God

In his new book, "What Good Is God?" evangelical author Philip Yancey asks, "Does belief in God really matter when life gets tough?" These and other questions and answers form the basis of his book and are the result of a near-fatal traffic accident Yancey experienced. Doctors told him he would not recover from his injuries and that he should say goodbye to his family and friends. Although Yancey survived, he continued to ask himself those same questions. For his book, he posed these questions to people who had undergone a similar experience of being "broken in body and in spirit," according to an interview with CNN, from former prostitutes in Thailand to members of an underground church in China.

As a youth, I was diagnosed with a stomach condition that eventually reshaped the way I see the world and forced me take things a little less for granted. This condition, in its early days, forced me to be hospitalized many times in order to get my health back on track. I've stayed in hospitals, from Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles to Verdugo Hills Hospital in the foothills. It's under control now, although I still have my bad days. But they are nothing like the punch-in-the-kidneys kind of flare-ups I've experienced in the past.

Q. The NBC television network has come under fire for omitting the words “under God” from a broadcast of the Pledge of Allegiance shown before the U.S. Open golf championship. The video montage of patriotic images including the American flag was dubbed with children reciting the Pledge — without the phrases “under God” and “indivisible.” A second showing of the video also left out the phrase “one nation.” NBC's omission has caused a storm of outrage, with demands for the people responsible for cutting the Pledge to be fired and calls for a campaign to boycott NBC shows and its advertisers springing up on social media and blogs.

"Now, I'm not big on blasphemy, but that last one made me laugh. " - Morgan Freeman as God in "Bruce Almighty" We are all guilty of doing it. You, sitting there, reading this right now. Me. Your brother, sister, father and mother. My co-workers, in the little corner of the newsroom in which I work, say it all the time. (In fact, a few were just let loose as I composed this paragraph.) We've all done it at least once. Most often than not, we do it unconsciously.

"Moving Ahead with God" will be the sermon topic of Rev. Beverly Craig at the 10 a.m. service on March 12 at La Crescenta Church of Religious Science, 4845 Dunsmore Ave. Church school is offered for children 4 through their teens at 10 a.m. Child care is provided. There are several ongoing classes offered at the church. "Practical Mysticism" is offered at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and facilitated by Rev. Craig. "Roots of Science of Mind" is offered at 7 p.m. on Mondays with Karen Morse.

As a child, teenager and young woman, I recall gazing into the sky and feeling like something was missing from my life. It literally felt as if there was a hole that needed to be filled. As a young adult, before rededicating my life to Christ, I used to try to fill that void with relationships and even the party scene. That was before the Lord got a hold of my life at 20 and drastically changed the way I lived, felt and conducted my choices. That was a season when the emptiness I had was altered.

Oct. 7 was “Blasphemy Day,” a day devoted to protecting a person’s right to “ridicule, criticize — even lambaste God,” according to an article on CNN Friday. Began by Ronald Lindsey (who in his youth studied for the priesthood), the purpose of the day is to encourage freedom of expression for everyone, even those who would outright talk ill of the Lord. Lindsey believes “a society is not truly free unless people can freely air their views on any subject — including God.” What do you think of this “day.

Q. Lawyer and author Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Charles Manson and members of the Manson Family in 1971 for the Tate and LaBianca murders, will appear at Glendale Central Library on July 27 to discuss his new book, “Divinity of Doubt.” Bugliosi argues in the book that both religious believers and atheists are wrong and that agnosticism is the most responsible position to take with regard to the existence of God. Among points of discussion will...

Q. A recent posting on CNN's Belief Blog discusses how people can lose faith when faced with traumatic events. The article relates former First Lady Laura Bush's experience after being involved in a fatal car accident in 1963. Bush missed a stop sign and hit a car driven by a friend, killing him. In a 2010 interview with Larry King, Bush said she remembered saying, “Please, God, please, God, you know, let him be OK,” and told King, “And you know, it was like no one heard.” She says she lost her faith in God for many years after the accident.

Q. The NBC television network has come under fire for omitting the words “under God” from a broadcast of the Pledge of Allegiance shown before the U.S. Open golf championship. The video montage of patriotic images including the American flag was dubbed with children reciting the Pledge — without the phrases “under God” and “indivisible.” A second showing of the video also left out the phrase “one nation.” NBC's omission has caused a storm of outrage, with demands for the people responsible for cutting the Pledge to be fired and calls for a campaign to boycott NBC shows and its advertisers springing up on social media and blogs.

Q. An American evangelical group called the Cornwall Alliance has placed itself in the center of debate over the environment by taking a hard line against green groups. Using the Dominion Mandate — the verse in Genesis about God giving man dominion over all life on Earth — as its chief argument, the Cornwall Alliance is vehemently opposed to environmental groups, which it sees as being un-Christian and pagan, and which it has labeled the “Green Dragon.” A book by the alliance, “Resisting the Green Dragon: Dominion not Death,” reads in part, “[s]

I felt I was in a painting by Renoir. He created the sublime by capturing joyous and festive moments depicting people in the midst of nature’s beauty. Kaitzer, the girls and I were spending a Sunday afternoon visiting our friends Tony and Andrea Assaf at the Villa Serenella, an 18th century monastery in the hills outside of Rome. We sat on an old slate patio overlooking 15 acres of olive, fruit and pine trees, and at gardens adorned with fountains and statuary images of saints. The Villa Serenella, now the Collegio of San Isaia (The College of Saint Isaiah)

Q. A new book has attracted a hail of criticism on the Internet. “Love Wins: Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived” by Pastor Rob Bell, the leader of the Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., questions the traditional view of heaven, hell and damnation, which Bell describes as “misguided and toxic.” It also challenges the dogma that “a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous...

Q. Brigham Young University recently suspended its star basketball center, Brandon Davies, for violating the college's strict Honor Code. Davies admitted to officials that he'd had pre-marital sex with his girlfriend, an Arizona State University freshman. Although he currently remains a student, there is still a chance the 19-year-old will be expelled from the school. He has publicly apologized to his teammates and fans. The Honor Code, which students are obligated to abide by, requires them to be honest, live a chaste and virtuous life, obey the law and all campus policies, use clean language, respect others, abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse, participate regularly in church services and observe a dress and grooming standard.

Q. Many successful sports, showbiz and business people credit faith in God for their success. But a recent article in the Wall Street Journal discusses winners at this year’s Grammy awards and their belief that it’s not just faith that’s driven them to the top of their profession — God actually chose them to be successful over other musicians. As Christina Aguilera’s mother says, “We thought there must be some divine intervention. Early on, I realized…God has plans for her.” The article’s author, Neil Strauss, calls this “competitive theism” and says, “As I compiled and analyzed these interviews for my new book, I reached a surprising conclusion: Believing that God wants you to be famous actually improves your chances of being famous.

As a youth, I was diagnosed with a stomach condition that eventually reshaped the way I see the world and forced me take things a little less for granted. This condition, in its early days, forced me to be hospitalized many times in order to get my health back on track. I've stayed in hospitals, from Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles to Verdugo Hills Hospital in the foothills. It's under control now, although I still have my bad days. But they are nothing like the punch-in-the-kidneys kind of flare-ups I've experienced in the past.

In his new book, "What Good Is God?" evangelical author Philip Yancey asks, "Does belief in God really matter when life gets tough?" These and other questions and answers form the basis of his book and are the result of a near-fatal traffic accident Yancey experienced. Doctors told him he would not recover from his injuries and that he should say goodbye to his family and friends. Although Yancey survived, he continued to ask himself those same questions. For his book, he posed these questions to people who had undergone a similar experience of being "broken in body and in spirit," according to an interview with CNN, from former prostitutes in Thailand to members of an underground church in China.