According to an extensive study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 1 in 4 people worldwide is Muslim. Read the whole article for more statistics that will blow your mind.

Author Rich Benjamin took the time to identify every city and county in the U.S. that is "whiter than the nation, its respective region, and its state"—"Whitopias," as he calls them. He then spent some time living in three of these regions. To hear an interview with Benjamin—and to read an excerpt from Searching for Whitopia, the written account of his experiences—click here.

Now is as good a time as any to get to know Father Damien. Why? On Sunday, October 4, 2009, he was recognized by the Pope as Hawaii's first saint.

And seeing as we're right in the middle of the baseball playoffs—as a Cardinals fan, I'm right in the middle of mourning—now is as good a time as any to get to know Ernie Harwell. The long-time play-by-play broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers (now retired at 91) is dying of cancer, and a new article from the folks at The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood points out how Harwell—a believer—is teaching us lessons on dying well. (HT: Challies)

Check out Ashley Merryman's What Do Children Understand About God? It might stir some thoughts for you, and the suggested reading list she offers at the end is solid. (In last week's Intersections, I mentioned Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman's NurtureShock, a new book that argues for the return of tough love in parenting. Since preachers are always looking for solid material on parenting, I'd say Ashley is someone to keep an eye on. You can read her material on Newsweek's NurtureShock blog.)

Winston Ross looks at the horrors of Internet addiction. After watching his brother lose everything because of this "world wide woe," I'd say Ross has earned the right to write about the subject.

By now you have surely heard about the situation involving Roman Polanski. In 1977, the famous director pleaded guilty to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. But before he could be sentenced to prison, he fled the country in 1978. Well, Polanski, now 76 years old, was finally arrested by U.S. authorities on September 26, 2009. Hollywood's reaction? Indignation. Many have reflected on why Hollywood has responded the way it has, but few have done it in a more culturally insightful manner than Carson Holloway (and in a manner that champions thoughtfulness over mere tongue clucking and condemnation). Be sure to check out Roman Polanski, Hollywood, and the Mystery of the Missing Outrage.

This just in: "Whatever" is the most annoying word in the world. But is it the word we hate so much or the cynical flippancy behind it?

After recently finding out how expensive it is to bring zebras into the Israel-blockaded Gaza region, one zookeeper did what he felt was the next best thing: he painted black stripes on two white donkeys. Something to keep in mind, Mr. Zookeeper: The bulk of Israel's rainfall comes in the winter.