Faith-based

some instances provide evidence based answers for some questions, our reliance on religion for these answers seems to be waning. However, Mackay indicates that religion will continue to prosper due to key factors, among others, Mackay mentions a human’s needs to believe and their need to belong. This theme highlighted the significance that faith and a sense of belonging have in our society. Through reading Beyond Belief, I was drawn to reflect on the impact of faith in my personal life, and a yearning

Growing up with one Christian parent and one atheist parent confronted me early on with hard decisions surrounding faith. Faith, to me, became choosing between two parents more so than understanding my core beliefs and making the hard choices. I gave my life to Christ for the first time at a very young age in Sunday school; however, the pivotal point in my walk was during my freshman year. Up until that year, the only Christians I had direct contact with all simply went to church on Sundays and often

Freedom of religion is one of the most cherished foundations of both American society and the Church. The eleventh Article of Faith provides an excellent definition for freedom of religion, “We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege: let them worship how, where, or what they may.” As society grows less religious, there are concerns that freedom of religion is in danger. In his 1990 Ensign article “Religion

The question that comes to mind when thinking about religion and politics it is not the same of church and state. There are very distinct differences and not being able to see these results in much confusion. The problem with church and state has to do with organizations and the domains of action that are suitable for each. The government does not appoint pastors and priests of churches. The Church does not place presidents, senators, or congressman. No religion can be favored over others or be

Everyone lives by faith. Even the atheist. It is an inescapable reality of life on planet earth. We must all live by faith because none of us knows everything. Were we all-knowing, as the Bible declares God to be, faith would be quite unnecessary. Faith addresses things we believe but do not absolutely know to be true. Faith is inextricably woven into the fabric of our daily lives. In May of 2000 my wife, daughter, and I boarded a Boeing 777 and flew for over 12 hours twice (to and from Japan) with

Inherit the Wind: Religion vs. Science   Stanley Kramer's film, Inherit the Wind, examines a trial based on the 1925 Scopes trial in Dayton, Tennessee. Often referred to as "The Trial of the Century" (Scopes Trial Web Page), the Scopes trial illuminated the controversy between the Christian theory of creation and the more scientific theory of evolution. John Scopes, a high school biology teacher, was arrested for illegally teaching evolutionism to his class. "The meaning of the trial

Both Tertullian and Justin Martyr are apologists defending the Christian faith; however, their approach is from two different mindsets. The mindset in which Justin Martyr approaches faith, reason, and philosophy shares similarities with the ideals of early Christian scientists who sought to grow in their faith through their studies and therefore saw their studies as extensions of their faith. Justin saw that the faith in Jesus Christ was the inevitable answer to his philosophical questions. Justin

Entering the ancient discussion about the tension between faith and reason is not an easy task. Of course, when engaging in tensions it is always important to define terms. For the sake of consistency I will refer to Oxford’s online dictionary for both the definition of faith, as well as reason. Faith is “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” Reason is “a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event.” These are the definitions that will be used throughout this paper

The concept of belief without evidence such as faith based ideologies and certain religiosities are a commonplace in the human experience. These types of belief systems, like any large scale life conviction, can impact human psychology. It would seem that beliefs in general can affect human behavior, perception, cognitive function and in turn, possibly the brain itself. For the purposes of clarity, (as the term ‘religious belief’ can have a rather broad definition and the term ‘belief without evidence’

[Psychology Today] Health types that are based more on the psychological side are emotional and mental health. The feeling of belongingness that religion provides gives its members a sense of hope and optimism. This benefits their emotional health and helps them face almost any situation. A study showed that faith gives guidelines for living and a sense of purpose. [KidsHealth] Existential crises can be avoided when we have faith and a concrete feeling of purpose for life. Religion