http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:34:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23752/muslim-world-population http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23752/muslim-world-population#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:07:38 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23752 The global Muslim population stands at 1.57 billion, meaning that nearly 1 in 4 people in the world practice Islam, according to a report Wednesday billed as the most comprehensive of its kind.

These findings on the world Muslim population lay the foundation for a forthcoming study by the Pew Forum, scheduled to be released in 2010, that will estimate growth rates among Muslim populations worldwide and project Muslim populations into the future.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23752/muslim-world-population/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23722/nones-growing-religion-trends-no-religion http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23722/nones-growing-religion-trends-no-religion#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:51:45 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23722 The number of Americans who don't identify with any religion is growing. A new study by Trinity College suggests that more than one in five Americans will identify themselves as "Nones" in religious terms in 20 years (up from 15 percent now). Most would not consider themselves atheists. But they are increasingly skeptical of organized religion and clerics. They are, said one researcher, a stew of agnostics, deists and rationalists - and their numbers appear to be increasing.

Clearly, interest in religion is high. News magazines run cover stories. Megachurches are booming. Political campaigns target churchgoers as a valuable metric to win elections.

So why are fewer Americans identifying with a religion, denomination or particular faith group? Why are a growing number of people becoming faith-free? And if the trend continues, is it a matter of alarm?

These are questions Wayne Slater, of The Dallas Morning News, asked of a panel of religious leaders.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23722/nones-growing-religion-trends-no-religion/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23721/religion-affected-by-financial-crisis http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23721/religion-affected-by-financial-crisis#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:36:13 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23721 Organized religion was already in trouble before the fall of 2008. Denominations were stagnating or shrinking, and congregations across faith groups were fretting about their finances.

The Great Recession made things worse, AP reports.

It's further drained the financial resources of many congregations, seminaries and religious day schools. Some congregations have disappeared and schools have been closed. In areas hit hardest by the recession, worshippers have moved away to find jobs, leaving those who remain to minister to communities struggling with rising home foreclosures, unemployment and uncertainty.

Religion has a long history of drawing hope out of suffering, but there's little good news emerging from the recession. Long after the economy improves, the changes made today will have a profound effect on how people practice their faith, where they turn for help in times of stress and how they pass their beliefs to their children.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23721/religion-affected-by-financial-crisis/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23682/spiritual-direction http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23682/spiritual-direction#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:16:24 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23682 Spiritual direction, an ancient practice with Christian roots that has recently seen a revival among contemporary seekers from all faiths, including some who don't necessarily believe in God.

In a culture where people readily engage physical trainers to hone their bodies and psychotherapists to untangle their neuroses, an increasing number are looking to spiritual directors as "spotters" for their souls.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23682/spiritual-direction/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23671/nones-no-religion-survey http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23671/nones-no-religion-survey#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:59:00 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23671 Americans who don't identify with any religion are now 15% of the USA, but trends in a new study shows they could one day surpass the nation's largest denominations — including Catholics, now 24% of the nation.

As it has grown larger, the no religion or None population is no longer a fringe group and the “None” choice in terms of (ir)religious identification is now attracting wide swaths of Middle America.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23671/nones-no-religion-survey/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23664/atheism-groups-on-college-campuses http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23664/atheism-groups-on-college-campuses#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:55:04 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23664 The number of atheist or agnostic student groups on U.S. campuses has more than doubled in the past two years -- from 80 to 162 -- according to the Secular Student Alliance (SSA), the national organization for the secular student movement.

The rise of the secular student movement parallels that of the broader secular demographic in the U.S.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23664/atheism-groups-on-college-campuses/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23661/prayerism http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23661/prayerism#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:57:14 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23661 Is praying becoming a religion unto itself?

Consider this: 39% of Americans attend church weekly yet 75% pray at least weekly, according to the Pew Religion Forum. In fact, 58% overall, and 66% of American women pray daily.

And maybe most remarkably: 35% of those who don't identify with any religion at all -- the "unaffiliated"-- pray weekly or daily. That means there's a large number of Americans who don't attend church regularly but pray a great deal.

These statistics, as well as the popularity over the years of books like the Prayer of Jabez and The Secret and many other devotional books, show that prayer has become popular on its own, sometimes detached from the tradition of church. Call it Prayerism.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23661/prayerism/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23162/religion-trends-7 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23162/religion-trends-7#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:01:19 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23162 A sizable majority of the country's faithful no longer hew closely to orthodox teachings, and look more to themselves than to churches or denominations to define their religious convictions, according to two recent surveys. More than half of all Christians also believe that some non-Christians can get into heaven.

"Growing numbers of people now serve as their own theologian-in-residence," said George Barna, president of Barna Group, on releasing findings of one of the polls on Jan. 12.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23162/religion-trends-7/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23089/uk-church-attendance http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23089/uk-church-attendance#comments Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:12:13 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23089 Christian Research, the statistical arm of the Bible Society, claimed that by 2050 Sunday attendance will fall below 88,000, compared with just under a million now.

The controversial forecast, based on a "snapshot" census of church attendances, has been seized upon by secular groups as proof that the established church is in decline. But the Church of England has rejected the figures, saying they were incomplete and ignored new ways of worshipping outside the church network.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23089/uk-church-attendance/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23021/freedom-from-religion-foundation http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23021/freedom-from-religion-foundation#comments Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:32:08 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23021 Alongside a Nativity scene at the Legislative Building in Olympia, Washington, a sign put up by an atheist organization celebrates the winter solstice. But it's the rest of the sign that has some residents and Christian organizations calling atheists Scrooges for attacking the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth.

"Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds," the sign says in part.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23021/freedom-from-religion-foundation/feed 0