Questions tagged [culture]
For questions about general beliefs, attitudes and practices - ancient or modern - of a group, or Christian attitudes towards these. This includes questions about Christian culture and how Christians respond to contemporary secular cultural.
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What is the basis of the LDS/Mormon prohibition of facial hair for men?
I have read in a few places the LDS Church has at least a general practice, if not an official teaching, that prohibits men from growing facial hair--at least for men in any position of leadership. ...
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Source of Christian attitudes towards fantasy and role playing games
I've heard many stories of people who abandoned their role-playing hobby, or burned their fantasy book collections, on the grounds that these were opposed to their Christian faith.
What is it that ...
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What's the name of this catholic chant?
I attended a ceremony held at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome on 07/12/2021, and the last chant really impressed me, but I have no clue on how to go to find it.
I tried searching an ...
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Most reliable sources telling whether movies are true to the Christian faith?
I watch “Christian” movies sometimes and am inspired and filled - popular film, historical fiction or other fiction genres. Sometimes the movie ends up being propaganda pushing un-biblical heresy, or ...
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How did early "street evangelization" differ from the modern practice?
Biblical "street preachers" gathered interested and/or interactive crowds, often followed by mass conversions. We could conceivably chalk some of this up to the "signs and wonders" they tended to ...
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How does the Jehovah's Witness denomination deal with the filial piety among its East Asian believers?
The Jehovah's Witness denomination has been preached in more than 300 different languages, apparently using the English text as the base instead of directly from the original biblical languages. ...
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Is dressing oneself in formal attire on Sundays (Sunday hat and dress) solely an American Christian custom?
Before I start, I realize that this question is related to another question. However, this question is more concerned about the custom of wearing one's "Sunday best", which usually means a nicely ...
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How did Christian Death Metal arise?
I happened to learn that Christian black/death metal bands, along with their niche community were a thing, and was curious when this started and what lead to such a movement, especially since the ...
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Is it wrong for a Christian to prefer (within the body of Christ) a marriage partner of a race different than his own? [closed]
He grew up as a missionary in a different culture than his own and speaks the language, is it sinful for him to want to marry one of that race rather than one of his own race? (no bias toward his own ...
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What internal evidence supports the historicity of Abraham?
Is there any internal or small external evidence of Abraham's existence?
I have heard a claim from skeptics that Abraham is just flat out invented figure who never existed and even COULDN'T have ...
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Is the Tamil name Savari derived from the name Xavier?
I want to know whether Savari is the Tamil Christian male name for Xavier?
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Is the Star Wars "Church of the Force" a revival of the Manichaean heresy?
Lots of Christian movie critics have been going on and on about the new Star Wars movies of late and some bring up a good point:
“Darkness” and “light” are notable themes in Gnostic and especially ...
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Is there an appropriate response to "Jesus Loves You"?
For Catholics we've got a lot of cool call and response stuff built into our liturgies that can easily translate to everyday life. So if someone in a truck shouts at me "Dominus Vobiscum", I know to ...
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Does being a Christian necessitate a belief in the supernatural? [closed]
Consider a person who adheres to the scientific philosophy that the laws of nature are the same in all places and all times, and can be determined through experimentation rather than, for example, by ...
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What is the modern argument against obligatory head coverings?
1 Corinthians 11:4-6 gives these instructions about head coverings:
4 Every man who prays or prophesies while having something on his head dishonors his head, 5 but every woman who prays or ...
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LDS Church and Genealogy Research (What is the connection?)
Forgive my ignorance in asking this question, or if I am making a sweeping generalization. But I feel like my observation is a very common one, and I am surprised that nobody else has asked the ...
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Why was Paul allowed to write in jail?
We know that Paul was held under some brutal conditions—his feet in stocks in one case. Yet he was still able to write many letters from prison. Was this during some of his "nicer accommodations", or ...
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Why is Christianity fixated on ancient Israeli culture? Is such a 'spacetime-lock' evidence of falsehood?
When I studied Mohammed's religion, I thought the insistence and enforcement of 7th century Arabian culture (e.g. diet, clothing, marriage, law) on the entire planet unreasonable, and evidence it was ...
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First Occurrence of "Sea of Forgetfulness" in Christian Literature
Apparently "Sea of Forgetfulness" is a well known example of Christian jargon. This is news to me, as I have never heard this phrase before today (perhaps because I am relatively young, and this ...
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Why are Catholics singled out from "Christians"?
I've noticed that some people would single out "Catholics" from "Christians". Belief.net is one website that separates "Catholicism" from "Christianity", and the website does not claim to be ...
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Why do some Christians wear crosses? [closed]
Why do some Christians wear crosses? What is the purpose of wearing the cross? What is the point of wearing the cross with a tiny Jesus on it? Is wearing a cross with or without Jesus a violation of ...
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Was anyone making a theological point by changing the ending of Jesus Christ Superstar?
So, I'll admit, I love Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. I've seen it many times, and I've often tried to compare the 1973 and 1999 versions. Grant you, the acting is a heck of a lot ...
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What is the theological background of the WWJD movement?
What Would Jesus Do? The question is a popular meme, and I guess you could call it a youth movement what with all the bracelets and such.
What is the theological background of the WWJD movement? ...
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What's the evangelical take on "Tebowing" and genuflection
I recently read this blog post from a Catholic blogger who shed some light on the ancient history and purpose of genuflection.
While striking his pose, Tebow is praying, and I don't believe any ...
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Arguments For/Against Spiritual Uses of Cannabis in Christianity? [closed]
As I am aware most Christians regard the physical and spiritual effects of Cannabis as the same as use of alcohol for intoxication, and that its use is not permitted by their doctrines.
Contrarily, ...
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What are the key differences between the Western and Eastern Christianity?
I'm currently reading about Eastern Christianity as a part of my study.
Those are the churches that have existed since early times, such as the Nestorians, the Jacobites, the Coptics, and others. But ...
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Has the Church historically considered biblical texts concerning slavery to be transcultural or finite?
How have the Bible's passages concerning slavery been interpreted and applied throughout Christian history, especially passages such as Exodus 21:2-11, Leviticus 25:44-46, and 1 Timothy 6:1-2?
Have ...
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Was it culturally acceptable for the sinful woman to enter the Pharisee's house to see Jesus?
This is an odd question I know and I'm not very hopeful I'll find a good answer. But has it ever stricken you odd that in Luke 7, the woman who comes to see Jesus just straight walks into the Pharisee'...
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What is the history of the concept of a "personal relationship with Jesus"?
It is common these days to hear questions like:
Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?
Or...
The most important thing is your personal relationship with Jesus.
The Bible never uses ...
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Does the Bible ever mention class systems? [closed]
Does the Bible ever talk about class systems? If so what does it say about them? Does it give a recommended class hierarchy at any point? Would a classless society be allowed?
See also this question ...
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Is there a Christian basis for using garlic, crosses, and holy water against evil? [closed]
In popular culture, it is believed that holy objects, such as garlic, crosses, and holy water, can protect against evil, like vampires. Also, Caleb's response to this question inspired me to ask ...
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Why is Christianity so popular in (South) Korea?
So, in my world travels with missionaries, it seems like a missionary, if he/she doesn't come from North America, is next most likely to come from Korea*. In seminary, the proportion of Anglos & ...
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Paying respects during grace, benediction, etc. as a non-Christian? [closed]
I'll make this clear, I'm not Christian, I don't have any religion. But I respect all forms of religion regardless of what the beliefs may entail. As a Boy Scout in my younger days I was taught to ...
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How does the Catholic Church explain passages that seem to use culturally specific logic?
In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes about women, prayer, and head coverings. As he often does, rather than simply laying down a law, he appeals to logic and well known facts. For example,
Doth not even ...
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What is the basis for "Church Shopping"?
"Church shopping" is when church goers move about from church to church to find one they like, sometimes willing to travel great distances or spend many months visiting dozens of churches. It ...
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What is the name of a film about three brothers saying the Jesus prayer?
I recently learned about a short film featuring three brothers who live on an island. They are (Russian?) Orthodox Christians and practice the Jesus prayer. Eventually, word of their holiness spreads ...
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Why do some Christians use a period instead of a colon in verse references?
In the same way some countries write $1,000, some write $1.000, what do we learn when someone uses this alternative way of writing out verse references?
I have one lecturer that prefers this. i.e. ...
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What is the difference between the Jewish celebration of Passover and the Christian celebration of Easter? [closed]
What are some of the main differences between the Jewish celebration of Passover from the Christian celebration of Easter?
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What is consumerism and what does the Pope see wrong with it?
In the most recent encyclical Laudato si', Pope Francis condemns consumerism. What does he mean by the word consumerism? And what does he see wrong with it?
To blame population growth instead of ...
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Is anyone familiar with this strange logo resmbling 'nfw'?
I see bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc all over the place when passing by Christian colleges with this strange logo that I believe is somehow affiliated with Christianity but I'm unable to identify it.
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Did George Muller have a Biblical basis for not accepting illegitimate orphans?
I admired George Muller's works in caring for orphans and his faith in God to provide for his need. However, I find it troubling that he didn't accept illegitimate orphans.
George Muller was a ...
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Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, why the elaborate ruse?
Genesis chapter 42 - 45 recount story of Joseph tricking his brothers who are in Egypt to buy grain, into going back and forth several times from Canaan to Egypt in an attempt exonerate themselves in ...
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Was there anyone specific who ever argued that God was dead? [closed]
With the movie God's Not Dead and the Newsboys' old song God's Not Dead, it would seem that they are refuting an argument that was made by a specific person who claimed that God actually lived and ...
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Where does the story of the spider on the cross come from?
I have a memory from childhood of being told not to kill spiders because there was a spider on the cross when Jesus was crucified. I cannot find any source in folklore (I doubt if it is anything else) ...
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What is or are the mechanism(s) behind the naming conventions for a church building or organization?
What is or are the mechanism(s) behind the naming conventions for a church building or organization in a denomination, say Presbyterianism?
This question can be reworded as "When churches assign ...
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Reason for rise in evangelical observance of Lent in the United States
I grew up and continue to live in the United States. Maybe it's just me, but I was always been under the impression that Ash Wednesday and Lent were celebrated by Catholics and not really by anyone ...
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Bland white rice and tea in Chinese-American Christian Churches
I am not a Christian, and have never been one. But there were times in my childhood when my family and I visited a Chinese-American Christian Church upon the request of a friend (usually my mother's). ...
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How is Christian worship different than Christian religion?
I'm afraid I may have slunk to the depths of troll question engineering, but I'm having a hard time with this answer.
According to some facebook meme
it is "dictionarily" invalid to argue that "...
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Did Casting Crowns ever say why they chose their name?
To put it another way, did Casting Crowns ever say what the inspiration for their name was? A friend thought "casting" meant making, as in pouring metal into a mold and casting crowns that way. I've ...
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Are other flood legends relevant to Christians? [closed]
There are different flood legends among several civilizations that are similiar to the flood in the Bible.
A flood myth or deluge myth is a mythical or religious story of a great flood sent by a ...
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