“It’s a relationship, not a religion.” Or at least, so say the Christians of Generation Z, who are attempting to paint their faith in a less legalistic light than their predecessors. However, pretending to be a nonreligious Christian is disingenuous and oxymoronic.
Browsing: Christianity
The problem that exists in attending a church aimed specifically at college students is that it lacks the opportunity for growth. I believe the beauty of attending church is that you can meet a variety of people from all walks of life. Spiritual growth flourishes most when you surround yourself with those who are different from you rather than those who are similar.
Living in gratitude and out of complaint is worth the effort. In this life, we will experience great joys, milestones, trials and hardships. Beginning to practice and implement a posture of gratitude will change our hearts and our lives.
The Ministry Guidance Program, which director Dr. Dennis Horton described as the largest in the country, assists ministry students with almost any need they will encounter as undergraduates: scholarships, graduate school applications, connections to churches and hands-on opportunities to explore potential careers in ministry.
The continued lack of interest in Chapel may not be a fault on the students’ part. It could be a call for Chapel to change and cater to those who fall through the cracks, bringing in guest speakers with diverse backgrounds and stories to reach them on a deeper level.
The idea of eternal punishment insinuates the notion that it’s not possible to grow past your mistakes. What makes the most sense based on this interpretation is purgatory — a temporary place for purification.
It’s time to bury the idea that the common way of shortening the word Christmas as Xmas is somehow offensive. This way of spelling Christmas does not have secular roots as many suggest, and it does not take Christ out of Christmas.
To get away from the crazed frenzy of a college campus preparing for Thanksgiving break, students from the Wilderness Spirituality Chapel traveled to Meridian State Park over the weekend for a time of rest, renewal, exploration and fellowship with one another and God.
While I think films like this certainly have their place in making the Bible more accessible and relatable, especially to families with young children, I worry they simplify the incredible story of an indescribable God.
It’s natural to be stubborn when you’ve had an opinion for a long time. That being said, I implore nonreligious students to at least try a more in-depth religious course. You could truly learn new things and see the world from a different point of view.
How should we address these types of controversial questions? We need to be able to create safe spaces for these discussions. That means acknowledging that everyone’s experiences are valid, recognizing that their political philosophy does not determine their worth as a human being and using respectful rhetoric.
Following Jesus, then, isn’t just a call to go to church on Easter or keep a Bible on a bookshelf. It’s a call to become like Him. To think how He thought, to live like He lived, to treat others in light of His sacrifice for them.
The Waco Pride Network hosted its annual Out on the Brazos event Saturday at Brazos Park East. This year, doctrine and diversity intersected as five churches attended to show support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The Bible does not reject capital punishment, but it does provide requirements for it. A person can be killed justly if they have killed unjustly, but they must also be treated with humanity in the process.
In order for the university to uphold its commitment to respecting all people, that would mean providing dietary accommodations for practicing Muslim first-year students specifically, since they are required to purchase a meal plan. These students deserve to feel comfortable eating on campus without fear that they are going against their religious beliefs by doing so.
At a university whose mission centers around leadership, academic excellence and “Christian commitment within a caring community,” it has become normalized to be religious on a more public scale.
With a name translating to “the reason of Christ” in Latin, Ratio Christi is aiming to educate Baylor students on apologetics. Starting this fall, the new spiritual organization is implementing guest speakers, small study groups and community worship in an effort to teach students to defend the Christian faith with philosophical, historical and scientific arguments.
The mission trip is hosted by CURE International, a non-profit Christian organization that operates charitable hospitals and programs in 29 countries worldwide. The destination for the service team will be the CURE Hospital in Kenya, an affiliated hospital that performs over 1,500 life-changing reconstructive and orthopedic surgeries for children suffering from treatable disabilities.
“Every semester … whatever area it is, they grow in confidence, and they realize, ‘Oh, I can do this. God has gifted me, and this is what I love doing,’” Horton said. “That initial call — it’s like, you’ve got these little little flames, but it just grows when they’re doing the internship.”
“No matter what stage of life you’re in, it’s really important to look to your right and left, instead of being tunnel-focused on your bigger goals,” Hallbauer said. “That’s what we want for people to take away from this group, is that they have an ability and an obligation as believers to serve and love the least of these.”
“Baylor does a really good job of inviting seminaries that are really diverse in terms of theological dispositions,” Dean said. “In my conversations with the different representatives, realizing and getting to understand more of the heart behind each individual seminary. They all have, yes, one central mission, but also unique missions to their seminary, to their institutions.”
The men’s retreat will be March 17-19 and costs $55, covering meals, housing and ammo for the gun range. The women’s retreat will take place March 24-26 and costs $50, including meals, housing and fun on the ranch.
“Another reason I’m excited to come to Truett is because I feel like I’ll be able to make that kind of text-to-ministry, text-to-life connection every day,” Shively said. “It’s just not something that I’ve been able to do at St. Andrews because it just isn’t the focus of the university. … This opportunity to come to Truett is, I think, fulfilling my deepest desires.”
We perceive God with whatever makes sense to us, but deliberately altering the image of God to whatever you please is not something that I think most Christians can get behind.
Bolstered by his conceptual framework of history, hope and rhyme, Dr. David Blevins spoke on June 17 about his experience as a journalist in Northern Ireland. Currently a senior Ireland correspondent for Sky News, he has been in the field for 32 years, living not only through the sectarian conflict of the Troubles but also through the groundbreaking success of the peace process.
While spirited Americans are used to sporting green and celebrating all things Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17’s designation as a public holiday is an indicator of something much deeper for the Emerald Isle: its profound spiritual landscape and religious history.
Environmentalism is oftentimes thought of as a social or political issue, but environmentalism reveals itself as an issue of faith when Christians analyze biblical text and apply the idea of stewardship to the earth.
With the excitement and preparation surrounding Halloween, church groups and Christians alike have a decision to make about participating in the holiday festivities. Several churches in the Waco community see the occasion as an opportunity to evangelize and serve local communities.
While some churches today take issue with children dressing as ghouls and goblins for Halloween, many churches are accepting of the holiday.
Halloween as modern Americans observe it is an American creation that has roots in something called the All Saints Day festival from Europe, said Dr. Rosalie Beck, associate professor of religion.
One of the country’s most prominent philosophers claimed Thursday it is science and naturalism — not science and religion — that conflict with one another in front of a packed room of Baylor students and faculty.