Clipmarks | reimers's 'religion' clips

92% of Americans believe in God

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:55:59 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Americans overwhelmingly believe in God and consider religion an important part of their lives, even as many shun weekly worship services, according to a national survey released today that also found great diversity in religious beliefs and practices.

Ninety-two percent of those interviewed for the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey said they believe in the existence of God or a universal spirit, and 58% said they pray privately every day. But California, like other states along the country's two coasts, resisted the prevailing national tendencies.

Californians are less likely than other Americans to consider religion "very important" in their lives or to be "absolutely certain" in their belief in God.

Californians pray less than others in many parts of the country. They are less inclined to take the word of God literally. And they are ready to embrace "more than one true way" of interpreting their religious teaching

The 10 Most Worthless College Majors

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:26:58 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: www.holytaco.com

10. Art History

9. Philosophy

8. American Studies

7. Music Therapy

6. Communications

5. Dance

4. English Lit

3. Latin

2. Film

1. Religion

McCain Rejects Preachers' Endorsements

Fri, 23 May 2008 07:06:36 GMT

clipped by: reimers
clipper's remarks: Then in an interview with The Associated Press, McCain said he rejected Parsley's support, too.

Clip Source: news.aol.com

Republican John McCain on Thursday rejected endorsements from two influential but controversial televangelists, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths.

McCain rejected the months-old endorsement of Texas preacher John Hagee after an audio recording surfaced in which the preacher said God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. McCain called the comment "crazy and unacceptable."

He later repudiated the support of Rod Parsley, an Ohio preacher who has sharply criticized Islam and called the religion inherently violent.

McCain issued a statement Thursday afternoon announcing his decision about Hagee.

"Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well," he said.

Later, in Stockton, he told reporters: "I just think that the statement is crazy and unacceptable."

Black, Jewish Tension Rises Again In Crown Heights

Thu, 22 May 2008 23:35:42 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: wcbstv.com

Police are mobilizing a massive presence in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn in the wake of increased tension between black and Jewish communities.

Leaders from both communities have come together recently to preach cooperation among residents of the neighborhood where blacks and Hassidic Jews live side by side. But recent violence has showed that religion and race don't always mix.

"I definitely feel [like there's unrest] because I see it everyday. I'm around here a lot and that's what I'm hearing," said Crown Heights resident Anthony Rios.

Another resident, Joe Morgenstein, agreed, saying he hears "a lot of racial slurs all day" in the community.

Since 1991, when riots broke out after a 7-year-old black boy was killed by a Hassidic driver, Crown Heights has been hurt off-and-on by periodic tension. In the past month, 20-year-old Andrew Charles, who is black, was beaten up, and the suspect is Jewish.

Then last week, 16-year-old Alon Sherman, who is Jewish, had his jaw broken

Eidolon A.I. Asks About Religion

Sun, 04 May 2008 05:45:43 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: youtube.com

[Video]

Analysis: Obama wants voters to remember Clinton's past

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:54:23 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: apnews.myway.com

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While Clinton brought up the problems Obama could face in a general election if he's nominated, Obama used a two-hour debate Wednesday night to remind Americans what they don't like about his opponent and her husband, Bill, the former president. Both candidates argued they were tough enough to withstand whatever Republicans try to use against them.

Obama raised President Clinton's controversial pardons on his last day in office. And he wanted Americans to know that Hillary Clinton repeatedly called him names in the past few days.

The point was to tie Clinton to the divisive politics of the past at a time when a new poll shows that a majority of voters view her as dishonest. The loss of voters' trust comes as Clinton has been attacking Obama for comments he made recently about Pennsylvania voters who "cling to guns or religion" because they are "bitter" about the economy - statements that he maintains he mangled.

Pennsylvania crowd jeers Clinton attacks on Obama

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:40:12 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (CNN) – On Monday, with the Pennsylvania primary just days away, Hillary Clinton continued to hammer Barack Obama over his comments that small town Americans "cling to guns or religion" because they are "bitter."

But the audience at a forum put on by the Alliance for American Manufacturing didn't appreciate her line of attack.

"I understand my opponent came this morning and spent a lot of his time attacking me," she said at the beginning of her remarks here.

Many in the crowd responded with audible groans, and a few shouted, "No!"

Obama spoke to the same forum earlier in the morning and ribbed Clinton for doing a shot of whiskey in front of TV cameras on Saturday in Indiana.

Clinton continued, "I know that many of you, like me, were disappointed by the recent remarks he made."

This time, a louder, sustained chorus of "No!" emanated from the audience. Clinton soldiered on.

Science vs. Religion: The Ultimate Smackdown

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:54:55 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: www.wired.com

When you're looking to buy a car stereo -- a device beloved of religious folk and rationalists alike -- do you get into long musings on the nature of stereoness, or consider whether you'll be able to plug your iPod into it after you're dead? No, of course you do not. You turn to the most powerful epistemological tool available: the checklist.

Here, then, is a checklist to help you decide between the warm embrace of heartfelt faith or the cool reassurance of the scientific method.

Food

Religion has brought us the Easter ham and the Passover brisket.

Music

Religion gave us Bach, gospel and rock 'n' roll. (Hey, Satan is part of religion.)

Sex

Science, taken as a whole, is remarkably silent on the question of whom you should sleep with, when you should sleep with them and how guilty you should feel afterward.

Stuff

Clearly, if you like owning things other than dirt clods and intestinal parasites, science is ready to step up and give it to you

Cruise Scientology Video Leaks Online

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:04:27 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: news.aol.com

(Jan. 15) -- The video that Scientology apparently didn't want you to see is back again for your perusal on Gawker.com.

"I think it's a privledge to call yourself a Scientologist," says Tom Cruise in what Gawker says is an "indoctrination video" that was previously removed from Google Video. Here, Cruise laughs talking about dealing with SPs (or suppressive persons).

Gawker posted the video of Tom Cruise speaking candidly about his controversial religion in a way that's never been discussed publicly before. In it, Cruise explains the virtues of Scientology, what it means to him and other key topics of the religion.

In the video, Cruise says that "it's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist, and it's something that you have to earn. Because a Scientologist does, he or she has the ability to create new and better realities and improve conditions."

Tags: star scandals, tom cruise, movie news

Hitchens VS Religion (Part 1/5)

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:33:35 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: hitchens, religion, atheism

Huckabee Questions Mormons' Belief

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:15:39 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: www.breitbart.com

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, asks in an upcoming article, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

The article, to be published in Sunday's New York Times Magazine, says Huckabee asked the question after saying he believes Mormonism is a religion but doesn't know much about it. His rival Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, is a member of the Mormon church, which is known officially as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The authoritative Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published in 1992, does not refer to Jesus and Satan as brothers. It speaks of Jesus as the son of God and of Satan as a fallen angel, which is a Biblical account.

A spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Huckabee's question is usually raised by those who wish to smear the Mormon faith rather than clarify doctrine.

Pat Condell

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:28:31 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: youtube.com


A word to Islamofascists 07:35 Added: 7 hours ago Views: 6,163	Was Jesus gay? 05:44 Added: 1 week ago Views: 133,486	What's good about religion? 06:22 Added: 3 weeks ago Views: 110,464
More demands from Islam 05:59 Added: 1 month ago Views: 120,270	Hello angry Christians 04:51 Added: 1 month ago Views: 117,602	Video response to Osama 04:19 Added: 2 months ago Views: 72,326
Unholy scripture 04:43 Added: 2 months ago Views: 86,435	Islam in Europe 06:06 Added: 2 months ago Views: 216,580	God bless atheism 04:27 Added: 3 months ago Views: 99,444
See All 28 Videos

Tags: humor, philosophy, atheism, condell

God Is Not Great Except 3 of 3

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:42:29 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: www.slate.com

If the followers of the prophet Muhammad hoped to put an end to any future "revelations" after the immaculate conception of the Koran, they reckoned without the founder of what is now one of the world's fastest-growing faiths. And they did not foresee (how could they, mammals as they were?) that the prophet of this ridiculous cult would model himself on theirs. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—hereafter known as the Mormons—was founded by a gifted opportunist who, despite couching his text in openly plagiarized Christian terms, announced that "I shall be to this generation a new Muhammad" and adopted as his fighting slogan the words, which he thought he had learned from Islam, "Either the Al-Koran or the sword." He was too ignorant to know that if you use the word al you do not need another definite article, but then he did resemble Muhammad in being able only to make a borrowing out of other people's bibles.

Tags: hitchens, religion

God Is Not Great Excerpt 2 0f 3

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:40:47 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: www.slate.com

Everything.

There is some question as to whether Islam is a separate religion at all. It initially fulfilled a need among Arabs for a distinctive or special creed, and is forever identified with their language and their impressive later conquests, which, while not as striking as those of the young Alexander of Macedonia, certainly conveyed an idea of being backed by a divine will until they petered out at the fringes of the Balkans and the Mediterranean. But Islam when examined is not much more than a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of plagiarisms, helping itself from earlier books and traditions as occasion appeared to require. Thus, far from being "born in the clear light of history," as Ernest Renan so generously phrased it, Islam in its origins is just as shady and approximate as those from which it took its borrowings. It makes immense claims for itself, invokes prostrate submission or "surrender" as a maxim to its adherents

Tags: hitchens, religion

God Is Not Great Excerpt 1 of 3

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:37:52 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: www.slate.com

There are four irreducible objections to religious faith: that it wholly misrepresents the origins of man and the cosmos, that because of this original error it manages to combine the maximum of servility with the maximum of solipsism, that it is both the result and the cause of dangerous sexual repression, and that it is ultimately grounded on wish-thinking.

Tags: hitchens, religion