Billed as the Pop Star priest, Chris Skinner, Saturday, helped warm up the crowd at the annual Mission Concert at the Mission Estate, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Fr Skinner was one of the lead in acts for female composer and singing sensation Carole King and the Bee Gee’s legend, Barry Gibb. Chris told the crowd Read more
There’s something in religious tradition that helps people be ethical. But it isn’t actually their belief in God. A couple of years ago, the idea of God came up, in an incidental way, in the Contemporary Moral Theory course I teach. I generally try not to reveal my particular beliefs and commitments too early in Read more
A warning from Pope Benedict XVI about lack of faith among Catholics in France has coincided with new research revealing a decline in fervour among Catholics in the United States and a weakening of belief among Catholics in Ireland. Speaking to visiting French bishops, the Pope described ignorance of religion, even “among the Catholic faithful”, Read more
The task of evangelisation is closely linked to the work of ecumenism, Pope Benedict XVI has told participants in a plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. “We cannot follow a truly ecumenical path while ignoring the crisis of faith affecting vast areas of the world, including those where the proclamation of Read more
I have previously written about the Catholic Church’s need to be realistic about its property needs — in terms of schools, churches and presbyteries. If a property is no longer needed or the revenue generated from its sale would be a better use of the asset, assuming it’s not going to be disproportionately detrimental to Read more
Those who believe in Hell are less likely transgress again leading to lower crime rates. So concludes a study by by Azim Shiraf at the University of Oregon and Mijke Rhemtulla at the University of Kansas who compared rates of crime with rates of believe in heaven and hell in 67 countries. The study acknowledged Read more
There is no conflict between evolutionary biology and belief in God, two professors have asserted during a session on faith and science during the international Rimini Meeting in Italy. The annual event, in the northern Italian resort city of Rimini, brings together international experts on religion, politics, economics, science and the arts to debate cutting-edge Read more
A University of Oregon psychologist has found that a country’s belief in heaven and hell is related to its crime rates, and that a belief in a punitive God equals less crime while a belief in a forgiving saviour means more crime. “It seems like there is a case to be made for the causal Read more
According to a University of Chicago study 12% of New Zealanders do not believe in God. The figure compares with 52% of East Germans and less than 1% of Filipinos who also do not believe. However, according to the survey, only 16% of New Zealanders have a strong belief in God, 37% of respondents say Read more
Professor Richard Dawkins and Sydney’s Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, battled it out for an hour on Australian Television. In a debate that the Sydney Morning Herald says bordered on barely concealed mutual disdain, boiled over more than once and the Science v God, Atheist v Belief, Logic v Faith debate left all parties bruised. Pell was given Read more