Tag: Religion in America

A growing number of companies are offering the services of chaplains in the workplace. Managers say many employees who wouldn’t think of calling a therapist or an employee-assistance program will willingly turn to a chaplain. Executives at Tyson Foods Inc., which employs 120 chaplains serving a work force of 117,000, say they believe the service reduces turnover.

While 67 percent of churchgoing Protestants have a specific denominational preference, 70 percent have a preferred soft drink brand, 64 percent have a preferred brand of grocery store, 64 percent have a preferred brand of toothpaste, and 64 percent have a preferred brand of vehicle.

Saddleback Church’s pastor is apparently chummy with Santa – they’re both keeping naughty-and-nice lists.

Rima Fakih who recently won the Miss USA pageant is from Michigan where there is a sizable Arab-American population. Her win caught a lot of people by surprise, and was followed by the usual thoughtless and bigoted comments. In an interview, we discover the complex and rich religious heritage she comes out of.

Lady Gaga uses religious symbols and occult imagery deliberately to say…nothing.

At such a time of urgent need and unique opportunity, we must do more than offer quiet prayers, . . We must join in the costly, active work to make those prayers reality.

There is a simultaneous glut and shortage of qualified clergy and lay religious professionals. In mainline traditions, there are two ordained persons available for every congregation. At the same time small and/or rural churches have difficultly finding qualified persons to serve their congregations.

It used to be that when times were hard, people turned to God, or at least went to seminary. Not this time. The Christian Century

Here are some post cards from the American religious scene.