Monthly Archives: March 2009

Sin and the sexes

Posted on March 15, 2009 by melissa nann burke

A study from the Vatican suggests men and women confess to different sins. The most commonly confessed sin for women is pride, while for men, lust and gluttony rule. Social historian Christine B. Whelan over at Busted Halo questioned whether … Continue reading →

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Muslims are most diverse U.S. religious group

Posted on March 13, 2009 by melissa nann burke

I have been meaning to post this Gallup survey about the opinions of Muslim Americans. Among the findings is the conclusion that Muslims in the United States are far more likely than people in Muslim countries to see themselves as … Continue reading →

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Stack of Bibles for state lawmakers

Posted on March 13, 2009 by melissa nann burke

The Pennsylvania General Assembly bought 220 Bibles and other holy books for legislators as they took the oath of office earlier this year, according to the Philly Inquirer. The House chief clerk and Senate secretary say it’s a tradition for … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Pennsylvania, Politics | Leave a comment

Sightings: The Religious Violence of ‘Defending Marriage’

Posted on March 12, 2009 by melissa nann burke

In today’s Sightings column, Jon Pahl talks about what he considers a “troubling” growth of DOMA Laws, or “Defense of Marriage Acts.” “These laws are forms of religious violence,” he writes. Pahl is a professor of Christian history in North … Continue reading →

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Brain thinks of God as another person

Posted on March 12, 2009 by melissa nann burke

Brain scans of people thinking about God showed activation in the same part of the brain where people empathize with others, according to a team at the National Institutes of Health. One such brain region is also associated with imagination, … Continue reading →

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New religious landscape survey

Posted on March 9, 2009 by melissa nann burke

A survey out today illustrates some interesting shifts in the U.S. religious landscape. Check out the summary or interactive charts from USAToday. Here’s a snapshot of the changes charted in Pennsylvania from 1990 compared with 2008: – Self-identified Catholics declined … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Around Pennsylvania | Leave a comment

Sightings: Mainline Clergy

Posted on March 9, 2009 by melissa nann burke

Religion scholar Martin Marty’s latest column looks at a new survey of mainline Protestant clergy. He’s grateful the study’s authors don’t analyze reasons for the denominations’ relative decline in size, status and noise — that’s old stuff. “The new stuff … Continue reading →

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Finances and moral responsibility

Posted on March 8, 2009 by melissa nann burke

Check out this interesting discussion over at On Faith: In tough times, do those of us who have handled our finances responsibly have a moral obligation to bail out those of us who haven’t? Are we our brother’s keeper, economically?

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Ex-Mormon calendar maker plans to sue BYU

Posted on March 8, 2009 by melissa nann burke

The ex-Mormon who was booted from the church for publishing a calendar of beefcake missionaries has plans to sue his alma mater for denying him his diploma from Brigham Young University. Chad Hardy also told Religion News Service he plans … Continue reading →

Posted in Denominational doings, Elsewhere, Pop Culture | Leave a comment

Darwin and God

Posted on March 4, 2009 by melissa nann burke

Ann Rodgers at the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette has an interesting piece about a conference on evolution this week at the Vatican. She says it’s “a sign that, for many devout Christians, there is no conflict between the ideas of Charles Darwin … Continue reading →

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