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In his “sermon” last week, rank heretic Joel Osteen continued macrodosing his herd of goatlings with spiritual strychnine, insisting that God is determined to give you a double blessing of wealth and favor, but He can’t if you don’t keep a chipper attitude. It’s familiar ground for reprobates Joel and Victoria Osteen, the impastor and impastorette duo who lead Lakewood Church, the 600,000-square-foot, 16,000-seat behemoth in the former Compaq Center. Blessed to have the devil himself literally dictating their sermons, Lakewood has ballooned to an annual budget of nearly $90,000,000, with 368 full-time and part-time staff spending nearly 1.7 million...

Daniel Dennett, the American philosopher, who has died aged 82, was, with Richard Dawkins, a leading proponent of Darwinism and one of the most virulent controversialists on the academic circuit...

Shared testimonies, collective singing, and silent meditation and baptism rituals. These are all activities you might find at a Christian church service on a Sunday morning in the United States. But what would it look like if atheists were gathering to do these rituals instead? Today, almost 30% of adults in the United States say they have no religious affiliation, and only half attend worship services regularly. But not all forms of church are on the decline – including “secular congregations,” or what many call “atheist churches.” As a sociologist of religion who has spent the past 10 years studying...

One common pro-abortion argument is that pro-lifers are pushing a religious agenda in their opposition to abortion. These advocates often use slogans like “Keep your rosaries off my ovaries,” and “Pray to end abortion,” to demonstrate the idea that only religious people are pro-life. Monica Snyder, director of Secular Pro-Life, turns that argument on its head and explains that opposing abortion has nothing to do with religion. “The belief that abortion is wrong is not exclusive to the Bible — or to any one worldview, theistic, secular or otherwise,” Snyder says in Live Action’s latest Pro-Life Replies video. “I am...

... along with Moses' specific time ("about midnight") for the time of the Exodus.Backgound:On a mystical level, the number 600,000 is identified with the number of souls comprising the Nation of Israel. The Talmud teaches that the arrival of the Messiah will transpire when all these souls are "complete."The Nation of IsraelWe know that the Torah actually has 304,805 letters, so why would our Sages say it has 600,000? [And even prove it by saying “Israel” (ישראל) stands for yesh shishim ribua otiot l’Torah (יש שישים ריבוא אותיות לתורה), “There are 600,000 letters in the Torah.”] The answer, as is...

Why is it taking so long audiobook

John 12:24-26Friends, in today’s Gospel, just after announcing that he is about to be glorified on the cross, Jesus declares: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”A seed can exist for a long time—they have found seeds in the tombs of the Pharaohs. But unless they fall into the soil and crack open, nothing further comes of them. Their life is inside, but it’s a life that grows by being given away and mixing with...

An interesting YouTube discussion on the authenticity Of The Bible- from an historical document review process. Its a 72 minute interview in which you will learn new things about the composition of the Bible- Most important being, that it's writings are verifiable in a way the secular world chooses to ignore. A good commute listen for sure.Yes. The Bible Is Relible. Here's Why.

Chinese Bishop Han says following the state rules is important for the Church's mission and growth A Chinese bishop, recognized by both state and the Vatican, says all Catholic clergy in China should register with the government to end the division among them as state-sanctioned and underground churches. “What hurts and torments us the most are the situations of disunity and heartbreak between brothers,” said Bishop Joseph Han Zhi-hai of Lanzhou in the province of Gansu in north-central China. Han made the remarks in a letter he sent to the Vatican Fides agency, on the 20th anniversary of his ordination...

Could two highly intelligent men with two entirely different perspectives possibly help you come to your own personal conclusion concerning the central figure of history? Perhaps. Let’s find out. History’s central figure, of course, is Jesus Christ. And the two men I have in mind are American New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman and Canadian astrophysicist Hugh Ross. Ehrman professed faith in Christ as a teenager but is now an atheist; whereas Ross grew up in a non-religious home but is now a Christian. One man abandoned Christianity, while the other embraced it. Ross said, “I didn’t know any Christians or...

James Croft has become the first humanist to be appointed to lead a chaplaincy, pastoral, and spiritual care team at a UK university. He has been appointed to the role of ‘University Chaplain and Lead Faith Advisor’ at the University of Sussex. Humanists UK has hailed his appointment as a landmark moment, and hopes that it will encourage other universities and institutions to embrace a more inclusive approach when it comes to providing person-centred care for students. James officially started his new role on 6 February. Non-religious pastoral care is like-minded support that encompasses the emotional, moral, ethical, and existential...

How do you feel about religion?As Statista's Katharina Buchholz details below, depending on which country you are in, this question is more or less likely to be met with a shrug or even an objection to religious belief.In China, the highest percentage of people among the 56 countries and territories included in the Statista Global Consumer Survey is non-religious or atheist, the latter describing people rejecting the idea that there is a God.You will find more infographics at StatistaAmong European countries, Germany ranks high for the share of its non-religious and atheist population, which stands at around a third of...

Indiana’s abortion ban currently faces an injunction as a result of a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and abortion providers.INDIANAPOLIS (LifeSiteNews) – The Satanic Temple filed a lawsuit last week arguing that Indiana’s near total abortion ban violates a constitutional right to the free practice of religion. The Satanic Temple claims that it filed the suit on behalf of a female member who got pregnant without her consent. While the provisions of Indiana’s abortion ban allow for exceptions for rape or incest, the woman in question holds that the reason for her involuntary pregnancy is the legal inability for a...

Rise of the Godless chaplains: Nearly a third of prisoners have no religious faith. Now a non-believer has been appointed as a head chaplain for the first time – and the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network hopes more prisons will add the faithless to chaplaincy teams. Ben Leapman investigatesFor the first time a person with no religious faith has been appointed as the head chaplain of an English prison. The woman, 50, who describes herself as a Humanist, leads a team of 20 chaplains including Christian, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faith leaders. In her first interview, she told Inside Time: “I...

Australia's 2021 Census reveals that the percentage of people identifying as Christian has dipped below 50% for the first time, a drop of 17 percentage points over the last 10 years. At the same time, the number of people who describe themselves as "non-religious" has risen.The diversity in the religions Australians identified is increasing, "reflecting continuing changes in our social attitudes and belief systems," the Australian Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.While Christianity remains the most common religion in the Oceania country, with 43.9% identifying as Christian, it's down from 52.1% in 2016 and 61.1% in 2011.The Sydney Morning...

[Catholic Caucus] Keeping the Faith at the Intersection of Indefectibility and Grim RealityAnd I say to thee: That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)Going, therefore, teach ye all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. (Matthew 28:20)These words from Our Lord should give us...

The Satanic Temple plans to challenge pro-life laws on religious freedom grounds if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade based on the claim that killing an unborn baby in an abortion is a “religious ritual” in its members’ views. The pro-abortion group announced its plans last week in reaction to a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Without Roe, states would be allowed to protect unborn babies from abortion again, and predictions estimate anywhere from a dozen to 26 states would do so. In a statement May 5, the Satanic...

‘The only way we can have streets that are welcoming to all is if all religions can equally go through them and be on them without feeling like they are less than.’LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Standing atop an approximately 8-foot-high ladder, Evan Clark tugged at a sign tightly nailed to a utility pole on the intersection of Echo Park and Bellevue avenues, just beyond the 101 freeway ramps. The sign quoted John 14:6, and as Clark spun and pulled it to loosen it from the pole, a man in a car shouted, “The way. The truth. The life!,” quoting the...

Unbelief, the Opiate of the MassesReligion is the opiate of the masses.” In a single, swift turn of phrase, Marx had created a credo for the secular left. Opium, of course, is the drug of addicts; addicts cannot see beyond their chemical dependency. But if they were to lock themselves in a room and face the cold sweat withdrawals of truth, the addicts could be freed from their affliction. The veil of ignorance blinding their judgment would be torn away. Rationalist sobriety saves.But what if irreligion is the true opiate of the masses—what if unbelief is the valium of the...

More of a question than a post: It appears to me that 2022 (2 years after the great Public School “PLANDEMIC” shut down) is going to be the years parent regain control of our public school system! I am very interested in the politics of religious based after school programs such as “Good News Club”. The link I posted is intentionally ANTI “Good News Club” however I am personally very PRO Good News Club. As well as PRO any religious program being offered —- key words offered to students requiring parental consent of course. The main point is that parents...