(WSB
Radio) -- Fewer young adults are calling themselves Christians these
days, and even a smaller percentage say they practice their faith.
A study on so-called Millennials , those between the ages of 18-29,
conducted by Lifeway Research finds only 65 percent consider themselves
Christian while 72 percent say they are more spiritual than religious.
"This
would by far be the lowest percentage of Americans or of a generation
that has indicated that they're Christian since statistics were first
gathered," researcher Scott McConnell tells WSB's Sandra Parrish.
The
study also find that 65 percent rarely or never attend worship
services, the same number rarely or never prays with others, and 67
percent do not read the Bible or religious texts.
"They're
religious preference was something we had a handle on coming in, so we
were not surprised by that," says McConnell. "Probably the more
surprising thing was actually how few of them actually participate in
religious activities ."
Rebecca, 25, says she grew up in church but fell away when she reached college.
"As
I got older, I started to develop my own identity and started to
broaden my mind and the possibility of other options out there other
than what I was taught," she says.
Other
Millennials say demanding work schedules as well as the age of
technology , including the internet and cell phones, have
also distracted young adults.
"You've got You tube ... you've got these new things that people can share their opinion more," says 25-year-old Adam.
Jeffrey Turpin (quoted in the story) and Danielle Burril
McConnell
says he is encouraged by figures in the study that show 15 percent of
young adults are still committed in their faith.
"What
we have is a relationship with the Lord... it's not a religion, it's a
relationship with Jesus," says 21-year-old Ilana Kroll of Atlanta. "If
you call yourself a Christian but you're not getting fed the word
whether it's in church or reading your bible, then that's just a label
you have."
McConnell says perhaps churches need to change their approach in reaching this generation.
"Sometimes
just the name of the church or things like that are not the things that
really matter," he says. "It is the core beliefs and it is relating
that to life and showing those beliefs not just in words but also in
actions."
Among
the churches aiming to do just that is Calvary Chapel, an association
founded during the 1960's in the western United States, credited in part
with the Jesus Movement. It found a way to reach the hippies by
allowing them to express themselves in a way that was current and
relevant for them.
"The
world is changing... it changes every day," says Sandy Adams, pastor of
Calvary Chapel Stone Mountain. "So the way we speak, the language that
we use, it needs to be contemporary, it needs to be able to speak
straight to the peoples hearts... but the message doesn't change."
Among
those 15 percent of deeply religious Christians, 24-year-old Jeffrey
Turpin says it also falls on himself and others in that group to do more
to reach the unchurched.
"It's
us, those who have a relationship... that 15 percent going to
Chick-fil-A or going to wherever they're working or wherever their
school is and actually showing the fruits of the spirit... being Jesus
to those people," he says.
God did not create the universe, says Hawking
AFP/File – God no longer has any place in theories on the
creation of the Universe due to a series of developments …
By Michael Holden Michael Holden
–
Thu Sep 2, 9:08 am ET
LONDON (Reuters) – God did not create the universe
and the "Big Bang" was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics,
the eminent British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book.
In "The Grand Design," co-authored with U.S. physicist Leonard Mlodinow,
Hawking says a new series of theories made a creator of the universe
redundant, according to the Times newspaper which published extracts on
Thursday.
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will
create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is
something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist,"
Hawking writes.
"It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."
Hawking, 68, who won global recognition with his 1988 book "A Brief
History of Time," an account of the origins of the universe, is renowned
for his work on black holes, cosmology and quantum gravity.
Since 1974, the scientist has worked on marrying the two cornerstones of
modern physics -- Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which
concerns gravity and large-scale phenomena, and quantum theory, which
covers subatomic particles.
His latest comments suggest he has broken away from previous views he
has expressed on religion. Previously, he wrote that the laws of physics
meant it was simply not necessary to believe that God had intervened in
the Big Bang.
He wrote in A Brief History ... "If we discover a complete theory, it
would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we should know
the mind of God."
In his latest book, he said the 1992 discovery of a planet orbiting
another star other than the Sun helped deconstruct the view of the
father of physics Isaac Newton that the universe could not have arisen
out of chaos but was created by God.
"That makes the coincidences of our planetary conditions -- the single
Sun, the lucky combination of Earth-Sun distance and solar mass, far
less remarkable, and far less compelling evidence that the Earth was
carefully designed just to please us human beings," he writes.
Hawking, who is only able to speak through a computer-generated voice
synthesizer, has a neuro muscular dystrophy that has progressed over the
years and left him almost completely paralyzed.
He began suffering the disease in his early 20s but went on to establish
himself as one of the world's leading scientific authorities, and has
also made guest appearances in "Star Trek" and the cartoons "Futurama"
and "The Simpsons."
Last year he announced he was stepping down as Cambridge University's
Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, a position once held by Newton and
one he had held since 1979.
"The Grand Design" is due to go on sale next week.
(Editing by Steve Addison
Episcopal
church ordains its 2nd openly gay bishop
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LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - The Episcopal Church has consecrated a woman
as its second openly gay bishop, seven years after stirring lingering
controversy by ordaining a man to a similar post.
The Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool, of Baltimore, was ordained and
consecrated on Saturday. It also makes her one of the first two female
bishops in the Diocese of Los Angeles' 114-year history.
She was installed at Long Beach Arena before 3,000 people, who burst
into applause at the end, church spokesman Bob Williams said.
Just before the ceremony began, a man stood, shouted about the need to
repent and held up a sign that read "Do not be deceived, homosexuals
will not inherit the kingdom of God."
After he was escorted out, a young boy in the same section rose holding a
Bible and shouted similar slogans. Security guards also led him out.
The Rev. Canon Diane M. Jardine Bruce, of San Clemente, Calif., was also
ordained Saturday.
The two women were elected last December to serve as assistant bishops
in the diocese's six-county territory but conservative Episcopalians had
urged the church not to ordain Glasspool. The decision to do so
highlights a continued Episcopal commitment to accepting same-sex
relationships despite enormous pressure from other Anglicans.
Bishop Jon Bruno, who gave a sermon at the ceremony, said he once
opposed ordaining women, but now would be happily serving alongside two.
Bruno defended the church's inclusive policies.
"The world's transformed only if we turn to each and every one of our
brothers and sisters and see the face of Christ superimposed on them,"
he told the audience. "The ones we disagree with most are the ones we're
obligated to share our lives and teach the most."
The Episcopal Church, which is the Anglican body in the United States,
caused turmoil in the church in 2003 by consecrating the first openly
gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
Breakaway Episcopal conservatives have formed a rival church, the
Anglican Church in North America.
Several overseas Anglicans have been pressuring Archbishop of Canterbury
Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans,
to officially recognize the new conservative entity.
In 2004, Anglican leaders asked the Episcopal Church for a moratorium on
electing another gay bishop while they tried to prevent a permanent
break in the fellowship.
Since the request was made, some Episcopal gay priests have been
nominated for bishop, but none was elected before Glasspool. In July
2009, the Episcopal General Convention, the U.S. church's top policy
making body, affirmed that gay and lesbian priests were eligible to
become bishops.
Glasspool and Bruce, who leaves her post as pastor of St. Clement's
Episcopal Church in San Clemente, will also be the 16th and 17th women
to be elected bishops since the first, Barbara Harris, was selected for
such a post in Massachusetts in 1988.
Harris was one of seven bishops who helped consecrate Glasspool at
Saturday's ceremony.
Glasspool, 56, an adviser, or canon, for eight years to the Diocese of
Maryland's bishop, said in an essay on the Los Angeles diocese Web site
that she had an "intense struggle" while in college with her sexuality
and the call to become a priest.
She did not speak Saturday, but told a gathering of media Friday that
the church's willingness to ordain women and gays shows a commitment
that goes beyond mere inclusive language.
"We are being the church we say we are," Glasspool said. "We're not just
saying it, we're doing it and there's something very powerful about
that."
May 07, 2010
Nuns, Nancy Pelosi are rock stars to progressive Catholics
07:37 AM
Sr. Carol Keehan, president and CEO of Catholic health Association, shown her testifyingbefore Congress in 2006, spoke May 7, 2010 to a progressive Catholic group on why she supported health reform
Sister Carol Keehan, lauded Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as one of the heroes of the passage of health care reform, drew a rousing welcome today at a conference of social justice Catholics.
Yesterday, Pelosi with a standing ovation and shouts of gratitude from the nuns, priest, academics and activists gathered for a "Washington Briefing" on faith and public policy. Now they added sports event-worthy cheers for the sister who spoke out for the controversial legislation.
Keehan, president and CEO of Catholic Health Association and one of Time magazine's Top 100 most influential people this year, rolled her eyes when she was introduced by a long list of honors awarded by the Church and joked that she may have seen the last of those. That's because angry bishops say the legislation does not adequately block federal funding for abortion.
Keehan walked through years of working for the bill, recalling how even three years back she warned others any serious proposal would be "Swift-boated" with misinformation. In the end, she said, it was not a perfect bill but it was "a superb first step," because, "the poor and the working Americans won and they so rarely win. It's wonderful."
She reiterated every step she, and the sisters who joined CHA in providing critical support to the bill, followed to be certain there were no loopholes and no way to circumvent the intention to protect the unborn and prevent abortion.
They worked equally hard, she said on ethical issues such as treatment for immigrants, conscience protections for health workers, care for vulnerable pregnant women, adoption support for foster parents and increased care options for the elderly.
In this March 23, 2010 file photo, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif. is hugged by President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House in Washington, after he signed the health care bill. Now Pelosi wants Catholic bishops and nuns to push for immigration reform.
"We have enormous pro-life pieces in this legislation," Keehan said. Then she repeated twice,
We were in complete accord with our bishops and our church that abortion is a grave evil. there is no justification for abortion and we would not ever have supported this bill if we thought it funded abortion.
Next up: Yes, immigration reform. Keehan is not satisfied with the opportunities for care and coverage for immigrants in the new health reform law but she sees the push for this as part of a long-standing campaign, not a new effort. She said,
The bill failed immigrants to a large extent but we will not fail them...We will all be looking that the poor do not come last, that conscience rights are protected, and that we will have the potential to expand our care with comprehensive immigration reform worthy of the dignity of this nation... Working on the positives (in the health law) is the right way to go.
ORIGINAL POST
Keehan spoke during the two-day event co-sponsored by the weekly National Catholic Reporter and Trinity University.
In the final days of the contentious health care reform debates, Keehan, head of Catholic Health Association, and nearly 60 other nuns and leaders of religious orders found the legislation's numerous anti-abortion funding provisions -- provisions which did not satisfy the Catholic bishops -- were indeed sufficient. They came out in favor of the bill, saying it was "life affirming" legislation. This gave pro-life legislators enough cover to allow them to vote for the bill.
Attendees already gave Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi a standing ovation on Thursday afternoon for her role in drop-kicking health reform through the House. When she mentioned Keehan and the nuns, also rock stars among social-justice-focus Catholics, cheers of "Thank you!!" rang out.
As columnist E.J. Dionne later told the group, "Everyone in this room has been told at least once in their lives, 'Listen to the nuns!'"
Of course, part of the response to Pelosi was a home-girl welcome: Both she and Sect. of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sibelius are alumna of the Washington D.C. school back when it was the sister school to then-all-male Catholic University.
Pelosi spoke of how her Catholic faith informs her life, saying how she prays morning and night for the poor hungry children of the world, and how she believes is it the job of legislators to "live the Gospels" with policies that care for them.
Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony speaks during a march and rally by thousands of Los Angeles residents during a May Day immigration rally on May 1, 2010 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Not content to bask in waves of pro-health legislation gratitude from about 100 sisters, priest, academics and activists, she went straight on to the next challenge: immigration.
The cardinals, the archbishops, the bishops that come to me ... say, 'We want you to pass immigration reform,' and I said, I want you to speak about it from the pulpit. Some (who) oppose immigration reform are sitting in those pews, and you have to tell them that this is a manifestation of our living the gospels.
Fox News picked up Pelosi's quotes on immigration and found them so inflammatory, they sought clarification -- in case perhaps she wanted to deny them. Nope.
On immigration, the bishops, the sisters, and the social justice Catholic crowd seem to be in alignment. America Magazine carries Cardinal Rodger Mahony's latest speech in which he called the strict new Arizona immigration law "horrific." Mahony said,
The Catholic community is central to victory and justice on this issue. We are an immigrant church ourselves, since the founding days of the republic. The immigrant experience is our own, having come to these shores from all parts of the world. We should be front and center in leading the charge for immigration reform-- not only because it is a matter of justice but also because it is part of our identity, of what we are as a church. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, was Himself an itinerant preacher with "no place to lay His head" and a refugee who fled the terror of Herod. When we welcome the newcomer, in person or through our advocacy efforts, we welcome Him.
Americans Strongly Favor Religious
Displays on Public Lands, Celebrating Religious Holidays in Schools
Thursday,
December 10, 2009
Americans remain overwhelmingly in favor of allowing religious symbols
to be displayed on public land and feel even more strongly that public
schools should celebrate at least some religious holidays.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 76% of
adults believe religious symbols like Christmas Nativity scenes,
Hanukkah menorahs and Muslim crescents should be allowed on public land.
Just 13% disagree, and another 10% are undecided.
Eighty-three percent (83%) believe public schools should celebrate
religious holidays. This figure includes 47% who think the schools
should celebrate all religious holidays and another 36% who believe they
should only celebrate some. The question did not single out which
holidays should be celebrated and which should be excluded.
Only 14% think the public schools should not celebrate any religious
holidays.
Adults across all demographic categories strongly believe that religious
symbols should be allowed on public property. Adults ages 18 to 29, for
example, are less supportive of the idea than their elders, but even in
that age group, 69% are in favor of religious displays on public land.
Those who work for the public, government workers, are less likely to
support permitting religious symbols on public land than are those who
work in the private sector - 68% to 84%.
Forty-nine percent (49%) of women and 45% of men feel all religious
holidays should be honored in the public schools.
Most Democrats (51%) and a plurality (48%) of adults not affiliated with
either major political party favor celebrating all religious holidays
in the schools. Republicans are more evenly divided between celebrating
some and celebrating all.
Sixty-three percent (63%) of African-Americans and 56% of those of other
races think all religious holidays should be celebrated in the schools,
compared to 43% of whites. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of whites think
only some religious holidays should be honored in the public schools,
but just 29% of blacks and 28% of those of other races agree.
Though a specific date for the show has not been finalized, John Jordan Otte's production of Corpus Christi is expected to debut at the 250-seat Rose Marine Theater in May.
Adam Adolfo, executive director of the theater, is offering the theater to the students free of charge, and told the Morning News that it was important to him to give the Tarleton students "a place that is safe and supportive" to present their work.
In personal terms, Obama honors Christ's sacrifice
Apr 6, 9:34 AM (ET)
WASHINGTON (AP) - In openly personal terms, President Barack Obama on Tuesday honored the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, saying he draws inspiration from an eternal story of pain, suffering and redemption.
"We are thankful for the sacrifice he gave for the sins of humanity, and we glory in the promise of redemption in the resurrection," Obama told Christian leaders from around the country at an Easter prayer breakfast at the White House.
"Such a promise is one of life's great blessings," the president continued. "As I am continually learning, we are, each of us, imperfect. Each of us errs, by accident or designs. Each of us falls short of how we ought to live. Selfishness and pride are vices that afflict us all."
Obama's comments provided a brief, uncommon opening into how he views his Christian faith. He told the religious leaders that their examples are followed by millions of people. He welcomed them warmly as "my brothers and sisters in Christ" and honored Christ as "our risen savior."
The president spoke in particular of the story of Christ's last words on the cross, quoting this phrase: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
"These words were spoken by our Lord and savior," he said, "but they can just as truly be spoken by every one of us here today. Their meaning can just as truly be lived out by all of God's children. So on this day, let us commit our spirit to the pursuit of a life that is true."
Obama has also held White House events honoring the Jewish and Muslim faiths.
By DAN ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Dan Elliott, Associated Press Writer – Mon Feb 1, 5:53 pm ET
DENVER – The Air Force Academy has set aside an outdoor worship area for Pagans, Wiccans, Druids and other Earth-centered believers, school officials said Monday.
A double circle of stones atop a hill on the campus near Colorado Springs has been designated for the group, which previously met indoors.
"Being with nature and connecting with it is kind of the whole point," said Tech. Sgt. Brandon Longcrier, who sponsors the group and describes himself as a Pagan. "It will dramatically improve that atmosphere, the mindset and the actual connection."
The stones were moved to the hilltop last year because erosion threatened to make them unstable in their previous location near the visitors center. Crews arranged them in two concentric circles because they thought it would be a pleasant place for cadets to relax, Longcrier said.
When Longcrier and academy chaplains were looking for an outdoor worship space, they discovered one already existed in the form of the circles.
Lt. Col. William Ziegler, one of the academy's chaplains, said designating the space is part of the school's effort to foster religious tolerance and to defend the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.
"It's about our commitment as airmen to protect freedom and defend freedom. To me this is a freedom thing," he said.
The school also has worship facilities for Protestant and Catholic Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists.
The academy superintendent, Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, has made religious tolerance a priority. It became a concern in 2004 when a survey found many cadets had heard slurs or jokes about other religions and that some felt ostracized because they weren't religious.
Longcrier and Ziegler said they've heard no criticism of the new worship space but both noted its presence was just made public.
"Not to say that it's not coming, but so far we haven't had any real issues," Longcrier said.
He said 15 to 20 cadets have shown an interest in Earth-centered beliefs, and eight to 10 regularly attend Monday night meetings. Of those, six or seven are devout believers and the others are "searchers," Longcrier said.
The academy has about 4,000 cadets. The school is one of five U.S. service academies, including West Point and Annapolis. Cadets graduate as second lieutenants.
"Earth-centered" spirituality encompasses many beliefs, Longcrier said, many that recognize multiple gods and goddesses and observe holidays tied to the seasons.
Longcrier said he personally doesn't consider gods and goddesses to be actual beings but personifications of natural events that human ancestors wanted to put a face on.
"The goddess is symbolic of the Earth," Longcrier said. "Do I believe I'm worshipping this female entity living in the Earth or up in space somewhere? No. The symbolism is very important."
The group's meetings are usually devoted to mediation, lessons or ceremonies, he said.
Longcrier, who oversees laboratories in the academy's astronautics labs, said he has military designation as a "distinct faith group leader."
Anyone is welcome to visit the new worship site but it should be treated as a religious structure, he said. A formal dedication is planned in March.
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