A recent survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life asked Americans whether they believe in Heaven and Hell. While 74% believe in Heaven, just 59% said they believe in Hell.

In 1999, the late Pope John Paul II said Hell is simply separation from God. Other Christians believe Hell is a physical place where you are punished in a sea of fire. Read some of the arguments in USA Today.

Here are some New Testament Bible verses about Hell:

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. – Matthew 5:22 (NIV)

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. – Matthew 10:28 (NIV)

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him – Luke 12:5 (NIV)

Here are some surahs from the Qur’an:

In order that Allah may separate the impure from the pure, put the impure, one on another, heap them together, and cast them into Hell. They will be the ones to have lost. –8:37

Take not, with Allah, another object of worship, lest thou shouldst be thrown into Hell — 17:39

It is he whom Allah guides, that is on true Guidance; but he whom He leaves astray – for such wilt thou find no protector besides Him. On the Day of Judgment We shall gather, them together, prone on their faces, blind, dumb, and deaf: their abode will be Hell: every time it shows abatement, We shall increase from them the fierceness of the Fire. – 17:97

Your turn:

Do you believe in Hell? What do you think Hell is? And why do you suppose many Americans no longer believe in the concept? Too scary? They like to think of everyone going to Heaven?

Created by ReligionTranscends.com, 2009

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The Islamic Society of North America is an association of and for Muslims in North America. The group draws something like 30,000 Muslims together every year at its annual convention.

This past weekend at the annual event, Evangelical Christian Pastor Rick Warren spoke, along with Conservative and Reform Judaism representatives who have recently formed partnerships with the society.

This marks a turning point for the organization. According to USA Today, Christian and Jewish groups have stayed away from the convention in the past, speaking out against hostility and violence committed by Muslims against their followers.

But the group has denounced terrorism and seeks two states for Israel – one for Jews, one for Muslims. The Islamic Society saw their convention as a chance to reach out and make peace.

Still, Warren’s appearance at the event may seem controversial to some…though it wouldn’t be the first controversial thing he’s ever done.

The Associated Press reports that Warren addressed the controversy in his speech:

“It’s easier to be an extremist of any kind because then you only have one group of people mad at you,” he said. “But if you actually try to build relationships — like invite an evangelical pastor to your gathering – you’ll get criticized for it. So will I.”

Warren urged Muslims and Christians to work together to tackle major world problems and to speak out against stereotyping of religious groups.

In other news…

Muslim and Christian relations haven’t been all sunny this week. In Pakistan, Muslims reportedly attacked 110 Christian homes.

Are you hopeful about the future of Muslim-Christian relations?

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In May, we noted that PBS might remove its name from several U.S. television stations that were airing religious broadcasting. (Public stations aren’t permitted to air religious programming.)

UPDATE: In June, the PBS national board voted to ban any new religious programming from PBS stations. Stations that are currently violating the rule by airing religious programming may continue to air that religious programming. (There were only 6 stations in question.)

In March, we noted that Elected Episcopal Bishop Kevin Thew Forrester (of the Northern Michigan diocese) practices Zen meditation and is lay-ordinated in Buddhism. He has not, however, taken Buddhist vows nor does he consider himself a Buddhist. He claims to simply borrow practices from Zen Buddhism to guide his Christian meditation on God. But many Episcopalians were trying to prevent Forrester from becoming fully ordained as bishop.

UPDATE: In June, leaders of the Episcopal Church did, indeed, deny consecration to Forrester. Thus, though he was elected bishop, leaders did not confirm his leadership. He will not be a bishop. According to Christianity Today, this is the first time since the 1930s that someone’s election as bishop has been vetoed by denominational leaders of any Christian denomination.

Ann Holmes Redding was also defrocked by the Episcopal Church (and did not recant) for changing her beliefs to Islam.

Bookmark Religion Transcends today to keep finding religion news and updates of past stories. And watch us on Twitter (@religionblogger) for more quick news bites.

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Some churches around the world have moved toward online giving – church attendees can go online, tithe a certain amount of money, and have that money pulled directly from their bank accounts or credit cards. It’s especially popular with parachurches, where one megachurch is at the center and satellite churches watch the services on television. And while the trend has made giving easier for some, Ministry Today reports that “many Christians remain hesitant to use a method they believe is susceptible to fraud, theft, and error.”

The magazine claims online giving is secure and makes it easier to make recurring gifts to a church. This is also helpful for church leaders – if they know member X will be giving $50 a month, they can plan ahead for how to use those funds.

On the other hand, the magazine warns that online giving makes it easy to forget the importance of developing face-to-face relationships with congregants and thanking those people for their gifts to God/the church.

What do you think? Is online giving a scam? Or is it a convenient tool for giving?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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Following are some upcoming (and current) religious holidays.

JUDAISM:

Passover (or Pesach): April 8-April 16

Commemoration surrounding Passover relates to Exodus 1-15. In the Exodus portion of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), Moses tells the story of his and the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. God inflicted 10 plagues on the Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The 10th was the plague on the firstborns. In this plague, God said he would pass over the houses in Egypt and all firstborn sons within those homes would die. But he told the Israelites to  put blood of lambs on their doorways and he would pass over their homes. After this came to pass, the Israelites were led out of Egypt. Today, Passover is a remembrance of both God’s sparing the Jews and the Jews escape to freedom. Learn about specific Passover rituals and traditions online.

CHRISTIANITY:

Holy Week: April 5-April 11; Easter April 12

Holy Week marks the last week of Lent, just before Easter. Events during Holy Week commemorate events leading up the crucifixion of Jesus:

• -Palm Sunday (April 5): Last Sunday marked the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
• -Spy Wednesday (April 8): This isn’t really celebrated, but this marks the day when Jesus’ disciple Judas Iscariot betrayed him to the chief priests; read about this in the Bible’s New Testament.
• -Maundy Thursday (April 9): Thursday commemorates the Last Supper which led to the Christian ritual of communion or the Eucharist. Jesus was initially commemorating the Passover feast (the Jewish seder).
• -Good Friday (April 10): Friday commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion.
• -Holy Saturday (April 11): This is the night before Easter; Christians, particularly Catholics, often attend worship services on this night.

Holy Week leads up to Easter Sunday, April 12, when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Learn more about Easter online.

SIKHISM:

Baisakhi: April 14

Learn about this Sikh holiday on ReligionTranscends.com.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends 

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Some religious leaders are concerned that students in theological seminaries (including future rabbis and pastors) aren’t learning enough about sex and gender issues, according to a recent program from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.

According to the program: “The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality is a nonprofit group that helps promote sexual health in faith communities. The Institute recently studied 36 seminaries across denominational lines. The study found an ‘overwhelming need’ to better educate and prepare future religious leaders in the area of human sexuality.”

While seminaries may discuss sexual harassment, pastors say these additional topics might be important to learn about, in order to be prepared to minister to people of all sexual orientations or to know how to counsel those with sexuality-related problems:

• Teen sex
• Infidelity
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues, including gay marriage and gay clergy
• Cohabitation

Others argue that it’s not the seminary’s job to provide such education – it should be learned on the job. Regardless, the Religious Institute received a grant to introduce sexuality courses to seminaries and practicing ministers.

What do you think? Would you go to your religious leader for help regarding issues of sexuality? Do you expect your leader to have the knowledge to counsel on such issues if necessary? If so, where should they learn about sexual topics?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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Recently, a spotlight has been placed on religious leaders in the Episcopalian denomination, some of whom have adopted beliefs of religions other than Christianity. Accusations of syncretism and pluralism may force some religious leaders out of the priesthood – one in particular could be forced out this week.

What is syncretism?

Syncretism is the merging of multiple religions or faiths into one worldview or belief system. This may include the practice of multiple religions and associated rituals; it may also include a blending of beliefs.

According to Beliefnet.com, syncretism is common in Asia. And Americans are used to cafeteria-style religion where they select the beliefs and practices that work for their worldviews and lifestyles.

But does syncretism cause a believer to dilute core beliefs so much that they no longer uniquely believe in any one religion or idea? If so, can they really call themselves a follower of any religion? And how can competing claims be reconciled? For example, traditional Jewish believes show Jesus as a regular man, while Christians consider him the Messiah, Son of God. The Episcopalian Church, a Christian denomination, is currently struggling publicly with these issues.

Syncretism in the Episcopal pulpit

Ann Holmes Redding is an Episcopal priest in Seattle who practices both Islam and Christianity. She believes she can practice both – but Rhode Island Episcopal Bishop Geralyn Wolf (Redding’s superior) wants to remove Redding’s status as a priest. Wolf argues that Redding has abandoned Christianity by converting to Islam and suspended her priesthood in 2008.  According to USA Today, Redding was supposed to recant her Islamic faith by March 30 or she would be expelled from the priesthood. No word yet on whether she recanted – but she told newspapers last year that she had no intention of recanting.

Like Redding, Elected Episcopal Bishop Kevin Thew Forrester (of the Northern Michigan diocese) practices Zen meditation and is lay-ordinated in Buddhism. He has not, however, taken Buddhist vows nor does he consider himself a Buddhist. He claims to simply borrow practices from Zen Buddhism to guide his Christian meditation on God. But many Episcopalians are trying to prevent Forrester from becoming fully ordained as bishop. No word yet on whether he will get all 120 votes necessary to move from election to ordination.

Find other examples of syncretistic religious leaders at Beliefnet.com.

A move toward pluralism?

If multiple beliefs are fully believed – in other words, if one really does consider himself fully Christian and fully Muslim – this is the idea of pluralism. Pluralism implies that a diversity of beliefs and practices are fully adopted and accepted. This is much different from the typical exclusivist attitude of many religions, in which that particular religion is believed to be the only way to the goal. Pluralism implies that multiple religions can lead to the same goal.

So will the Episcopal denomination move toward pluralism? Christianity Today suggests it wouldn’t be a surprise if they at least discussed it. The magazine quoted Wade Clark Roof, religious studies professor at UC-Santa Barbara, as saying, “Clearly there are people, including religious leaders, [who find] spiritual wisdom in faiths other than their own…(which is) in some respects good in an age of global religious diversity when tolerance and respect are essential to our peace if not our survival.”

Church leaders seem to worry the focus on Jesus as Savior would be lost in a pluralistic faith. So it doesn’t seem likely Episcopalians will all become pluralists anytime soon.

See what else Christianity Today has to say about America’s shift toward religious pluralism and the “crisis” in the Episcopalian church.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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Last week, James Dobson resigned as chairman, president, and CEO of the Focus on the Family organization.

Dobson founded the Christian evangelical non-profit in 1977. Now 72, Dobson told his staff that he is beginning to relinquish control of the organization. However, according to USA Today, he will continue with other tasks including hosting the famous radio program and speaking out on political issues.

What is Focus on the Family?

Dobson founded the non-profit in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Today it has more than 950 employees, though over 200 jobs were cut in 2008.  The organization represents right-wing evangelical Christians. According to its Web site, www.focusonthefamily.com, its mission is “to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible by nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide.” Thus, as the organization actively promotes conservative politics, its focus remains on the founding idea of protecting family values.

Aside from its political stance, the organization is famous for its daily Focus on the Family radio broadcast, hosted by Dobson. The program reaches 1.5 million American listeners each day. It has been translated into 27 languages and now reaches more than 160 countries around the world (including China), bringing his worldwide listening audience to 220 million. Dobson is currently looking for a successor(s) for the program, but he is not planning to resign from the radio show just yet.

Who is James Dobson?

James Dobson, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, marriage counselor, and family counselor in California and Colorado. He previously served as associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California as well as a staffer at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

Dobson has written 36 books, created three film series based on his radio show, and has actively participated in the publishing efforts of the organization he founded. In addition, he is outspoken when it comes to conservative politics. He received commendation from President Carter in 1980 for his work on a families task force; President Reagan appointed him to a juvenile justice commission in the 80s; he consulted with President George H.W. Bush on the family in the early 90s; and most recently he endorsed John McCain in 2008 after criticizing then-candidate Barack Obama.

Learn more about James Dobson and Focus on the Family online.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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Christian evangelical pastor Rick Warren has had quite a year. And it’s about to get a little crazier.

The author of best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life and the controversial man who prayed at the presidential inauguration is now launching a magazine.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest is launching Purpose Driven Connection, a quarterly magazine to be bundled  with social media including a Facebook-type Christian site and DVD guides for prayer group leaders.

If Ministry Today’s predictions are correct, then Warren is on the right track. The ministry mag recently issued an article warning pastors that personality-driven ministry is out – and new connections like social media are in:

“When it comes to churches and ministries, simply upgrading your graphics, music and lighting and dumping the tacky onstage furniture isn’t a strategy. That’s just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. You need a fundamental “rethink” of what story your station, church or ministry is trying to tell, what that means to your audience, how to connect with that audience and why it’s absolutely urgent they respond right now…Understanding that connection is a critical step in finding your audience and reaching the next generation.”

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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On January 21, Rev. Sharon E. Watkins will deliver a sermon at the national prayer service following the presidential inauguration.

Selected by Obama, Watkins will be the first woman to ever lead the service, which is held the day after the inauguration ceremony. The new president and VP will attend the service with members of the Supreme Course and Congress.

Watkins is president of the Christian Church denomination. She told the New York Times that she plans to speak about “the deeper unity we have as a human family” and will speak to both Christians and people of other faiths.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends. 

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