Religion – Page 2

Don’t be so shocked at the Falwell claims – research on Christian sex websites reveals an adventurous side to evangelical sexual culture

31Aug

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Religion

Don’t be so shocked at the Falwell claims – research on Christian sex websites reveals an adventurous side to evangelical sexual culture

Many headlines in the past week have speculated publicly on the sex lives of Jerry Falwell Jr. and his wife Becki Falwell. While both Falwells have told the press that the scandal is, more or less, all Becki’s fault an investigative report in Reuters alleges that Falwell Jr. was a complicit voyeur in his wife’s affair with a former pool attendant and business partner. Falwell has denied these allegations. Falwell resigned as president of Liberty University, the ultra-conservative evangelical college founded by his father on Aug. 25. As as a sociologist who has spent years studying the world of online Christian sex advice message boards and blogs, I have read stories from evangelical Christians who turn to the web to talk openly about their sexual activities and desires. Based on this r...

Online Christian pilgrimage: How a virtual tour to Lourdes follows a tradition of innovation

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Religion, TECHNOLOGY

Online Christian pilgrimage: How a virtual tour to Lourdes follows a tradition of innovation

The Catholic Church held what is being termed as the first online pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. Earlier this spring, for the first time in its 162-year existence the shrine was closed as part of measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus. This online pilgrimage included many elements of the actual journey such as traditional prayers and communion, but recreated for a virtual experience. Prayers and services were offered in both English and Spanish. Participants were shown scenes of the healing waters, taken on a virtual tour of the cave and heard music that is part of the normal, in-person experience. As a scholar of the Bible, Judaism and Christianity, I know the importance of pilgrimages. But rituals have often been adapted in the face of difficult c...

John Lewis and C.T. Vivian belonged to a long tradition of religious leaders in the civil rights struggle

20Jul

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS, Religion

John Lewis and C.T. Vivian belonged to a long tradition of religious leaders in the civil rights struggle

With the deaths of Rep. John Lewis and the Rev. Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian, the U.S. has lost two civil rights greats who drew upon their faith as they pushed for equality for Black Americans. Vivian, an early adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., died July 17 at the age of 95. News of his passing was followed just hours later by that of Lewis, 80, an ordained Baptist minister and towering figure in the civil rights struggle. That both men were people of the cloth is no coincidence. From the earliest times in U.S. history, religious leaders have led the struggle for liberation and racial justice for Black Americans. As an ordained minister and a historian, I see a common thread running from Black resistance in the earliest periods of slavery in the antebellum South, through the c...

Black churches have lagged in moving online during the pandemic – reaching across generational lines could help

3Jul

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Religion

Black churches have lagged in moving online during the pandemic – reaching across generational lines could help

From online campaigns for justice to popular TikTok challenges, Black young adults are at the forefront of social media trends. But when it comes to the Black Church, the same cannot be said – it has lagged behind in the rush to go digital. There is a reason for that. But as a scholar of online religious practices, I believe that ascribing the problem to a generational divide and declining church engagement among young people is overly simplistic. Such a view, I argue, fails to understand the complex dynamic between Black young adults and the Black Church. The digital gap The pandemic is one case in point. Early in March, before state and federal guidelines were handed down, Black churches were split over whether to remain open or close their doors to congregants during the pandemic. So...

Black religious leaders are up front and central in US protests – as they have been for the last 200 years

17Jun

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Religion

Black religious leaders are up front and central in US protests – as they have been for the last 200 years

When the Rev. Al Sharpton implored white America to “get your knee off our necks” at the memorial of George Floyd, his words were carried by news outlets across the globe. Meanwhile in the U.S., the Rev. William J. Barber II has been an ever-present voice in the protests, prompting some to place him as the successor to past civil rights greats. That people of the cloth are at the forefront of the current protests over police brutality should not be a surprise. From the earliest times of the United States’ history, religious leaders have led the struggle for liberation and racial justice for black Americans. As an ordained minister and a historian, I see it as a common thread running through the history of the United States, from black resistance in the earliest periods of slavery in the ...

Churchgoers aren’t able to lift every voice and sing during the pandemic – here’s why that matters

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19, Religion, VIDEO REELS

Churchgoers aren’t able to lift every voice and sing during the pandemic – here’s why that matters

Because of COVID-19, churches no longer reverberate with song; hymnals are neatly stacked and projection screens blank. Even as church leaders plan for reopening, scientists warn that it might be too early to resume singing in groups. Though such restrictions are understandable, they rob congregations of an important aspect of their Christian faith. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5, Believers should be “filled with the spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” As a choral conductor, scholar in African American sacred music and teacher of sacred music and worship, I have studied the relationship between singing and worship for over three decades. Singing is critical to identity and faith. In some ...

Are religious communities reviving the revival? In the US, outdoor worship has a long tradition

10Jun

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Religion

Are religious communities reviving the revival? In the US, outdoor worship has a long tradition

Religious communities have been forced to find alternative ways to worship together during the coronavirus pandemic. For some that has meant going online, but others have turned to a distinctly non-digital practice steeped in this history of the American religious experience: outdoor worship. Prayer sessions in parking lots and services in green spaces formed part of an improvised response to the lockdown by religious leaders and they may now be part of the plan as the United States emerges from the crisis. Indeed, a team of clergy and scientists have issued a new guide suggesting, among other recommendations, that baptisms could take place in “flowing streams, lakes or in beach settings.” So are brick-and-mortar houses of worship essential? It is a question that states and courts, incl...

5 Buddhist teachings that can help you deal with coronavirus anxiety

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Religion, VIDEO REELS

5 Buddhist teachings that can help you deal with coronavirus anxiety

Buddhist meditation centers and temples in coronavirus-hit countries around the world have been closed to the public in order to comply with social distancing measures. But Buddhist teachers are offering their teachings from a distance in order to remind their communities about key elements of the practice. In Asia, Buddhist monks have been chanting sutras to provide spiritual relief. In Sri Lanka, Buddhist monastic chanting was broadcast over television and radio. In India, monks chanted at the seat of the Buddha’s enlightenment, the Mahabodhi Temple in the eastern state of Bihar. Monks praying at the Mahabodhi Temple in India. Buddhist leaders argue that their teachings can help confront the uncertainty, fear and anxiety that has accompanied the spread of COVID-19. This is not the fir...

How a heritage of black preaching shaped MLK’s voice in calling for justice

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS, Religion

How a heritage of black preaching shaped MLK’s voice in calling for justice

The name Martin Luther King Jr. is iconic in the United States. President Barack Obama mentioned King in both his Democratic National Convention nomination acceptance and victory speeches in 2008, when he said, “[King] brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln’s Memorial…to speak of his dream.” Indeed, much of King’s legacy lives on in such arresting oral performances. They made him a global figure. The name Martin Luther King Jr. is iconic in the United States. President Barack Obama mentioned King in both his Democratic National Convention nomination acceptance and victory speeches in 2008, when he said, “[King] brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln’s M...

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Religion

10 Strange Mysteries Connected To The Church Of Scientology

Here are 10 strange mysteries connected to the Church Of Scientology, Ron Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology in 1952, One of the main beliefs of the church is that a person’s soul is already damaged and the goal of someone’s life is to shed harmful memories to better themselves through a process called auditing, howerver, It has also has some concerning and unsolved mysteries connected to it.