All posts tagged: Religion

Actor Brian Cox in 2016

‘Religious People are Stupid!’ … Apparently

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Are you religious? I am. So, are you stupid? I won’t say “I am.” to that question, and I believe you won’t either. We should all know that many people believe, sincerely, that religious people are stupid. Most people who believe that identify as Atheists. You might be surprised to learn that this belief is common, and I think it’s growing, in our modern societies. If you believe in some religion, have you had your moment? Did someone tell you that you are stupid to believe those ideas? Wait for it. An actor and atheist from Scotland, named Brian Cox, recently spoke about the stupidity in religion, and he was quoted by news sources. One quote is, “Religion has sold humans a false story about reality and contributed to their own ‘stupidity.’” I am writing as a Christian, and by this definition I am stupid, or I am contributing to stupid thinking and stupid behavior, in this world. That is disturbing. Now I want to argue. It is easy to answer back. You know what …

Frogs in the kettle: Christians in America

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Jeff King, the president of International Christian Concern (ICC), warned that Christians in America are like frogs in a boiling pot of water and seem blissfully unaware of their slowly changing environment. “Too many people are not aware politically, and they’re so used to thinking of how things were that they can’t figure out where these bubbles are coming from, not realizing they’re being cooked,” King said in a recent interview with the Christian Post. The ICC president noted that this growing persecution and censorship of Christians is on display in a recent court case involving a Texas teacher, Staci Barber. Barber, along with two other teachers, were allegedly reprimanded by their school principal for participating in a “See You At the Pole,” an international prayer event where students, teachers, and parents gather at the flagpoles of schools around the world to pray. These events typically take place before the start of the school day. The principal allegedly told the teachers that the Katy Independent School District, located near Houston, does not allow teachers to …

Man walking with Bible under his arm.

More Gen Z say the Bible is transforming their lives, survey finds

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There was a bit of good news in a recent survey of Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, conducted by the American Bible Society, CBN reports. For the past 14 years, the American Bible Society has been asking Americans how much they engaged in the Bible. Based on how much they read the Bible and believe it is relevant to their everyday lives, the State of the Bible survey sorts Americans into three basic groups, ‘scripturally engaged’, ‘moveable middle’, and ‘disengaged’. Overall the survey found that the percentage of people who are considered ‘disengaged’ from the Bible, was at its highest percentage, 57%, in the survey’s 14-year history. This was up from 53% the previous year. However, amid this overall decline, the 2024 survey found that Gen Z was bucking this trend with 54% stating their lives had been transformed by reading the Bible, up from 50% the previous year. Another group that showed improvement was Black Americans. The survey found that the number of Black Americans who ‘engaged’ the Bible had increased …

Worship service at Community Church in Brighton, Michigan

Lamenting the decline of cultural Christianity

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One of the metaphors that Jesus used to describe the influence of Christianity was salt. Christians are to be the salt of the world and through that be a positive influence on society. In the analogy, the Lord was asking what happens if believers lose their saltiness. Essentially, they would become useless and thrown out (Matthew 5:13). But aside from Christians losing their saltiness, other forces are at work to remove the Christian influence from the world. Perhaps one of the key leaders of this movement has been former Oxford University professor Richard Dawkins, 83. An evolutionary biologist and atheist, he has been at the forefront, publicly criticizing religion and Christianity in particular. He wrote a popular bestseller, The God Delusion, as part of his battle to discredit faith. But in a recent interview with Rachel Johnson on Britain’s LBC at the end of March, we have seen a slight change in Dawkins’s tune. In no way has he become a man of faith, but Dawkins is lamenting the loss of the Christian influence in …

Richard Dawkins, 2008

Have you heard of the Atheist who is a Cultural Christian?

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Richard Dawkins is possibly the most famous Atheist in the world. He wrote a book titled “The God Delusion” and he often speaks in public. Recently in an interview, Dawkins identified himself as a Christian, specifically a “Cultural Christian.” Apparently, the discussion was about how the Muslim celebration of Ramadan replaced the Christian Easter, as a public celebration in a prominent place in London. Dawkins stated that their country, Britain, was “culturally Christian” and he identified himself as a “Cultural Christian.” It sounds strange for the most outspoken Atheist in the world, to identify himself as any kind of Christian, but that is what happened. There is a story here, with a lesson for us. Richard Dawkins is a graduate and also served as a professor at Oxford University. He has been a critic of Creationism, the idea that God created the universe, and he advocates for evolution, without God, in biology. It seems that he disagrees with religion and a belief in God, but he likes the culture that grew from a belief in …

15th century gold ring with image of Christ on in it found in Kalmar, Sweden

15th-century gold ring with an image of Jesus discovered in Sweden

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Swedish archaeologists have uncovered an ancient gold ring with an image of Christ on it in the city of Kalmar. It was one of over 30,000 finds discovered in preparation for a major water and sewage infrastructure project in the city. Parts of the city date back to medieval times, CBN reports. The ring, which was in mint condition, is considered one of the major discoveries at the site. Because of the size, it’s believed the ring was worn by a woman and was lost sometime in the 15th century. Another major find included an alsengem, a glass-type stone used as an amulet by pilgrims to ward off evil. The amulet, however, had been broken and was probably thrown away. It is dated to around the same time. Curiously, the image on the ring depicts Jesus with long hair and beard and reveals the profound influence that the Shroud of Turin had on portrayals of Jesus in paintings and other mediums. The shroud, which some believe to be Christ’s burial cross, was first put on …

The majority of Americans believe religion is losing its influence in society, poll finds

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There may be some good news in a recent poll conducted by Pew Research that discovered most Americans (80%) believe religion is losing its influence in society, the Christian Post reports. The poll also revealed that most of those who are sensing this also feel uneasy about the change that is taking place. In fact, 49% of Americans actually stated the declining influence of religion is a bad thing and 57% stated that religion had a positive influence on society. In contrast, only 8% of Americans believe the declining influence of religion in society is a good thing. Unfortunately, this means that a small, but vocal, minority has been able to negatively influence American life by dominating key areas such as politics, entertainment, and mainstream media/social media. In addition, 48% of Americans believe that ‘some’ or a ‘great deal’ of their religious views are in conflict with socially accepted cultural norms. This percentage reflects the rapid negative changes that have taken place in America since 2020, when only 24% of Americans similarly believed their religious …

Half the people watching ‘The Chosen’ are not Christians, survey finds

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According to recent data, nearly half the people who are watching the popular TV series The Chosen, are not Christians, Christian Headlines reports. The popular series, now in its fourth season, depicts the life of Jesus and His disciples as recorded in the Gospels. Its popularity is due in part to the show’s portrayal of the disciples as real people complete with the foibles that plague us all. In an interview with Christian Headlines, The Chosen VP Katherine Warnock said that survey data revealed that half of those watching, “were either practicing Christians or cultural Christians. And then the other half were either curious about Christianity or just no Christian faith. And we were deeply surprised about that” She added that the same data also showed that a significant percentage of viewers were Gen Z or younger, which was again surprising since they expected it to appeal to an older audience. Warnock also added that there was even a split between male and female viewership.

Attacks on American churches dramatically increasing, report suggests

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According to a recent report by the Family Research Council (FRC), reported attacks on American churches doubled between 2022 and 2023, the Christian Post reports. What is equally disturbing is that the 436 reported incidents in 2023, was 800% higher than the number reported in 2018. Remembering these are only the reported cases, FRC stated that the attacks on churches between January 2023 and November 2023, included: There were only two states, Hawaii and Wyoming, that did not report attacks on churches and California led in 2023, with 33 reported incidents. Dozens of the attacks had satanic roots. This included having crosses being turned upside down, words like ‘satan has risen,’ and the number ‘666’ along with satanic images such as pentagrams being painted on walls. Many of the attacks were associated with abortion, and there was also a flurry of attacks in support of Hamas’ barbaric invasion of Israel.

Painting of the Apostle Paul by Bartolomeo Montagna

When the Apostle Paul was accused of being ‘The Egyptian’ terrorist

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Luke records an interesting incident in Acts 21 involving the Apostle Paul while he was in Jerusalem, where he would ultimately be arrested, sent to Rome for trial, and eventually executed. While in Jerusalem, Paul decided to visit the Jewish Temple. However, Paul’s reputation had preceded him, and people began accusing him, saying, “This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place.” They then added the trumped-up charge that Paul had brought a gentile into the Jewish temple. By this time a huge crowd had gathered, and they dragged Paul out of the temple. Luke adds that they started beating Paul and probably would have killed him if the commander, (lit. chiliarch) who oversaw the Roman troops in the city hadn’t intervened. According to Luke, the Roman Commander’s name was Claudius Lysias (Acts 23:26). When the Lysias asked the Jewish crowd what crime Paul had committed, they were shouting so many stories, that the commander ordered Paul arrested until he could find out what was going on. …

Woodcut of Jesus casting out the Gerasene demons

Demons? Are we missing something?

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I am old enough to remember the movie “The Exorcist.” I was raised in a religious family, and topics like Demon possession were talked about, sometimes. I still remember my university friends, who were not religious in any way I knew, watching that movie, and they talked about it for weeks. I remember the shocked looks on some faces. People were really afraid. I never watched the movie, and I don’t like this topic; but I am sure that we should all be concerned. Now, talk about “spiritual” things is often found in the secular media. Remember Malaysia Flight 370? That plane disappeared mysteriously, somewhere, with everyone on board. Some people see a spiritual side to this strange event: What do we do with the spiritual side of life? What do we mean when we say that we are spiritual? Some experts are concerned: If you are interested, social experts sometimes study topics like Spiritism, Exorcism, and Demonology. There are many examples on the Internet: Probably every religion believes in spirits and demons: We all …

China’s ‘Mayflower Church’ finds a home in a Texas church

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A church in Texas has provided a home for the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also called the Mayflower Church, the Christian Post reports. First Baptist Church of Midland campus in Midland, Texas has agreed to allow the church to use its youth facilities three times a week. The church members, who are learning English and finding jobs in America, broke down in tears after hearing the news. Over sixty members of the house church fled Communist China in 2019 because of the increasing persecution of its members and leaders. They initially sought asylum in South Korea, but were eventually refused admission by the government, after a South Korean court rejected their asylum request. Many suspect the South Korean government had been pressured by Chinese Communist officials. In March 2023, the group flew to Bangkok, Thailand hoping to set up a home there, but were immediately arrested by Thai police because their visas had expired. There were initially fears that the group would be forced to return to China. However, with the help of the Thailand …

Religious people handled COVID better than those without faith, studies conclude

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A study conducted by England’s University of Cambridge reported that people of faith in Britain handle COVID-19 better than those who weren’t, Study Finds report. In its news release, Cambridge professors, Sriya Iyer, Dr Po-Wen and Prof Shaun Larcom, stated they came to this conclusion after comparing the results of surveys taken before the pandemic with those taken during COVID-19’s peak years, 2020 and 2021. The researchers noted that because the pandemic impacted every aspect of society equally, it offered a unique opportunity to study if faith helps people deal with a national crisis. While the pandemic resulted in an overall drop in happiness across society, it found that people of faith experienced a 29% less drop, when compared to those who did not have faith. Study Finds reports that this falls in line with other studies which have come to similar conclusions. Research, conducted in February and March 2021 of Americans, found that people of faith in that country also fared better mentally during COVID. For those who were impacted mentally by the COVID-19 …

¿Evidencia del diluvio de Noé encontrada en China?

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En casi todas las culturas del mundo, existen historias de un pasado antiguo sobre un diluvio masivo que borró al mundo, desde los esquimales en el Ártico hasta los aborígenes en Australia. Según un artículo en el Washington Post, los chinos tienen una historia de un diluvio que cubrió sus montañas y colinas. El antiguo emperador chino Yao escribió: “El diluvio está vertiendo destrucción. Sin límites y abrumador, sobrepasa las colinas y montañas. Ascendiendo y siempre ascendiendo, amenaza los mismos cielos.” Compare su relato con cómo describe Génesis el diluvio de Noé: 18 Las aguas aumentaron y crecieron mucho sobre la tierra, y el arca flotaba[a] sobre la superficie[b] de las aguas. 19 Las aguas continuaron aumentando más y más sobre la tierra, y fueron cubiertos todos los altos montes que hay debajo de todos los cielos. (Génesis 7:18-19 NBLA) Recientemente, arqueólogos descubrieron evidencia de un diluvio masivo que golpeó China hace unos 4.000 años. Esto incluyó los restos de niños pequeños atrapados por las aguas. Su datación lo colocaría en el marco temporal del diluvio que …

A Russian Orthodox Priest to be fired for not praying for Russia’s victory in the war against Ukraine?

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A report published by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) recommends that a prominent Moscow priest be expelled from the denomination because he refused to pray for Russia’s victory after Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, Premier Christian News reports. In September 2022, ROC’s leader, Patriarch Kirill, who is a close ally of Vladimir Putin, issued a proclamation entitled “Prayer for Holy Rus’ to be read in ROC churches around the world. Rus is an ancient term used for Russia. The prayer calls on God to fight against the enemies of Russia who are trying to divide the nation, and specifically calls on God to “grant us [Russia] victory through Your power.” Dozens of ROC Priests across Russia have faced discipline for challenging the denomination’s position on the war, including making minor changes to the prayer, such as replacing the word ‘victory’ with the word ‘peace.’ Aleksiy Uminsky, who pastors Moscow’s Church of the Life-Giving Holy Trinity, is the latest priest to face the ax after he refused to cite the required prayer during a recent service. …

ngraving of Lucian of Samosata by William Faithorne

When a second-century Greek satirist’s mocking description of Christianity actually confirms the faith

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As we study the life of Christ in the Gospels, people often wonder if there are any historical references to Christ from this time outside the Bible. And most certainly there are, and some of the more interesting ones are made by secularists and in some instances by those who opposed and mocked Christianity. Because in doing so, they confirm many of the basic tenets of the Christian faith. Take a statement made by a famous Greek speaker, writer, and satirist Lucian of Samosata, who lived between 125 AD and 180 AD. He was renowned for mocking religion, and his writings were very popular among the ancient Greeks. And it seems Christianity was not beyond a jibe or two. In his book, The Death of Peregrine, he mockingly refers to Christians, and in the process establishes several historical facts and truths about the Christian faith. Samosata provides this interesting description: “The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day,–the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account…. You see, these misguided …

Young Jewish men built a tunnel beneath their New York synagogue to pave the way for the coming Messiah

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You may have heard the strange story of a young group of Jewish men who had built an underground tunnel beneath their New York synagogue on 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn Heights connecting it with a neighboring building. In addition to serving as a local synagogue, the building also serves as the headquarters for the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish sect. It is a Hasidic organization within Judaism with synagogues around the world and approximately 95,000 adherents. When the synagogue rabbi found out about the tunnel, he immediately ordered it to be demolished. This led to a violent confrontation between the young Hasidic men who had built it and those trying to destroy it. The police were eventually called in, leading to the arrest of nine of the young men. But the bigger question is why did the young Hasidic men construct it in the first place. Well as bizarre as this sounds, it is actually connected to the Jewish belief that their Messiah will soon be coming, the Daily Mail reports. Though most Orthodox Jews have rejected Jesus …

Statue of Saint Peter in Argentina before and after the lightning strike on Dec. 17, 2023

Is it just a coincidence? Did lightning strike a statue of Saint Peter in Argentina? The timing is ominous!

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Ardent Catholics believe there are ominous things taking place in the Roman Catholic Church, particularly with Pope Francis’s recent announcement that priests would be allowed to bless same-sex marriages. Referred to as a ‘spontaneous blessing,’ it was a secondary blessing added to the list of blessings that priests are allowed to give out. It was part of a Fiducia Supplicans released on Dec. 18, 2023. Many were shocked by the announcement. But then in late December, rumors started circulating about a strange thing that had happened to a statue of Saint Peter located at Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolas in Argentina. Of course, Saint Peter is believed by the Catholic Church to be the first pope. In what would be just one of many coincidences, Pope Francis is from Argentina. The lightning strike actually took place on Dec. 17, 2023, the day before Pope Francis announced the blessing. It destroyed both the halo over Saint Peter’s head and as well the right hand of the statute that held the keys to the …

Sword sticking in the ground

More signs that believers need to engage in spiritual warfare

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A bizarre demonstration on Fox News and an eerie statement by a Roman Catholic exorcist may be signals to believers that we are entering a time of heightened spiritual warfare. I was a bit surprised when Fox News commentator Jessie Walters recently invited a medium onto his show. This is probably the largest conservative network in the world, and there was a live demonstration of someone dabbling in the occult, which is strictly forbidden in the Bible (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Walters had invited the psychic to predict what Donald Trump’s chances were of winning the 2024 presidential election using Tarot cards. Even the psychic appeared a bit surprised when she drew a card for Trump of a dark figure with goblets that had fallen over. The psychic interpreted this to mean that Trump would experience loss. However, Trump was the only loser that night. When she pulled a card for President Joe Biden, it predicted the president would come into an unexpected windfall of money. Aside from this public occultic display, in a recent article for …

Man with a backpack on his back hiking outdoors in a forest

This 28-Year-Old, Jewish MIT Grad Thought Being a Christian Meant Believing in Gun Rights

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By Dr. Michael Brown This story might seem hard to believe for some, but I heard it firsthand from a good Christian friend, whom we’ll call Sam. And upon reflection, it’s not far fetched at all. Sam’s daughter is dating a 28-year-old Jewish man, a graduate of Tufts and MIT. Shortly before Christmas, Sam, who has been a pastor and served in various ministry capacities over the years, had an opportunity to talk with this young man about the gospel. To Sam’s shock, he learned that, not only did this well-educated Jewish man have no understanding of the gospel message, but he also had a deeply flawed view of what it meant to be a Christian. As far as he knew, being a Christian meant that you held to certain conservative political viewpoints. These included gun rights and voting for Trump (or, more broadly, Republican), along with a number of other conservative political values. As for the message of salvation, Sam said that this young man “had not been introduced to the gospel of faith …

Woman with her hand on forhead with a questioning look

Are you Religious? Yes, you are!

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How religious are you? How religious am I? Probably more than we know. Someone said, “Man is incurably religious.” You might be able to track the source, a French philosopher, or Carl Jung, a psychiatrist. Religion has powerful influences in our world; more than we know. Ellen G. White was a very religious person. She was one of the founders of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and she had prophetic visions. At one time, she claimed that God sent her a vision, and told her that we should not eat anything with a face. Animals have faces and plants do not, so she was a leader and founder of the vegetarian movement. Did you know that the Vegan-Vegetarian movement has religious roots? Other religions, like Buddhism, also emphasize vegetarian diets. Two brothers followed the teachings of Ellen G. White, for healthy living, including diet. They believed that a bland vegetarian diet would reduce sin. I heard the story that one of the brothers led a research team in a kitchen-laboratory, and one product they looked …

Traveling on a dirt road in Nigeria on a motorcycle

160 Nigerian Christians killed by Islamic extremists in coordinated attacks over Christmas

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A disturbing report out of Nigeria indicates that Islamic extremists killed over 160 Christians, including several pastors, in attacks that extended from Saturday, Dec 23 to Christmas Day, the Christian Daily International Morning Star News reports. The attacks by the Islamic extremists took place in what are considered largely Christian villages. In addition to the 160 dead, 300 were injured in the 20 or so villages targeted by the Islamic terrorists. It is believed that many of the heavily armed terrorists were connected with the Islamic group, Boko Haram, and traveled to the villages by motorcycle. The obviously coordinated attacks took place during Christmas ceremonies or while believers were gathered at churches preparing for the programs. It is believed that the Islamic terrorists were also joined by Muslim Fulani herdsmen, who have been responsible for killing hundreds of Christians in Nigeria over the past several decades. Nigeria has a population of 230 million, with 49% Christian and 48% Muslim. The Muslims live largely in the Northern part of Nigeria and the Christians in the south.

All religions take us to the same place … Right?

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Have you ever heard of the idea that all religions are equal? They are all different roads leading us to the same place. That was a popular idea, and it still appeals to many people. You have probably seen bumper stickers on cars with the word “Coexist” written in religious symbols. The message is clear, all those religions need to stop their bickering, and learn to get along; to coexist. Where I live, coexisting already happens. For example, there is a well-known Jewish Rabbi who collects money for the Salvation Army, at Christmas. The Rabbi rings handbells and stands near a Christmas kettle, and members of his congregation go to his site, to leave generous amounts of money for a Christian denomination. Obviously, they don’t need a bumper sticker. Strangely, the “Coexist” image is related to a lack of coexisting. There are lawsuits over the ownership of the logo, with more than one party claiming copyright ownership. People can be ironic: So, are all religions taking us to the same place? Do all roads take …

Is religion to blame for the violence and conflict in the world today?

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43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45 NIV) One of the favorite lines that secularists and atheists like to trump is that religion is the source of most of the violence and conflict in the world today. Of course, to reach that conclusion they must turn a blind eye to the 100 million+ killed by atheists this past century including the Soviet Union’s Joseph Stalin and Communist China’s Mao Zedong. The atheistic duo are the two largest mass murderers in world history. Recently, Evangelical Focus (EV) had an article about research done by Swedish historian Mattias Gardell that addresses the issue of the role that religion has played in armed conflict. EV writes: The Swedish historian of religion, Mattias Gardell, for example, has been able to show that more than 90 per cent of all armed conflicts in the world between 1945 …

So much religion. Did we just make it up?

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So, is religion just something that we made up? Are the Atheists correct, do we invent “spiritual” things to make us feel better? Yes. There is a story here, and it’s worth knowing: Jupiter by Jove. Here are some other god words: deity, dios, dieu, Zeus; or some very old names like Deva, Deywos, and Dyo. We also have Jupiter and Jove, and a very old form Dyo Pitr. That last one, from India, is an old form of Jupiter. We also have a related word “day” meaning the time when the sky is lighted. Those god words, in many languages, refer to a God in the sky, or heaven. “Pitr” or “Ju … piter” refers to a father, and we can see how our word “father” is related to “piter.” If you are wondering, our English word “God” comes from an ancient word “gudan” which means to call on, or to pray to. In history, and before history was recorded, tribal people lived on the grasslands of southern Russia, with herds of animals. They …

All religions lead to the same place: Agree – Disagree

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I was once a member of a team that travelled to a large city as summer missionaries. I was a driver and I drove small groups around, so they could meet with people to talk about religious things. Now, I have a clear memory of people from Asia and the Middle East, who were offended by everything that we did. This Included Muslims and Sikhs, and probably Hindus and Buddhists. I remember thinking; how can I dare to tell them that my religion is better than theirs? What makes me so special? I really wrestled with those questions, and people argued back when we spoke about our favorite religion. Sometimes it’s hard to be a missionary. In our woke culture, where tolerance is the best virtue, most people understand this. We need an answer to this puzzle. So, who has the best religion? Some people believe that the truth is like a wheel, and we are all on the rim somewhere. From where we are positioned, any spoke will lead us to the center, where …

Woke Religion: What is your path?

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I am probably the last person you would ask for relationship advice, but let me try: Always understand the other person’s religion. Religion, or the god that someone trusts could be money, personal success and fame, or power over other people. It is also possible to worship God. But, beyond a formal religion, what is the greatest success that anyone could achieve? What kind of thinking dominates a person’s life? What is your great success goal? What road is your life on? Are you obsessed with anything? That is religion, or faith; the great hope. The world is a very religious place; more than we know. For example, there is now a run on orange hockey jerseys with a number nine on them. They represent Ivan Provorov, a Russian player with the Philadelphia Fliers. The team had a special event when they celebrated “LGBTQ+ Pride Night” before a recent game. For the pre-game warm-up, players wore colorful jerseys and other equipment to show their support. Ivan Provorov did not wear the colorful equipment and did …

Mikhaila Peterson: Spiritual or Religious?

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Are you worried, or stressed, or maybe afraid? For me, the problem is stress. We have COVID, and problems with the economy, and political arguments, and what did I miss. There is an old saying “It is a curse to live in interesting times.” So, how do we cope with interesting times? What is the best medicine? Are you spiritual? Are you religious? It is popular now, to say ‘I am spiritual, but I am not religious.’ I think that was more popular a few years ago. Possibly people were trying to dodge the pressure to join a religion, like something you could tell your mother. So, what does it mean, and should we all join in? Spiritual: In the Bible, Jesus told us “But the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4: …

Change your religion? I don’t think so.

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Take a good look at yourself. Here is a question we should all answer about ourselves: How much of me was chosen by me? Or: How much of this person was designed by the owner? In public places, I see some interesting hair colors and styles, and tattoos. I’m not a big fan of tattoos because people change as they grow older, and a tattoo will endure long after the idea changes, or he breaks up with that girlfriend. Hair grows, and it turns grey. I am reminded when I look in the mirror. Our grandchildren can laugh at the crazy things we did with our hair, if they see the pictures. We like to think that we choose to be who we are and what we do, and most important, we choose what we believe. So, how much of you is you, and how much was imposed on you by family and other people in your life? I had a text message from a young man that I know well, and he was worried …

Is it wrong to leave your religion?

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When I was a boy, I would walk home from school with a gang of my friends. I still remember trudging through the snow, and shouting. We argued all the way home, and for us there was only one belief. Who had the best car? We didn’t drive cars, or even ride bicycles, but we were passionate believers. I think we mostly believed in the cars that our fathers drove. One friend was the son of a church minister, and he lived in a manse, a house next to a church. He believed in Fords. We were all deeply convicted, and we knew the others were wrong. We were human beings trying out adult ideas. Since then, I have changed. I still don’t own a Ford, but I am open to the idea. There are powerful forces in this world. Eighty percent of all humans identify with a religion, and probably the other twenty percent believe something strongly. Some belief systems function like religions, in people’s lives. Believing is a common human experience, just like …

Are religious people stupid?

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You may have heard the arguments, psychologists have done many studies, and they have found that atheists are more intelligent than religious people. Here is a quote from an article linked here: “the research found that atheists performed better overall than the religious participants even when demographic factors like age and education were taken into consideration. Agnostics mostly placed between atheists and believers on all tasks.” READ: Atheists are more intelligent than religious people, finds study How does that make you feel? One question is; does religion make people stupid, or do stupid people choose religion? I’m writing as a Christian; I believe in the God who made this world, and I believe that Jesus made the way for us to find God. Does that make me stupid? Recently, I explained what I believe to a young relative of mine, and his answer was something like “How can an intelligent person believe that?”  I still have a good relationship with my relative, but the experience taught me some important lessons. When believers are accused of …

The news that’s about to happen: Who is your god, really?

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There was a time when religion was important for everyone. Now, many parts of the world are secular and religion is only a personal choice. This brings problems for believers, whatever they believe in. This news video is several years old, but the problem has only grown since 2012. Note that it is from Al Jazeera, a news source owned by Muslims. They saw something happening to Christians and they were interested: I have learned, that there is always a new generation of children, and they will be adults soon. The children that we see in a playground will be voting in a few years. I remember talking to a pastor in my church, when I was a young man. I don’t remember what I was concerned about, but he told me to look at the little children in Sunday School, and know that they would be running the church in a few years. Their decisions would rule. When he told me that, my big concern got smaller, as I found a new perspective. He …