By Arielle Hawkins, CNN
Here's the Belief Blog’s morning rundown of the top faith-angle stories from around the United States and around the world. Click the headlines for the full stories.
From the Blog:
CNN: Top Catholic defends Obama invite against conservative criticism
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, America’s most prominent Catholic official, defended on Wednesday the decision to invite President Barack Obama to a major Catholic dinner in the face of criticism from conservatives, saying the event is an opportunity for “friendship, civility and patriotism” amid a heated political campaign.
Enlightening Reads:
The Washington Post: Hindus from Pakistan flee to India, citing religious persecution
More than 250 Pakistani Hindus have arrived in India over the past two weeks bearing tales of religious persecution, according to Indian border officials, fueling perceptions of growing discrimination against minorities in Pakistan. The Pakistani Hindus, who came by road and rail with valid pilgrimage visas from Sindh, Baluchistan and Punjab provinces, have reported incidents of kidnapping, looting and forced religious conversion, the officials said.
Religion News Service: Atheists find a new venue for the godless: on film
There were no red carpets, no paparazzi, no celebrities and definitely no God at the recent annual Atheist Film Festival. Instead, there were more than a dozen films, long and short, about separation of church and state, freedom of religion (and no religion), the conflict between science and religion in public schools and a couple hundred people eager to see them. “If we don’t do this, who will? said festival organizer Dave Fitzgerald, as people picked up atheist-themed books and T-shirts at the Aug. 10-11 festival.
Christian Post: Black Churches Holding Vigil in Md. Against Same-Sex Marriage
A group of several black congregations will be holding a vigil against same-sex marriage in Maryland, a state that will be holding a referendum on the issue in November. Organized by the National Black Church Initiative, the vigil will take place in Baltimore on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The Rev. Anthony Evans, president of NBCI, told The Christian Post that this vigil was the first of many to be held throughout the state leading up to the November election.
EWTN Global Catholic Network News: Americans support parent choice for in-school prayer
A new survey favors allowing parents to decide whether to send their children to schools that permit prayer, with support especially strong among parents with children. A Rasmussen Reports survey of U.S. adults found that 76 percent of respondents think parents should be able to choose between sending children to a school that allows in-school prayer and a school that does not.
The Jewish Daily Forward: Hebrew National Must Answer to Lower Authority
In early August, the United States District Court of Minnesota scheduled a hearing to determine whether or not it will dismiss the now famous — or maybe infamous — class action lawsuit filed against Hebrew National. According to the plaintiffs, Hebrew National’s hot dogs and other meats failed to live up to their lofty billing. Contrary to its advertising, the plaintiffs claim that Hebrew National meat is not 100% kosher “as defined by the most stringent Jews who follow Orthodox Jewish Law.” Or, put differently, Hebrew National has failed to live up to its well-known tagline — to “answer to a higher authority.”
Quote of the Day:
I see you as a potential army for peace. Our Arab citizens can show our neighbors that co-existence is possible and that all people can enjoy equal rights…we have no intention of intruding on your religious values.
Israeli President Shimon Peres, appealed to Arab citizens to help him put a stop to the violence so prevalent in the streets of Arab towns around the nation.
Opinion of the Day:
CNN: My Take: Christianity and Ayn Rand's philosophy are 2 distinct religions
Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "The American Bible: How Our Words Unite, Divide, and Define a Nation, explains why Paul Ryan’s religious influences are disharmonious with the philosophies of Ayn Rand, the atheist economist and author who inspired Ryan to enter public service.
Join the conversation…
CNN: My Take: Paul Ryan will provoke a debate on Catholic politics
A lot has been written about the “Mormon moment” in American politics. But the election of 2012 is starting to shape up as a “Catholic moment,” too. Now that Mitt Romney has tapped the former altar boy (and Rep.) Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate, there will be a Catholic on both major party tickets for the first time in U.S. history.
If we could leave all the rhetoric to the word-meisters we'd be better off than mixing it with religions that are devisive in and of themself. The Crusades & such are a prime example. We cannot phathom our great God but will rules the Universe and Man makes religions to approve his being better than the next man. Not God's intention.
Any word that comes around a group of ten is exploited into a void and so the various words of various scriptures amount to the myriad opinions of lowly man.
Who has RELIGION in and of itself ever helped? I mean, be TRUE
I. M. Wayland Jackson
Many Atheists change things for the better. Many Atheists will be in heaven.
No atheist will be long in heaven. There for the great judgment and off to the lake of fire. Atheists have murdered more people in the last 100 years than were killed in all previous centuries.
The real reason that no atheists will be in heaven is because there is no heaven.
look for jwt it will be one of the ones with the Oh sh it look on its face.
I won't be around since your god is too immoral to stand in judgement of people.
remember to shout that line as you are tossed into the lake of fire.
absurdity is the mindset of the believers mind and so they produce absurd "evidence" to back up their absurd beliefs and then ask you absurd questions in order to show superiority to you for not believing as they do since they believe you could never answer the questions without the requirement of a god type figure. its a p!$s poor stance to take but many do because they lack the ability to discern fact from fiction. its absurd and arrogant!
I did try to engage Chad on this, but he wouldn't respond...Oh well. I think there is room for people to believe in a God that is entirely supernatural – that does not extend into the natural world or interact with it. Clearly such a God could never leave evidence, so it's not reasonable to demand evidence of it. If anyone wants to believe in it go ahead. It's not absurd. It would be absurd to claim to know its nature, know what it wants or try to claim without evidence that it is involved in the natural world. Things get interesting when it's claimed that it is the creator of the natural world. Chad?
Hearsay and anecdotal evidence was a big deal in the time and the time before Jesus. One was not permitted in the temple without the Torah memorized word for word. Jesus did this by the time he was 10. But I can understand why some cannot rely on hearsay evidence. But what do ya know, a book was written. Still, it is not good enough for many. You may call it bronze age mythology, but still recognize roman manuscripts as true history. Rome was one of, if not, the most corrupt empire in history. The U.S. is metaphorically the new age Roman Empire, but yet will go down in the books as the most heroic nation in the world. Time will tell i guess who is correct and who is not. I just hope for the sake of hearsay, anecdotal, and this one book that I am right.
hippypoet is on a better track than the last reverand that I've spoken with.
And even closer to mine.
wayland jackson
@atheist: i have learned to just ignore the troll named "unhealthy for other things" etc etc etc. it doesn't have anything constructive to say.........kindof like it's make-believer god.
To me prayer troll is like a slinky. He's not really god for anything besides his one comment, but every once in a while it's entertaining to give him a little push and watch him flop around before I go back to ignoring him.
I have been praying that Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things would change his tune. To no avail which just demonstrates that prayer is absolutely ineffective and useless.
No! Seriously? You actually tried to establish telepathic contact with ummm ... what exactly? Is there a protocol for that?
Prayer changes things
Do you ever get tired of sounding like a broken record??
We do get it...you think that prayer works. And we think you're bat sh>it crazy...especially when this is the only damn thing you are capable of typing. If reality scares you that much, you might want to disconnect that computer (built and created by Atheists) and move back to a cave!!
When God was handing out mission work, our friend here was low man on the totem pole. Based on his qualifications God said "You are in charge of posting this message on the CNN belief blog." :::hands him a stone tablet with the message "prayer changes things" on it:::
Prayer does not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example; Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!
Have you tried praying for some imagination – you know post something new or provide evidence for this post that you put on every thread every day. yawn
Prayer changes things
Proven
You're a proven liar. Prayer does not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example; Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine–year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!