religion

Catching Up with the Nones

Catching Up with the Nones
When I wrote The Rise of the Nones in 2014, it was in many ways a warning of a coming cultural tsunami. I was having to make the case that there actually was a rise in this particular religious demographic—and that it was going to matter.

The Importance of Converting People to Paganism

The Importance of Converting People to Paganism
In 1999, Gallup asked Americans the following question: “Which of the following statements comes closest to describing your beliefs: you are religious, you are spiritual but not religious, or you are neither?” They just asked the same question again.

A Post-9/11 Reflection on America's Future

A Post-9/11 Reflection on America's Future

There are three ways we know everything we know (called “channels of epistemology” by philosophers): the rational, the practical, and the intuitive. You do math rationally, you start your car practically (unless you’re an automotive engineer, in which case you do so rationally), and you like someone intuitively. All three apply to our conversation today.

Can Religion Bolster Democracy Without Being Swallowed Up by It?

Can Religion Bolster Democracy Without Being Swallowed Up by It?

Jacob Wolf, a government professor at Regent University who formerly taught at Princeton, writes in Public Discourse that "Democracy, like many good things, is destroyed if it is elevated above all else. Democracy is valuable to the extent that it is placed in its proper position and context—bounded and balanced by other elements. As Edmund Burke wisely noted, one does not obtain liberty, equality, and self-government by merely letting go of the reins; these things require a complex system of incentives, punishments, and checks and balances that parallel the complexities of human nature. Our Founders understood this far better than do the democratists.

He concludes that “democracy is ineradicably religious; the question that remains is whether religion can bolster democracy without being swallowed up by it.”

I consider this question to be the foundational issue of our time.

Star Wars as Religion: Most Americans Say Their Spiritual Views Align with 'the Force'

<em>Star Wars</em> as Religion: Most Americans Say Their Spiritual Views Align with 'the Force'

The "Force" in Star Wars may be antithetical to Christianity, but a majority of Americans nevertheless say their own views of spirituality are similar to it, according to a new poll.

Pew: Americans Feel More Negatively Toward Evangelicals Than Other Religious Groups

Pew: Americans Feel More Negatively Toward Evangelicals Than Other Religious Groups

A new Pew Research study found that a majority of Americans are neutral toward several religious groups. When it comes to evangelicals, however, about 32 percent of non-Evangelical Americans view them negatively

Jesus 'Was a Wild One ... Totally Non-Religious,' Bear Grylls Says

Jesus 'Was a Wild One ... Totally Non-Religious,' Bear Grylls Says

TV host and author Bear Grylls, best known for starring in Discovery's Man vs. Wild, recently shared a picture of Jesus on Instagram, describing Him as "a wild one" and "totally non-religious."

The Parallels between Watching American Football and Participating in American Religion

The Parallels between Watching American Football and Participating in American Religion

As a cultural apologist, I would add that the parallels between watching American football and participating in American religion are noteworthy. On a typical Sunday, 100 million Americans (30 percent) watch an NFL game, roughly the same percentage as attend worship (28 percent). Most who participate in either activity engage in a transactional experience.

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