The United States Constitution was written to allow for the free exercise of faith by its citizens as well as avoid state-mandated religion. The question of balancing religious freedom with civil liberty has been particu ...

Category: Freedom of Religion Religion Christianity

The season of Lent begins on March 1, following Mardi Gras on February 28. The first day of Lent is called Ash Wednesday. Many denominations hold a service for believers as a way of beginning the season. Ministers bless ...

Category: Holidays and Observances Religion Christianity

The world's eyes might be on New Orleans because of the Mardi Gras celebration, but there's much more to the city than one big party before Lent. It's named for the Duke of Orleans, the Regent for Louis XV. New Orleans w ...

Category: Religion

In the Christian faith, many infants are baptized or christened after birth as a way of demonstrating that the child will be raised in the faith. During the ceremony, godparents are usually named for the child. Today's g ...

Category: Religion Baptisms

Baptism is first mentioned in the New Testament in reference to John the Baptist. Matthew recounts: "People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they w ...

Category: Ceremonies Religion Baptisms Christianity

The holidays might be over, but we should discuss how millennials face the Christmas season. If you haven't seen the "Hipster Nativity Set," you might want to take a minute and search for it on Google. It features wise m ...

Category: Holidays and Observances Religion

Hanukkah is often compared to Christmas, but there are many differences between the Christian and Jewish celebrations. One key difference is that Christmas is always celebrated on December 25, while the date of Hanukkah ...

Category: Holidays and Observances Religion Judaism

If you're like most Americans, you know the words to the popular Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but you may not realize what the Christmas meaning is. It can seem as if Christmas is over all too quickly ...

Category: Holidays and Observances Religion Christianity

As the third most populous city in America, Chicago offers a great deal of culture to the more than 52 million annual visitors. It's been named the "Best Sports City" in the United States three different times, as it has ...

Category: Religion

Jerusalem is often considered one of the holiest cities, not only by Christians and Jews, but those of the Islamic faith as well. During one period in history, the city was thought to be the center of the world. Jews oft ...

Category: Religion