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Welcome! At Signs and Wonders we sift through the World Wide Web looking for evidence of emerging religious futures. Our mission is to provide our readers -- religious futurists, ministers, and just plain spiritual people -- with a guided tour of the web, stopping wherever we see the future of faith unfolding before our eyes. We update this site every three days or so, so come back again and join us on our next trip. If you want to comment on anything you read here or discuss religious futures in general, come over to our forum. |
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February 10, 2000 [social] -- "Religion a la Carte" by Cody Clark at 6:56 AM (EST)  from BeliefNet: Pollster George Gallup Jr. says that, according to his extensive survey, Americans are approaching faith as a "pick and choose affair." "Americans are seeking something more meaningful, deeper and healthier," Gallup said. "I think it stems in part from what they perceive to be a failure of materialism in (the 20th) century and the fact that there are so many problems that surround us without apparent solutions." Religion and faith still have widespread appeal for Americans, but this poll supports a trend that indicates that fewer Americans are finding what they are seeking in today's mainstream religions. [social] -- God on the Gridiron? by Cody Clark at 6:29 AM (EST) A column in Slate magazine analyzes the growing trend associating Christian evangelization and professional athletes. Quarterback Kurt Warner is the most famous and latest example. "There have been publicly religious players in the NFL since the '60s, but their numbers have surged since the '80s. The increasing number of African-American players has added to their ranks, as has the proselytizing of stars such as Mike Singletary, Reggie White, and Deion Sanders. Post-game prayer circles include players from both teams... According to Athletes in Action, which provides half the NFL's chaplains, 35 percent to 40 percent of pro football players are evangelical Christians, compared to about 25 percent of the rest of America." [political] -- Dalai Lama exhorts India to Shelter Teenage Leader by Cody Clark at 6:22 AM (EST) from [BeliefNet] - In a letter released to reporters Friday (Jan. 28), the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual and political head, said India's image will suffer if the New Delhi government does not allow the boy, Ugyen Trinley Dorje, to stay in the country. The 14-year-old monk, whose title is the 17th Karmapa, is the the third highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism. He heads the Karma Kagyu order, one of four main schools in Tibetan Buddhism. The defection of the Karmapa is embarassing for the Chinese Governemnt and puts the Indian government in a dicey position, not wanting to cause tensions between the two countries. The story can be found here and a concise explanation of the Tibetan Lamas in exile can be found in this column in Slate magazine. [social] -- Catholic Priests Dying of AIDS, Survey Says by Cody Clark at 6:18 AM (EST) According to a story in the Kansas City Star , Catholic priests are dying of AIDS, often in silence. Hundreds of Roman Catholic priests across the United States have died of AIDS-related illnesses, and hundreds more are living with HIV. It appears priests are dying of AIDS at a rate at least four times that of the general U.S. population. Six of 10 Roman Catholic priests in The Kansas City Star's survey know at least one priest who died of an AIDS-related illness, and one-third know a priest currently living with AIDS. This supports a trend of increasing social pressure, especially in developed nations, on the Roman Catholic Church to revisit it's long-standing policies on married and women priests. This trend is also supported by the worsening shortage of Roman Catholic Priests. |
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