Posts tagged politics and religion
Crossroads Podcast: There’s More To The Wheaton College Wars Than Politics

is 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.

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Following Quran Burnings, Will Sweden Stumble Into Anti-Blasphemy Laws?

(ANALYSIS) Freedom of religion means that religious beliefs, or irreligious ones, can be criticized, even mocked, as happens frequently in Sweden to, for example, Christian sentiments. In an open society, people of different faiths — Christians, Muslims, Jews, agnostics and secular humanists — must be able to live side by side in freedom and security. But they may be critically scrutinized, even ridiculed.

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‘Money, Lies and God’: Christian Nationalism And Threats To Democracy During Trump 2.0

(REVIEW) Author of “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism,” author Katherine Stewart picks up where that 2020 book left off in her new work “Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy.” In it, she surveys a horizon that has only grown darker. It is a landscape overshadowed by a well-organized, well-funded consortium of oligarchs and billionaires and others.

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Chief Minister Of Violence-Hit Indian State Resigns: What Happens Next?

(ANALYSIS) The Feb. 9 resignation of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, which conveys little remorse or admission of failure, must at least be followed by swift and constitutionally sound action from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to ensure that this potential first step toward resolving the prolonged conflict is somewhat effective.

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Crossroads Podcast: What Was The Big Idea Of This Year’s March for Life?

The bottom line: Next year, more journalists need to attend some of the worship services linked to the March for Life. They will hear plenty of voices, young and old, stressing that the sanctity of human life is too complex to be discussed in political terms, alone.

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US Has Low Levels Of ‘Religious Nationalism,’ But Its Impact Stands Out

The United States has a “relatively low level of religious nationalism” compared to other countries, but its impact on politics and society is particularly notable among high-income nations. The Pew Research Study released on Tuesday examined the role of religion worldwide by surveying people across 36 countries.

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‘Protecting Life’: Thousands Descend On DC For Annual Anti-Abortion March

This year’s March for Life, which is understood to be the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration, marks the third time the event has been held since the historic overturning of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which returned abortion legislation to the states.

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Why The World’s Only Prison For Catholic Priests Was In Franco’s Spain

(ANALYSIS) The Catholic Church was one of the social and ideological pillars of Francoism from the moment of the coup, as evidenced by the ‘Collective letter of all Spanish bishops’, made public July 1, 1937 to support a movement that “has strengthened the sense of homeland” and “has guaranteed order in the territory.” The same regime that was born out of a “crusade” with the purpose of shielding the power and traditional privileges of the church, ended up creating a prison to imprison priests critical of power.

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How Jimmy Carter Saved A Jewish Mausoleum In Ukraine

(ANALYSIS) President Jimmy Carter, who died at age 100, was eulogized last Thursday at his state funeral in Washington, D.C. in a Scripture-filled service recalling a lifetime of good deeds and spirituality. Overlooked in all the tributes to the 39th U.S. president and born again evangelical Baptist was Carter’s role in 1979 from preventing the demolition of the mausoleum of Chassidic Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in Uman.

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Pope Francis As Politician: Challenges Ahead In The US, Israel, Ukraine And China

(ANALYSIS) Could it possibly have been coincidence? The very day Congress certified Donald Trump’s election as the next U.S. president, the Vatican announced the transfer of San Diego’s Cardinal Robert McElroy to become the politically significant archbishop of Washington, D.C. There’s no doubt Pope Francis wants McElroy to keep an eye on Trump.

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Louisiana Tries To Enforce Ten Commandments Law Despite Court Ruling

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has told school boards how to comply with the state’s law requiring public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, despite a federal district judge’s November 2024 ruling declaring it unconstitutional and prohibiting its enforcement.

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Christians Face Continued Persecution As Africa Remains Jihadi Hotbed

Christian persecution intensified in 2024 in Nicaragua, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and regions throughout Africa’s Sahel region, ICC said in a new report, citing increased government hostility in Nicaragua, Hindu nationalism and anti-conversion laws in India and terrorism and displacement in Africa.

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Politics Unsavory Sunday Topic From Both Sides Of The Pulpit, Study Reveals

Politics is the topic Americans are least interested in hearing ministers address and is among the top three topics pastors feel least equipped to handle, Barna and Gloo found in a study conducted in advance of the contentious 2024 U.S. elections.

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Trump And The Cultural Revolution: A Practical Assessment

(OPINION) On a certain level, things just got a lot more simple. That’s because it will become increasingly difficult for the church to look to Trump to lead the way on key moral and cultural issues. To be sure, he has chosen his battles carefully, highlighting the destructive extremes of radical transgender activism while distancing himself from Project 2025.

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What Buddhism Can Teach Us In This Moment Of Deep Divisions

(ANALYSIS) Democracy depends upon using words wisely. With the right words, citizens can live and work together, even in disagreement – and resolve conflicts peacefully. A lesson from Buddhism seems particularly apt in this moment of enemyship: Treat the people you disagree with as mistaken rather than evil.

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The Death Of A Muslim Cleric Again Raises Questions About Erdogan’s Rule

Fethullah Gulen was an Islamic cleric who had built a powerful global movement — but eventually found himself exiled in the U.S. and caught up in accusations that he had orchestrated a military coup against Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan. 

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Why Trump Is Being Compared To The Obscure Biblical King Jehu

Donald Trump's fans and critics alike have compared him to some of history's most famous rulers: Cyrus the Great, Adolf Hitler, King David and more. But a celebrity pastor named Jonathan Cahn wants his evangelical followers to think of the Republican candidate as a present-day manifestation of a far more obscure leader: the biblical king Jehu.

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5 Biblical Principles Relevant To Christians During An Election

(OPINION) During the centuries, Christians have held widely different views on their relation to the political order. Some have taken the attitude that they should have nothing to do with civil government. At the opposite extreme, others have identified the church with the state. Between these positions, different groups have made various combinations.

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As Spending By Jewish PACs Soar, Billionaires Give GOP A Fundraising Edge

Fueled by donations from two conservative billionaires, the leading Republican Jewish political action committee is pouring millions of dollars into a swing-state advertising blitz supporting former President Donald Trump in the final weeks of the campaign.

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