Here you will find an infographic showing the diverse beliefs about homosexuality and other moral issues within the world’s major religious structures.  If you feel that your particular group is not represented here, or you have a different point of view entirely, please let us know.  We would love hearing from you.

In this video, I think Mike Huckabee does a great job defending the Christian premise that is not in any way at odds with science — but is rather an admission that Creation is a mystery, and that however God chose to bring it into being, it was still His action that set it all in place.  If only he were runnning from president again this year.

In some parts of the Muslim world, it is forbidden for women to show even their eyes in public.  But in other places, only a modest head scarf is required.  This is because the interpretation of their religious doctrines varies widely from place to place, often influenced by cultural and political trends in a given time and country. Each Muslim considers female dress an important aspect of any home security team.  Here is an infographic that shows the variety Muslim women enjoy in choosing how to cover themselves up and avoid repercussions for violating the dress code:

Diwali always occurs on a new moon day in the month of October or November. Because the astrological moment of the new moon happens on different dates depending on geographical location, the proper date of Diwali also depends on one’s location. Diwali will be celebrated on October 26th in 2011.

The most central festival day falls on the moonless day of the dark half of Kartik (the name of a month in the Hindu calendar.)  This is all in accordance with the Hindu lunar calendar. People of every religion throughout India celebrate the festival with great joy as countless lamps are lit on the roofs and windowsills of houses. Hindus believe that Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, can be attracted on this day and will enter a house that is pure, well kept and brightly lit.  That is why, before the traditional Diwali gifts are given out or foods eaten, prayers are offered to Lakshmi.  Enjoy the infographic here for more information on this beautiful festival.

The prophet Zoroaster founded the religion based on the Creator Ahura Mazda, the source of all the good in the world. The source of evil is said to be the force bent upon destroying the creation of Mazda, so therefore both good and evil have distinct sources and are at battle with one another. Zoroastrianism is synonymous with Mazdaism, which is the praise and worship of the divine authority and creator Mazda. Similar to other monotheistic religions, Mazda is the one and only uncreated being who serves as the creator of the universe ang the source of all the good in the world. This transcendent God created all things good and order, which is in constant struggle with chaos, falsehood and disorder. Zoroastrians believe that at one point the world will undergo a cosmic renovation after evil and chaos lose the fight against good and order and is dispelled, and all beings will be reunited with Ahura Mazda.

Zoroastrianism, while still strong through the development of the Islamic religion, lost some of its strength and power as Islam gained popularity. But the harder blow came when India’s economy started to grow and a powerful private-sector job market emerged. As there more and more opportunities to obtain a professional well-paying job sprouted up in front of young men in India, less and less found the desire to become a Zoroastrian priest appealing or even plausible. Now, in seminaries and priest training schools across India, there are usually more teachers than students, and it becomes more and more difficult to see how this religion has a chance of surviving in the long-term outside of history books and museums. So are we observing the quite end of an ancient, prestigious religion? Or will priests and belivers be able to educate and inspire enough of the next generation not only to keep it alive, but to allow it to thrive once again?

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice advocates the right for women to make their own moral choices, and that these choices should be based on a prayerful, thoughtful decision between them, their family and God. RCRC (and many other groups with similar views) believes that by not giving women this choice, we are disrespecting their value and violating their fundamental human rights as independent decision makers. Here is a brief overview of their mission statement:

“As people of faith, we

• seek a society that values human life and human dignity and honors individual conscience.

• respect the value of potential human life while remaining firmly committed to women as responsible, moral decision-makers.

• believe the ability to make moral decisions—including about reproductive issues—is the very basis of an individual’s dignity.

• seek to correct the conditions that underlie the high rate of unintended pregnancy and abortion, through responsible sexuality education, affordable family planning services, and high-quality, accessible medical care.

• will continue to protect the right of individuals to follow their own religious views in reproductive decisions and decisions about family formation…”

RCRC also believes that justice is not served unless the necessary resources are provided for women and families in this tough spot, including lifelong abortion and pregnancy education and quality medical insurance. Having quality medical insurance, a good job at a living wage, pre- and post-natal care, in addition to many other requirements, is believed to be absolutely necessary as a part of a woman’s decision making process. Otherwise, if a woman decides to abort because she feels she won’t make enough money to provide for her child, or that her neighborhood is not safe enough, or because of her lack of medical insurance and access to quality health care providers, then RCRC believes an injustice has occurred and the rights of a woman to choose life or else are violated. The same would be true if a woman was forced to give birth to a child (threatening to disown family members, for example, who decide to get an abortion) despite her contrary inclinations.

With such a wide range and diversity of religious support, its amazing how faith-based pro-choice hasn’t really taken off. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice is a strong supporter for the separation of church and state, believing that maximum freedom for both the church and the government exist when both institutions operate in completely separate capacities, and that these separate capacities can more effectively and efficiently communicate with one another, when there are issues that are of direct consequence to the other’s actions.

The mainstream media wants to paint a picture of the “Religious Right” as fanatical idealists forcing their beliefs on an unwilling nation. The fact of the matter is that most faith systems are based on personal relationships and encouraged to withhold judgment. Let’s hope that more groups like RCRC are brought to light, illuminating some of the best qualities of separation of church and state and how we can best help those most in need.

The physical, psychological and emotional toll of war spreads far beyond armed troops, however. Frequently overlooked, Chaplains also face equally stressful situations and suffered the repercussions of those situations. And while they’re not on the front lines doing battle and actively risking their physical safety, it takes a certain kind of human being to pray with dying men as medics are trying to save them, to comfort troops who have been through traumatic experiences during the line of duty, or seen things that no human being should ever have to see. Military chaplains on active duty build relationships with many soldiers, listening to their deepest concerns and feelings about the horrors of war, knowing full well they may have to be by the sides of these men if they are injured in the line of duty. Many chaplains suffer from a sort of “compassion fatigue,” according to Kansas State University doctoral candidate Vance P. Theodore, who recently completed research on how the impact of war affected 408 chaplains who served 12, 15 and 20 month tours with the US Army over seas.

When comparing chaplains’ tours from Vietnam to today’s war on terror, it is evident that today’s ministers are spread much thinner and under a much greater demand. The average tour for a chaplain serving during the Vietnam war was 6 months, and most only deployed one time. Today, the average tour is 13 months, and more than one third of the 1,600+ active duty chaplains have served multiple tours, and the war is far from over. During reintegration back in the US, many ministers show signs of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. But this depression and anxiety is not only from witnessing atrocities and caring for people who may be lost to them, but because a sort of loss of identity that stems from Theodore’s compassion fatigue. Once their words and actions start feeling insincere, they lose a certain sense of their identity as a caring person who loves and wants to serve a generous God. And that feeling of insincerity can come from the same desensitizing effect that violent video games, cursing, and other cultural phenomena are known for, except in a much different form, making a chaplain’s duty seem much more daunting. For now, we should treat their post-tour care the same as regular troops, to ensure their reintegration into society goes as smooth as possible, and thank them kindly for their sacrificing service.

After that little incident my family tried many churches and types but couldn’t find a churches that didn’t show shadows of the same corruption that was in our first church. Is it really any wonder that so many turn their backs on church when the ones telling others to come to church the loudest are the ones that have the most corruption? I was always told this little excerpt from the bible: “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” I’m sure there are a lot of good people among the non believers in the world. I have stopped judging them for not accepting religion and respect their choices so long as they continue to be good people. I think as believers we need to reexamine the belief that just because someone doesn’t go to church that he/she isn’t a good person. I’m starting to believe that the ones that don’t go to church and gossip about everyone else in the church, and they don’t steal from the church because they provide for themselves, and they don’t turn other toward or away from what they believe; they are the truly good people. Granted there are a lot of good religious people as well but they are constantly having stones thrown at them, yet continuing to be respectful either. It’s like shopping for a satellite tv provider. Some are going to be awesome, like Direct TV and cater to families with Direct TV Family Package Channels

The other day I asked a non believing friend how he felt about religion. He stated something that I wasn’t expecting. He said, “The world needs religion. Without a basis for morals and a code of ethics the world will fall into chaos. I respect religion and those that worship it. I just find that religion is not a place for me or what I think should be a priority. For those that need religion I can respect that decision. I just ask that they respect that I do not want religion in my life. That doesn’t mean I won’t strive to be a good person in life. Just that I, like many others, don’t care to be apart of everything you call religion.” That shocked me and made me think about things in a different way. I do respect his choices and I also respect him as a man. I wish him the best in all of his endeavors and hope that he attains the peace with religious people he is searching for.

1 — they are easy to make

2 — they travel well

3 — they reheat tolerably (or taste even better after reheating than fresh out of the oven)

The simplicity of the casserole is its most beautiful feature.  Depending on the ingredients, a really good casserole can be made pretty fast, even though cooking time can be up to one hour or more depending on the ingredients.  Today we’re going to talk about some of the best casseroles to take to a church get together.  We will not post exact recipes, but rather we will discuss what makes each dish especially suitable for taking along to a church function.

Macaroni and Cheese

Homemade mac-n-cheese is one of those down home comfort foods most people really enjoy, but seldom make for themselves.  I’m not talking about the Kraft stuff that comes out of a box and is flavored with bright orange powder that may or may not make peoples’ insides glow for 2-3 days after consumption — but rather, real, honest, home made baked cheesy goodness, with real cheese as sauce, and topped with lightly golden buttered crumbs.  Finding a workable recipe for this old standby is as easy as reading the back of your box of elbow macaroni, and you’ll be sure to score a bit hit if you make this.

Chicken Bog

This is a traditional Southern dish made of chicken, rice, spicy sausage, and seasonings.  A whole chicken is cut up, along with some additional thigh and leg pieces.  (Don’t use anything fancy like boneless skinless chicken breasts;  the fat content on the skin, plus the flavors in the dark and white meat are what give this recipe all its flavor.)  Once the chicken has been cooked and deboned, it is added to the rice and sausage and then put into a hot oven and baked, along with some broth/liquid, until moist and done.  This is an excellent recipe to bring to any event.

Au Gratin Potatoes

Lots of people enjoy the taste of sliced potatoes baked with cheddar cheese, milk or cream, grated onion, and a bit of cayenne red pepper or paprika.  This super easy recipe warms back up very nicely.  It doesn’t have to be piping hot when served, either, which makes it a versatile side dish to almost any main course.

Italian Brunch Casserole

This easy to prepare, make ahead of time casserole will become a favorite fast once you discover how simple it is to throw together, and how the flavors really pop.  Just combine some sweet Italian sausage with sliced green onions, a couple of diced zucchini, salt and pepper, a jar of roasted red peppers chopped and drained, a large Italian loaf of bread in cubes, 6 eggs, 2 cups of shredded cheese, and 1 1/2 c. milk in a large casserole dish and bake for one hour.  Couldn’t be easier.

So now you’re ready the next time there’s  potluck at your church.  You’ll never be caught off guard again once you master two or three basic casserole recipes.

Direct TV Packages have some awesome cooking shows on their TV listings. Be sure to check out some of my favorites: Rachel Ray and Emeril!

Some of these wayward young men and women later return to the faith communities from which they came, but most adopt this young adult faith of their own and remain true to it.  It is even more rare that Christians of any of the above denominations (and “non-denominations”) might develop interests in non-Christian religions like Buddhism, Islam, or Hinduism.  These drastic conversions usually do not end well, and result in either a complete turn towards non belief, or, in the better case, a true re-conversion to their Christian roots.

Christianity makes up the world’s largest religion, all told.  There are so many splintered groups beneath that banner that it can be hard to see at times — and yet, with all the various Christian groups added together, it is true that Christianity has more adherents worldwide than any other religion.  The one single Christian church with the most members in the world is the Roman Catholic Church, with over 1.2 billion followers.  Protestant and “other” Christian Churches all added together ( Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Calvinists, Congregational, Presbyterians, and Reformed, as well as Evangelical and non-denominational churches) come in next with 670 million members.  Next, is Eastern Orthodoxy, with 230 million people.  This group includes the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches.

According to cableinternetbundles.com It was reported earlier this year that the Seventh Day Adventist Church was the fastest growing church in America in 2010 and the early part of 2011.  Some of this growth in North America can be attributed to the influx of immigrants from Mexico and other countries south of the United States border, who seem drawn to the Adventist Churches, perhaps owing to the efforts of existing members within the country who welcome and evangelize them