Whence Come Angels

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Angels are found in many religions around the world. Their purpose varies from one tradition to another, but these transcendental beings usually act as messenger from God. Whether you believe in them or not, these contemporary images of angels (as seen mostly through the Christian tradition) provoke a variety of emotions.

Give some thought for the loneliness of angels! When we see them, are we simply looking in a mirror to our own hopes and dreams or is there even more to it? And whence come angels?

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What Would Jesus Do?: The Rise Of A Slogan

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The Occupy movement has become the latest to use the slogan 'what would Jesus do?'. But where did the slogan come from and is there ever an answer to the question posed. Like all the most enduring slogans, "what would Jesus do?" has inspired countless rewrites.

The question has a long history. In 1896 the Kansas Congregational minister Charles Sheldon published a novel called 'In His Steps: What would Jesus do?' in which a town is revolutionised when Christians pledge themselves, earnestly and honestly for an entire year, not to do anything without first asking the question, 'What would Jesus do?'.

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15 Patron Saints For Modern Situations

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On November 1, the Catholic Church celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, often referred to as All Saints' Day or All Hallows (hence October 31 is Halloween, a contraction of All Hallows' Evening). In honor of the day, mental_floss presents to you some of the lesser-known (and more modern) patronages of the saints.

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The Origins Of 7 Common Superstitions

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Halloween is coming up soon and what better time to talk about superstitions than a holiday focused on spirits and symbolism. Whether you're superstitious or not, discovering the origins of these common beliefs is a fascinating look at religion and human psychology.

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Nuns Having Fun

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Nuns are only human and as such they deserve a little time out to kick back and relax. Here discover, through some amazing photographs, the hitherto rarely seen world of nuns having fun in the sun and learn a little about their world and ways.

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British Library Wants To Buy Oldest Book In Europe

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A £9 million ($14.5 million) appeal has been launched by the British Library to buy the oldest intact book in Europe, a palm-sized leather-bound copy of the gospels buried 1,300 years ago in the coffin of Saint Cuthbert.

If the appeal succeeds, the library has agreed the gospel will be displayed half the time at Durham cathedral, where it was found with the body of the saint when his coffin was reopened in 1104. The gospel is still in its original 7th century leather cover, which has survived in perfect condition.

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The Holy Rats Of Karni Mata

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I've covered this item before but the pictures keep amazing me. From the outside the Hindu temple of Karni Mata in the small town of Deshnoke in the Indian province of Rajasthan looks much like any other. Ornate and beautiful and with a steady stream of worshippers arriving it holds a surprise for the unsuspecting visitor. The temple is inhabited by rats: thousands of them.

(thanks Robert-John)

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Gigantic Noah's Ark Replica Aims For London Olympics

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In a mere 422 days, billions of people will be focused on the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. If one eccentric Dutchman has his wish, they'll also be focused on what's in the River Thames.

Contractor Johan Huibers is finishing up work on construction of an ark that is, biblically speaking, almost exactly the assumed size of Noah's ark, approximately 450 feet long and 75 feet wide. Huibers built an initial ark several years ago, but that one was only half the size described in the Bible. With this second rev, Huibers has gone all out.

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Are You Ready For The Rapture?

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Today there will be an earthquake. At 6pm local time. Not just a little one but an earthquake that will cause all of the graves all over the world to be thrown open.

Then, on October 21, the world will end for good. That at least is what Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio, a Christian broadcasting company based in California, says.

The most interesting question is what will happen to Harold Camping and his followers tomorrow, when they are faced with the bitter realization that their predictions of the Rapture and the Last Judgment are mistaken? How are they likely to react to their disappointment?

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Retired Farmer Builds Scale Model Of Ancient King Herod's Temple

Alec Garrard, a retired farmer from Norfolk England, has spent more than 30 years building an enormous scale model of a King Herod's temple. He has dedicated a massive 33,000 hours to constructing the ancient temple, which measures a whopping 20ft by 12ft.

The pensioner has hand-baked and painted every clay brick and tile and even sculpted 4,000 tiny human figures to populate the courtyards.

(thanks Cora)

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The Oak Chapel Of Allouville-Bellefosse

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It is like something out of a fairy tale or perhaps a Tim Burton film. Yet the oak tree in the small French village of Allouville-Bellefosse is not a figment of the imagination or, indeed, an old film set.

A staircase spirals around its twisted trunk but neither is this an everyday tree house. Instead of a dwelling place atop or amongst its branches, the visitor will discover that the interior holds the secret of this ancient oak.

(thanks Robert-John)

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Virtual Reality Tour Of The Basilica Of Saint John Lateran

The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Church of Rome, Italy, and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope.

The official dedication of the Basilica and the adjacent Lateran Palace was presided over by Pope Sylvester I in 324, declaring both to be Domus Dei or 'House of God.' In its interior, the Papal Throne was placed, making it the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome.

Virtual Reality Tour of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.

(thanks Cora)

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Man Church

Man Church is a church for men in Chandler, Arizona, USA. Women are not allowed in.

Man Church is church the way a man expects it to be done. No singing, short sermon, time to talk with other guys, no women present, and coffee and donuts. That's the way men want to do church.

The topics of discussion will have a definite manly focus - being the best possible husband, father, employee, leader - being a real man. In fact, every aspect of Man Church is geared for men - not like any other church you have seen. This ain't your mama's church!

(via J-Walk Blog)

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Pope Says Internet Users Risk 'Solitude'

Pope Benedict XVI has warned that the Internet does not make people more humane but instead risks increasing a 'sense of solitude and disorientation' among 'numbed' young people.

He also said that the technology was creating an 'educational emergency - a challenge that we can and must respond to with creative intelligence.' Benedict last month said the growing use of new technologies should set off 'an alarm bell' as it was blurring the boundary between truth and illusion.

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Mandalas: Stunningly Colored Religious Images Made From Sand

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Known to be at least 2,500 years old, a mandala is a ritualistic geometric design symbolic of the universe, used in Hinduism and Buddhism as an aid to meditation. By mentally 'entering; the mandala and moving toward its centre, one is guided through the cosmic processes of disintegration and reintegration.

Mandalas Made From Sand.

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The Monument Of Christ The King In Swiebodzin, Poland

Christ the King, a new statue which stands above the western Polish plains in Swiebodzin, Poland, could be the biggest Jesus statue in the world. Sylwester Zawadzki, the 78-year-old priest who created the statue, says that his Jesus stands 108 feet (33 meters) tall.

Other members of the construction team, however, gave differing figures. One said it rises 167 feet (51 meters) if you include a mound it sits on and the crown on the head.

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Homer Simpson 'Is A True Catholic'

L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's daily newspaper acknowledged that Homer Simpson is a true catholic although he snores through the sermons of the Reverend Lovejoy and inflicts 'never-ending humiliation' on his evangelical neighbour, Ned Flanders.

But in an article headlined 'Homer and Bart are catholics,' the newspaper said: The Simpsons are among the few TV programmes for children in which Christian faith, religion, and questions about God are recurrent themes. The family recites prayers before meals and, in their own peculiar way, believes in the life hereafter.

But the story doesn't end here. Al Jean, the producer for The Simpsons had a holy cow after learning that the Vatican considered Homer Simpson a catholic. He says: We've pretty clearly shown that Homer is not catholic. I really don't think he could go without eating meat on Fridays - for even an hour. The Simpson family attends the First Church of Springfield which is decidedly Presbylutheran.

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Digitized Dead Sea Scrolls To Be Available Online

In an ambitious application of 21st century technology to a first century wonder, the Israel Antiquities Authority and internet search giant Google announced a plan Tuesday to digitize the Dead Sea Scrolls and make the entire collection available to the public online.

Google will be responsible for scanning the 900 manuscripts, which are actually comprised of more than 30,000 fragments discovered in caves around Israel in the 1940s and 1950s. Israeli researchers had come to worry about the ability of the scrolls to endure further photography, as exposure to light and air has a negative effect on the paper.

Google will use spectral and infrared scanning techniques to make a digital copy of the scrolls, which will then be made available to the public online.

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The Amazing Monasteries Of Bhutan

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Bhutan is still something of a mystery to many - this landlocked country is often overlooked by its larger and better known neighbors India and Tibet. However, the country, with a tiny population of only 700.000 people, has a rich history - and over 40 Buddhist monasteries.

(thanks Robert-John)

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Archaeologists Claim To Have Found Remains Of John The Baptist

Bulgarian archaeologists excavating an ancient monastery on the Black Sea, claim to have found the remains of St John the Baptist. The artifacts were found on St Ivan Island near the town of Sozopol. Local media reported that fragments of a human skull, hand and tooth were found inside a reliquary in the altar of a church dedicated to John the Baptist.

Further tests on the fragments are due to be carried out. But Popkonstantinov is convinced the relics belong to John the Baptist because of a Greek inscription on the reliquary referring to June 24, the date when Christians celebrate John the Baptist's birth.

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