Word: faithful
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Under Francisco Franco's Catholic-inspired, military-enforced rule, which lasted until 1975, the Spanish family was the iconic, idealized centerpiece of society. That homogeneous model is now being supplanted by a mosaic of family types. Spanish families are ever more urban and transient, and ever less grounded in faith and marriage. In 1975, 10,895 Spanish children were born out of wedlock; by 2006, it was 137,041. "Spanish family patterns have changed beyond recognition," says María del Mar González, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Seville. "Spain came late to democracy...
...Catholic Legacy Even before 1492, when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella vanquished Granada, the last stronghold of Muslim rule on the Iberian peninsula, the Roman Catholic Church set a rigorous religious tone for Spain. For centuries, the Catholic faith - and the patriarchal family structure that it inspired - was the foundation of daily life from the hills of the Basque country to the Andalusian coastline. But the Spanish church was often an overbearing, sometimes repressive presence that brought the Inquisition and provided cover to Franco's fascist regime. Its influence was exemplified by the introduction of the Spanish Civil Code...
...Scientology with their burrito. There are rumors of a roving booth manned by people in coordinated outfits peddling books by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, inviting students to come learn more about the religion. While they do not approach passersby themselves, the Scientologists are quick to laud their faith to those who show interest. The religion recently became well-known thanks to celebrities like Tom Cruise and John Travolta, but leaves many wary because of its controversial views on a range of topics from anti-depressants to extraterrestrials. Some, however, for the very same reasons, may be curious...
...group out there will make [its tenets] available" for potential converts to try out. While this dynamic "may be partly responsible for the religious vitality of the American people," he says, "it also suggests that there is an institutional loosening of ties," with less individual commitment to a given faith or denomination...
...report has other interesting findings; the highest rates for marrying within one's own faith, for example, are among Hindus (90%) and Mormons (83%). The full report is accessible at the Pew Forum site...