TYLER IN MARYLAND ASKS: (In light of U.S. Supreme Court cases) which congregations in America are the most accepting when it comes to same-sex marriage? THE GUY ANSWERS: Timely topic. As with public opinion generally, some U.S. religious groups have shifted toward accepting marriage or other recognition for same-sex couples in recent times. They are far outnumbered by groups that oppose same-sex behavior, a moral tenet that Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other faiths agreed upon till the late 20th Century. Some... Read more

TYLER (listing no location) ASKS: Should atheism be viewed as a religion? Do atheists view themselves as being part of a religious group? THE GUY SAYS: May seem like asking, Is the Pope Protestant? But this is actually a complicated matter. Tyler notes the Merriam-Webster definition of atheism as “a disbelief in the existence of Deity.” More important, what is “religion”? The American College Dictionary says it’s “the quest for the values of the ideal life, involving three phases: the ideal, the... Read more

ERIN IN MARYLAND ASKS: What does a new pope mean to the Muslim community? THE GUY ANSWERS: Erin posted this great question just before Pope Francis was elected. At this early stage we know nothing about what his policy toward Islam might be or how the Muslim populace will view him. If Muslim relations had been important, presumably the cardinals would have picked a pope from Africa, the venue for continual Muslim-Christian conflict, whereas Islam is rare in Francis’ Latin... Read more

(Once again The Guy offers a quick news posting without waiting for a question): The voting cardinals of Roman Catholicism achieved a surprisingly rapid decision on a new pope: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The big news is that he is the first pope in history from the Western Hemisphere, as well as the first in a millennium from outside Europe. Bergoglio, who took the papal name Francis, was generally reported to be the runner-up in... Read more

PATRICK (no location posted) ASKS: From a newspaper marketing perspective, is it good business to publish bad, one-sided journalism on religion?… When somebody writes something full of egregious errors are they disciplined? Accountable?… THE GUY ANSWERS: Obviously Patrick is among America’s serious-minded news consumers who are deeply disappointed these days, disappointed by sloppiness and unwanted slant, and in this instance by the quality of religion coverage. He offers no specific gripes but YOU RELIGION Q & A READERS OUT THERE are... Read more

DUANE IN NEW JERSEY ASKS: Picking up on your comments on denominations, (a Gallup poll indicates) Americans still have a religious bent but that more folks don’t associate themselves with a particular denomination. Why? THE GUY ANSWERS: For perspective, note that in 1776 only a fifth of the population belonged to a church. Americans have always tended to be cussedly independent and indifferent toward the niceties of religious doctrine. American Christianity from the start has been fissiparous — The Guy has always... Read more

EYTAN IN COLLEGE PARK, MD., ASKS: Why do Christians not follow Jewish law or celebrate Jewish holidays if they believe in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible? THE GUY ANSWERS: A classic issue. Eytan is correct that Christianity ignores many laws and festivals in the Bible’s first five books, yet fully embraces the Hebrew scriptures (“Old Testament”) alongside its New Testament. The church decided this with finality in the 2d century when it spurned Marcion and other heretics... Read more

CHRIS IN MASSACHUSETTS ASKS: Christians and non-Christians alike announce that “there are no such things as coincidences” (so that e.g. getting a good parking space) is an act of direct divine intervention…. Are all of these coincidences “little miracles” that God hands out to virtually everyone? THE GUY ANSWERS: Good theme for the days between Lincoln’s Birthday and the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony where the movie “Lincoln” is up for 12 Oscars. Why? Historian Allen Guelzo’s magnificent biography “Abraham Lincoln:... Read more

THE RELIGION GUY, instead of waiting for a question to be posted, offers some quick thoughts on Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise announcement today that he will resign February 28 as leader of the world’s billion-plus Catholics. The timing is notable, coming just before Ash Wednesday without waiting till after Holy Week. Far more amazing  is the resignation itself. Like England’s monarchs or certain other religious dynasts, popes simply do not resign. The last one who did, Gregory XII, stepped down in a 1415... Read more

JOHN IN NEW JERSEY WONDERS: (In Matthew 1:21-23) the angel tells Joseph to call the baby Jesus, meaning “the Lord saves,” and that this relates to the Old Testament and fulfills what was written there: They will call him Immanuel, which means “God with us.” How does one reconcile these differences? THE GUY ANSWERS: Like his New Jersey namesake, Father John Meier of the University of Notre Dame says “at first glance” it’s indeed “puzzling” that Matthew provides two names,... Read more