Finding renewal in spring, and in our spirits
Posted: March 22, 2015 at 5:44 am
Published: Saturday, 3/21/2015 - Updated: 15 hours ago COMMENTARY
TK BARGER BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
Friday was the first day of spring, with the vernal equinox marking the point when day and night are the same length. Thats the scientific start of the season, but some people look to the birds to know that its spring.
Weve been taught that robins are a mystical harbinger of better weather, because why would the birds be here if it were going to snow again or the temperature were likely to stay below freezing?
The robin escorting the new season in isnt so straightforward, though. Story and tradition dont hew so closely to science and nature.
Some robins dont migrate. In a field guide to birds you might see a map showing that northwest Ohio is year-round territory for the American robin. If the food is not covered by too much snow, robins will be here.
There are times Ive been discouraged seeing robins around and the weather not cooperating, and thinking that some human snowbirds who spend the winter in Florida are better indicators.
Even so, look to the robin. Theres some comfort in seeing the familiar red breast, the bird pulling worms from your yard, maybe, or hearing its brief song. The robin might indicate the promise of spring, but it doesnt actually usher it in.
The robins that stay through the winter demonstrate that there are complicating factors getting in the way of predicting how the world and our lives will go.
Its the same for spirituality for most of us. Being religious, or spiritual but not religious if you prefer that phrasing, is not always transcendent in the way we might like. The positive mysticism might be missing.
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Finding renewal in spring, and in our spirits
In CNN’s ‘Believer,’ Reza Aslan to aim for a window on world religions
Posted: at 5:44 am
CNN is looking to a higher power in its quest to get new viewers.
The cable news network's original series lineup for 2016 includes "Believer," featuring religious studies scholar Reza Aslan, who will delve into different religious practices around the world. Think of it as "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" with faith instead of food as a window to explore cultures.
The six-episode series, based on an idea that Aslan has been pitching for a few years, will be another element in CNN's strategy to get people to tune in when there isn't breaking news.
"It's an opportunity to show religious traditions, practices, rites and rituals that may at first seem weird and foreign and exotic and unfamiliar because you're unfamiliar with the metaphors underlying those ideas," Aslan said in a telephone interview from his Hollywood office. "At the end of an hour episode, they will all of a sudden become much more familiar and recognizable."
Religious programming has found an audience on television going back to when Bishop Fulton Sheen got big ratings just by dissecting inspirational topics on his chalkboard for the DuMont and ABC networks in the 1950s.
In recent weeks, CNN has been topping its cable news competition with "Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery," in which scientific and archaeological methods are used to examine physical evidence of Christ's existence. The program has averaged 1.2 million viewers a week since its premiere.
Aslan, who wrote the controversial bestseller "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth," will cast a wider net with his program, undoubtedly influenced by his own personal experience. A creative writing professor at UC Riverside who holds a PhD in sociology with a focus on religions, Aslan became a born-again Christian after coming to the U.S. from Iran. He later converted to Islam.
On "Believer," Aslan could take viewers to Pakistan for the annual Shia mourning ceremony and flagellation exercises. Or he could go to Israel to observe members of Na Nach, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish movement that combines rave culture and all that that involves (yes, alcohol and drugs) with spirituality to create, as he describes it, "something brand-new."
The show is part of a broader effort by CNN President Jeff Zucker to expand the network beyond the 24/7 news cycle and into documentaries and other kinds of shows. Thanks to its original series' performances, CNN's prime-time audience was down 1% in 2014 compared with the previous year when it experienced double-digit declines. The channel still remains a distant second behind Fox News Channel.
Producing shows like "Believer" costs more than a live show with talking heads in the studio. But Zucker said the improved ratings from such series as "Parts Unknown," "The Hunt With John Walsh" and "The Sixties" have made the approach profitable.
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In CNN's 'Believer,' Reza Aslan to aim for a window on world religions
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Satanic Disney #39;s Big Hero 666 Illuminati Mind Control 4 Children! Transhumanism EXPOSED 720p
I am just a middleman trying to spread the word FAIR USE NOTICE: This video may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for entertainment purposes only. This constitutes...
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Satanic Disney's Big Hero 666 Illuminati Mind Control 4 Children! Transhumanism EXPOSED 720p - Video
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Dylan and I doing some yoga 😉 please like, share and subscribe http://Www.diannebondyyoga.com Facebook.com/Diannebondyyoga Twitter.com/DianneBondyYoga Instagram.com/Diannebondyyoga.
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March 19, 2015- Yoga Workout Challenge – Video
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Mildred is a blogger, columnist and an activist. She owns a women-only gym, Fitclique Africa. In this episode, she takes Brian through a beginner #39;s yoga drill. No doubt it was fun and worthwhile....
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Independence Institute yoga enthusiast Sarah Bouma explains Colorado Senate Bill 186 - meant to protect the autonomy of yoga teacher instruction and certification. #ProtectColoradoYoga.
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Mass Appeal Catch a breath of fresh spring air with Yoga – Video
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Mass Appeal Catch a breath of fresh spring air with Yoga
It #39;s officially spring so why not catch a breath of fresh air and welcome the season with an invigorating workout!
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Mass Appeal Catch a breath of fresh spring air with Yoga - Video
Tech News Today 1220: Yoga With Gas Masks – Video
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Tech News Today 1220: Yoga With Gas Masks
Lead Anchor: Mike Elgan and Co-Anchor: Christina Warren Tesla will steer your car for you, Magic Leap reveals some augmented reality tricks, it looks like the next Apple TV will power home...
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Tech News Today 1220: Yoga With Gas Masks - Video