Culture

There may be a few atheists in foxholes, but a new study suggests that in societies under stress, those who are religious outnumber—and are happier than—their nonreligious counterparts.

Where peace and plenty are the norm, however, religious participation is lower and people are happier whether or not they are religious, the researchers found.

The study analyzed data from the 2005-2009 Gallup World Poll, a survey of people in more than 150 countries that included questions about religious affiliation, life satisfaction, respect, social support and positive and negative feelings. The researchers also looked at 2009 Gallup polling data from the U.S.

Who were you before you allowed Jesus into your heart? We all have our own stories of salvation. Watch this video to see brothers and sisters in Christ share their before-and-after testimonies in a silent yet powerful way.

While many know the negative impact gossip can have, few have stood up and tried to do something about it. Starting Monday, pastor Kevin Hester is challenging people around the world to go “Gossip Free” for eight days.

Hester, pastor at the Sanctuary Baptist Church in Watervliet, Mich., originally started the initiative on Aug. 8, 2008. This year the focus is on social networking—the source of a lot of hurtful gossip, especially for young people.

“There is no doubt that this issue is deeply impacting our young people and I am sure it is having a measurable impact on adults in family settings and in the work place as well,” Hester wrote Charisma News in an email.

God has a way to get His message across to believers and nonbelievers alike. Sometimes that way is through laughter. Watch today’s daily interest video to get a taste of God’s sense of humor.

Gavin O’Connor, director of the acclaimed Olympic hockey movie Miracle, returns to tell a story unveiling the Christian principles of healing and forgiveness in his second sports-related film, Warrior.

O’Connor takes viewers into the world of mixed martial arts and portrays the notion of fighting in both a physical and spiritual manner. Christian leaders who viewed early screenings of the film have seen a family overcome the devastation of alcoholism on screen and have walked away with powerful testaments.

“I just saw Warrior and it was epic,” says Shawn Bolz, senior pastor of Expression 58 Church in Los Angeles. “Even though MMA fighting provides the backdrop, the true battle is the fight for forgiveness and the movie is a strong testament to the power of the family in that fight. I thoroughly recommend this movie; it is one of the best I have ever seen.”

The Bible has been translated into hundreds of languages across the globe, but obstacles hinder accessibility. Can people afford the Scriptures? Is the Word allowed in every nation? Can people there even read it?

Faith Comes By Hearing is obliterating these obstacles, and all with one quick click.

“Now, for the first time in history, you have one application that can singly distribute the Scriptures in all the languages of the world—spoken by at least five billion people,” says Troy Carl, Faith Comes By Hearing’s national director. “We’re very, very excited about the accessibility of the Word of God to anybody, anywhere, at any time.”

Christian Heather Dorniden races the 600m at the Big 10 Indoor Track Championships in 2008. Watch to find out what she learned not only about racing—but also about life.

Making spiritually uplifting, religious, faith-based movies and television programs with inspiring content and messages can be a professionally and personally rewarding job.

That’s the conclusion of a panel discussion, “Making, Distributing and Promoting Spiritually Uplifting Family Movies and Television Programs,” held Friday at the InkTip Pitch & Networking Summit in Burbank, Calif.

Moderated by Radio and Website Manager Jeff Holder of Movieguide, which sponsored the event, the panelists gave a standing room only group of aspiring scriptwriters and producers a unique opportunity to hear from a panel of accomplished screenwriters and producers about what it takes to make spiritually uplifting, redemptive, faith-based movies and TV programs.

With one year remaining before the London Olympics opening ceremony, a new movie warns about the possibility of girls being trafficked into the city to meet the increased demand for sex.

DemandSupply2012 is a new short narrative film about the possible increase in sex-trafficking for and during the London 2012 Olympics. It was recently screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival as part of the shortfilmcorner and is currently being submitted to U.K. film festivals.

“Human trafficking is the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of slavery and sexual exploitation,” says J. John from Philo Trust. “Jodi De Souza creatively communicates the horror of this injustice in her compelling short film DemandSupply2012. My prayer is that this shocking film will compel us to prayer and action.”

After enduring the process of infertility treatments, Sean and Carolyn Savage learned there had been a medical mix-up. Carolyn was carrying another couple’s embryo. Watch this video and learn how the couple decides what to do and how God is blessing them. 

The concept of the rite of passage became so important to Courageous executive producer Jim McBride that he penned a new book that encourages fathers to be intentional about passing on a blessing to their sons and daughters.

When Jim McBride, executive producer of the new movie Courageous, walked his oldest daughter, Victoria, down the aisle on Father’s Day weekend, his eyes brimmed with tears and his heart overflowed.

But it wasn’t just the significance of her marriage that stirred his emotion. McBride found the experience especially profound in light of a rite of passage he conducted years earlier with his daughter.

In April, Rebecca St. James became a wife. As a public champion for purity and waiting for God’s best in a mate, this event is particularly poignant in her message and her story. She married Jacob Fink, a man who shares her heart for God, and who embodies the principles she sings about in her trademark song, “Wait For Me.”



Now on the other side of waiting for God’s best, an upcoming September book release—What Is He Thinking?—will be intended as a “handbook” for Christian dating geared for both men and women.

 A few weeks before her wedding, she released her latest worship project, I Will Praise You.