Pornography and Prayer
How online porn may be providing the wings on which our prayers take flight.

God4Sale
Now that the Internet has become a marketplace as much as a medium of communication, there's a gold rush in progress, as people try to cash in. Much of the selling is being done in the name and under the banner of Jesus Christ. Our Money Changer of the Week Award goes to ...

Running With The Wind
Four years ago, at the age of 60, I began a regular discipline of long distance running, for health and well-being. Running is now a focal point of my spiritual practice. Not surprisingly, some of the world's spiritual masters have seen running as a metaphor for the journey of faith. I recommend it.

The Lord Is My Shepherd: The 23rd Psalm for Today
In this time between war and peace, between birth and death, between the people we are and those we'd like to become, I can think of no better map for navigating the difficult passages of life than the 23rd Psalm. It marks a passage through time, not just for each of us personally, but for entire communities and nations.

Religious Leaders Applaud Intelligent Design Decision
At a press conference in Washington, D. C., a group of religious leaders announced their support for a Dover, PA, court decision that mandated references to intelligent design in a public school science curriculum would be unconstitutional.

More on religion and science

Christians Unite To Save the Planet
Liberals and evangelicals, Protestants and Catholics ... Christians of all kinds are uniting in the realization that preserving and protecting the environment is a moral, ethical and relgious imperative.

Why People Lie About Their Religious Belief and Practice
Sociologists have been aware for many years that people lie when asked about their sex life, finances, and sometime their politics. It is perhaps more surprising that the tendency to lie is even greater when it comes to religious affiliation, church attendance and faith. I wonder why?

Bible Riddles
Questions and answers about the Bible with a humorous twist to test your humor, if not your knowledge.
I bet you won't get them all ...

Is There Any Pleasure in a Prayer?
In the past people have often pondered the question, "Is there any power in a prayer?" Today there is a more pertinent question: "Is there any pleasure in a prayer?" I would submit that if God truly is the source of all things beautiful and good, then prayer is the supreme pleasure of life.

The Role of Doubt in the Life of the Soul
Doubt is not the enemy of faith, blind fanaticism is.

On Letting Go
Faith is not so much about obeying laws and rules, it's about liberation and letting go. Consider the Ten Commandments ...

Pop Spirituality 101
"I'm spiritual but not religious." This contemporary mantra or new-age creed means different things to different people. I'm charting and tracking the ebb and flow of pop spirituality.

A Gift That Makes A Difference
When pondering what you will give to a friend or loved one this holiday season, why not consider making a donation in his or her name to a respected relief or development agency. Here is a list of respected agencies that are engaged in helping to relieve hunger and poverty around the world. Many of them are at work addressing the causes of poverty, providing assistance that will help people help themselves.

Seeing One's Own Land and Faith From a Distance
A View from Paris: The Photography of Dorthea Lange and the Lessons of Islamic Art

Holiday Spending: How Much Is Enough?
Americans spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year celebrating the winter holidays including Christmas. Even as the rush is on, let's take a minute or two to put this spending into perspective. And possibly even save you some money!

An Affair to Remember
Florence holds out one of greatest opportunities for inspiration as well as education about the history and art of the Christian tradition. The Ufizzi Gallery is a case in point.

Galileo's Pals
Ever wonder how it happens that a man condemned by the Catholic Inquisition ends up having a monument raised in his honor in one of Italy's most important cathedrals? In the story of Galileo's heresy trial, there are important lessons for today concerning the relationship between science and faith.

No Religion Too?
On the anniversary of John Lennon's death, we note that people are drawn more than ever to his view that the world would be better off without organized religion. We take a closer look at both sides of this question.

A Wall That Should Not Fall
When running for President in 2000, George Bush said the the problem with Washington was too much "bitterness and bickering." He offered a faith-based "compassionate conservatism" as the solution. Now, well into Bush's second term, we find the country more divided than ever. One reason for this, I believe, is that a faith based politics has intensified our differences. We now have ample, recent evidence that tearing down the wall of separation between church and state, between politics and organized religion in not the way to go.

Let There Be Light: The Beauty of Christ in Stained Glass
Neil Ralley's photographs of the stained glass windows in some of the most beautiful churches of Europe and North America offer a treat for the eyes as well as the soul.

Bible Atlas
A complete atlas to the Bible featuring high quality maps covering all the place names one is likely to encounter in reading the text. This is an essential tool for anyone wanting to follow, and make sense of the scriptures of the Hewbrew Bible as well as the New Testament.