Archive for the ‘God’ Category
Apr 18 2013  |
The idea of a Protestant or Puritan work ethic, that individuals work harder, save more and seek economic success as signs of a diligent faith, has worked its way into national lore. But in looking at the religious engines of economic growth, new research indicates it may be just as helpful to talk about an Islamic ethic or a Jewish ethic or a Buddhist ethic.
[Read Full Column...]Mar 25 2013 |
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The line from The Lord’s Prayer relating divine and personal forgiveness has substantial practical implications, new research shows. Individuals who believe that a loving God forgives them are far more likely to turn around and absolve others, several studies indicate. Trust in God’s forgiveness also may make it more likely for individuals to forgive themselves, a process that seems to make it easier to extend mercy to others.
[Read Full Column...]Feb 18 2013 |
How tough have times become for religious leaders? Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign in six centuries, declaring both strength of mind and body are necessary to oversee the church “in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith.” Yet there are also more hopeful trends about the health and mission of houses of worship. The latest wave of the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, now available for download and exploration on the Association of Religion Data Archives, shares elements of growth and ongoing strengths in congregations.
[Read Full Column...]Dec 21 2012 |
Spending quality time with God appears to make benevolent love possible for many Americans, new research indicates. Americans may be biologically hard-wired to worship at the altars of consumerism this holiday season, buying gifts with expectations of what they will receive in return, but those people who say they regularly experience divine love are much more likely to reach out beyond family and friends to serve humanity, according to a national study.
[Read Full Column...]Oct 27 2012 |
Even as more people appear to be turning away from organized religion, a new study finds that the number of Americans who definitely believe in religious miracles increased 22 percent in the past two decades, The increased belief in miracles crosses all religious traditions, with the strongest gains reported by those who attend services infrequently.
[Read Full Column...]Oct 2 2012 |
Retirement planning is not all about money. It may be just as important for aging Baby Boomers to have invested in their spiritual lives as in their 401K plans, new research shows. The benefits of increased spiritual activity range from battling loneliness and depression through personal faith and church, synagogue and mosque attendance to reducing death anxiety through religious music, the studies indicate.
[Read Full Column...]Jul 3 2012 |
Pay. Benefits. Opportunities for advancement. These are some of the major considerations people take into account in choosing where to work. Now, employers can add another factor: Faith. An increasing body of research suggests that faith plays a major role in the workplace, from being an indicator of how long employees will stay at one company to how well they do in their jobs.
[Read Full Column...]Apr 23 2012 |
The average social media user may face some challenging questions in deciding how much of their personal faith to disclose online. Will sharing my religious life make me more or less likely to get a date? Make new friends? Expand professional networks? New research indicates that merely disclosing one’s religious identity is considered socially acceptable. But the costs and the benefits can rise the more online users share about their religious lives.
[Read Full Column...]Apr 5 2012 |
Give people in the pews some credit. Every so often, a story pops up making light of religious illiteracy because a significant percentage of the population cannot identify facts such as the names of the four books of the Gospel. More often, researchers and media pundits attempt to classify different believers by how they vote or their stands on controversial social issues. Yet, American Christians can and do articulate for themselves what matters most. As Christians prepare to celebrate Easter, it seems clear that the belief that Jesus rose from the dead is overwhelmingly at the center of their faith.
[Read Full Column...]Feb 16 2012 |
The growing number of Americans reporting no religious affiliation are at the center of a debate over whether the United States is inevitably moving toward becoming a more secular nation or is experiencing shifts in the religious marketplace but stability in basic beliefs and behaviors. There are no easy answers. A growing body of evidence reveals a complex portrait of Americans who do not identify with a particular religious group. Many “nones,” some scholars say, find themselves “betwixt and between the religious and the secular, but they are not necessarily on the path to being one or the other.”
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