Conversations: Matthew Slater, a Super Bowl champ with his eye on higher things, retires from football
In an interview which took place before his retirement announcement this week, BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service speaks with NFL player Matthew Slater about his career, his faith and his plans for the future…
Teach your children
There are some in our society who believe you shouldn’t teach religion to children – “let them learn it later when they can make up their own mind”. PICTURE: gpointstudio/iStockphoto Most people in history would think such a view is crazy. Isn’t your faith integral to who you are? Your identity? Your culture? Of course, it is! […]
Prayer is a beautiful thing
I know some atheists laugh at people of faith like me for praying – like there is any scientific evidence that prayers are answered on a cause and effect basis (there are some interesting studies on prayer, but that’s for another time). PICTURE: Jon Tyson/Unsplash But you know what – to sit in a community with […]
Four givens
Renowned psychiatrist Irvin Yolem talks about the four givens of human existence: isolation, meaninglessness, freedom and mortality. PICTURE: deberarr/iStockphoto At our core, we all battle with our feelings of being alone, of wanting autonomy, the desire for meaning, and the reality of death. These are the existential challenges that drive our anxiety, and we either ignore […]
Essay: How much do Americans know about the faiths around them?
RYAN BURGE, in an article first published on Religion News Service, looks at what the data shows…
Books: Bono’s memoir a fascinating account of an extraordinary life
NILS VON KALM reads Bono’s autobiography, ‘Surrender’…
Did faith fall off a cliff during COVID? New US study says no
United StatesRNS When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many Americans lost the habit of churchgoing after almost every church in the country closed down their in-person services and shifted online. But did some of them give up on God? Sociologists like Michael Hout want to know. PICTURE: Himsan/Pixabay/Creative Commons Hout, a professor of sociology at New York University, […]
Essay: Does education ‘cure’ people of faith? The data says no
Despite a long-standing biased assumption among many that the uneducated cling to religion, RYAN BURGE, assistant professor of political science, pastor and author, says, in an article first published on Religion News Service, that studies show people with higher degrees are most likely to be religious…
This Life: Everyone has a story to share
CAROL ROUND, in an article first published on ASSIST News Service, reflects on how God can use our stories…
Sight-Seeing: The “really real” faith and impact of Dorothy L Sayers
JO KADLECEK says Sayers’ voice was that of a “craftsman committed to excellence and truth”…