Nones a Mix of Theists and Non-Theists — Today, “nones” include many more unbranded believers than atheists, and an increasingly diverse racial and ethnic mix. And, researchers say, this is already making nones’ attitudes and opinions less predictably liberal on social issues.
Items included for this subject area come from a variety of sources. The perspectives conveyed may or may not express a Lutheran ethos. They can serve our instruction as discussion-starters, examples (positive and negative), and illustrations of intersections between God’s two kingdoms, intersections sometimes characterized by tension, sometimes by congruence. Inclusion does not imply endorsement.
"Open Book" by R. Marxhausen: the Bible, the book open to us all
Child Services, Baptists, and Gay Hiring
Child Services, Baptists, and Gay Hiring — Uncertainty over a short-lived proposal to open employment to gays at Kentucky’s largest private child care agency prompted many of its supportive churches to withhold giving last year, causing a multi-million dollar shortfall.
A Matthew 18 Case in Dispute Resolution
A Matthew 18 Case in Dispute Resolution — A current law suit and its resolution could turn on which side reneged on a promise to use Christian principles in the workplace, a quarrel that offers a window into a parallel, little-known system of religious justice.
61.1% of U.S. Scientists Identify Selves as Christian
61.1% (not a mis-type) U.S. Scientists Identify as Selves as Christian — A study commissioned by the AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion (DoSER) and the Religion and Public Life Program at Rice University presented at the AAAS meeting on 16 February reports rather surprising findings on attitudes of scientists, the public, and religion. See […]
Belgium Parliament Passes Child Euthanasia
Belgium Parliament Passes Child Euthanasia — Parliament in Belgium has passed a bill allowing euthanasia for terminally ill children without any age limit, by 86 votes to 44, with 12 abstentions. When, as expected, the bill is signed by the king, Belgium will become the first country in the world to remove any age limit […]
1 in 4 Americans Still Geocentric
1 in 4 Americans Still Geocentric — Statistics released by the National Science Foundation indicate that to the question “Does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around the Earth,” 26 percent of those surveyed answered incorrectly. In the same survey, just 39 percent answered correctly (true) that “The universe began […]
Atheism: Global Statistics
Atheism: Global Statistics — The non-believing population around the world is estimated to be roughly seven percent of the world’s population, or between 450 to 500 million people. The authors find the typical global nonbeliever is young, male, and educated, and most likely lives in northern Europe, Japan, or communist or formerly communist nations.
Law Suit to Clarify Religious Hiring
Law Suit to Clarify Religious Hiring — Churches and their schools are exempt from most laws against discriminating and employment. Now a lawsuit in Massachusetts aims to clarify how much leeway those institutions have. For example, can they discriminate against people in same-sex marriages for jobs like food services? See also the NPR 5 min […]
Local Pastor as Public School Champion
Local Pastor As Public School Champion — Don Coleman, Richmond VA’s newly elected school board chairman, wants more churches to adopt local, struggling schools. Coleman’s dream is that every one of the 48 Richmond schools would have a church that serves them, asking nothing in return, until the school invites them to be a part […]
Christianity’s Worst Enemies: Persecution Around the World
Christianity’s Worst Enemies: Persecution Around the World — Open Doors. a U.S. based tracking group, unveiled its World Watch List at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The group measures how much Christians are able to live out their faith to determine what countries land on the list. It considers spheres of private, family, […]
