Based on new studies conducted by Baylor University, children from more religious families and from families with higher rates of religious attendance are better behaved and more well adjusted at home and at school. Better educated people generally had parents who attended church services twice or more a month. Among people with graduate level educations, […]
The Objective Danger of Holiness
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon One of the stories that have proved troubling to students of Holy Scripture over the years is the account of Uzzah, who stretched forth his hand to steady the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark, we recall, was being carried by ox cart in order to be installed at David’s […]
Coming To Trust The Liturgy
From the author of the First Lights Blog A couple of weeks ago I was having a conversation with an old friend about my spiritual journey. We had attended church together at a contemporary evangelical charismatic Protestant church as college students. At the time, I ardently defended contemporary worship. The songs stayed in my head […]
Spiritual Preparedness for the Christian Prepper
“If you wish to gain victory over your thoughts, attend to your passions; whereupon you will easily banish your thoughts from your mind. To be precise – When you are bothered by thoughts of fornication, you should fast, keep vigil, toil and avoid harmful associations. In order to ward off anger and sorrow, do not […]
What Else Died At Auschswitz
By Sebastian Vilar Rodrigez I walked down the street in Barcelona and suddenly discovered a terrible truth – Europe died in Auschwitz … We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they […]
Underwater Chapel To Be Built In Bulgaria
Let us sanctify all creation! Somebody has to do it. Near the Bulgarian resort of Primorsko an Orthodox underwater Chapel will appear in the coming days, reports Sedmitza.ru. A local clergyman has already blessed the foundation of the construction, stone plinths, the cross, the candle stand, an Icon of St. Nicolas with a bronze frame, […]
Georgian Parliament Considers Abortion Ban After Impassioned Appeal By Orthodox Patriarch
by Thaddeus Baklinski Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has said his government will debate legislation to ban abortion. The announcement follows an appeal by the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church for the procedure to be made illegal in the small country, according to a Radio Free Europe report. In his Easter Sunday address, Patriarch […]
The New Legalism
by Anthony Bradley How the push to be ‘radical’ and ‘missional’ discourages ordinary people from doing ordinary things to the glory of God A few days ago on Facebook and Twitter I made the following observation: Being a “radical,” “missional,” Christian is slowly becoming the “new legalism.” We need more ordinary God and people lovers […]
Church Sources Say Syrian Bishops in Hands of Chechens
The kidnappers of two Orthodox bishops seized in northern Syria are Chechen fighters, sources in the Syriac and Greek Orthodox dioceses in Aleppo said on Tuesday. “The news which we have received is that an armed group… (of) Chechens stopped the car and kidnapped the two bishops while the driver was killed,” an official from […]
Not So Fast: The Real Divorce Rate Among Christians
Turns out faithful Christians have a much lower instance of divorce, which I’ve said for years. The facts now back me up. Of course, Orthodox Christians, again, escape detection, but I suspect that the figures would be similar based on one’s practices. Note: FactChecker is a monthly series in which Glenn T. Stanton examines claims, […]