Americans say they pray for forgiveness more than petitioning The Christian Science Monitor has a fascinating survey of "How America Prays." Most Americans — 58 percent — strongly agree "that prayer can have a positive impact on national or world events." Another 38 percent somewhat agree, and only 11 percent disagree.
"By praying, Americans are doing what they can to make the world a better, safer place," says Raghavan Mayur, president of TIPP, the company that actually conducted the poll (pdf).
When they pray, it seems they do not pray as the Pharisees do. The most common form of prayer, the 914 Americans surveyed said, is seeking guidance, which 62 percent of respondents say is a reason they pray. The next two on the list — at 54 percent each — are showing gratitude and praising God. Then comes asking forgiveness (47%), seeking deeper understanding (46%), seeking healing (45%) and asking for something (43%).
When it comes to actually praying for national or world events, 71 percent said they have prayed for peace, 49 percent said they prayed about terrorism, and 45 percent said they prayed for national and world leaders. The poll has many other interesting findings as well.
Leighton Ford: Islam is not evil "It is not helpful, I am convinced, and indeed harmful to our own faith, for us to make blanket condemnations of other religions," evangelist Leighton Ford writes in Monday's Charlotte Observer. "A religion which was totally 'evil' would appeal only to sociopaths. … The religious quest is part of our common response to the wonder and tragedy of life, and to the homing call of our Creator. And insofar as 'religion' is a human response, any religion can be distorted and used for selfish and even evil purposes."
Ford's column specifically focuses on Islam: "As a convinced Christian I have important things in common with Muslim friends and neighbors. In addition to our common humanity, we share a belief in one God, that God reveals himself, and that we are called to submit to him in trust and loyalty. There are also great differences between us, especially in how sinful human beings relate to God, and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. But we can confront these crucial differences with passion, conviction and mutual respect."
Ford's article never mentions Franklin Graham's name, but it's almost certainly a response (at least in part) to the hullabaloo over Graham's comments about Islam. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be terribly significant: dozens upon dozens of opinion pieces have responded to Franklin Graham's remarks. But Leighton Ford isn't just any commentator. He's Franklin's uncle, and spent 30 years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which Franklin now leads. Ford, 72, is still in Charlotte, where he heads Leighton Ford Ministries.
"I think clearly the ordinance is discriminatory in that it singles out religiously affiliated organizations," Catholic Charities Maine CEO John Kerry tells the Portland Press Herald. "We sincerely believe we should not have to violate our ethical and moral directives to serve the public good."
"There's no question they have a strong case to make," says Gary Wood, the city's attorney.
Gentle message from a heavenly empire | Bill Gaither, 66, is one of the country's most popular Christian singers, and he oversees a gospel empire (The New York Times)
Anne Graham Lotz: Teacher, not preacher | She compares the ministries of her father and brother to the work of an obstetrician, and her own to the work of a pediatrician (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland)
Life ethics:
Study: Humans not fit for cloning | Researchers at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research found that cloning to create new animals will almost always create an abnormal creature (Wired News)
Anglican Church in Sydney vows to fight planned legal changes to 'spouse' status | A New South Wales Government bill to be debated in the lower house next week will give defacto couples, including same-sex couples, the same rights as married couples for work entitlements, financial security and protection in court (ABC News, Australia)
South Africa's gays target marriage | On Tuesday, South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled that homosexual couples have the right to adopt children (BBC)
Larry Wall On Perl, Religion, and … | "If the Creator really did write himself into his own story, that's where we ought to expect to see creative solutions," says the creator of the computer language Perl. (Slashdot)
Israel waits for Sea of Galilee's low tide to turn | Since 1998, the last normal year, the Sea of Galilee has dropped almost 20 feet. The reason is a combination of drought and overuse (The New York Times)
Churches blow cold on baked beans | The church's long connection with food has taken a fresh twist in the diocese of Gloucester, when it yesterday appealed for this year's harvest festival to be free of baked beans (The Guardian, London)
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Gun-case vicar is sacked | Michael Daggett was jailed after hiding a loaded gun at his home (Manchester Online)