GORDON ASKS: (Paraphrased) Secularists challenge tax exemptions for houses of worship, saying this denies valuable revenue to communities that get little or nothing in return. True? THE GUY ANSWERS: False, judging from new scholarly research. Putting money aside for a moment, those knowledgeable about troubled urban neighborhoods will especially shudder to think what local conditions might be like if taxation forced financially strapped congregations to disband. Even small, struggling flocks that lack the money for professional social services provide their members (according... Read more

ANNE ASKS: Do we have to get married to have sex? What does the Bible teach? THE GUY ANSWERS: The questioner lives outside the U.S., reminding us this affects all devout Christians and Jews  (also adherents of Islam and other non-biblical faiths) coping with the “new morality” promoted in entertainment media and western society more generally. The discussion typically treats “premarital sex” among teens and young adults, but Anne is a “mature woman” who believes the Bible teaches sex without... Read more

ERIN ASKS: What are the attitudes toward mental illnesses in different Christian congregations? THE GUY ANSWERS: There may be trivial exceptions but The Guy sees hardly any difference on this among Christianity’s various branches. The Catholic Church’s approach was well defined in a 1996 speech by Pope John Paul II that encouraged professionals who treat mental illnesses. His major theme was that “whoever suffers from mental illness always bears God’s image and likeness in himself, as does every human being,”... Read more

BOBBY ASKS: Who are the “Mainline” Protestants today? DOUGLAS LIKEWISE ASKS: (Paraphrasing) What do we make of proposals for “Mainline” Protestants to drop that label for themselves? And where does that leave me, an “evangelical” who remains in the Episcopal Church “as a grain of sand in the oyster”? THE GUY ANSWERS: The dictionary definition of “mainline” signals mainstream prestige, so “Mainline” Protestantism’s decline over recent decades could mean this designation has long since outlived its usefulness. Douglas considers it “adjectival mayhem.” The discussion has... Read more

BETH ASKS: Are there any substantive differences between traditional atheism vs. what is called “New Atheism”? Or is the term used just to describe a bunch of popular books (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, etc.) coming out at once? Who coined the term “New Atheism” and can it be described as a new philosophical movement (or reframing of an old one)? THE GUY ANSWERS: The “New Atheism movement” originated, or at least gained wide currency, with a 2006 article by Gary Wolf... Read more

RACHAEL ASKS: A lot of people compare the differences between Sunni and Shiite Muslims with differences between Protestants and Catholics, but are these even in the same category? THE GUY ANSWERS: There’s some validity there, though religious comparisons are dicey. The obvious similarity is that both are divisions within great world religions. However, Islam is basically divided in two whreas Christianity has four segments, adding in Orthodox churches and indigenous churches in the developing world that are independent of western... Read more

JESSICA ASKS: What would I need to do to become [a Catholic]? Some guidance would be great! THE GUY ANSWERS: Jessica was baptized a Methodist, later attended services off and on with her Catholic father, has now reached “a new-found happiness in the Catholic Church” and is engaged to marry a Catholic. Apparently she has not yet consulted her parish priest or officials with the local diocese, so here’s a summary of what she’ll learn when she does: Jessica can... Read more

ERIN ASKS: Why are religion and ethnicity so closely linked? Why are they especially close in Judaism whereas in Christianity not so much? THE GUY ANSWERS: A few random observations. The Guy is no anthropologist or sociologist. But it’s obvious that the quest for transcendent religious meaning  is virtually universal among humankind and till modern times was necessarily intertwined with ethnic identity on a tribal, regional, and even national basis. Thus to be Indian is essentially to be Hindu. Thus also for... Read more

MARY IN MICHIGAN WONDERS: Why are so many lifestyle blogs with large followings written by Mormon women? Is this just coincidence? THE GUY ANSWERS: It’s no coincidence. Mary’s full question notes Mormon women’s prominence in online discussions of such skills as crafting, cooking, and interior design. This reflects notable female programming and gender roles within this religious subculture. The women’s auxiliary in Mormonism — officially The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — is called the Relief Society and... Read more