religion

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Tony Blair Debates Religion With Atheist Hitchens

See why God is like a 'divine North Korea'

(Newser) - Famous atheist Christopher Hitchens took on famous Catholic convert Tony Blair in a debate on whether religion is a good or bad thing for the world yesterday. And while it's impossible to declare a winner on such a subjective ... oh wait, this is 2010, which means we had an audience...

Faithful Flock to Jesus Theme Park

Visitors can pose for 'walking on water' photo

(Newser) - Christians seeking a more hands-on religious experience would do well to check out the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, ABC News reports. The park, which has been open for 10 years but was recently bought by Trinity Broadcasting—the largest Christian broadcaster—features interactive New Testament attractions that border on...

Americans Want Forgiving World, But Won't Forgive

There's 'a near-universal desire for a more loving and unified world'

(Newser) - Americans have a complicated relationship with forgiveness—they wish the world was a more forgiving place, but are rather stingy with forgiving people themselves. A full 94% agreed they'd like to see more forgiveness in the country, according to a survey by the Fetzer Institute. Despite that hope, a full...

Israel Slams Catholic Call to End Occupation of Palestine

Calls archbishop's comments 'libel'

(Newser) - Israel blasted a statement by Catholic bishops made during a conference in Rome that called for “an end to the occupation” of Palestinian territories. “We express our disappointment that this important synod has become a forum for political attacks on Israel in the best history of Arab propaganda,...

Two-Thirds Blame Churches for Gay Teen Suicides

People hear homophobic messages from the pulpit, says poll

(Newser) - About 65% of Americans think that anti-gay messages from religious leaders contribute to suicides among homosexual youths, a new poll finds. Slightly more, 72%, agree that religion at least somehow contributes to negative views of gays and lesbians, say researchers at the nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute. Twice as many...

Tea Party Steeped in Global Warming Doubt

More than half of activists don't foresee a warming problem—ever

(Newser) - The Tea Party movement is highly skeptical of the threat posed by—and, in some cases, the existence of—global warming, finds a New York Times /CBS poll. Just 14% of Tea Partiers believe warming is currently taking effect, as opposed to 49% of the rest of Americans. More than...

Berenstain Bears Get Religion
 Berenstain Bears 
 Get Religion 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Oct 17, 2010 7:57 AM CDT

Berenstain Bears Get Religion

New series, with app, centers on Christian themes

(Newser) - Ian Crouch was pretty happy to see that his beloved Berentain Bears have the best-selling book app in the iPhone App Store. Then he noticed that Mama, Papa, Brother, and Sister Bear had gotten a lot more religious. With titles like The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers and The Berenstain ...

Religious Leader to Christians: No Yoga!

Practice uses too much Eastern mysticism, says president of Baptist

(Newser) - Yoga's popularity is growing in the United States, but one religious leader is calling for any Christians who might be practicing it to stop. Yoga’s belief “that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine” is just not Christianity, Albert Mohler tells the AP . Mohler,...

Britain Recognizes Druidry as a Religion

It's gaining converts because of an emphasis on nature

(Newser) - Druidry has been officially recognized as a religion in Britain, complete with charitable status and tax breaks. The UK government acknowledged that the Celtic pagan faith, which originated in Ireland and Britain thousands of years ago, is a religion in its own right and deserves the same benefits as the...

Obama: 'I'm a Christian by Choice'

President opens up about his religion

(Newser) - President Obama was unusually forthcoming today about his religion, explaining to a questioner that he is "Christian by choice," reports the Washington Post . Addressing the issue for the first time since a Pew poll found that many Americans think he's Muslim, the president said that his parents "...

Atheists Know the Most About Religion: Study

Average member of the faithful has big knowledge gap

(Newser) - The people who know the most about religion are the people who don’t have one. In a recent Pew survey, atheists and agnostics knew more, on average, about religion than followers of any of the major faiths, the LA Times reports. The faithful displayed startling gaps in knowledge—a...

Dear Muslims: 'I&rsquo;m Sorry'
 Dear Muslims: 'I’m Sorry' 
Nick Kristof
Sep 19, 2010 5:43 AM CDT

Dear Muslims: 'I’m Sorry'

American should be ashamed of anti-Muslim extremism

(Newser) - America has learned better than to make sweeping statements about Jewish people, Japanese Americans, and African Americans, so why, asks Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times , in the 21ist century is it OK to equate Muslims with terrorism? It's not, he says. Those who follow Islam are not a...

God's Not Male, at Least Not at One Church

Scottish Episcopal bishops OK with removing gender references

(Newser) - God is no longer a "he," at least according to the Scottish Episcopal Church. Its bishops recently debuted a new order of service that removes all masculine references to God, including but not limited to "Lord," "he," "his," and "him,"...

If You're Poor, You've Got Religion...

...Except in the rich US, where 65% say they're devout

(Newser) - The most devout countries in the world are “relatively poor”—except the United States. A new Gallup study shows that in “the world’s poorest countries,” a median of 95% say religion is important in their daily lives. In the richest countries, that number drops to...

Religious Leaders Slam 'Godless' Hawking

Battle erupts over 'spontaneous creation'

(Newser) - Angry religious leaders are slamming "Godless" physicist Stephen Hawking for saying the universe likely created itself without any divine intervention. “Belief in God is not about plugging a gap in explaining how one thing relates to another within the universe," the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams tells...

Gen-Xers More Loyal to Religion Than Baby Boomers

Researchers blame it on the '1960s effect'

(Newser) - Despite Generation X’s reputation as embracing the unconventional, Gen-Xers are actually more likely than Baby Boomers to remain loyal to religion. A new survey shows Boomers are a full 40% to 50% more likely to abandon their faith than Gen-Xers, Scientific American reports. Researchers say the expanded "religious...

Why I Allowed My Sons' 'Brutal' Circumcisions

It hurts, but it's a necessary comfort in an uncertain world

(Newser) - Taffy Brodesser-Akner believes that circumcision is “brutal” mutilation. So why did she subject her sons, and herself, to the traditional Jewish bris—even as she suffered “self-loathing” for what she was putting them through? She traces her Jewish upbringing, denouncement of religion, and eventual return to the faith...

Obama, the Christian, Prefers to Pray Privately

White House goes on the offensive

(Newser) - Unlike his predecessors, President Obama prefers to keep his expressions of religious faith private, Michael D. Shear writes in the Washington Post , recounting the president's unpublicized decision to have a prayer session with three Christian pastors on his 49th birthday. He often consults spiritual advisers but hasn't joined a church...

Republicans Happier Than Democrats

Polls also show old happier than young

(Newser) - If you believe the polls, Republicans are consistently happier than Democrats. In a recent Pew survey, 45% of Republicans said they were happy, compared to only 30% of Democrats—and they've been on top since 1972. So the Daily Beast decided to look at some other happiness polls, to find...

Russian Tycoon: Find God or Find a New Job

Boss bans abortions, 'living in sin'

(Newser) - A Russian tycoon who believes his country's devastating wildfires are a message from an angry God has ordered his employees to stop displeasing the deity. Vasily Boyko-The Great—who legally changed his last name from Boyko—says all 6,500 workers at his agricultural holdings need to attend refresher courses...

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