For months, a Washington state bill generated controversy over two critical interests: protecting children from abuse and protecting the freedom of religion. Signed by the governor this past May, SB 5375 designated clergy as mandatory reporters, requiring them to report child sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect — even if they learned of the abuse during a confidential sacred rite.
Read MoreThe authors propose a revised, even countercultural way of relating to one another despite our differing views on controversial issues. Based on more than 100 interviews, the book proposes that LGBTQ Christians have something to teach us about Christian faith, and they, in turn, might learn something from conservative Christians.
Read More(REVIEW) Throughout the show “Chad Powers,” the f-bombs burst through the air more than footballs — and not just from Russ, but the coaches, women and the extras. The only one not dropping them in this faux football world was the “Christian” backup quarterback who was, of course, a sincere idiot.
Read MoreMany U.S. homes may decorate for Halloween each year with ghosts and witches, but most American adults are doubtful they actually exist. Surveys from both Gallup and Pew Research Cener find broad skepticism for psychics, ghosts, astrology and, yes, witches. Gallup found that 66 percent are generally skeptical.
Read More(REVIEW) John Chau was an American man who died trying to preach the Gospel to North Sentinel Island, home to a tribe cut off from the outside world. The story captured the world’s attention — but a new film, "Last Days", recalls what happened, but was also a missed opportunity for secular-religious empathy.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I’ve always found survey questions about prayer in public schools somewhat difficult to interpret because the context matters so much. For example, what if a local school district simply offers a quiet time for students to meditate or read? Students could choose to pray during this period, but it wouldn’t be mandatory. Or what if the teacher guides the class in a moment of self-reflection, encouraging students to set their intentions for the day?
Read MoreA burgeoning multi-ethnic church based just east of Kansas City is raising $2 million to purchase two key properties owned by the scandal-plagued International House of Prayer Kansas City.
Read MoreFor quarterback Justin Fields, Sunday’s win was about more than football. It was a testament to perseverance, faith and the belief that every struggle serves a greater purpose. Whether this marks a turning point for the New York Jets remains to be seen. For Fields, the win affirmed something deeper.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Halloween used to be different. Very different. Before Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger, before trick-or-treating and crowded costume parties, it was All Hallows’ Eve. It was a night when candles burned for the dead and prayers rose into the dark. Families across Europe gathered in solemn silence, marked more by reverence than by revelry.
Read More(REVIEW) “The Exorcist” has always stuck out to me as a movie because of its universality, its appeal to both the religious and secular. “Exorcistic” is a byproduct of the movie’s lasting influence in media that certainly leaves a wild impression of its own. It’s worth seeing if you want something to put you into the Halloween spirit.
Read MoreMany in ACNA say the latest turmoil has reopened old wounds and questions of accountability. On a popular Anglican podcast, co-host Kevin Kallsen said, “You have evolved from something glorious into something hideous.” As the Post story noted, the episode’s title captured the uncertainty facing the movement: “Is the ACNA Past Tense?”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Two hundred years ago, on Oct. 26, 1825, New York Gov. DeWitt Clinton boarded a canal boat by the shores of Lake Erie. Amid boisterous festivities, his vessel, the Seneca Chief, embarked from Buffalo, the westernmost port of his brand-new Erie Canal.
Read More(ANALYSIS) One of my main goals as a professor is to get students excited about the material. In a philosophy of youth ministry class our instructor wrote in big letters on the board, “It’s a sin to bore people with the Gospel.” I’ve taken that to heart and expanded it — it’s a sin to bore people at all.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Across the country, colleges and universities are grappling with the effects of the demographic cliff: This year’s sharp drop in the number of high-school graduates resulting from lower birth rates during and after the 2008 recession.
Read MoreThe Nashville Church of Christ in Tennessee — formerly known as the Central Church of Christ — must restore a trust fund set up by a former Central member, according to a settlement approved by a Tennessee circuit court.
Read MoreLife in rural America has its charms and challenges. Those who pastor in small towns across the United States recognize the trials inherent to those areas but believe God is working in their congregations and communities.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Many congregations have developed safer celebrations — often called “Holy-ween, “fall festivals” or similar terms — which almost always offer “trunk 'r treat” options, with families parked in church lots and children going car to car collecting candy.
Read MoreTouchdowns may be scored on the field, but what goes on off it? Fans are praying, warding off evil, consulting mediums and even wondering if angels or aliens are silently shaping the fate of their favorite teams. The study, conducted by Free Bets, surveyed over 2,000 fans across all 32 NFL teams to uncover just how many of them believe in the supernatural.
Read More(OPINION) After participating in multiple protests this year opposing authoritarianism, a Christian minister reflects on how people of faith can help sustain the growing No Kings movement — with hope, humor, and moral clarity. The “No Kings” movement, thank God, has only just begun.
Read More(OPINION) Among American churchgoers, roughly half are concentrated within a small fraction — less than 10% — of the nation’s churches, according to data reported earlier this year on church attendance and size. The other half of America’s churchgoers are most likely to attend one of the 70% of U.S. churches that have 100 or fewer people in their weekly services. That’s a lot of small churches dotted across our country.
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