Instead of doing several different posts on all these interesting stories, I figured I would give you one big, exciting link explosion.
Christian Aliens – According to the Catholic Church there are most likely intelligent beings in the universe and they are most likely Christian. So maybe an invansion would be more like a really long missions trip?
Lesson from an Atheist – One of the most interesting things I have discovered about talking with people from different belief systems, especially those that are atheists, is that they always want to tell Christians how Christians should behave. A atheistic fantasy author in Britian is upset because he says the Chronicles of Narnia do not contain “Christian virture.” I promise I won’t tell atheists how to show “atheist virture” if atheists won’t tell me how to show “Christian virture.”
Sheep with a tape delayed Shepherd – Churches across the country (many in my area, like those mentioned in this story) are starting satellite campuses where the sermons are taped earlier at the main church and shown on big screens in movie theaters and coffee houses. It may be hard to get to know the pastor personally, but at least this way you can see how many wrinkles are on his face (especially if it is a new digital theater.)
Church is good and bad for you – Two studies have produced conflicting results. A economist from MIT identified communities of frequent churchgoers and found “higher incomes and education levels and less welfare participation, along with more marriages and fewer divorces.” While a researcher wrote in the Journal of Religion and Society that “higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy, and abortion.” The problem with that study was the researcher took entire nations and compared them, instead of smaller groups like the first study. There seems to be some phrase I have heard about statistics and liars.
In non-Church news – In an age where our nation is being attacked from many different sides, environmentalists are suing the Navy, seeking “a court order to curb mid-frequency sonar, the most common method of detecting enemy submarines.” The lawsuit claims that the sonar causes whales and dolphins to go off course and get stranded, but I am bit more worried about an enemy sub staying on course and us not knowing about it.