship

    Historically, songs and music have always been an important part of the idea of worship Perhaps the reason for this is the ease which songs and music provide in expressing worship

    Is Morality a God Given or an Inborn Trait?

    The idea that man needs God to tell us how to behave morally, to be kind and thoughtful toward our fellow man, to aid others without any promise of benefit to ourselves, is a central tenet of most of the major religions To emphasize the point, we are told that if we do not obey God's Moral Law we will spend an eternity in hell while if we do obey the Moral Law we will spend an eternity of bliss in heaven

    Patron Saint Medals Are an Expression of Faith

    In the shape of a coin, religious medals are very common part of the Catholic persona and many Catholics own or often wear these items on chains around their neck The history of practice of wearing religious medals dates back to the early days of the church

    Is There a Simple Solution to the Problem of Why God Allows Evil to Occur?

    One of the most difficult questions for priests, ministers, and theologians to answer is – Why does a kind, compassionate, personal God that answers prayers and looks out for our personal welfare, allow so much evil to occur in the world This is often called "the problem of evil

    A Return to the Classic Latin Hymns

    Throughout history, the classic Latin hymns have been an important part of the Catholic faith Two thousand years of musical development have produced a variety of hymns that encompass settings for every imaginable purpose and time

    The Art of Being Present - Part II

    To truly be present, we need to be available to the moment with our whole self This requires not only an act of attention but also an act of integration so that we are drawing upon all parts of ourselves to 'be with' another

    The Earth Purifies - Earth Changes, Flooding, And Extreme Weather Patterns

    It may be difficult for us to imagine how the earth which appears to us to be a solid mass of complexly interrelated parts, can have an intentionality to purify and can be undergoing a process we normally associate with human beings on a spiritual path And even if it is true of the planetary body, we may well wonder how this happens and how it can affect weather patterns

    Did Man Create God?

    In an era when politicians must prove they are religious to get elected and the proclamations of their ministers can get them into trouble, when schools are urged to teach creationism, when presidents and main stream movies proclaim the virtues of Intelligent Design, when fundamentalists want to destroy Western civilization in the name of religion, and when ninety-five percent of the people in the world believe that God created man, we need to ask the question, do they have it all backward - Did Man Create God

    You Can't Please Everybody

    There was once a man and his son going with their Donkey to the market As they were walking along by its side a neighbor man passed them and said: “You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride on

    Submission With a Smile

    I used to cringe at the word, “submission” Although I love my mother dearly, I will say that she did not do much to teach me what submission really means

    Are You Wondering What the Meaning of Life Is?

    What is the meaning of life And is there just one meaning or many

    Did the Origin of Life on Earth Require God's Help?

    The evolution of all life on earth from a single primitive life form is straight forward and fairly easy to understand on the basis of Darwinian principles of mutation and natural selection However, the question of where the first primitive life form came from is not so easy

    Is There Life on Mars?

    Are we alone in the universe or is there life on other planets And perhaps even as close our next door neighbor, the planet Mars

    Houston Pastor Pens First Book

    We have all been at a crossroad at some time in our life Whether it is the death of loved one, losing a job, or a natural disaster, we have all come to a point in our life when we feel that we cannot go on, and the struggles of life are simply too much to bear

    Angels And Guardian Angels