I read an interesting article here about a "Christian rock" concert held at a YMCA.  The commented on the discrepancy between the style of music and the message it preached.

What do you all think?  Is Christian rock the ultimate way to bring a timeless message to a new generation?   Or is it just a sell-out, compromising the message to make it "marketable"?

What does your religion believe about the use of statues or other images in worship? 

Is it manditory? Forbidden? 

In your personal worship experiences, have you used any type of visual stimuli?  If so, what purpose did it serve?  Did it help you as you worshiped?

I was reading at a friend's website, and she asked what everyone believes about evolution. 

So that made me wonder, what do you all think?  What does your religion teach about how this world began?  Do you agree with it?

I decided to re-open this blog, and take it down a little different path.  It's always been a place for me to post information about other people's religions, but instead I would like to make it a place where YOU all give me your opinions.  Instead of posting facts, I am planning to try and ask questions.  So today's question is:

What things would you like to know about other religions in general? 

Currently the holidays of Hanukkah and Kwanza are being celebrated.

Here are some blogs of people celebrating Hanukkah:

Teaswap - A very neat post looking at Hanukkah celebration in a new light.

If you will it  The blog of a Jew in Isreal, blogging through the days of Hanukkah.

Virtual Talmud Here three rabbis blog about all things Jewish.  I really love the post from December 9, "A Hannukah Epiphany."

Can you believe I couldn't find any blogs of people celebrating Kwanza?  Every link I got while searching just led me to posts on the Happy Holidays/ Merry Christmas debate.  *sigh*  I'll keep looking though! Let me know if you know of any neat sites.

The holiday "Las Posadas" is one I'd never heard of until recently.  Las Posadas, which translates to "the inns", celebrates Joseph & Mary's search for an inn.

A census had been decreed, which meant that all citizens had to go back to the place they were born.  Consequently, Mary and Joseph had to return to the town of Bethlehem, in spite of her pregnancy. 

As Mary began to go into labor, Joseph became desperate to find an inn for them to sleep in.  He went to inns, but was told they were full, try somewhere else.  Finally, one innkeeper had compassion on them.  He told them his inn was also full, but that he had a barn they could use. 

Las Posadas commemorates this event.  Each night of the festival, a group travels to a different pre-determined house, knocks, and asks for "posada."  Piñatas, feasts, etc. go with the festival of course.

And of course, even in Blogland, Las Posadas is being celebrated. 

Here are some neat blogs I've found, where Las Posadas is being celebrated:

Stained Glass Pickup

Mama Lisa

Written In Chalk

While blog surfing, I noticed that some bloggers had mentioned some BIZARE holiday traditions on their blogs.  Here are some I've found:

Krampus, the Anti-Claus

Goat Burning:

Christmas Gnomes

In case you were curious about how some other bloggers celebrate Advent, here are some links for you to check out:

A Mindful Life

Advent Devotion Calendar

I am absolutely in love with this one: Advent Blog Calendar