🚀 go-pugleaf

I am about to give a guest lecture to a sociology class at the
University of Virginia.  The Topic:  "Christianity and the New Age
Look at Each Other."  When writing about such subjects, I like to
talk to the people who actually practice the faith.  So I would
like to ask anyone who would care to answer...

1.  What makes a person a Christian?

2.  What makes a person a follower of the New Age?

3.  What do you think of evangelical-fundamentalist-charismatic--
pentecostal Christians?

4.  What do you think of mainline Protestant Christianity (i.e.,
Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc.)

5.  What do you think of Catholics?

6.  What do you think of channeling?  meditation?  pyramids?  Tarot
cards?  astrology?  crystals?  UFO's?

7.  Who or what is God?  Who is/was Jesus?  Who or what is the Holy
Spirit?  Do you think the literal Resurrection of Jesus literally
took place?  What do you think is the meaning of the resurrection?

8.  Do you think Jesus will come again?  What do you think of the
Bible?

9.  Why do you consider yourself a follower of the New Age and/or
Christianity?  What do you think is (are) the central tenets of
your beliefs?  How did you come to hold these beliefs?  Are you a
member of any formal religious group(s)?  Which ones?

10. What is your age?  sex?  Occupation?  [Optional, for
statistical use only:  are you single-married-divorced-widowed-
living with someone-under a vow of celibacy?  hetero-homo-bisexual? 
What race do you describe yourself as?]

11. [More optional questions:  What happens to us when we die? 
What makes an individual good or bad?  Do you think that there is
an absolute standard of right and wrong?  What do you think are the
central problems of American and World society?  How does your
faith address these problems, if at all?  Do you think that your
faith is the only way to salvation or self-fulfillment?  Is it the
best way?

------------------

Thank you for your time.  I may wish to quote from this material in
class and/or (maybe) in a later scholarly work; quotation will be
anonymous if requested.  As I mentioned above, sensitive material
is for statistical use only.  
              
               John Bozeman (jmb5b@virginia.edu)
                            (jmb5b@virginia.edu.bitnet)