The promise and perils of talking about God in public

That's the title of the latest religionlink.org resource guide for journalists resource guide for journalists. Excerpt:

From the White House to the waffle house, people talk about God. The role of religious groups, issues and voters in the recent election shows the importance people place on God and God's will in this country. Yet while religions encourage believers to communicate with God through prayer and meditation, hearing back from God - and talking about it in public - is a touchy subject.

Some listen for the "still, small voice" that Elijah heard in the Bible. The Quakers seek God in silence. Some believers say they feel God's guidance through people and events in their lives. Others perceive God through faithfulness to the laws or rituals of their tradition. And some people claim to literally hear the voice of God.

Questions arise when people publicly explain their actions as being directed by God. Is it true? How do we judge? Such claims are confusing when different groups say God is guiding them to do opposing things. And it gets downright scary when people claim God is directing them to do things that harm or exploit others.

Most faith traditions have ways communities or leaders evaluate people's sense of God's direction in their lives. But how should society respond when private devotions lead to public actions that affect others?

Why it matters
At a time when many issues in America are tied to religion and treatment of "neighbor," large numbers of people and groups say they are seeking, through their public actions, to be faithful to what they believe is God's will.

Questions for reporters
• How do people experience the voice of God?
• How do people of different faith backgrounds understand the idea of the voice of God?
• If someone believes God is speaking to them, how can they express that without arousing suspicion, fear and ridicule?
• What practices do faith communities engage in to test whether something is actually God's will or not?
• How do religious leaders suggest that members - and society at large - deal with people's sense of God's direction, when different people sense different and opposing things?
• How do people distinguish between random thoughts and direction from God?
• Can talking about the way they understand and experience the voice of God build bridges between people of different faiths?