Faith Explored Posts

Hinduism and Christianity have core differences regarding who we are and where we are going. Are all people equal, or are we consigned to a system of higher and lower castes and worse? When we die, do we live on in a spiritual realm or are we forced to return to earth for additional cycles of life? These differences are central, not trivial.

To fulfill our mandate from God to cultivate and care for the natural world, we need regulations. Why? Because without them we tend to seek what is best for ourselves in the short run, which can hurt ourselves, others, and the planet in the long run.

God allows bad things to happen – not because he wills or desires evil but because he believes so strongly in giving us free will. But he doesn’t stop there. He invites us to cooperate with him and allow him to bring good out of evil.

Many things might happen if humans encounter intelligent creatures from another world. Films and books have rarely considered how our spiritual nature and theirs might affect the outcome. Our track record is not good.

Would the revelation that aliens exist be a challenge to the Christian faith? In his new film “Disclosure Day,” Steven Spielberg ponders this question. A nun in the movie offers a clear answer.

I was watching a movie last night, and a character explained something bad that happened by saying, "It was God's will." Christians sometimes say this. But, while God allows evil, he does not cause evil, and evil is never his will. We need to be more precise in our language and ask the right questions.

Evangelical and Catholic Christians all over the world, except for some in the United States, know that climate change is real and are working to reverse the damage to our planet and address the ways it disrupts and devastates so many lives. At a conference, Pope Leo said: God will ask us if we cultivated and cared for the world and took care of our brothers and sisters. In the Bible, God commands us to do both. Do we?

The demand for strict work requirements to avoid being kicked off of Medicaid and food assistance programs is immoral and unChristian. It is built on the false philosophy, recently articulated by Dr. Mehmet Oz, that you need to “prove that you matter” by working. To God, every person matters.