Past Public Square Topics

These days it's hard not to run across a news story about same-sex marriage. Whether the headline is about ballot initiatives, an inaugural prayer, state Supreme Court decisions or even what a beauty pageant contestant said - we're all talking about it. This week, we discuss Same Sex Marriage - Sex and Belief.

Each week here at Patheos, we will be presenting a Public Square topic that aims at the heart of what the American public cares about, about what the popular media reports, about what faith leaders preach and about what religion scholars study. And we'll be doing so in a way that changes - and elevates - the public dialogue on important religious and spiritual matters...

These days it's hard not to run across a news story about same-sex marriage. Whether the headline is about ballot initiatives, an inaugural prayer, state Supreme Court decisions or even what a beauty pageant contestant said - we're all talking about it. Check out the perspectives on this topic on the Public Square.

Human beings have an in-born yearning to know the answer to the question "why am I here?" We all want to know if we're here for a reason, if we matter, if we are doing the things we are supposed to be doing.

Much of the buzz around President Obama's nominee to replace David Souter has to do with abortion. That fact isn't lost on us; this week, we're featuring a bumper crop of new content on the Public Square and in the Gateways dealing with this hot-button issue. But deep shifts in the Supreme Court's majority perspective on the separation of church and state are also a factor in the nomination process.

This week on the Public Square and in our Gateways, the topic is Good Death / Bad Death. The articles you'll see -- on assisted suicide, capital punishment and martyrdom -- look at how the deliberate taking of human life challenges religious belief and reveals some of the core principles beneath everyday social ethics. We hope you'll find them thought-provoking, and that you'll share some of those thoughts with us!

Who gets to speak for a faith, and what if they get it wrong? Catholicism is easy - it's the Pope, and he's infallible, right? (And what does that mean?) What about the media - do they accurately capture our identity? Who has the authority to decide who's getting it right and who isn't? This week on the Public Square and in our Gateways, the topic is "Who Speaks for Us?" Let us know what you think - speak for yourself and join the Discussion.

Nearly two months ago we ran a series of articles on same-sex marriage. Not surprisingly, this has been one of our most widely read and discussed subjects. We revisit the subject this week and next in our Public Square, allowing for contributors and the wider community to respond to the opinions voiced in the original articles.

"Show me the money!" This Hollywood line seems to sum up the pride and the pathos of the global economy over the last several years. Has capitalism run amok? Is it salvageable? What do faith and religious traditions tell us to do about our economic quandary? You may be surprised... Read on.

Some months ago we ran a series of articles on abortion, an issue never far from the American psyche. It wrenches us in multiple directions and has no happy solution in sight. More than most topics, abortion has religious and spiritual connections. It is about life, and how it should be lived. We revisit the subject this week and next, inviting a wider audience to respond to these perspectives.

The Internet has made religious knowledge and connections accessible in previously unimagined ways. But has it enhanced faith and practice within different spiritual communities or has it diminished their authenticity?

Freedom of religion has never implied freedom from religion. Or has it? In this Public Square conversation, different faith traditions weigh in on how and why the State needs -- or doesn't need -- the voice of religion.

As the whole world awakens to the needs of the environment, what tools of healing and nurture can religious traditions offer? Or did they create the problem?

Where is religion on the college campus? In the classroom? In the dorm room? Is faith lost or is it found? Is it taught or is it analyzed?

Clearly sports permeate our culture. Our arenas, stadiums, and ball fields trump religious buildings as centers of human focus and passion. What does faith say to all this? Is it threatened or do sports contribute to the religious pursuit?

How can religious traditions meet in mutual respect without resorting to a lowest common denominator approach? Can we reach out to one another without proselytizing? Without diminishing our own faith? And how would the world benefit if we could?

Each faith tradition has its celebrations, its moments of sacred time and ritual. These holy days etch the memories of a moment or an event from the past into the hearts and minds of those who live in faith today. How do we mark these hallowed days? When and why do we feast or fast, sing or pray, kneel or dance, mourn or rejoice? And how do we help our children claim these memories as their own?

"Show me the money!" This Hollywood line seems to sum up the pride and the pathos of the global economy over the last several years. Has capitalism run amok? Is it salvageable? What do faith and religious traditions tell us to do about our economic quandary? You may be surprised... Read on.

Most religious traditions call for acts of compassion and generosity. At this time of year, many encourage a spirit of charity. In what ways do these pleas draw on faith? On the love of God or gods? On the benefit to the soul?

Whether it's food, sex, clothing, or tattoos, religion impacts how we think about (and what we do with) our bodies.

Every faith tradition has its stories, prophecies, and instructions recorded in holy writings, both ancient and contemporary. These texts shape their communities. But how are they interpreted? What happens when people disagree about texts and what they mean?

What happens when we die? Many across the centuries have found comfort for the sorrows of this life in the hope of the next. Others use the ideas of heaven and hell or of reincarnation as the motivation for virtuous living now. Still others believe there is nothing beyond the grave, and that our focus must be on the creation of heaven on earth. What have the sages of history taught?

Who or what do we worship? Religions seek to bring believers into relationship with the divine, but how do manifestations of the gods and goddesses shape faith? How do these teachings sustain the individual believer?

Of all the arts, perhaps film has had the greatest impact on religious traditions -- both shaping and expressing their values. Movies have criticized, mocked, praised, and parodied a vast array of beliefs. How has film portrayed your faith?

Most faiths encourage growth through conversion, and they devote a great deal of energy to integrating new members. Other traditions, less eager for converts, make the requirements for admission into the community nearly impossible. What are the challenges involved in converting?

Every religious tradition has at its heart central mysteries and miracles that generate and sustain faith. How is the supernatural evident in your belief system? What role does the extra-ordinary play in your faith?

What does religion teach about sex? Is it divine or demonic? What are the moral and theological dimensions of human sexuality?

What challenges do interfaith marriages face from family and community? What makes them successful? Or not?

Are science and religion compatible? Does religion hold some answers that science doesn't? How do different religions approach scientific questions? The debate goes on . . .

Every tradition initiates its members at various stages of faith. How are they experienced in different religions? Do rituals matter? What power do they have in the life of the community?

Every tradition has its most extreme members, whose focus is often communal and doctrinal purity. Often these radical groups repulse perceived threats with fear and violence. Does your faith tradition have a fundamentalist component? How is it expressed?