NEW YORK (RNS) “Do you believe in God?” This was the initial question asked by a team of British researchers in the late 1960s. “Yes,” one woman replied. Then to clarify what that meant, the researchers, according to the sociologist Grace Davie, asked a follow-up question: “Do you believe in a god who can change the course of events on earth?”

“No,” the woman answered, “just the ordinary one.”This response, more than any pronouncement by “New Atheists” like Richard Dawkins, indicates why religion was in trouble then and is in even more trouble today. LINK

Speaking of family matters, the results from surveys requested by Francis show Japan’s bishops were particularly blunt. The church in Japan, they said, is unwelcoming and lacks “practical kindness.” When it comes to sexuality and family life, they said, “There is a big gap between the Vatican and reality,” according to the National Catholic Reporter. LINK

An 84-year-old nun was sentenced to 35 months in prison Tuesday for breaking into a nuclear facility, her lawyer said. In May, a federal jury in Knoxville, Tennessee, found Sister Megan Rice; Greg Boertje-Obed, 57; and Michael Walli, 63, guilty of destroying U.S. government property and causing more than $1,000 in damage to federal property. LINK

I am not a Ukrainian. But, the creator of this video is and it should make us all feel like we are. Watch it. Share it. Send it to your representatives. It’s not your problem. True. But all of our collective voices might be part of the solution. LINK

This should help with the Angel status down here. Enjoy….. I believe that God had other plans for these people! LINK

Late last week, in a move indicating an approaching crackdown on abortionists across the state, the Texas Medical Board suspended the medical license of Dr. Theodore Herring after discovering he had continued performing illegal abortions under new law.  Texas’ new abortion safety law – aimed at improving women’s healthcare – requires that doctors have hospital admitting privileges within thirty miles in the case of procedural complications. LINK

An unusual outbreak has struck Japan in the wake of the 2011 tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people—of ghosts, possessions, and exorcisms. Reverend Kaneda, the top priest at a Zen temple, says he personally exorcised several people who had been invaded by the spirits of tsunami victims, writes Richard Lloyd Parry in theLondon Review of Books. Believe the stories or don’t, they can be moving and scary: LINK

That’s nice. The Queen made Elton John a knight and he’s married to a guy. I guess she’s having a change of heart or at least protecting the Church LINK

The artificially nucleated snow storms have finally raised the attention of the public. As we expected, main stream media has responded to the explosion of public awakening with a steady stream of disinformation. They attempt to back up the disinformation with “scientists” who are all too willing to lie for the empire. None of the mainstream media stories bother to mention any credible science terms in their “stories”.  LINK

For the state that produces one-third of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, the driest spell in 500 years has prompted President Obama to make $100 million in livestock-disaster aid available within 60 days to help the state rebound from what he describes is ” going to be a very challenging situation this year… and potentially some time to come.” LINK

A volcanic eruption is terrifying on its own, but we just learned that, even more terrifyingly, the avalanche of hot rocks, ash, and gas that volcanoes spew can spawn giant tornado-like twisters. This was caught on video after a pyroclastic flow from Mount Sinabung, a volcano in Indonesia that’s recently started spewing again after more than 400 years of dormancy. LINK