THE QUESTION: What is religion? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER: Oddly, “Religion Q & A” entered its ninth year online before getting around to this question. It’s not an easy one.             During the tax season, we may not feel particularly fond toward the IRS but can pity the staffers who spent years on a long-running dispute that ended in 1993 when the godless Scientology system was finally defined as a “religion” and thus eligible for the tax exemption benefit. Then... Read more

THE QUESTION: Did the January 6th Capitol riot involve Christian “heresy” or “apostasy”? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER: The U.S. Senate may have debated whether ex-President Trump bears responsibility for the January 6 riot at U.S. Capitol, but certain conservative Christians focused instead on his followers. They propose that the final day of Trump’s campaign to overturn President Biden’s December 14 Electoral College victory involved religious “heresy” or “apostasy.” Those leveling this charge are not Never Trump politicians or pundits but... Read more

THE QUESTION: How is Trump ally Senator Josh Hawley linked with 5th Century Christianity’s hottest dispute? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER:        New York Times contributor Katherine Stewart doesn’t care much for conservative Christians. Consider the subtitle of her 2012 book “The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children.” (Actually, these non-political after-school clubs operate openly, and participation is voluntary.) Last year, she wrote the timely “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious... Read more

THE QUESTION: Should Europeans outlaw ritual slaughter for meat practiced by Judaism and Islam as cruelty to animals? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER: With such unprecedented political mayhem, Americans can be forgiven for barely noticing important events overseas. The Guy, who believes threats to religious freedom warrant especially close attention, highlights a December 17 ruling by the Court of Justice, the highest tribunal in the European Union (which covers 27 member nations with the departure of Great Britain). The decision, on... Read more

THE QUESTION: Why is January 1st New Year’s Day? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER: There’s a religious angle here, as with almost any major aspect of human culture past and present. Our January 1 observance stems from ancient paganism. The numbering of “2021,” as with every year, reflects the global reach of Christianity. And the specific day everyone reckons to be January 1 was fixed by the Catholic Church during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation hostilities. Alongside this conventional calendar, many faiths... Read more

THE QUESTION: Should Bibles speak of a “virgin” birth in Isaiah 7:14? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER: No less than 38 U.S. orchestras featured Handel’s “Messiah” in annual Christmas concerts during the 2015-16 season, making it “the runaway most-performed work,” according to a Baltimore Symphony survey. The beloved 1741 oratorio about Jesus Christ is also perhaps the most-performed piece across all of musical history — if we exclude “Happy Birthday to You.” In this COVID Christmas, audiences must make do without... Read more

THE QUESTION: What does American “religious freedom” now mean? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER: Protection of Americans’ “free exercise” of religion has been guaranteed by the Bill of Rights for 229 years and counting. Till recently, people generally agreed on what this means. The debates involved whether this constitutional right should be exercised or restricted in specific, unusual situations. For example, the Supreme Court has permitted the Santeria faith to conduct ritual slaughter of animals, and exempted Amish teens from mandatory... Read more

THE QUESTION: What is the world’s worst government in terms of restricting religious liberty? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER: China. No contest. That’s shown in an elaborate Pew Research Center accounting issued this month that covers all categories of official religion restrictions in 198 nations and territories as of 2018. The Communists who rule the world’s largest population expend incredible efforts on their atheistic crusades, and are equal opportunity offenders who attack both faith in general and a variety of specific... Read more

THE QUESTION:  What role does religion play in Supreme Court justices’ nominations and decisions? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER: By a thin margin, Amy Coney Barrett won confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court without the quizzing about her devout Catholicism like Senate Democrats Diane Feinstein raised with Barrett’s lower-court nomination and Kamala Harris (now apparent vice president-elect) with another judicial nominee. But the media pushed this theme, including her involvement with People of Praise, a close-knit community of “charismatic” Catholic families.... Read more

THE QUESTION: Why are U.S. voters so wary about electing atheists? THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER: Political firsts are piling up! Joe Biden was America’s first Catholic vice president elected alongside the first Black president, Barack Obama, and hopes to be its second Catholic president. Running mate Kamala Harris would be the first female, first African-American, and first Asian-American as vice president. Jimmy Carter was not the first evangelical president but the first whose faith got such scrutiny. (See note below... Read more