2016-06-30
A Ritual of Her Own
Welcoming ceremonies for Jewish girls

Caught in a Time Warp
John Shelby Spong on Third World Christians

America's Favorite Hindu?
Apu from "The Simpsons"

Supporting Buddhist Friends
Pastor Paul answers teens' questions

Pope Joan
True story or myth?

Is God a Big Meanie?
Kids' images of God

Muslims and Sex
Q&A with Kenneth Briggs

Evangelicals & Jews
Is progress unraveling?

Empty Mind
Not just for Buddhists anymore

Billy's Better Half
Ruth Bell Graham's new book

Bring God to Work
Ten practical ways

Angel of the Day
A multimedia feature
Organ Donation
  • A rabbi weighs cutting in line
  • Faith-by-Faith Overview: Where does your religion stand?
  • A Kidney for Charlie: Praying for the perfect match
    The Gospel of Thomas
    Gospel for our time or Jesus Lite?

    Religion Trends in 2001

    Big Hats and 'Beanies'
    By Kenneth Briggs Islam and the End Times
    Understanding the struggle over the Temple Mount.

    Cesarean Sections and the Goddess

    Books for Dharma Kids
    Buddhism at bedtime

    Why I Like Being...
    Members explain why they love their religion.

    Last Wishes
    Making choices for a dying relative of a different faith. By Margot Adler

    Can Prayer Heal Us?
  • Yes, says Dr. Kathi J. Kemper.
  • No, says Gregg Easterbrook.
  • Definitely, says one cancer patient.

    Fasting Chic
    An ancient spiritual discipline gets trendy

    Cults or Religions? Revisiting '60s Movements

    Robots, Neurotransmitters, and the Soul
    What science can tell us about being made in the image of God

    Remembering the Six Million
    Should Jews honor Holocaust victims by having lots of kids?

    Buying Blessing?
    Beliefnet members debate tithing

    March-April, 2001

    Why I Like Being...
    Members explain why they love their religion.

    Woman, Thou Art Loosed

    T.D. Jakes on great women in the Bible--and today

    All Shook Up
    God as earthquake. By Dan Wakefield

    Catholic Women Who Want to Be Priests
    Healing the Mind
    An audio meditation with Buddhist leader Tulku Thondup

    Hajj in a Wheelchair

    Debating 'Plural Marriage'
    "Polygamy Works"
    A wife's story

    Why Would God Allow This?
    A Mormon woman reflects.

    Where Buddha and Jesus Meet
    New books reviewed

    Raising 'Spiritual but Not Religious' Kids

    Are Mainline Protestants Anti-Israel?
    By Elliott Abrams

    Is America a Muslim Nation?

    FEBRUARY, 2001

    What's the Enneagram?
    02/21/2001
    Q&A with Kenneth Briggs

    Atheists on the Afterlife
    Secular thoughts on life after death
    02/15/2001

    Jesus: God in Human Form
    Why do Christians believe this?
    Q&A with Ben Witherington III
    02/12/2001

    Surfing for Your Soulmate
    A multifaith guide to Internet singles sites.
    02/12/2001
    By Rebecca Phillips

    Healing the Mind
    An audio meditation with Buddhist leader Tulku Thondup
    02/08/2001

    Catholic Women Who Want to Be Priests
    The story of five women who want to be priests
    02/06/01
    By Heidi Schlumpf

    A Radically Different Jesus
    The Gospel of Thomas: Gospel for our time or Jesus Lite?
    02/01/2001
    By Monique Parsons

    Do Jews Believe in an Afterlife?
    Jewish sources don't deal extensively with the question of an afterlife, but Jews believe that in some form a soul lives on.
    02/01/2001
    By Rabbi David Wolpe

    Holy Hotties
    Can spiritual practice make you be tter looking?
    Vote for the holiest hottie
    By Mirka Knaster

    Israeli Elections:
    Why Sharon?
    By Elliott Abrams

    The War Criminal Takes Over
    By Michael Lerner

    Did I Really Just Vote For Sharon?
    By David Margolis

    JANUARY, 2001

    Are Mainline Protestants Anti-Israel
    The statement issued by their recent 'Ecumenical Delegation to Jerusalem' is unwaveringly hostile to the State of Israel.
    01/25/2001
    By Elliott Abrams

    How the Faithful Voted
    Breakdown of Election 2000 Voters by Religion
    Read the Survey
    01/24/2001

    Clergy Compensation
    01/23/2001
    By Kenneth Briggs

    Pedophilia Chic
    Our culture's repugnance at the idea of the sexual exploitation of children has gradually weakened.
    01/17/2001
    By Charles Colson
    Also: A Beliefnet member responds

    Till Death Do Us Part
    Burial dilemmas for interfaith couples
    01/11/2001
    By Arthur Magida

    Clergy Compensation
    Ordination doesn't negate the need to cover ordinary bills.
    01/23/2001
    By Kenneth Briggs

    Gifts for Muslim Newborns
    01/18/2001
    By Arthur Magida

    Religion, Hate, and Violence
  • Mas'ood Cajee: Stop the Rhetoric of the Cursed
  • Irving Greenberg: The Moral State of Religion

    Big Hats and Beenies
    For Roman Catholic bishops, form follows function when it comes to headgear.
    01/07/2001
    By Kenneth Briggs

    Decoding Revelation
    The Other Birth Story: Revelation's 'Child and the Dragon'
    01/04/2001
    By Marcus Borg

    Do Only Christians Go to Heaven?
    Religion Trends in 2001
    01/01/2001
    By Gregg Easterbrook

    Millennium, Shmillennium
    The apocalyptic craze that fizzled

    Spiritual and ethical New Year's resolutions

    The Year's Top Religion Stories

    Holiday Sampler
  • Hanukkah
  • Christmas
  • Kwanzaa
  • Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
  • Yule



    DECEMBER, 2000

    New Years
    Millennium, Shmillennium
    The apocalyptic craze that fizzled
    12/25/2000
    By Monique Parsons

    Spiritual and ethical New Year's resolutions


  • The Top Religion Stories of 2000
    12/19/2000

    Christmas:
    Interactive Advent Calendar

    Christmas music, quizzes, articles, inspiration, and activities
    Including:
  • God as Suffering Patient
    By Frederica Mathewes-Green
  • An Orthodox Christmas
  • Make an Angel Ornament


    Articles, quizzes, resources and discussions on the Kwanzaa holiday
  • Is Kwanaa a religious holiday?
    These and other questions answered by the holiday's founder, Dr. Marulana Karenga
  • The Meaning of Kwanzaa
    The Message and Meaning of Kwanzaa: Bringing Good Into the World By Marulana Karenga
    The Complete Kwanzaa Package

    Hanukkah
    Hanukkah resources, advice, quizzes, and articles, including:
  • Overcoming Christmas Envy
  • Menorah Meditations
  • Hanukkah Sing Along
    And More

    What's Hanukkah?
    What's the right greeting, and how important is the holiday?
    12/08/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Ringing In a Not-So New Year
    Is January 1 the beginning of the year for non-Christians?
    12/27/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Up, Up and Away
    Is the "rapture" scriptural? I've heard it's a false interpretation, but many ministers teach it as truth.
    12/25/2000
    By Kenneth Briggs

    A Multi-Faith Giving Guide
    What to get friends and colleagues for Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Rohatsu, and Eid.
    12/08/2000

    Do Muslims Believe in Reincarnation?
    12/04/2000
    By Kenneth Briggs

    Non-Christians at Christmas Parties
    Is it tacky to invite them? Is it offensive not to?
    12/04/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Yule:
  • The Spirit of Yule
  • What I'll Be Doing This Stolstice
  • La Befana and the Royal Child of Light
  • Santa Was a Shaman
  • A Solstice History

    NOVEMBER, 2000


  • Ramadan Diary
  • Hakeem Olajuwon on Ramadan
  • Ramadan Q&A
  • A Ramadan Primer
    More articles, profiles, resources, interviews on Ramadan


    What is Rohatsu?
    A Rohatsu Retreat
    The Wisdom of No Technique

    Do Jehovah's Witnesses Do Thanksgiving?
    11/20/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Is Cleanliness Next to Godliness?
    Before eating fruit at a Sufi service, should I break out the moist towelettes?
    11/20/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Do I Need to Be Rebaptized?
    I left Catholicism to join the Methodist Church. Do I need to be reinitiated into Christianity?
    11/13/2000
    By Arthur Magida

  • OCTOBER, 2000


    Check out the rest of our special Halloween section for articles, recipes, links, and even a "religious candy" taste test.
    Including:
  • Making Real Decisions About Halloween
    By Richard Mouw
  • Samhain
    Samhain, better known as Halloween, is Wiccans' most solemn and festive holiday.
    By Starhawk
  • Banning Halloween?
    The October bacchanalia turns into a religious issue for the nation's public schools
    By Deborah Caldwell

    Sacred Songs on a Walkman
    Am I desecrating religious music when I play it at work? Plus: Orthodox church services
    10/30/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Druids, Denial, and Dollars
    Why Americans seem Halloween-happy
    10/25/2000
    By Kenneth Briggs

    What's Diwali--and Should I Bring Presents?
    What can I give my Hindu friends for Diwali? Plus: Praying to a saint for an ill Jewish relative
    10/25/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Frequently Asked Questions About Godparents
    Non-Catholic godparents, the history, and more
    10/18/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Can I Join Jumma?
    Are mosques' Friday prayer services open to non-Muslims? Plus: Catholic annulments and donations at a Jewish funeral
    10/16/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Protestant Communion for Catholics: Take Two
    Catholic doctrine doesn't specifically forbid Catholics from receiving Protestant Communion
    10/12/2000
    By Kenneth Briggs

    What's a Sukkah?
    And can I build one too?
    10/12/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Building Better Pewsitters
    Let's use our knowledge of human DNA to create genetically superior believers
    10/06/2000
    By Kenneth Briggs

    Donna Karen and the Qur'an
    'Help! My jeans offend Muslims'
    10/03/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    SEPTEMBER, 2000

    'Popestock' v. Woodstock
    How did the recent Catholic youth rally in Rome measure up to 1969's Woodstock?
    09/27/2000
    By Kenneth Briggs

    A Seating Chart for the Lord's Table
    Can I receive Communion at a Protestant church if I'm Catholic?
    09/24/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Best Gifts for the Jewish New Year
    'I'd like to give our wonderful neighbors a present. What should it be?'
    09/18/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Is Voodoo Really a Religion?
    A short course for people who think it's all about zombies and sticking pins in dolls
    09/18/2000
    By Kenneth Briggs

    I Am Woman. Should I Roar? Etiquette questions on feminism in India, ditching a kippah, and what the nine-pointed star symbolizes for Baha'is
    09/12/2000
    By Arthur Magida

    Meet the Gita
    New translations of a Hindu classic

    The God of Golf
    Will Smith in "Bagger Vance"

    Learn to Sing the Psalms

    Paying for Enlightenment
    How much should spiritual teachers charge?

    My Guru's More Highly Evolved Than Yours
    Should I retaliate in a "holier than thou" argument? Plus: Kissing a bishop's ring, and Ethical Culture platforms
    July 17, 2000
    by Arthur Magida
  • Let There Be Light: Electricity on the Sabbath
    Plus: Muslims and organ donation, and icon wordplay
    July 14, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Refusing an Invite to Bible Camp
    Plus: What to wear in a mosque, and when not to say 'temple'
    July 11, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    Why Does the Bride Come Before the Groom?
    Plus: Sikh men and their beards, and why religious people are so mean
    June 30, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Bringing the Folks to a Wiccan Ritual
    Plus: African Methodist Episcopal services, and straight talk on speaking in tongues
    June 29, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    What Does 'Sitting Shiva' Mean?
    Plus: Mormon sacred texts, and why Congress gets prayers, but football games don't
    June 28, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Get Me to the Church Pretty Much on Time
    Is it OK if I'm a tad late for a Methodist wedding? Plus: Praying on planes and incense inquiries
    June 28, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    What's a Liturgical Calendar?
    Plus: The spirituality surge, and why the Bible's lucky number seems to be 40
    June 22, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Why Jews Don't Accept Jesus
    An answer to Christian missionaries
    June 19, 2000
    by Rabbi David Wolpe

    Response: A Conflicted Christian
    An evangelical scholar ponders proselytizing Jews in a post-Holocaust world
    June 19, 2000
    by Richard Mouw

    Fishing for Invitations to Sacred Ceremonies
    Plus: Hindu funerals and dueling Sabbaths
    June 15, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    Holy Cows
    What's the scoop on sacred cows? Plus: Muslim prayer, and whether shared communion cups spread germs
    June 14, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Staying Alive: Why Do Some Jews Name Children After the Dead?
    Plus: The Third Secret of Fatima
    June 2, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Altar Call: Cell Phones in Church
    How should I deal with the nuisance? Plus: Quaker meeting, and cruising for food at a Jewish wedding
    June 1, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    God at Graduation
    'And God Says to All of Us, You Are No Chicken; You Are an Eagle': A graduation speech
    by Archbishop Desmond Tutu

    Buddhist Tummy Troubles
    Should I rub the Buddha's stomach? Plus: Hindu weddings and wearing a tallit when you're not Jewish
    May 24, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    In God We Trust, Occasionally
    How come I can't put my finances in God's hands? Plus: Meditation advice and the origin of the 'lukewarm' criticism
    May 16, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Pay-Per-Pew: How Come People Had to Pay for Church Seats?
    Plus: The very best Christian denomination, and Honest Abe on the common man
    May 10, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    More Than a Bad Dress: A Bridesmaid's Dilemma
    Plus: What to do at a Mien funeral, and options for gay Muslims
    May 4, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    Shaking Down the Shakers
    Can I get my Shaker-made chair on the cheap? Plus: Funeral ettiquette
    April 27, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    How Come Catholics Believe in Purgatory?
    Plus: Reverence for plant life, and explaining evil using the 'Course in Miracles'
    April 27, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    What Should I Send to a Jewish Funeral?
    Plus: What to do when your making dinner for your Orthodox Jewish friends
    April 13, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    Wiccans Getting a Bad Rap
    Also, a Muslim mother with cancer, how to address Catholic hierarchs, and Jehovah's Witnesses' birthdays
    April 12, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    Why Muslims Pray in Groups
    Plus: On John Paul II Retiring to the Holy Land
    April 12, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Can a Protestant Ask the 'Four Questions' at Passover?
    Plus: Religions to expect in Africa, and planning a joint halal-kosher meal
    April 11, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    How Come? On the Churches' Silence Over Elian Gonzalez
    Plus: Aliens who don't proselytize, and atheists who buckle down and pray
    April 11, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Interfaith Dialogue
    Are Islam and Christianity on a Collision Course? Join Seyyed Hossein Nasr and John Esposito as they discuss Muslim-Christian Relations

    How Come? On Why Jesus Is Called 'the Lamb of God'
    Plus: The state of Israel vs. Conservative and Reform Jews
    April 4, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Are Easter Eggs Pagan?
    Plus: Translating Hebrew greetings for the confused
    March 26, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    Sex, Love, and God-images
    Divine intimacy and human intimacy might actually go together
    March 22, 2000
    by Wade Clark Roof

    Is it wrong to convert others?
    Plus:Talk show predestination, biblical infallibility, and Catholic literalists taking communion
    March 15, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Digging in on Doctrine
    A review of Karen Armstrong's "The Battle for God." As Jews fundamentalize stories, and Muslims law, Christians have made ideas their barriers against modernity
    March 15, 2000
    By Martin E. Marty

    The Experts
    A sampling of comments from the 16 religious thinkers surveyed for 'Religion in America at the Turn of the New Century'
    March 14, 2000

    Do Jehovah's Witnesses Celbrate Holidays?
    Plus: My brother thinks he's God, and what to serve Catholics on Fridays in Lent
    February 22, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    Why Don't Fundamentalist Christians Like Shrinks?
    Plus: Whatever happened to the Moonies, what Buddha would say, what's with kosher and why people bury St. Joseph statues
    February 16, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    How Come? On Why You Should Curb Pride Over a Superbowl Victory
    Plus: Jesus and tax season and "my god can beat up your god"
    February 6, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    How Do I Tell My New Age Friend She's Spacey?
    Plus: Services at gay churches, and hanging on to your shoes at Zen retreats
    February 3, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    Praying to Allah in the Classroom?
    Plus: my unchristian friend and hating the collection plate
    January 21, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    With My Record, Can I Still Become a Saint?
    Plus: Muslim intermarriage, the disciples as family men, and the straight dope on incense
    January 14, 2000
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
    January 12, 2000
    by Arthur Magida

    About beanies, genuflection and the higher power
    Religion questions you're too embarrassed to ask
    December 13, 1999
    by Kenneth Briggs

    Does Affluence Fuel Spirituality?
    Instead of rotting our souls, money may make us contemplate the profound
    December 13, 1999
    by Gregg Easterbrook

    Someone Trying to Convert You? How to Deflect Their Attention Politely
    Plus: Muslims & Christmas Carols, and Bar Mitzvah Gifts 101
    December, 1999
    by Arthur Magida

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