Joe Rogan's admission about faith

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Joe Rogan says he enjoys church, calls Christianity 'fascinating,' religion stabilizing

Could the religious revival some say is taking place in the United States be reaching the upper echelons of podcasting and cultural trendsetting?

If Joe Rogan's recent admission about his own faith is any indication, it may be.

The super successful podcaster and cultural critic, who has more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube and nearly 15 million followers on Spotify, said he enjoys church and sees the benefits of religion.

"It's a bunch of people who are going to try to make their lives better," Rogan told guests Konstantin Kisin, British political commentator and author of "An Immigrant's Love Letter to the West," and Francis Foster, co-hosts of the podcast "Triggernometry."

Joe Rogan: Religion is not 'nothing'

"They're trying to be a better person, and they're trying to — I mean, for me at least, the place that I go to — they, you know, they read and analyze passages in the Bible," Rogan shared. "I'm really interested in what these people were trying to say. Because I don't think it's nothing."

Rogan: Secular people dismiss Christianity as 'foolish'

"There's a lot of, like, atheists and secular people that just like to dismiss Christianity as being foolish. You know, 'It's just fairy tales.' I hear that amongst, you know, self-professed intelligent people, like, 'It's a fairy tale,'" Rogan said.

"I don't know if that's true. I think there's more to it. I think it's history, but I think it's a confusing history. It's a confusing history because it was a long time ago," Rogan said. "And it's people telling things in an oral tradition, then writing things down in a language that you don't understand in the context of a culture that you don't understand. And I think there's something to what they're saying."

Rogan praised Christianity and Jesus Christ.

"Christianity in particular is the most fascinating to me because there's this one person that everybody agrees existed that somehow or another had the best plan for how human beings should interact with each other and behave and was the best example of it and even died in a nonviolent way like, didn't even protest, died on the cross supposedly for our sins. Like it's a fascinating story," he said.

He also expressed respect for religion in general.

"When I watch super religious people that are praying five times a day, and I'm like, that is amazing. Like look how dedicated they are to that thing. Like there's an attractiveness to that," Rogan said in reference to Islam.

"If I was that dedicated to something, I'd probably be, like, way more stable in my life," Rogan said.

"I've got a friend who's a devout Muslim and he's and he's going through tough times at the moment, and I say to him like, 'How do you get through this?' And he's like, 'Bro, I've got my religion," responded Francis Foster, co-host of "Triggernometry." "'I've got God and I know everything's going to be okay.' He's a great guy. And he goes, 'I pray five times a day. It really helps me.' And it makes me realize and understand that what I'm going through is part of his plan."

Rogan guest calls gesture at Catholic Mass 'powerful'

Rogan wasn't the only one opening up about faith during the podcast. His guest, Francis Foster, also expressed appreciation for the rituals carried out during the Catholic Mass.

"I was raised Catholic, as you know, they'd say, 'Peace be upon you towards the end. Let's show each other a sign of peace,'" Foster said, describing the rite of peace at Catholic Mass. "You don't know this person. You may have never met them, but you shake hands with the person behind, in front, and whatever else. What an incredibly profound gesture that is. Just to shake hands with someone. And all your anger and all your resentment and everything you feel, which is natural, and jealousy, and you go and but you make a literal physical connection with another human being. That is so powerful."

Rogan appears to criticize pro-choice stance

"If you don't have something to believe in … if you're just relying on your whims and your, you know, whatever you think is the moral thing to do, you know, then you know what you get? You get those people that are unable to answer the question of whether or not you should protect an unborn fetus or whether or not they have human rights," he said. "No, no, no. They don't. … If you have religion, you go, 'wow, that's a good question. It's a very good question.'"

Rogan praises 'true' Christians

"The true Christians that I've met – and I've met some legitimate, like very charitable, kind Christians," he said. "They're some of the happiest and kindest people I've ever met."

Why was King Charles praying with the pope?

King Charles III and Pope Leo made history Thursday by praying together in the Sistine Chapel during a remarkable visit by the royals to the Vatican to forge closer relations.

According to the Vatican, Christian unity and care for the environment were themes of the visit.

It was the first time since the 16th century that the heads of the two Christian churches, divided for centuries after King Henry VIII left the Catholic Church and formed the Church of England, have held a joint prayer service.

What is King Charles' role in the Church of England?

Charles is the titular head of the Church of England. He is also known as the "Defender of the Faith," a full formal legal title which dates back to the reign of King Henry VIII, before he broke away from the Catholic Church. Despite the rupture, the king retains the title.

Although the role is largely symbolic, the king does approve ecclesiastical laws and the appointment of bishops, archbishops, and a variety of other senior clergy, such as many deans of cathedrals, according to the Church of England.

In his first address as monarch in September 2022, Charles affirmed, "the Sovereign's particular relationship and responsibility towards the Church of England – the church in which my own faith is so deeply rooted."

Charles has spoken extensively about his own personal Christian faith, while also acknowledging the United Kingdom's multi-religious society.

What is the Sistine Chapel, and why is it significant that the prayer service took place there?

The Sistine Chapel is one of the greatest artistic and cultural treasures in the Vatican. It is the setting for papal conclaves and other important church services.

Much of the chapel is decorated by the Renaissance master Michelangelo. His fresco on the ceiling depicts scenes from Genesis, including the Creation of Adam, and the main wall depicts the Last Judgment. Michelangelo painted both between 1508 and 1512 and commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV.

Why did the Anglicans split from the Catholic Church?

Anglicans broke away from the Catholic Church in 1534 when King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife and marry again, but was refused a marriage annulment. The two churches have remained divided ever since.

The Sistine Chapel service marked a historic new step toward unity and included readings and prayers focused on the unifying theme of God the creator.

Queen Elizabeth and relations with the Vatican

Queen Elizabeth II came to Rome six times during her reign, including during the Holy Year in 2000.

"Pope Leo and King Charles coming together before God in prayer is an example of a genuine and profound cooperation," Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Catholic archbishop of Westminster, told The Associated Press.

This newsletter is written by Susie Pinto.

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