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.

It’s Back to School time for all of us, no matter how young or old we are. Everyone is invited to learn in the classroom of the greatest teacher the world has ever known: Jesus. How do we do that? His lesson plan is ready. We just need to show up.

There is no sacrifice you can make that will appease God. Fortunately, unlike the Greek gods, that’s not what God wants. The Bible has a much more surprising view of sacrifice. Will you join in, unite with God, and be a member of his team?

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.

Throughout history, enslaved people have been given little recognition despite making major contributions. In the New Testament, some of Paul’s letters may have been written down by slaves. Who are the unsung people of our time that we can see and acknowledge?

The answer might surprise you. The first person to explicitly call Jesus “God” was someone who is better remembered for his doubt, not for his belief. But he is the first person every quoted calling Jesus “God” – and it happened 1,992 years ago.

One of my students asked me, “Mr. Faletti, how do you stay so calm?” I responded that “I know the end of the story.” “What do you mean?” the students asked. "How do you know the end of the story?" The answer begins with Easter.

Last week’s SpaceX rocket launch was awe-inspiring because engineers and scientists spent years using their gifts and talents to achieve an amazing goal. When we use the curiosity, creativity, and intellect that God placed in us at our creation, to do good, it is awesome and can bring glory to God, even if that is not our intention.

The song “This Little Light of Mine” comes from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13-16), where Jesus tells us to let our light shine. But what is the “light” we are called to shine? Jesus’s answer might surprise you.

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.

Les Misérables director John Caird says, "As a bunch of liberal humanists, we had tried to avoid every mention of religion, [but] sewing God into the show was what animated the characters." We have the same opportunity: to let God sew himself into the fabric of our lives so that he animates our character and gives life to everything we do.

You’ve probably heard the words “faith, hope, and love” together many times. Take this 6-question quiz to see how much you know about them. Who was the first person to talk about “faith, hope, and love” (Shakespeare? the Bible?) and what do they mean?

People who oppose immigration accuse Christians of being “political.” Their argument is with God, not with us. Jesus told us to “welcome the stranger.” We are just following his teachings. National Migration Week is a good time to recall that Catholics have celebrated World Day for Migrants and Refugees for 111 years and Christians have supported migrants from the earliest days of the faith. It's not new, and it's not political.

Many political leaders and social influencers show mercy only to people they agree with. That isn’t what Jesus meant by “Blessed are the merciful.” Can we show mercy consistently in our social media and politics, even to those we don’t agree with?