My new Twitter handle is now live - check me out at @jackiewgibson!
CNN has posted a history of bias against Sikhs - more reason for people to learn about religions before they attack anyone:...
Sikh temple shooting unfolding, learn about Sikhism here: http://t.co/A0ltLLIm
Sikh temple shooting unfolding, learn about Sikhism here: http://t.co/l3KrAJZf
Hackers group Anonymous takes down Vatican website: http://t.co/B6lbGAVp
WGN-TV calls doomsday prophecies "an illusion": http://t.co/mv8Gzyw7
RT @graceishuman: Really,? Asking people JUST LEAVING the service how they felt about it? Tacky, tacky, inappropriate
Whitney Houston's funeral service really took the world to church. Love Pastor Winans' honesty, very moving.
#teacher ? Here are appropriate responses to situations with your Jehovah's Witness student: http://t.co/A6UfqcgH
#Teachers: Want to know why your Jehovah's Witness student won't say the pledge and how to respond? http://t.co/EIdlgDwW
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Religion Stats
We Americans love mixes. Mixed lattes, mix tapes, mixed families, Chex mix, buffets, grab bags, rainbows, M&Ms. So it should come as no surprise that we mix religions.
“Large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions,” according to a new poll from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The poll showed that 35% of Americans attend worship services from more than one type of denomination/religion. Plus there’s that whole cafeteria religion concept where we blend practices and beliefs from various religions and spiritualities (e.g., astrology and Christianity, ghosts and Islam).
Other interesting findings:
- 40% of those in interreligious marriages attend multiple types of services each year.
- 22% of Christians say they believe in reincarnation.
- 25% of Americans believe in astrology.
- 72% of Americans attend religious services at least a few times a year.
- 49% of Americans say they’ve had a religious/mystical moment of awakening
View the full survey results (with pretty graphs!) on the Pew Forum Web site.
Created by Religion Transcends, 2009
The Pew Research Center published results of a prayer survey a few weeks ago. After talking to 35,000 Americans, they determined that the following percentages of members of various religions/denominations pray at least once a day:
OVERALL
60% of Americans say they pray daily
CHRISTIANS
Jehovah’s Witnesses: 89% pray at least once a day
Mormons: 82%
Evangelical Protestant Christians: 78%
Black Protestant Christians: 80%
Orthodox Christians: 60%
Mainline Protestant Christians (Methodists, Lutherans, etc.): 53%
Catholics: 58%
MUSLIMS: 71%
BUDDHISTS: 45%
HINDUS: 62%
JEWS: 26%
See the results in graphic form at the Pew site.
It appears women over the age of 65 are the most likely to pray. People with the least amount of income also seem to pray the most (for money, perhaps?).
Of course, the poll doesn’t explain Pew’s definition of “prayer.” And certain factors come into play (e.g., meditation may be more important than prayer for many Buddhists) that affect the results. So it should be kept in mind that prayer may reflect religiosity but is not an exclusive factor in determining religiosity. What do you think about the results?
Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends
Religion is the biggest “headache” in Great Britain, according to a recent government-sponsored British poll.
As reported by Religion News Service and Hinduism Today, the survey showed that religious intolerance is worse than racial issues in Great Britain – and has not improved in the last ten years.
See information from the 2001 census about religion in Great Britain.
Copyright 2009 Religion Transcends.
Hundreds of churches face foreclosure, according to the Ministry Today and the New York Times.
The crisis has arisen from mortages on churches, which increased by 50% from 2002-2005. And borrowing peaked in 2006 as more and more churches began new constructions. Facing insurmountable debt, many churches may now be forced to close their doors.
Church lender N. Michael Tangen told wsj.com that “there have been too many churches with a ‘build it and they will come’ attitude. They had glory in their eyes that wasn’t backed up with adequate business plans and cash flow.”
What do you think? Is new construction necessary to gain new church members? Is it the fault of the lenders? Do you attend a house of worship facing foreclosure?
Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.