Connections

A basic element in religion is connection. The root of "religion" follows from "connection", which many in Western religion show as connection with God, but might also be seen as connection with the world, with nature, or with humanity. I was reminded of this when I read a friend's memoir, published in the new literary journal, Memoir (and).

Take a few minutes to read it. It speaks to a kind of spirituality that may not be religious, but expresses beautifully a sense of spirituality. It also is a lovely piece of writing, and though my friend is too modest to say so herself, it won the journals' grand prize from nearly 400 entries. Read it, and you'll find yourself reflecting on your connections and the many forms they take.

Awe and the Edge

The Edge consistently has thought-provoking material, and today's issue is no exception. They offer two photos from Nasa's Cassini project, showing Saturn backlight by the sun. The first photo is simply beautiful; if it doesn't inspire a sense of awe, then I don't know what might.




The second photo reveals that earth is in that photo, in the region surrounded by Saturn's rings. Wow - what a view of home, sweet home!




Whatever you believe about how the earth was created, there is something amazing, remarkable, and beautiful about our planet and its neighbors.

BBC - Scientology Controversy

OK, I admit it. People's interactions with religion fascinate me, especially when they involve groups that are not part of mainstream life. An example of this is the case of Scientology, which has staunch supporters as well as staunch detractors. The Telegraph of the UK has an interesting article about a current controversy involving a BBC reporter and Scientology. It includes links to youtube videos that illustrate the story. One video not linked by the Telegraph is the following one, which provides more context.



If you wish to comment on the story, please remember my policy on comments: Comments are welcome at this blog, but are moderated. In general, I publish comments that focus on the substance of the post and use psychological theory & research; I decline to publish comments that use religious argument.

International Conference on Spirituality: Prague

A conference on spirituality is being held September 21 - 23 in Prague, Czech Republic. Featured speakers include:

• Prof. J. A. Belzen (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands):
  Spirituality as a topic in and a challenge to the psychology of religion



• Prof. R. A. Emmons (University of California Davis, USA):
  Spirituality in the structure of personality and motivation



• Prof. K.I. Pargament (Bowling Green State University, USA):
  Progress towards a Spiritually-Integrated Psychotherapy



• Prof. R.W. Hood (University of Tennessee, USA):
  Psychological assessment of spirituality

With this strong slate of keynote speakers, it will surely be a worthwhile conference. If you attend and would like to summarize your impressions for others on this blog, please let me know.

Survey Results: Religion and College

Results released from a survey on college faculty attitudes toward religion have attracted a bit of attention. According to the survey conducted by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research, college and university faculty tend to hold negative views toward evangelical Christians and Mormons. They hold more favorable perceptions of Jews, Buddhists, Catholics, non-Evangelical Christians, and atheists.

It appears that much of this trend is associated with evangelical involvement in politics, given that:
- more favorable views of evangelicals were held by faculty who assert that religion is important to them, and who describe themselves as Republicans;
- and that over 70% of faculty agreed with the statement that "This country would be better off if Christian fundamentalists kept their religious beliefs out of politics."

You can read more about the survey at The Washington Post or you can download the entire report. If you are interested specifically in a focus on Mormons, see this Deseret News article.

So, in case you hadn't noticed, it appears that college faculty are people, too. Surprised? You shouldn't be. We're subject to the same kinds of biases as others are. As a group, we tend to be more liberal than the rest of the populace, and like normal human beings, we tend to look more favorably on members of our own ingroups.

Knocking: Jehovahs' Witnesses

You have probably encountered Jehovah's Witnesses when they knocked on your door one day, distributing their Watchtower magazine and talking about religion. If that is as much as you know about them, you might find this short video useful. Knocking may be appearing on your (USA) public television station's Independent Lens program. (Check your local listings.) You also can view the trailer in this video below. If you find it intriguing, visit the Knocking website for more information about the film and to order a DVD. Not only does the video appear to be an interesting perspective on Jehovah's Witnesses, it also illustrates people's reliance on belief in times of stress. Chances are, you may learn a thing or two about the Jehovah's Witnesses' history as well.

Dawkins and O'Reilly

If you live in the USA and have the least bit of interest in religion or current events, you can't escape it. Unless you have scrupulously avoided bookstores, television, the internet, and youtube, you've undoubtedly seen Richard Dawkins and Bill O'Reilly promoting their viewpoints. Now comes the moment you've been waiting for: Dawkins is a guest on O'Reilly's television program, promoting his new book, The God Delusion.

OK, maybe you've not really been "waiting for" this moment, but you probably recognize that it was inevitable. The interview is actually relatively interesting; both represent their perspectives well, given the brief time frame of the interview. Enjoy!