In a case that underscored deep concerns over anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States, a 73-year-old Illinois landlord was convicted Friday of murder and committing a hate crime following the killing of a 6-year-old boy.
Read MoreSome church planters think the northwestern United States is fertile ground for reaching those people who are searching. And with states like Idaho growing rapidly, church planters see even more opportunity.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This fertility issue has both political and religious (#DUH) implications.
Read MoreAs the U.S. continues to evolve religiously, the Pew study underscores the complex and shifting nature of religious belief and practice in America. While Christianity remains the dominant faith, trends suggest that the future may hold further diversification — something fueled by immigration, secularization and the beliefs of Gen Z.
Read MoreBeverly Heights Presbyterian Church began its effort to disaffiliate from the EPC in 2023 with a congregational meeting. It held its final vote on Jan. 26, with 88% of members voting in favor of disaffiliation. However, the church had to wait until the February presbytery meeting to see if the EPC would acknowledge its removal.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If Musk is anything, it’s audience-savvy. To get to the position he now finds himself in, aligning with Christian values wasn’t just wise, it was necessary. With the MAGA base increasingly rallying against progressive secularism, Musk’s newfound faith acts as a bridge to this vital demographic. Cynical? Absolutely. But the wealthiest man in the world didn’t build his empire by ignoring optics.
Read MoreAyaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born Dutch-American activist, author and thinker, has become best known for her outspoken views on Islam, women's rights and the societal consequences of secularism. Her religious journey to becoming one of the most prominent critics of Islam into her recent conversion to Christianity has been shaped by personal experiences of suffering, political activism and intellectual transformation.
Read MoreThe domestic mission agency of the Presbyterian Church in America has removed a webpage containing links to advice about how immigrants living in the U.S. illegally can avoid being detained by law enforcement authorities.
Read Moreis the Wheaton war about Donald Trump? Yes — and no. Accurate reporting requires information noting that campus conflicts of this kind have been raging — yes, often behind the scenes and out of the headlines — for decades. The conflicts are doctrinal, cultural and sometimes political. But doctrine is the most crucial reality in these voluntary, private, academic communities.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Many of the ad's photographs are easy to interpret, such as a man removing “GO BACK” graffiti from a home, a woman helping a weeping man in a grocery store, a firefighter hard at work and a young football player comforting a defeated opponent. But the John 3:16 hat raised the theological stakes in the pride photograph.
Read MoreThe North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision means that cases filled by other child sexual abuse survivors, like Stuart Griffin’s case involving Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church and Charlotte Christian School, during the look back window will continue.
Read MoreDikembe Mutombo’s towering presence on the basketball court made him a household name. With his signature finger wag and shot-blocking ability, he dominated the NBA for nearly two decades. But it’s his legacy off the court that set him apart as an icon of compassion and service. His parents, both Baptists, instilled in him values of kindness, humility and service to others. These principles would shape Mutombo’s identity as a man and player.
Read More(ANALYSIS) James Mangold’s film “A Complete Unknown,” nominated for eight Oscars, captures the elusive, enigmatic quality of Bob Dylan in the early 1960s: The years he emerged as a major musical and cultural phenomenon. A scant few years after he came to New York from Minnesota, and legally changed his name from Robert Allen Zimmerman, Dylan transformed American music. Especially “unknown” and baffling is Dylan’s religious and spiritual identity.
Read MoreAlex Bregman, the slugging third baseman who wore a Star of David on his cap following the Oct. 7 attacks, reportedly signed with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday in a contract that will give him the highest salary ever for a Jewish baseball player. The three-year, $120 million deal officially closes Bregman’s tenure with Houston Astros, the team that drafted him second overall in 2015.
Read MoreIn January, Jon Weece, the senior pastor (official title: “lead follower”) at Central Kentucky’s Southland Christian Church, announced he’ll step down from his position in January 2026 to become just a regular member of the church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Everyone in your church can pray. From older saints to younger children, we all learn to pray by praying. Work, therefore, to create more meaningful times for prayer in all existing services, and schedule more dynamic prayer meetings. Any pastor anywhere can cast a vision to create a culture of prayer. You have the tools. Start where you are.
Read MoreI’m not suggesting that the New York Times team that produced this recent feature — “Seeking God, or Peter Thiel, in Silicon Valley” — needed to dig into the works of this Orthodox monk. This business-desk feature was the hook for this week’s “Crossroads” podcast.
Read MoreOur columnist witnesses a whole lot of despair, but he always looks for a measure of hope. He explains why — and how — as he reports from the scene of Southern California’s deadly wildfires.
Read MorePresident Donald Trump is calling for federal prosecutors to push for the death penalty in capital cases involving undocumented people. The move was one of dozens of executive orders the president signed on day one of his second term. The order encourages the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty and prioritizes two sets of cases: Those involving the murder of a law enforcement officer and those for crimes for which the death penalty is an option and the defendant is undocumented.
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