Posts tagged Secondary feature
Pope Leo Positions AI As The Biggest Test Of Christian Ethics

(ANALYSIS) With the release of his encyclical letter “Magnifica Humanitas” on May 25, Pope Leo XIV has signaled that he wants the church to respond to artificial intelligence much as a predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, responded to upheavals during the Industrial Revolution over a century ago.

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Are Americans Hearing More About Politics From The Pulpit?

A new Pew Research survey shows that at least some political messages emerge during sermons or formal teaching from clergy — but most churchgoers aren’t aware of their pastor’s political leanings.

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Parental Challenges And Stress Impact Bible Engagement

Parents are open to Scripture engagement, but are stymied by challenges including work/family balance, fatigue and financial provision, the American Bible Society said in its latest release from the 2026 State of the Bible.

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The Sacred Cloth At The Center Of The Hajj Pilgrimage

(ANALYSIS) As Muslims gather for the annual pilgrimage of Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, they will circle around the “Kaaba,” a black cube draped in gold-embroidered cloth. A ceremonial textile — known as the “kiswah” — covers the Kaaba, around which Muslims will walk seven times in a ritual known as “tawāf.” It is the central act of the annual pilgrimage.

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In Volatile Nigeria, A Man Converted To Christianity. His Family Wasn’t Pleased.

At the dawn of the new millennium in northern Nigeria, while a Christian man was petitioning God with his midnight prayers, his 19-year-old Muslim neighbor was calling upon Allah, also through prayer. What the Muslim teen didn’t know is that he would someday convert to Christianity, something that in the African nation can prove to be dangerous.

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Canadians See Split Between Religious Beliefs and Truth

The new State of Theology in Canada Study surveyed more than 3,000 Canadians on 35 questions. Conducted by Lifeway Research and sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, the study sought to gauge the theological and cultural beliefs prominent in Canada.

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Pope Leo Declares AI The Moral Crisis Of The Modern Age

(ANALYSIS) In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV warned that artificial intelligence poses a profound threat to human dignity, labor and global stability if left unchecked. Calling for strong regulation and ethical oversight, he condemned AI-driven warfare, corporate concentration of power and profit-first development, framing AI as this century’s Industrial Revolution.

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Pentecostal Leaders Accused Of Conspiracy To Steal $250 Million

According to a lawsuit filed in federal court, four leaders in the Church of God in Christ were involved in a years-long scheme to steal rebate money. They allegedly bought and sold massive quantities of Trulicity, a drug to control blood sugar in people with type-2 diabetes, and pretended to give the medicine to church members.

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What Jefferson And Madison Would Have Thought About ‘Rededicate 250’

(ANALYSIS) Thousands of Americans prayed on the National Mall on May 17, during “Rededicate 250”: a day-long rally to “come together in prayer and worship ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday,” as organizers described it. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, one of many Republican politicians and conservative Christian leaders to speak, led a prayer to “rededicate the United States of America as one nation under God.”

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Ebola Outbreak Forces Postponement Of Massive Religious Pilgrimage

The Ugandan government has announced the postponement of this year’s Uganda Martyrs’ Day celebrations, scheduled for June 3, in response to an Ebola outbreak affecting both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has claimed over 130 lives thus far.

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A New African Country Faces Conflict And Poverty. Missionaries Are Stepping In.

The fledgling country has yet to hold its first democratic general election, while the South Sudanese suffer from extreme poverty, ethnic violence, lack of water and more. Local and international faith groups lend a measure of stability, working to meet everyday needs while providing a measure of hope.

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New Study Shows Christians Trust AI For Their Spiritual Growth

Move over, pastors. New research reveals your counseling and pastoral care may no longer be needed. A new study shows that congregations might increasingly be turning to AI to deal with their spiritual needs and help with personal growth. The research shows 1 in 3 adults now believes AI's spiritual guidance is just as trustworthy as that of a pastor.

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Why 2 Saints Are At The Center Of A Church-State Legal Battle

At a time when statues are coming down, this is a case about two that are proposed to go up. A city in Massachusetts plans to erect two statues featuring Catholic saints, but some residents have said that it shows favoritism to one religion. Now, it’s up to the courts to decide what to do next in a case that could reach the Supreme Court.

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Prominent Church In East China Demolished Amid Escalating Crackdown

Only days after U.S. President Donald Trump left a Beijing summit with CCP Chairman Xi Jinping where religious freedom and jailed religious leaders were discussed, authorities in eastern China have demolished a prominent church, razing the building with large excavators.

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Uncovering Coded Antisemitism Online Takes Both Humans And AI

(ANALYSIS) History shows that at every moment of profound technological change in our communication systems, incidents targeting Jews or other minority groups go up dramatically. This era’s technical innovation is unprecedented — but unfortunately, hate speech now travels around the globe almost instantly.

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Spiritual Matters Missing From Many Churchgoers’ Conversations

While some Americans show up to church on Sunday morning, those in their lives Monday through Saturday may never hear about it. Lifeway Research’s State of Discipleship revealed many U.S. Protestant churchgoers don’t see their faith as pervasive throughout their lives and aren’t concerned if others know about it.

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Why Murder Investigations Can Be Complicated By Ashkenazi Jewish DNA

Thirty years ago, a woman was found dead by the side of the road in Arizona. Today, her body has still not been identified. To find out the strange reason why, I spoke to Hannah Feuer, a reporter at Forward.

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San Diego Mosque Shooting Shows How Online Hate Contributes To 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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