Voices of Faith — What should parents do — if anything — if their children don’t share their religious beliefs or wish to follow their religion?

Half of all Europeans, for example, have never attended a religious service. So reports Joel Kotkin in a thought-provoking essay about how religion -- and its decline, in some places -- shapes our society and our economy. (UPDATE: Link fixed....

Regarding the use of public schools for Bible classes, many public buildings are used for events, gatherings and promotions that I may not endorse, and I usually wouldn't have a problem with that. But I am not a child.

Jenny Abbe Moyer, Redding

Voices of Faith — Would you vote for a candidate who practiced a religion different than your own? Why/Why not?

My little missive to Rick SantorumDear Sen. Santorum: I have heard your cry to make religion more a part of the government and, by extension, more a part of the law than it is at the moment. And I have seen your ideas in action in the so-called "personhood" bills and other bits of legislation that s

The First Amendment clearly protects freedom of religion. It does this by not allowing "establishment," that is, government-paid interference. Nowhere in the common understanding of the First Amendment freedoms is found the absolute right to impose one's religion on others.

The Obama administration recently attempted to resolve a growing controversy by ordering insurance companies — and not employers — to provide contraceptive coverage to women employed by religiously affiliated nonprofit organizations.

ANDERSON — Law enforcement representatives, local officials and members of the Sikh community attended a program here Friday where several Sikhs shared stories of discrimination and harassment against followers of their religion.

Shasta County's Resource Management Department should hang its head in shame for even thinking about putting a stop-work order on the chapel at Anselmo Vineyards. Whether you have any religion or not, the ringing of the chapel bells is a soothing sound that should be enjoyed by everyone, and the chapel itself is a beaut

......How Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrumsSee, one’s the work of God, but one’s a man-made inventionSee, one is the cure, but the other’s the infectionSee, because religion says “do,” Jesus says “done”Religion says “slave,” Jesus says “son”Religi

THANKSGIVING DAY 1789 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - A PROCLAMATION Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the pro

It was a brisk, gray day in Anderson, but that didn't stop members of the area's Sikh faith from coming out to honor the religion's founder at the city's fifth annual parade and celebration for him.

Last week we took off and went on our anniversary trip to San Francisco. First stop was Calistoga, at the northern end of the Napa Valley. We took the scenic route through Winters, which is a very charming little town, and then via Lake Berryessa and up the valley to Calistoga. It was surprisingly HOT tha

Q. Should partisan politics and religion ever mix? Should religious organizations host speakers from a certain political party? It is erroneous to think you can separate a man’s religion from the way he governs, for his value system is initiated from his beliefs. A Christian will not endorse policies that promote abortion

Stolen from throbinsonBold the things that apply to you...I am an only child.I am Catholic.I am currently in my PJs.I am currently pregnant.I am currently suf

A tip of the hat to Diane Harriet Welch, who started this. The idea? Go A through Z in the alphabet with band names and a song. Everyone has different tastes. Some of mine are easy. Some, I used bands that I don’t think get enough credit. A: Adam Ant, “Dog Eat Dog”B: Bad Religion, “Sorrow

Re: Alana Burke's anti-Muslim tirade (column, Sunday): All she need do to understand why religion should not be a part of the 9/11 memorial is read her own hate-filled article.

"God." Such a powerful word spoken in so many different languages and in so many different religions, all reflecting the belief in a higher power. The godless are finite people with a self-imposed limited vision, but people of faith look to the infinite and their belief that there is more to life than meets the eye

Do you have strong faith, strong enough to persevere? Strong enough to persevere in spite of obstacles? Or is it a faith that easily gives up? Faith in what? Chance, Fate, God? The message today really has to do with: “What kind of faith do we possess, and in what kind of God.” Today’s Gospel

I know of no one more spiritual than I am. I am very committed to my beliefs, but over the years through experiences I have learned to keep an open mind and to respect all beliefs. One of the things that I have learned is that most organized religions teach that material objects in this stage of our journey are of no worth

 Every year I watch the intimidation and manipulation techniques get bolder and bolder. The schools, media, and even health care professionals will tell you that it is required that you immunize your children

A recent study at the University of Massachusetts published in the journal of Psychology of Religion and Spirituality reported that more people are praying for their health. Almost half of all Americans pray for their health. This is an increase from a previous survey in 2002 which found that 43 percent of all Americans sai

This is my friend Cyrus who is now in Heaven. Cyrus became known to me a few years ago when he walked into the hall at the Catholic church and entered a cl

Q. Editor of Liberty Magazine Lincoln Steed wrote — in the March/April 2011 issue “Liberty” Magazine — that “...often the very (people) most vocal about freedom are the least likely to grant it to others...” Do you think this is true? Why/why not? There is some truth in this statement. People who are most vocal

Marc Beauchamp submits his entry for Redding's version of the "birther movement", being the City of Redding's lawsuit baiting Library/Free Speech ordinance. I have an alternative. When is a religion not a religion? Just ask the Redding Tea Party Patriots,...

I had a dream last night in which I was at some kind of dinner with Brian and some other unspecified older people, one of whom seemed to be his grandmother. I was not happy to be there but did not wish to be contenious among the elders, so I was deferential and polite. Brian sat next to me and said he wanted to talk about "

Q. How is faith affected by money? Does every religion believe in collecting money? A core concept in Zen Buddhism is the folly of being attached to things. It is the realization that if we link our happiness or peace of mind to an item or a belief we will suffer if that item or belief is gone. Enjoying money or a fine car

Over the years many have minimized the significance of Spirituality, Prayer, and Faith in the recovery process. Much of this is due to fact that great progress has been made in the scientific arena with the

Question: Congress recently considered abolishing certain long-standing tax deductions from personal income tax. Should deductions to religious institutions have been one of them?

Q. Do you believe in evil spirits? Does your faith practice exorcism? I do not believe in evil spirits or exorcism. A few Buddhist sects do practice literal or metaphorical exorcism. Most traditional Buddhists prefer a more positive and preventive practice of chanting blessings or protections (parittas) either routinely or

I read and mulled and watched and agonized a couple months ago as many great voices, large and small, shared their inspiring and moving testimonies of “It Gets Better,” as a way of raising awareness and providing encouragement for those who have been, or are being, bullied.I knew I had things to share and sa

For America’s Founders, freedom of speech was so vitally important that it was given — along with freedom of religion and the press — primacy of place in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.

Q. How do you answer a non-believer’s perception of inconsistencies between religion’s doctrine/values and the behavior of some of its followers? All religions have two sides which seem to contradict each other. Religion originates from the natural inclination of human beings to articulate the experience of right relati

Q. With the large diversity of religious beliefs in the United States, is it appropriate that a Christian event be observed as a national holiday? Should other religious holy days be given the same status? In our secular United States, no “holy” day — Christian or otherwise — should be observed as a national holiday

Edited by Pamela Newkirk An amazing narrative history – told through letters – from the 18th to the 21st century. The letters, written by both male and female politicians, social leaders, entertainers, writers, slaves, servicemen and anonymous barely literate folks, paint a self-portrait of the Afric

Voices of Faith — Nov. 27, 2010 Is it appropriate to characterize all faith or belief systems as religions?

Homily – Deacon Pat Luke 21:5-19 (33rd Sunday Ordinary Time) We just heard in Luke’s Gospel some disturbing words. Jesus tells us: 1. Many will come in Christ’s name, but don’t be deceived. 2. There will be wars and insurrections. 3. Nations will rise against

Devanne White wanted this school year to be different for her students at Redding Adventist Academy. So White and the freshman and sophomore students in her religion class started the school year by going to Library Park in downtown Redding and feeding 300 homeless people on a rainy day in August.

Q. How, if at all, has your practice or understanding of your religion changed over time? When I was young, the Buddha was a happy fat guy and Buddhists sat around contemplating their belly buttons. At that time, my Western faith tradition rejected anything that wasn’t of that particular faith and so I learned little of o

The world is full of talented failures -- people who either didn't live up to their abilities, or who did, but in a way that diminished their humanity and their character. God made u

Q. Do followers of your religion seek redemption for transgressions? If so, how? The Science of Mind tradition views sin as “missing the mark” and a call to reassess and adjust one’s journey in life essentially making course corrections to benefit the individual. Additionally, the teaching actively promotes conscience

Q. Do followers of your religion seek redemption for transgressions? If so, how? The Science of Mind tradition views sin as “missing the mark” and a call to reassess and adjust one’s journey in life essentially making course corrections to benefit the individual. Additionally, the teaching actively promotes conscience

Ten Redding City Council candidates kept state and religion separate Wednesday night, despite bringing their politics into a church.

Dan Cusiter (letter, Sunday) talks about Obama's "sudden" embrace of religion. Nothing sudden about it! Remember the Rev. Jeremiah Wright? Remember the campaign trail and the critics exposing for Obama's sawdust camp-meeting rhetoric, more preacher than politician? Both his books describe his essentially barren childhood i

Pope Benedict XVI  This is not the complete Speech (see below for the full context) Your Majesty, Thank you for your gracious invitation to make an o

Before I begin, let me go on record that I am down with the whole idea of reducing reliance on fossil fuels. My motorcycle gets 45 mpg, my wife drives a hybrid, and we have recycled since freshman year in college, before recycling was convenient or easy. Since our nation seems obsessed with spending billions or more on t

I have been grieved, saddened, and even embarrassed lately by things I’ve seen and heard from fellow Americans.  For instance, telling Muslims not to build a mosque near Ground Zero. Aligning all of the Muslim faith with terrorism, is like branding all Christians as bad because of an abortion bombin