The Cambridge Dictionary defines this phrase — “Is the pope Catholic?” — as an idiom used, in a humorous or provocative manner, to say that the “answer to a question you have just been asked is obviously ‘yes.’”
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It’s a call you never want to receive. “I’ve got cancer,” your loved one says. Not only that, but it’s pancreatic cancer — often a death sentence. Immediately, your brain goes into a fog.
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(OPINION) I invite you to see biblical stories more metaphorically, mythically — guilt-free even. You may discover surprising, more expansive visions of how God works with humans — and through humans — to expand our understanding of our place in the world God is still creating.
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As members of the Johane Masowe, an African Apostolic sect, tobacco was a big “no” for their Christian faith. But today, many of its members are among the best tobacco farmers in the country and having joined the growing bandwagon of those who were tempted to reconsider their position, finding the lure of the tobacco dollar too riveting to resist.
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(ANALYSIS) A pediatrician recently asked one of Emily Harrison’s kids a logical question during pre-exam paperwork: Do you have a smartphone? Doctors often ask children practical questions, such as whether they’re getting enough sleep, have seen changes in their appetites or have started playing sports. These days, they may ask about anxiety or depression.
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Amid celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, bluegrass band Chosen Road released what they believe is one of the most unique recordings in the band’s 18-year history. The 13-song album American Morning dropped July 3, featuring more than 50 minutes of new music from the band.
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(ANALYSIS) When England walk onto the field to face Norway in the World Cup quarterfinals, thousands of St. George’s flags will wave inside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Millions more will adorn pubs and homes across England. For many fans, the flag — which from the Late Middle Ages has been associated with Saint George — remains inseparable from soccer itself.
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Faith leaders representing more than 1,500 congregations held coordinated events in nine states, calling on election officials to protect voting rights and follow election laws ahead of the 2026 midterms this November. Organizers described the campaign as nonpartisan and focused on election integrity and ballot access.
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Antisemitism spans the political spectrum. On the far right, antisemites may support a vision of America under white supremacy. On the far left, antisemites may consider Jews oppressors and white colonialists.
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(ANALYSIS) Throughout its history, Daoism never lost touch with the local traditions. Local gods and even vengeful ghosts come to be incorporated into Daoist pantheons, where they now serve to keep troublesome spirits from upsetting the community. As a result, Daoism continues to be an integral part of everyday life.
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(ANALYSIS) A culture that laughs off the parting of the Red Sea will nod along when a man declares himself a woman. A culture that calls the Jesus’ resurrection absurd will assure you civilization can thrive after dismantling family, faith and biology. Walking on water is preposterous. Walking away from every inherited moral guardrail is sophisticated.
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The Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home was back in court defending its federally approved exemption to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate in a case dating to 2013 and involving three Supreme Court victories. The ministry in Pittsburgh last won its case before the U.S. Supreme Court in July 2020, when the justices said the Department of Health and Human Services acted lawfully when it granted exemptions to the contraceptive mandate to employers with religious and conscientious objections.
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The United States had its 250th birthday last week. And, in the last few episodes we have tried to understand the role of Christianity in America’s founding. But what kinds of Christians were the first Americans? And what role did Catholics, Jews and Atheists play in the Revolution? Were there muslims or Hindus on U.S. soil in 1776?
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(ANALYSIS) I feel like I got into a debate or a disagreement with someone about politics or religion on a near daily basis when I was between the ages of 13 and 25. I would fight with anyone about anything and I would often argue positions that I completely disagreed with because I just liked the intellectual gamesmanship of the whole exercise.
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Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, founder of Beijing-based Zion Church, one of China’s largest and most influential unregistered Protestant congregations, has been released after nine months in detention following high-level diplomatic engagement between the United States and China. Jin arrived safely in Los Angeles in the early hours of July 4.
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Many in the African nation of Zimbabwe are continuing to seek justice for their friends killed by Michael Swango, an American serial killer doctor now serving three life terms in a U.S. federal prison for similar crimes he committed on U.S. soil. Despite being imprisoned, families say he’s never been punished for poisonings committed in Zimbabwe during the 1990s.
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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral is unlike any other in the history of Iran’s Islamic Republic and the wider Middle East. The country’s longtime supreme leader was killed four months ago in U.S.-Israeli strikes, but his burial has been delayed until now, making the ceremony a rare departure from Islamic tradition.
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Robert Sloan, Jr., president of Houston Christian University, died on the morning of July 4. He was 77.
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Akinyi Kaula postponed the “American Dream,” dropped out of her nursing degree studies and flew back to her homeland of Kenya — only to end up in a polygamous marriage. Now, her story is igniting online debate in Africa. The debate over polygamy, Christianity and Western values continues as many men ponder whether to wed multiple wives.
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Proponents of historic Christian orthodoxy are no longer welcome in the purportedly big tent of the United Methodist Church. That is the message sent by the removal of Asbury Theological Seminary from the UMC’s list of schools approved to train United Methodist clergy, observers of Methodism say.
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