AlanRudnick.org welcomes Greg Mamula as a contributing blogger. I have become a big Mumford and Sons fan. Before you cast me into some “band-wagon” “fair-weather” pop culture music participant, I must say I first listened to Mumford about two and half years ago and wore out their first album “Sigh No More” long before they were ever on American radio. Their lyrics are powerful, their music is catchy, and their live performances are some of the best around. I actually first saw them on a live TV performance before I ever knew much about them. I was inspired by the passion of performance and the fact the lead singer Marcus played
As I started my daily read of newspapers, I was shocked (well, disappointed) to learn that our region was one of the least religious regions in America. A new Gallup poll found that, “Only 26 percent of those surveyed in this area say they are very religious, which puts the Albany-Schenectady-Troy region in ninth place among the least religious of the 189 areas polled.” Is this a situation when ‘religious’ isn’t religious? What is frustrating about this statistic is that as you ride through the Albany region is that there are four to six churches per town. In my town, Ballston Spa, New York there are six churches in a one mile radius.
As billions of Christians worldwide prepare for Easter this Holy Week, it seems that some television personalities think that our culture is waging a war on Easter. Bill O’Reilly declared on his show that the War on Easter is being waged via the Easter bunny: But the war on Judeo-Christian tradition continues on in some public school districts… in some schools you are not allowed to say the word “Easter.” On Long Island, the East Meadow school district, holding a Spring egg hunt — not Easter eggs, Spring eggs. Same thing in Prospect Heights, Illinois. Manhattan Beach, California. Flat Rock Elementary School in South Carolina, and a school district in New Cumberland,
Having spent over four years in Upstate New York, I’ve experience my fair share of “New England” religion. Though New York is not part of New England, being so close to a New England state has naturally brought its culture over the border. I have church members who are former residents of Vermont, New Hampshire, and a few who grew up with “Chow-dah” and “Hah-vahd”. New Englanders are hardy folk. They endure harsh winters and only one NFL team for several states. They are compassionate. Simple and respectful. They don’t wear their religion on their sleeve. They are rich and poor. Tall and short. They are Americans just like you and
As Pope Francis starts his papacy, it is very clear that his leadership will set a very different tone for the Catholic Church. Upon leaving Rome, Pope Francis paid for his own room, rejected lavish apparel, and referred to himself more as a bishop and less as Pope. At a time when priest scandals, closing churches, and aging membership threaten the growth of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis is starting his tenure on a positive note. In the face of alleged papal scandal and a retiring pope, Francis has decided to change the tone of the Church’s messaging. Last week, Pope Francis reminded Catholics that Jesus, not the pope, is at the center of the Church. He added that the
Viewers who watched “The Bible” mini series took to social media to quickly point out a disturbing observation. The character, Satan has a striking resemblance to Barack Obama. The actor, Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni, obviously wore makeup. Twitter was abuzz: People upset Satan in #TheBible looks like Obama have it all wrong… Satan is older, so technically Obama looks like him. #Caring — Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) March 18, 2013 Though I don’t believe it was intentional, that whole Satan/Obama thing was hilarious. #TheBible — Savannah (@thesavvy) March 18, 2013 The bible on the history channel Sunday.Best episode yet.Don’t miss it.Does satan look EXACTLY like Obama?Y e s! — Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) March 15, 2013 Libs freaking out.First,
This is what I gave to worshipers today in church. Based on St. Patrick’s breastplate prayer. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. I arise today Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. I arise today Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In the obedience of angels, In the service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection
Facebook started as a college student sharing site. It was new. It was edgy. It was young. It was better than Myspace. Now your mom, dad, and grandma are already your ‘friends’. That’s not cool according to some young people. Young people are jumping ship for Snapchat and Tumblr. Those social media networks are not usually frequented by parents. As Facebook rolls out new News Feed features, the social media site wants to stay ‘hip’: The changes unveiled Thursday are an attempt to address complaints that Facebook’s hub — the News Feed — is degenerating into a jumble of monotonous musings and disjointed pictures. This has come as users’ social circles have widened from a few
Author and pastor Rob Bell is no stranger to controversy. His last book, “Love Wins” drew criticism from conservatives that Bell preaches universal salvation theology. Recently, Bell hung up his pastoral duties and now focuses on speaking and writing. There are rumors that he is working on a TV show with some Hollywood producers. Now, Rob Bell is out with a new book, “What We Talk About When We Talk About God.” His website explains the new book: Pastor Rob Bell explains why both culture and the church resist talking about God, and shows how we can reconnect with the God who is pulling us forward into a better future. Bell uses his characteristic
In an age where cries from denominations about declining membership and church participation, a new poll offers some encouraging news on American’s feelings towards their congregation. A Rasmussen poll found that 54% of American adults feel at least “somewhat connected” to their local church. In addition, 34% said they are “very connected.” The poll did not ask respondent’s religious affiliation. However, the poll did match responses to political connection questions. About 42% said they are not at all connected to a local political party. On the church side, 25% they have no connection to a local church. The survey also provided some other interesting results: 35% of adults said their strongest personal allegiance is to
I really was not expecting much from The History Channel’s “The Bible” but it made for some interesting discussion on social media. Folks on Facebook and Twitter really had fun with the ‘epic’ story. Many hailed “The Bible” as on par with “The Lord of the Rings”. It wasn’t. One reviewer said, “It has a huge budget, so expect polish and high drama in the mould of historical epics like Game of Thrones. There will be violence. There will be deception. There will be fire.” Well, maybe it wasn’t that epic. “The Bible” was good. I enjoyed it. I had low expectations. But, this was a History Channel production. I quickly realized that if you want to tell the
What is being hailed as an ‘epic’ drama on the scale of ‘The Lord of the Rings’, “The Bible“ premiers this Sunday on the History Channel. As many media outlets and TV channels begin focusing biblically related content during Lent, many are excited about the History Channel’s new take on major biblical stories. Channel Guide Magazine neatly summarizes the show: History presents the ambitious 10-hour, five-week miniseries The Bible, dramatizing the most famous tales from the Good Book beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation. Stories depicted include the Garden of Eden, Noah and the Flood, the Exodus, David and Goliath, and the Gospels. The series concludes on Easter with the story of the Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension and prophecy of