Find Religion

Started as a way to bring together bloggers from around the world, today is International Weblogger’s Day. This year’s theme is solidarity.

How can bloggers get together to overcome some of the problems we face in the real world? Can we police acts of hate, intimidation, and sexual violence with what we write? Or do bloggers only inflame what otherwise would be unknown? READ MORE

There are some great posts on this subject from around the world that can be found at the IWD website. If nothing else, read this post about laws that affect bloggers!

and Happy IWD, everyone!

IWD, International Weblogger’s Day, bloggers, blog, weblogger, solidarity

Find Religion is about to get a lot prettier! 451 has recently announced that we are allowed custom mastheads, and I’m now beginning to create one for this site.

And along with that, I’ve begun to redefine this site as well. What does it mean to find religion? How is my site different than all others on the web? How can it help you on your spiritual journey? What direction would you like to see this blog take?

Reader input is welcome (encouraged actually)! What would you like to see? What defines your search for religion? What does this site mean to you?

Post all opinions as comments, so we can share ideas! I look forward to hearing from you.

You’ve read the first religious round table–are you interested in participating in the second? I’m looking for lots of new people to join our team of commentators–all religions welcome! I’m especially interested in views from people who are Muslim, Atheist, Catholic, and practicing Scientology, since those are some of the major viewpoints missing from our round table, but any and all are invited! June’s topic: Forgiveness. Do you have something to say? Email me today to participate at allison.boy-at-yahoo-dot-com!

I’ll be running a blog carnival on this site once a month, so if you’re interested, you can send submissions here. What’s a blog carnival you may ask?

It’s a great way to get exposure for your site. All the submissions I receive get packed up into one post with a little explanation, so the people who read my site will click on the link and read your site. The theory behind this is that you’ll also note to readers on your site that you’re participating in a blog carnival here, sending readers to my site as well, but of course, this is all up to you. If you just want me to include your link, but don’t want to make a special post about it on your blog, that’s fine.

The Theme of my carnival is “Religion in Everyday Life…because I don’t live in a church” You can include recipes of casseroles that are good for church socials, commentary of religious events in the news, crafts ideas for Sunday School classes, prayers you’ve taught your kids, and almost anything else.

Hope to see your submission!

blog carnival, carnival, religion

Do you read my blog every day and think “I could do that” ? If so, why not apply for a job here at 451?!? They’re looking for “city” bloggers there days, especially for:

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Arlington, Texas
Atlanta, Georgia
Austin, Texas
Baltimore, Maryland
Boston, Massachusetts
Charlotte, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Cleveland, Ohio
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas, Texas
Denver, Colorado
Detroit, Michigan
El Paso, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fresno, California
Honolulu, Hawaii
Houston, Texas
Indianapolis, Indiana
Jacksonville, Florida
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
Long Beach, California
Los Angeles, California
Louisville, Kentucky
Memphis, Tennessee
Mesa, Arizona
Miami, Florida
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nashville, Tennessee
New Orleans, Louisiana
New York, New York
Oakland, California
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Omaha, Nebraska
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phoenix, Arizona
Portland, Oregon
Sacramento, California
San Antonio, Texas
San Diego, California
San Francisco, California
San Jose, California
Seattle, Washington
Tucson, Arizona
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Washington, D.C.

If you live in any of those cities, check out www.451press.com/write and apply for the job!

He was sort of like nobody else,” said fellow author Gore Vidal. “Kurt was never dull.”

A self-described religious skeptic and freethinking humanist, Vonnegut used protagonists such as Billy Pilgrim and Eliot Rosewater as transparent vehicles for his points of view.

He lectured regularly, exhorting audiences to think for themselves and delighting in barbed commentary against the institutions he felt were dehumanizing people. READ MORE

Kurt Vonnegut, in my opinion, was one of the best writers in the 20th centruy. If you haven’t read Cat’s Cradle, do so. He died of brain injuries due to a fall at his home, according to his wife. He was 84. RIP.

Kurt Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle, humanist

Votes are appreciated! Here’s the link: http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/2547

FindReligion will be hosting a religious round table starting later this month in order to show opposing viewpoints on some of the major issues going in the world today. This post will feature a discussion with people from several different viewpoints on a single topic. If you’d like to get involved (via email), please contact me today! Everyone is invited to participate, regardless of faith.

Some posts you can look forward to over the next few days:

~Review of the movie 300…were the Persians and Spartans portrayed accurately? Did the Persian kind really consider himself a god?

~Religion and Politics…two subjects that I don’t like to pair, but do you know the religions of the presidential candidate? If not, this will be your chance to find out!

~In God We Trust…how can religion be incorporated into public schools without the backlash?

~Children of Men…it was just released on DVD–have my opinions changed? What are reviewers saying?

You may or may not remember Mandesa, the voluptuous singer from American Idol, but she’ll soon be back in the spotlight. Mandesa plans to release an upcoming album, and although the exact details have not yet been released, the album will have strong Christian influences. She’s reportedly combining a number of genres into one CD, all inspired by her love for God. I really admire any singer who puts religious values into his or her work, so Mandesa has my full support, even if she didn’t win idol. And hey, there’s always hope for this season’s LaKisha Jones, who has a similar look and style of singing!

American Idol, Mandesa, Christian music, God

Do you read my site every day and think “I could do that?”

Well, now you can.

The parent company to this site, 451 Press is now accepting applications for new writers! You can blog about celebrities, television, hobbies, sports, technology, or just about anything else you may be interested in. Every writer at 451 Press gets complete creative freedom and a hearty chunk of the ad revenues at the end of the month–not to mention a byline and links back to your personal site.

Basically, it’s a pretty sweet deal. Everything is set up for you in regards to ads, your account, the site layout, etc…so all you have to do is what you love–write!

If you want to apply, simply sign up at here and put me, Allison Boyer, as the answer for “How did you hear about 451 Press?”

Good luck to everyone who applies!

The Great Church Hunt has been postponed a week due to illness. Boo. Check back next Sunday!

Hey everyone. I know I have a lot of “silent readers” out there–people who check out my site every day, but who rarely leave comments.

Well, now is the time to change that! Voice your opinions about religion here and you’ll automatically be entered into a contest to win $500! The parent company of this site, 451 Press, is offering prizes for quality comments (see below) so don’t be afriad to speak up. You can also check out any of the 451 Press sites at the bottom of this screen and leave comments there to enter as well.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Did the holidays leave you a little light in the wallet? Are you strapped for cash after months of spending? Well - 451 Press is here to help. We are hosting a contest that could have you walking away with $500 in your pocket on February 1st.

451 Press writers are not eligible to win this contest.

Goddess religion is not based on belief, or based on history, in archeology, in any Great Goddess past or present. Our spirituality is based on experience, on a direct relationship with the cycles of birth, growth, death and regeneration in nature and in human lives. We see the complex interwoven web of life as sacred, which is to say, real and important, worth protecting, worth taking a stand for. At a time when every major ecosystem on the planet is under assault, calling nature sacred is a radical act because it threatens the overriding value of profit that allows us to despoil the basic life support systems of the earth. And at a time when women still live with the daily threat of violence and the realities of inequality and abuse, it is an equally radical act to envision deity as female and assert the sacred nature of female (and male) sexuality and bodies.

These wise words above are from Starhawk, one of the essential leaders of the Goddess movement.

Our experience is a reclaiming of the power of the feminine forces. All humankind comes from woman. It’s not that far of a stretch of the imagination to think our Creator is actually a Creatress. When I first realized I was seeing God’s face, I didn’t recognize Him because it was Her. Now that I have Her in my gaze, I realize I am looking at Me. She is no further than my own heart. This gives me great comfort. Find her in your heart of hearts. Just ask and then listen. Sometimes all we need is the right question. Sometimes we need to find the right key to unlock ourselves. What opens your heart of hearts? And what lay within the depths? These are important question we all can be asking ourselves as we come closer to self-realization, which can be your own personal rapture!

Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to ever be elected to Congress, is being sworn in on the Quran, instead of the Bible.

Now, that alone is sparking enough controversy, but to even add to the heat, the Quran being used once was owned by Thomas Jefferson.

Oh my goodness, was Old TJ a Muslim?????

Nah. Thomas Jefferson simply was a person who can be a role model and inspiration to us all. He was religiously tolerant.

It’s difficult in America to practice tolerance towards other religions, especially with so many of our troops dying at the hands of self-proclaimed American enemies who happen to also be Muslim.

Sometimes, we just need to take a step back. We’re all human right? Thomas Jefferson, as well as many of our other founding fathers, realized this.

If you’re having a problem with religious tolerance and want to take steps towards love, try following these tips:

1. Start small. Don’t jump right to visiting the worship service of another religion. Instead, focus on becoming religiously tolerant of denominations within your own religion.

2. Learn. You don’t have to believe the Quran (or Torah, or Bible, or whatever) to read it. However, reading other religious texts and information will help you understand why another person acts the way he or she does.

3. Make friends. Meeting new and interesting people of different faiths can help you overcome religious hatred. Instead of focusing on religion right away, start the conversation with another topic. I bet that people of other faiths are more like you that you’re willing to admit.

4. Ask for help. A member of your clergy can help you overcome your hatred. Religious tolerance doesn’t make you weaker in your own faith. A priest, minister, rabbi, etc can help you move past whatever is bothering you.

Keith Ellison, congratulations on your appointment. Make God guide your Congressional decisions as you guide this country.

Keith Ellison, Congress, Quran, Bible, Thomas Jefferson, religion, tolerance