Posts in Religion
San Diego Mosque Shooting Shows How Online Hate Contributes To Increased Islamophobia

(ANALYSIS) Many Muslim Americans are fearful following a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego that left three worshipers dead. Investigators reportedly found hate speech and anti-Islamic writing inside the vehicle of the suspected shooters, who killed themselves soon after the attack.

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James Robison, Fiery Evangelist Turned Global Humanitarian, Dies At 82

James Robison, the fiery Southern Baptist evangelist who underwent a dramatic spiritual transformation in the 1980s and built several large Christian humanitarian organizations, has died. He was 82.

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3 Killed at San Diego Mosque As Anti-Muslim Hate Surges Nationwide

The killing of three people at San Diego’s largest mosque highlighted the rise in Islamophobia that has spread across the United States over the last few years. There had been no specific threat made against the Islamic Center of San Diego, but police officials found evidence that the suspects — two teenage boys — had engaged in “generalized hate rhetoric.”

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‘Rededicate 250’: 5 Things We Learned From The Prayer Rally

(ANALYSIS) “Rededicate 250” was billed as a prayer rally celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. But the event on the National Mall also became a revealing snapshot of how faith, politics and national identity are increasingly intertwined during the Trump era.

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America’s Musical Founding Father: How ‘Liberty Songs’ Helped Fuel Revolution

(ANALYSIS) As July 4, approaches, Americans will be paying more attention than usual to events of 1776: the year the American Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. Public historians, including filmmaker Ken Burns, have tried to offer a more inclusive view of the American Revolution, highlighting lesser-known patriots.

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Hijab Disputes Expose Legal Gap In Kenya’s Faith-Based Schools

Earlier this year, a 15-year-old walked through the gates of her high school in Kenya, wearing her hijab. The student and her parents had been assured by the principal that she could continue wearing it, just as she had throughout primary school. A few weeks later, that assurance fell apart. It has become part of a broader fight regarding religious freedom in the country.

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AI Can Generate Text, But Is It Really Writing?

(ANALYSIS) From Enheduanna to Plato and Aristotle, ancient thinkers viewed writing as a deeply human act that expresses experience and transforms audiences. AI may generate convincing text, but lacking thought, emotion and lived experience, it may produce something closer to “generwriting” than true writing.

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America’s Freedom Born From Faith: The Liberty Bell And Its Moral Foundations

The Liberty Bell symbolizes American freedom, rooted in Scripture and shaped by Pennsylvania’s Quaker ideals. Its inscription from Leviticus reflects Jewish teachings on justice and freedom, while Quaker beliefs in equality and tolerance influenced the nation’s founding principles, leaving a lasting moral framework as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary.

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Trump’s ‘Rededicate 250’ Prayer Gathering Highlight’s US Divisions

(ANALYSIS) As the United States approaches its 250th birthday this summer, the fight over “Rededicate 250” underscores a deeper question about the future of American democracy: Can a nation that is religiously diverse maintain a shared civic identity without elevating one tradition — in this case Christianity — above all others?

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3 Pastors Killed Following Ambush In India’s Manipur State

Three Kuki-Zo Christian pastors were shot dead on May 13 after armed gunmen ambushed two vehicles travelling through Kangpokpi district in Manipur. The murders led Kuki-Zo organizations to suspect that a Naga militant faction may have carried out the attack in coordination with valley-based Meitei insurgent groups.

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🗳️ Even If Elected To Congress, These Pastors Plan To Remain In The Pulpit 🔌

Jackson Lahmeyer and Frederick D. Haynes III couldn’t be any more different politically. But both are pastors. Both are running for Congress. And both could win in November.

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‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Shows How Christian Imagery Circulates In Unusual Ways

(ANALYSIS) While neither of the “Devil Wears Prada” movies revolve around Christianity, the invocation of the devil taps into an older moral rhetoric. For centuries, fashion was cast as the troublesome, if not villainous, enemy of a pure and spiritual Christianity — a symbol of putting material desires before holy ones. For example, 18th-century cleric and founder of Methodism John Wesley urged his followers to show their faith by dressing “plainly.”

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Christian Nationalism Or Just Regular Old Patriotism? Americans Can’t Agree.

In just a few days, crowds are expected to descend on Washington for an explicitly Christian event, celebrating the U.S. 250th anniversary. Later this month, many churches will swap hymns for patriotic songs and dress their sanctuary in American flags, mingling patriotism and Christianity. When do these patriotic actions cross over into Christian Nationalism?

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Crossroads Podcast: Trump’s China Trip And Questions About Religious Freedom

The Big Idea for this podcast? The social-credits system shifted into high gear the year after China, in 2018, launched sweeping new regulations to crush religious activities that lacked formal government approval. Digital technology is at the heart of China’s efforts to control the beliefs of its citizens.

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Beyond David Bowie’s Fame: A Unique Search For God

(REVIEW) A new biography explores David Bowie’s spiritual life beneath his flamboyant personas, especially Ziggy Stardust. Drawing on interviews and songs, it portrays a restless seeker shaped by diverse religious influences, whose music reflected an ongoing quest to understand God, faith and existence beyond organized religion.

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Angels, Demons And Lots Of Theological Questions About UFOs

(ANALYSIS) For centuries, stargazers of many kinds have debated the meaning of unidentified objects in the heavens and encounters with mysterious beings on earth. “Each new discovery, even every new theory, is held at first to have the most wide-reaching theological and philosophical consequences.

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Inside The Traveling Ministry Assisting Africa’s Persecuted Christians

Maria lives in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, along with her husband and four children, content with being farmers and living in the fields. But the 27-year-old woman, who did not want to be identified by her full name, has always faced persecution for being Christians. She isn’t alone. It’s the type of violence many in Africa have had to deal with for years.

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El Veterano Brasileño De La Copa Mundial Silas Comparte Su Historia De Fe

Paulo Silas Pereira se está preparando para la próxima Copa Mundial como comentarista deportivo. Al hacerlo, su enfoque ha pasado de los goles y las tácticas a algo mucho más personal: contar la historia de su vida y de su fe cristiana.

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What ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Hits and Misses About Catholic Teaching

(REVIEW) Murdock is a real believing Catholic. It’s something the series takes seriously. This is particularly easy to see in the attention to detail toward Catholic teaching.  

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