Depuis juste 10 ans, Berne a sa Maison des Religions. Lieu d’échange et de rencontre unique en Suisse, elle réunit sous le même toit des communautés chrétiennes, musulmanes, hindoues, bouddhistes ou alévies. 
Dans le cadre de cet anniversaire, une journée était destinée aux jeunes. Matthias Wirz s’y est rendu, en se demandant si le dialogue entre croyants intéresse les nouvelles générations.

(Photo: La Maison des Religions / ©Matthias Wirz)

Maison des Religions: 10 ans au service du dialogue

Christian apologists trying to justify their belief in God

Produit par Raphy Corbyn
Texte de Raphy Corbyn & Christophe MONNIN

SEIGNEUR

On sale February 4th, 2025

Equip young readers with the tools they need to defend life’s most important battlefield—their mind—with this powerful resource from New York Times bestselling author and renowned Bible teacher Joyce Meyer.

Our minds are constantly being bombarded by thoughts and feelings. But what are those thoughts and feelings? And where, or who, are they coming from? In this young readers’ edition of her bestselling book, Joyce Meyer helps kids navigate through the confusing and complex world of the mind, providing easy-to-understand insights and valuable tools on topics such as recognizing and understanding thoughts and feelings, discerning the things and people that influence our thoughts, and training our minds to dwell on all the goodness God has planned for us.
 
Each chapter tackles a specific topic with these helpful sections: 
Brief introduction with supporting Bible verses
Relatable stories that apply the topic to everyday life
Quick activities for kids to engage in
Powerful memory verses
A sample prayer that shows how to bring concerns to God

A powerful look at protecting what matters most, this book would be a valuable addition to any young believer’s library.

Battlefield of the Mind for Kids By Joyce Meyer, Read By Jodi Carlisle (Audiobook Excerpt)

When well-meaning leaders, anxious to adhere to the separation of church and state, lean too far in to the “zero religious education” stance, instead of calling on academia to sift through standards and material and come up with a curriculum, we get the current situation we are in—a public at large more susceptible to bad theology at best and fundamentalism, fanaticism, and conspiracism at worst. Pastor Andrew makes the plea for cold, objective, religious eduction now. 

Episode 123: Case for Religious Education in Public Schools

En Indonésie, la Cour constitutionnelle a rejeté la possibilité pour les citoyens de se déclarer sans religion. Pour obtenir ses documents administratifs, il est désormais obligatoire de s’affilier à une confession.
La Chronique RTSreligion de Carole Pirker, jeudi 16 janvier 2025.

En Indonésie, l'affiliation à une religion reste obligatoire

约翰福音三章16节，是基督徒非常熟悉的一节经文。马丁路德把这节经文称为福音的缩影。这节经文带出了上帝超然浩大的爱。

旧约多处经文说到世人的心充满了罪孽，而圣洁的上帝厌恶罪恶。上帝在历史中不断宣告祂对罪的审判，但上帝却又爱世人，这是怎么回事？

原来上帝爱世人、要从罪恶中拯救世人的心意也在旧约一再显明。以西结书18:23，主耶和华说，「恶人死亡，岂是我所喜悦的呢？我岂不是喜悦他回转离开所行的道而存活吗？」上帝虽然厌恶罪恶，却不因罪人的死亡而喜悦。

没有人生来就是基督徒。使徒保罗说到，我们每一个人从前也都和世人一样——我们放纵肉体的欲望，随从肉体的私欲和心中的喜好。因此，我们、整个世界都在上帝的愤怒之下，无一人可以逃脱上帝的惩罚。然而，上帝有丰富的怜悯，祂对我们的爱浩大无穷，就在我们因过犯而死了的时候，祂使我们与基督一同活过来。（弗2:3-7）

弟兄姐妹，你如何衡量爱？你如何表达爱？

有人说，当你爱某个人的时候，你会愿意为他做出牺牲。如果你喜欢一个明星或一支球队，你会愿意为之买单。你乐意花钱购买这个明星或球队的周边产品，表达你对他们的支持和喜爱。

上帝如何爱世人呢？为了使堕落在黑暗中的世人得救，上帝乐意将祂最好的、最亲爱的、独一的儿子给那一切相信祂的人，使一切相信耶稣的人，都能从罪和审判中得到拯救和生命。

以色列人出埃及的时候，他们在旷野埋怨上帝与摩西的带领而招来审判，许多以色列人被毒蛇咬死。但是上帝为那些悔改的以色列人预备了拯救，祂吩咐摩西造了一条铜蛇，挂在柱子上。被毒蛇咬了的人抬头看这被挂起来的铜蛇，就能活命。

耶稣就是这被挂起来的铜蛇所预表的——祂被挂在十字架上。凡是相信耶稣是上帝的儿子，且相信耶稣是代替他的罪而死的人，也要活过来，得到永生。

许多人以为永生指的是将来那复活的生命。但约翰告诉我们，我们现在就可以经历这永生。「在祂里面有生命」（1:4节），这生命的关键不是永远，而是认识这位进入世界的基督耶稣。

你是否认识耶稣并经历祂对你的爱？


祷告：
主耶稣，我们很难想象自己愿意为了别人而付上生命的代价，而你，上帝的儿子，却愿意为了我们而被钉死在十字架。感谢你！求你帮助我，常常抬头仰望你的救恩，让我在这永生里更认识你！奉主耶稣的名，阿门！

约翰福音 3:14-17

John 3:16 is one of the most well-known verses among Christians. Martin Luther once called it the “gospel in a nutshell.” This verse reveals the immeasurable and sovereign love of God.

From many passages in the Old Testament, we see how human hearts are filled with wickedness and sin, and how the holy God abhors sin. Throughout history, God has repeatedly declared His judgment on sin. Yet, the same God who hates sin also loves the world. How can this be?

In fact, God’s love for the world and His desire to save sinners from sin is also consistently shown in the Old Testament. Ezekiel 18:23 says, “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.” Though God despises sin, He does not delight in the death of sinners.

No one is born a Christian. The apostle Paul reminds us that we were all once like the rest of the world—indulging the cravings of our flesh, following its desires and thoughts. Because of this, we—and the whole world—were under God’s wrath, with no one able to escape His judgment. But God, being rich in mercy, loved us with an everlasting love. Even when we were dead in our transgressions, He made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:3-7).

Brothers and sisters, how do you measure love? How do you express love?

Some say that when you truly love someone, you are willing to make sacrifices for them. If you’re a fan of a celebrity or a sports team, you’ll willingly spend money on their merchandise to show your support and affection.

How did God show His love for the world? To save a fallen world lost in darkness, God was willing to give His best—His dearest and only Son—to all who believe in Him. Through Jesus, all who believe are saved from sin and judgment and receive eternal life.

When the Israelites rebelled against God and Moses in the wilderness, they faced judgment as poisonous snakes bit many of them, causing their deaths. But God, in His mercy, provided a way for salvation for the repentant. He instructed Moses to make a bronze snake and lift it on a pole. Whoever was bitten and looked at the bronze snake would live.

Jesus is the fulfillment of that bronze snake—He was lifted on the cross. All who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for their sins will live and receive eternal life.

Many think of eternal life as a future resurrection life. But John tells us that we can experience this life now. “In Him was life.” (John 1:4) The essence of this life is not just about its length but about knowing Jesus Christ, who has entered the world.

Do you know Jesus and have you experienced His love for you?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, it is hard for us to imagine willingly laying down our lives for others. Yet You, the Son of God, chose to be nailed to the cross for us. Thank You, Lord! Help me to lift my eyes to Your salvation daily and to know You more deeply as I live in this eternal life You’ve given. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!v

John 3:14-17

Imagine waking up in a dark room. At first, you feel lost, not knowing what’s going on, or where to go. Then, someone turns on the light, and suddenly, you can see everything clearly. You can get up and walk confidently without stumbling. That’s what Jesus does for us—He shines light into the darkness of our lives.  

This passage tells us that Jesus is the Light of the world, sent by God to save us from sin and bring us into His truth. Yet, not everyone welcomes this light. But why?  

Verse 18 reveals a hard truth: That those who reject Jesus are already condemned. Jesus took the first step to pay for our sins on the cross. Anyone who does not believe this, has condemned themselves. Condemnation isn’t something that happens later when we have to stand before the ultimate Judge. Condemnation is the result of choosing to remain in darkness. This darkness here represents more than just ignorance—it’s an intentional rejection of Jesus’ saving grace and rebellion against God.  

At times, we might avoid the light because we’re afraid of what it will reveal. Perhaps, because of guilt or shame over something we’ve done. But staying in the dark doesn’t make the problem go away—it only keeps us trapped in our sin.  

Verse 19 tells us that people often “love the darkness” because it hides their deeds. Have you ever avoided facing the truth because it felt easier to ignore it? Maybe you didn’t want to confess and admit you were wrong, or to make a hard change and repent. That’s the pull of darkness—it feels safe because it hides what we don’t want to deal with. But it’s a false sense of safety.  

In contrast, verse 21 describes those who step into the light. They don’t do this because they’re perfect but because they trust God to work in them. The light exposes our flaws and our sinful nature, yes, but it also shows us the path to healing and spiritual freedom. When we come to Jesus, we find not condemnation but grace and transformation.  

This passage challenges us: are we willing to step out of the darkness, to choose to live in the light of Jesus, and embrace His truth and redeeming light? The light can feel uncomfortable at first, but it leads to life and peace, and a closer relationship with God.  

Is there an area of your life where you’ve been avoiding the light of Jesus?  

Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus,  
Thank You for being the Light that shines in our darkness. We confess that sometimes we resist Your light because we’re afraid of what it might reveal. But today, we choose to trust You. Help us to step out of the shadows and into Your truth and guidance.  
Shine Your light on the areas of our lives that need Your grace and redemption. Give us the courage to live by Your truth and reflect Your light to those around us. May we experience the joy and freedom of walking with You every day.  
In Your name, we pray,  
Amen.  

John 3:18-21

想象一下，你在一个黑暗的房间里醒来。一开始，你感到迷茫，不知道发生了什么，也不知道该去哪里。突然间有人打开了灯，你可以清楚地看到一切了。你可以站起来，有自信地走路，不怕被绊倒。这就是耶稣为我们所做的——把光带进我们生活中的黑暗。

这段经文告诉我们，耶稣是世界的光。上帝差祂来拯救我们脱离黑暗的罪恶，并引导我们进入祂的真理。然而，并不是每个人都欢迎这光。为什么呢？

第18节揭示了一个残酷的事实：那些拒绝耶稣的人已经定罪。主耶稣走出了第一步，为我们的罪在十字架上付出了代价。任何不信的人，实际上是自我定罪。定罪并不是等到我们站在最终审判官面前时才发生的。定罪是选择继续留在黑暗中的结果。这里的黑暗不仅仅是无知，它是故意拒绝耶稣的救赎之恩，有违抗上帝的表现。

有时候，我们会避开光，因为害怕它会揭发我们的秘密。这也许是因为我们对某些事情感到内疚或羞愧。然而，待在黑暗中并不会让问题消失——它只会让我们继续被罪困住。

第19节告诉我们，人们常常“爱黑暗”，因为黑暗能掩盖他们的行为。你是否曾经因为觉得面对真相太痛苦而选择忽视它？也许你不想承认自己错了，或者不愿意做出艰难的改变和悔改。这就是黑暗的诱惑——它看起来安全，因为它掩盖了我们不愿面对的东西，但这是一种虚假的安全感。

与此相对，第21节描述了那些走向光明的人。他们这样做并不是因为他们完美无缺，而是因为他们信任上帝在他们里面工作。没错，光揭示了我们的短处和罪性，但它也为我们展示了复原和灵性自由的道路。当我们来到耶稣面前时，我们发现的不是定罪，而是恩典和改变。

这段经文挑战我们：我们是否愿意走出黑暗，选择活在耶稣的光中，拥抱祂的真理和救赎之光？起初，光可能让我们感到不舒服，但它带来的是生命、平安以及与上帝更亲密的关系。

在你生命中，是否有某个地方你一直在回避耶稣的光？

祷告
亲爱的主耶稣，
感谢祢是那光，照亮我们的黑暗。我们承认，有时我们抵挡祢的光，因为我们害怕它可能暴露的事情。但今天，我们选择信靠祢。求祢帮助我们走出阴暗，进入祢的真理和引导之中。
求祢将光照亮我的生命，特别是那些需要祢恩典和救赎的地方，并赐给我勇气活出祢的真理，好让我能将祢的光反射给周围的人。愿我每天都能经历与祢同行的喜乐和自由。 奉主耶稣的名祷告，阿们。

约翰福音 3:18-21

Foochow Methodist Church (FMC) started in mid-December 1897 with Rev. Ling Chin Mee being appointed as its first pastor, and she became the second oldest church in the Chinese Annual Conference of the Methodist Church in Singapore.

Raptly Corbyn Composer and producer
Edition DALMA MUSIC

Grammy-winning audiobook publisher. Authors include James Patterson, David Baldacci, and Michael Connelly. Earbuds encouraged. Follow us on Twitter at @HachetteAudio.

Talking about religion and keeping our sanity. 
Knowledge and humour are our best defenses against bigotry.

The Rev. Andrew Stehlik, Th.D. (theologian and anthropologist) takes layperson Peter Rinaldi on deep dives into the sources of religious phenomena. We are talking about religion honestly, respectfully and humbly.

#Religion #Anthropology #Science #History #antibigotry

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