In 1968, the three Apollo 8 astronauts, while the world focused on their Christmas Eve effort to orbit the moon, read the opening verses of Genesis, beginning with: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) It's important to remember that Catholicism is a “Communion,” not a government. Secrecy and dishonesty are even more destructive in sacred communities.
Read MoreWhile many think “primum non nocere” — “First, do no harm” — was an oath created by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, it’s actually found in a top-secret bible handed to Hollywood players when they are placed in charge of the box-office franchises that keep their operations alive.
Read MoreIt’s hard to discuss a war in the Middle East without mentioning religion, especially when the main players are Israel, Iran and the United States. Apparently, the most important word in this drama is not “nuclear” or “oil” -- it’s “fundamentalism.”
Read MoreEaster Vigils brought a sharp rise in U.S. Catholic conversions, nearing pre-pandemic levels in some dioceses. Yet long-term trends remain troubling: Far more Catholics leave than join, Mass attendance has plunged and institutional markers are down. The church’s future hinges on why some parishes grow while many others continue to decline.
Read MoreTruth is, the Finland powers that be are not attacking all “biblical views.” Instead, as in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, the government is saying that some “biblical views” are unacceptable in public life, while other doctrines are acceptable — such as those affirmed by progressive leaders of the nation’s official denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A year ago, King Charles III, in an Easter message that made little news, proclaimed that the love Jesus showed “when he walked the Earth reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and those in need, a deep human instinct echoed in Islam and other religious traditions. ... The abiding message of Easter is that God so loved the world — the whole world — that He sent His son to live among us to show us how to love one another, and to lay down His own life for others in a love that proved stronger than death.”
Read MoreAhead of Easter, newsrooms often chase predictable religion stories, but recent reporting highlights a more complex reality. While Catholic and Orthodox churches are seeing notable increases in converts, broader trends show ongoing decline in attendance and affiliation. The result is not a single revival, but a fragmented landscape of growth and loss.
Read More(ANALYSIS) “Solo Mio,” a low-budget romantic comedy starring Kevin James, blends classic rom-com tropes with overt Catholic elements, raising questions about whether it’s faith-based or mainstream. Its strong box office return highlights growing interest in profitable, faith-friendly films as Hollywood shifts away from big-budget franchises toward niche genres.
Read More(ANALYSIS) When Rational Sheep opened for business two-plus years ago, there was a huge signpost just ahead for people interested in debates about technology, smartphones, social media and screens-culture issues in general. We were getting close to the release of Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.”
Read MoreWhen Americans call President George Washington the “Father of His Country” it’s an honorary title based on politics and history. When modern citizens of the Republic of Georgia refer to Patriarch Ilia II as the “Godfather of Our Land” they are being quite literal, in terms of the rites and traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Don Mattingly, a pioneering Southern Baptist leader, created Centrifuge youth camps to “spin” teens toward meaningful futures in faith, service and careers. Launched in 1979, the program has reached millions. Remembered as both a visionary and organizer, Mattingly shaped generations by helping young people explore calling, purpose and lifelong decisions.
Read MoreI have this short conversation at least once a month, since I do so much of my journalism via telephone and that often means dealing with people I have never met. “What is your name?”
Read More(ANALYSIS) If you had the opportunity to share a nice family dinner — emphasis on “family” — with a Hall of Fame pro-football coach, who would you choose? For many Americans, maybe even most folks in flyover country, the National Football League legend Tony Dungy would be at the top of the list.
Read MoreWhat can news consumers learn from this complicated drama? Surely it is a commentary on the age in which we live that many Americans laughed when they read the early New York Times headline about the terrorist attack that fizzled near the New York home of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Political scientist Ryan Burge warns the aging Episcopal Church faces steep membership decline, with two-thirds of members over 60 and few young adults joining. Leaders acknowledge shrinking numbers but reject predictions of institutional collapse, urging renewal and outreach as part of a broader decline among America’s mainline Protestant denominations.
Read MoreCoverage of a Supreme Court decision blocking a California policy on student gender identity reveals starkly different media frames. Some outlets emphasize protecting transgender students from being “outed,” while others stress parental rights and religious liberty. The contrasting headlines highlight how newsrooms shape public understanding of contentious legal and cultural debates.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The actor visited many churches. Research with believers immediately bled into the screenplay he wrote for “The Apostle,” which Duvall directed and financed. The movie earned him another Academy Award acting nomination, one of seven during a career that ended on Feb. 15, when the 95-year-old screen legend died at home on his Virginia horse farm.
Read MoreIt’s also important that this unconventional religious leader’s social ties to Epstein continued long after the financier became a convicted sex offender, after he pled guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.
Read MoreFormer U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse reflects on his pancreatic cancer diagnosis and limited prognosis. In a Hoover Institution interview, Sasse speaks candidly about pain, mortality and Christian hope, urging believers to face death without despair while serving others with whatever time remains.
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