Funny, light-hearted debate between Billy Graham and Woody Allen.

PART 1

PART 2

1. Review of Derek Jeffreys Spirituality and the Ethics of Torture by Christopher Sampson of the University of Wisconsin. From Sampson's review:

"[Jeffreys] joins the current debate on torture by carefully defining the term, asserting that torture is a spiritual assault on the person...".

Looks pretty interesting. Read the full description on Amazon.

2. How Confucianism could curb global warming - by James Miller (Christian Science Monitor)

Now here's a curveball to secular Western policy experts: China's intellectuals are openly debating the role of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in promoting the Communist Party's vision of a harmonious society and ecologically sustainable economic development.

3. Twitter as Spiritual Practice by Christine Sine of Godspace

4. The End of Christian America by Jon Meacham of Newsweek. This came out a couple of months ago, but I figured I'd include it. Interesting article about the changing views of the average American, and how Meacham sees the future of Christianity in the U.S. Love it or hate it, its a very in-depth piece.

5. Revolutionary Freedom of Religion by by Michael Kessler of The Washington Post.

Independence Day is a good opportunity to take a moment to ponder how some of our forebears envisioned religious freedom--one of our most fundamental liberties.

6. More pursue careers as spiritual advisers by Lesley Wright of the Arizona Republic.

7. Spirituality isn’t against modern-living by K Balakumar of News Today (India). A Q&A with Swami Dayanandha Saraswathi. An interesting POV.

8. The God Choice by Barbara Bradley Hagerty of USA Today.

Armed with new technology, scientists are peering into the brain to better understand human spirituality. What if, they say, God isn’t some figment of our imagination? Instead, perhaps brain chemistry simply reflects an encounter with the divine.

9. Confessions of a Late Bloomer by Scott Barry Kaufman of Psychology Today.

We have fixed notions about the time course of success and the nature of talent that encourage us to write off the very people who are most likely to (eventually) change the world.

So stop crying that your best years are behind you or that you missed the boat by not being a roaring success in your 20s. I really loved this article!

10. Ever wanted know what Jesus might look like if he lived and died in the U.S.? What Would Jesus Weigh…if American? Mark Pogue from ProudAtheists gives up a funny glimpse.

If you have an interest in understanding a little bit about Islam, you might enjoy this PBS documentary.

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION:

Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet tells the story of a seventh century prophet who changed world history in 23 years, and continues to shape the lives of more than 1.2 billion people. Three years in the making, the film takes viewers not only to ancient Middle Eastern sites where Muhammad’s story unfolds, but into the homes, mosques and workplaces of some of America’s estimated seven million Muslims to discover the many ways in which they follow Muhammad’s example.

WATCH IT HERE

Coming this Fall to CBS…just kidding.

If you happen to be a fan of Turkish network broadcasting (as most Americans are), you’ll definitely have heard of the new reality show craze that’s sweeping the Ottoman Empire. It’s called Penitents Compete!

Read More....

Here's what I've found interesting from the last week, enjoy!

1. Spiritual Medicine - Interesting article and Q&A on understanding of the role of religion and spirituality in mental health (By Gale Bataille and Bill Berkowitz)

2. History of the Spiritual use of Mushrooms by Dr. Markho Rafael on (Google Knol) - nice article on human use of consciousness-altering mushrooms.

The Crying Game - Two interesting posts on an unusual practice.
3. Crying as a Spiritual Practice by Beth Stedman.
4. Crying as a Spiritual Practice a follow-up by Christine Sine, at Godspace.

5. Does quantum mechanics show a connection between the human mind and the cosmos? - info on a new book called Quantum Gods by Victor Stenger. Full Description of Quantum Gods

6. Jewish mysticism's rich contribution to interfaith spirituality - interesting article by Robert Siegel.

7. Another interesting post by Christine Sine - How to be a Spiritual Person.

8. Decoding The Mystery Of Near-Death Experiences by Barbara Bradley Hagerty

9. Interfaith Wedding - Interesting post on some the logistics of an interfaith wedding.

10. Q & A with well known atheist Sam Harris by Ben Adler

11. Sisyphus Fragment's Favorite Atheist Quotes

This is Episode 2 of an interesting British documentary on the history of Christianity. This one is entitled “Rome”

Each part of the episode is about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Click here to watch the full episode.

This is Episode 1 of an interesting British documentary on the history of Christianity

Here’s the documentary description from the network:

Ours is said to be a Godless age, yet billions remain faithful to religions thousands of years old.

This provocative eight-part series explores the history and global impact of the world’s biggest religion through the personal views of leading British figures.

Over the course of the series, eight high-profile personalities - including Michael Portillo, Rageh Omaar, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Cherie Blair - look at the origins and history of the Christian faith.

In each film the presenter addresses a subject that means something particular to them. In doing so, they bring their own perspectives to a challenging and comprehensive debate that explores Christianity’s role in shaping the modern world.

Each section is approximately 10 minutes.

Click here to watch the full episodes.

Wrote this post a little while back, enjoy!

TOP 7 PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH

"When you hear about Spiritual Growth, you might think it’s all about the white-bearded guru sitting in a cave, or some hippie earth mother with braided hair. For others, “growth” will have a rigid interpretation...READ MORE

A few years ago the was the great story about the Reverend who stopped believing in Hell, and got crucified for it.

Enjoy - From "This American Life"