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Survey reveals religious state of the states

09 Feb 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Saint Paul told the Corinthians that he came to them with “a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” The faith of Americans in response to God’s power has again been documented by the Gallup organization in its annual ranking of the most and least religious states.Once again Mississippi headed the list as the most religious U.S. state, with 61 percent of its residents classified as "very religious," according to the results of the survey released Monday. By contrast only 22 percent of people in Vermont ranked just as devout, and that state held onto its title as "least religious."Overall about 41 percent of Americans indicated they are "very religious," meaning that religion is an important part of their daily lives and that they attend religious services every week or almost every week. Some 29 percent were classified as nonreligious because they did not attend services and didn't cite religion as an important part of their daily life. Another 29 percent fell somewhere in the middle of the two extremes and were labeled as "moderately religious."For the most part the rankings have remained largely unchanged since Gallup first started tracking religiosity in 2008. The most religious states still tend to be clustered in the South, though Utah—with its large population of Mormons, typically the most religious of any denomination—stands out as an exception and ranks No. 2 in religiosity. Meanwhile, the least religious states are mostly found in New England, the Pacific Northwest. and other states in the West.Gallup officials said cultural differences and the geographic spread of different religions could explain the state-level variations in religiousness the poll revealed. Protestants, for examples, have "above-average religiousness," according to Gallup, and Southern states have a higher percentage of Protestants than the rest of the nation. In contrast, states in New England have a higher percentage of those with no religious identity at all.See Gallup’s report and interactive map.Homily hint: No matter where you state falls on the scale, “religiousness” begins with each person’s own active faith, lived in community and shared with others. Cultivate and recommit to your own faith and your witness will shine like a light to the rest of the world. Source: An article by Megan Gannon for Live Science

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North American leaders trade more than pleasantries

23 Feb 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist this Sunday encourages all to “bless the Lord” and to “forget not all his benefits.” Twenty years after the U.S., Canada, and Mexico approved a cross-border trade agreement, the leaders of the three nations gathered Wednesday in Mexico to review the benefits of their trade relationships—and to discuss shortfalls as well.The three presidents said they were eager to engage on issues of trade and other neighbor-to-neighbor interests, even as in the U.S. Congress is pushing back against some of President Barack Obama’s top inter-border priorities.The three North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners who met in Toluca, near Mexico City, faced a full agenda, including commerce, immigration, energy, and security. The talks highlighted how increasingly interconnected the three economies have become in the two decades since NAFTA took effect. But they will also illustrate the limits of Obama’s power, his hands tied on immigration by congressional Republicans and on trade by his fellow Democrats.The summit takes place against a backdrop of tensions surrounding revelations the U.S. National Security Agency spied on Mexican President Peña Nieto before he was elected and gained access to former Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s email system while he was in office.To the North, Canadian leaders have voiced frustration at the amount of time the Obama administration has taken to decide whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry oil from tar sands in western Canada 1,179 miles to Nebraska, where existing pipelines would then carry the crude to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast.Trade experts say NAFTA is due for an upgrade after 20 years to take into account the current globalized environment and to address issues not covered in the original pact.Homily hint: International trade sparks heated debates on all sides of the political spectrum. When good jobs are “outsourced” to poorer nations so multinationals can drive down wages and drive up profits, moral issues come into play. We need to work for trade pacts that are truly fair for all parties involved. Source: An article by the Associated Press

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Success is color-coded, study suggests

06 Apr 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“I have promised, and I will do it,” the Lord says of his pledge to raise the people of Israel to new life in the reading from the Book of Ezekiel. The promise of equal opportunity for all is at the heart of the American dream, yet in every region of the nation, white and Asian children are far better positioned for success than black, Latino, and American Indian children, according to a new report appealing for urgent action to bridge this racial gap.Titled "Race for Results," the report was released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which for decades has worked to improve child well-being in the United States. At the core of the study is a newly devised index based on 12 indicators measuring a child's success from birth to adulthood. The indicators include reading and math proficiency, high school graduation data, teen birthrates, employment prospects, family income and education levels, and neighborhood poverty levels.Using a single composite score with a scale of one to 1,000, Asian children have the highest index score at 776, followed by white children at 704. "Scores for Latino (404), American-Indian (387), and African-American (345) children are distressingly lower, and this pattern holds true in nearly every state," said the report."Regardless of our own racial background or socio-economic position, we are inextricably interconnected as a society," the report concluded. "We must view all children in America as our own—and as key contributors to our nation's future."Homily hint: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” goes the well-known line from a decades-old appeal for donations by the United Negro College Fund. The slogan is as true today as it was when first used in 1972. Faith communities can be part of the solution by encouraging strong families, quality schools, and safe neighborhoods—a tall order, but we owe children of all backgrounds our best effort. Source: An article by David Crary for the Associated Press

Children united states race for results race annie e casey foundation
As nation warms up, so does the economy

20 Apr 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Easter is the season of Resurrection and hope. With the removing of the stone recounted in this Sunday's gospel, the season of possibility and promise is upon us. And the U.S. economy seems to be cooperating, with the latest sales reports showing strong growth in a broad range of consumer activity, which forecasters expect to continue now that the winter gloom is finally past.Retail sales in March recorded their strongest inrease in a year and a half, a decisive sign that the economy is out of the doldrums and has shaken off the effect of an unusually harsh winter. With employment figures also improving, analysts say that 2014 could be the best year for growth since the recession of 2007-2009.Employers added about 195,000 new jobs in both February and March and the figure going forward is expected to rise to 225,000 a month, which means more wage-earners and more consumer spending, further fueling the growth cycle. Many observers now predict growth rates at or above 3 percent for the rest of the year.Homily hint: It's always good to see a prosperous economy that allows more people a chance to be gainfully employed. But the nation has a chronic long-term unemployment problem that won't go away only because sales improve. Too many in this country of plenty lack even the most basic skills needed for employment. Remedial education—free, widely available, easily accessible, for all ages—needs to become a much higher priority for government and for industry. Source: An article by Lucia Mutikani for Reuters and ABC News

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Homily stories

04 Jul 2010 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

In this year of a national census (have your parishioners been counted yet?) here are some Independence Day-related factoids, courtesy of the United States Census Bureau: • The estimated number of people living in the future United States of America in July 1776: 2.5 million. The U.S. population on July 4, 2009: 307 million. • What would we do without China? For one thing we wouldn’t have many fireworks. The vast majority of fireworks the U.S. imported in 2008 came from the People’s Republic ($193 million out of $202 million). The U.S. exported only $28.1 million worth of fireworks in 2008, with most going to Australia. How big a business is it? The value of U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks in 2002: $17.3 billion. And don’t forget about American flags. Most of those imported—$3 million of $3.4 million—come from China. The U.S. exported only $569,400 in flags in 2008; Belgium was the leading customer. • How about Britain? The American colonies may have thrown the British out at the end of the 18th century, but the dollar-value of trade in 2008 between the United States and the United Kingdom was $112.4 billion, making Britain the U.S.’ sixth-leading trading partner. • And for you Hoosiers: Only one place in the United States bears the name “Patriot,” in Indiana (population 190). Happy Independence Day.

Authors Joel Schorn

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