Are science and religion really opposed? You’re less likely to think so if you’re religious, says a new study from the Pew Research Center.
According to the study, “Some 73% of adults who seldom or never attend religious services say science and religion are often in conflict. By contrast, among more religiously observant Americans – those who report that they attend religious services on a weekly basis – exactly half (50%) share the view that science and religion frequently conflict.”
Further, while the study predictably showed that religion played a “strong role in views about evolution and perceptions of scientific consensus,” it also found that “majorities of all major religious groups say government investment in science pays off in the long run.” It may be, then, that religion plays more nicely with science than some would have us believe. —Adam Marshall
What is ‘Hygge’ and Where Can I Find it?
Over the last few years, more and more Americans are discovering the Danish concept of hygge (pronounced hue-gah), a word that translates roughly as “coziness.” If you imagine bright candles, wool sweaters, and intimate conversations over a kitchen table, you’ve got an image of hygge. According to Denmark’s official tourism website, though, hygge isn’t just a mood—it’s a philosophy, centered on “creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.”
While 21st-century Denmark may be a far cry from the first-century Mediterranean world, when we look to Scripture, we still find Paul urging his own spiritual family to embrace a lifestyle of quietude and peace. In 1 Thessalonians, for instance, Paul urges his readers to “aspire to live quietly and mind your own affairs.” In 1 Timothy, meanwhile, he asks his protege to pray “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” For Paul, peace and quiet weren’t just passing luxuries—they were fundamentally Christian desires, worthy of being sought after and prayed for.
So whether you’re hunkering down for a long, dark winter, or just taking a breath before starting your next sermon, you might consider adding a little dose of hygge to your day—or, better yet, bringing it into someone else’s. It might just make your home, your church, and your community shine all the brighter.
Netflix and what?
Since the rise of streaming video services, you’ve probably heard someone use the phrase “Netflix and chill.” You might be surprised, though, to learn that it doesn’t just mean “curling up on a couch with your spouse while you binge-watch Sherlock.” It has actually become a euphemism for hooking up—and its misuse has caused embarrassment for no small number of unassuming, mild-mannered, TV-loving adults.
If that seems confusing, just imagine how our neighbors must feel when their Christian friends use insider language. “Christianese” phrases like “the body of Christ,” “getting into God’s Word” or “pray popcorn-style” are often oblique to the uninitiated—even if we aren’t intending to sound cryptic or exclusive.
We don’t need to avoid such language entirely, of course—it can be meaningful for those who understand Christianity’s core symbols and metaphors. But if you’re grabbing Saturday morning coffee with your unchurched neighbor, you should probably avoid telling him that “Jesus’s blood can wash him clean.” Otherwise, he just might choose Netflix over church on Sunday.
The Legacy Left by Left Behind
Left Behind, the bestselling end times series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, turned 20 in 2015. The intervening decades (and three poorly-reviewed film adaptations) haven’t exactly been kind to the Christian fiction saga’s reputation. Still, interest in the notion of Rapture continues to resurface.
For instance, in August 2015, video game developer The Chinese Room released Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, a story-based game in which the player investigates a small English town whose inhabitants appear to have been whisked away to heaven. Meanwhile, HBO aired the second season of its hit drama The Leftovers, which imagines a near future in which 140 million people suddenly and inexplicably disappear in a Rapture-like event.
As they develop, these stories grow further and further away from the trail blazed by Left Behind—and, given their positive critical reception, this may be for the best. Regardless, stories like these stand as testaments to our culture’s ongoing fascination with the possibility of a raptured world.
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