(ANALYSIS) Many factors can shape how someone views abortion – gender, age and education, to name a few. Around the world, however, religious belief is the most powerful predictor that someone will disapprove, as I document in my 2025 book, “Fetal Positions.” Faith traditions’ teachings about abortion vary — and there is diversity of opinions within faiths, too.
Read MoreThe upcoming “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series” marks the convergence of sports, politics, religion and human rights. For the Afghan refugee players, it’s a real chance to reclaim their place in the game. For FIFA, it’s a test of whether its commitment to women’s soccer extends beyond symbolic support — and whether it is willing to confront the contradictions within its own global family.
Read MoreHerbie Newell, the president and executive director of Lifeline Children’s Services — said the agency some U.S. families are using for their adoption — is cautiously hopeful that something can still be done to unite the 300 waiting children with their new parents.
Read MoreThe mission requires going into rural communities to preach the Gospel. In fact, AMEN introduced what Pastor Oscar Amaechina calls a “humanitarian service directorate,” mainly to help attend to the physical needs of the poor, especially women who are victims of religious violence.
Read More(REVIEW) “Ruth & Boaz,” a modern retelling of the biblical love story, blends faith-based themes with romantic drama and Tyler Perry-style spectacle. Directed by Alanna Brown and produced under a Netflix deal with DeVon Franklin and Tyler Perry Studios, the film explores themes of faith, redemption and healing while leaning heavily on familiar tropes.
Read More(OPINION) When people think about online misogyny, they probably envision forums and video game chat rooms filled with young men using lewd language, promoting sexist stereotypes and longing for the good old days when women “knew” their place. Arguably the most popular anti-feminist content today, though, is produced by women: tradwives.
Read MoreDoing this interview was consistent with Charlie Kirk’s history of reaching out to leaders on the other side of the chasm between red and blue America. I would argue that many other conservative groups should take a similar approach, if their leaders are sharp enough to handle these kinds of encounters (with both sides recording what happens).
Read MoreIn the past decade, leaders in America’s newsrooms have tried to find journalists who can help them understand the language, symbols and beliefs of Americans with different cultural backgrounds. An editor in Miami will want a large percentage of the staff to speak Spanish. What about reporters who can speak conversational “evangelical” or what some call “Christianese”?
Read More(ANALYSIS) When you teach certain classes at the college level, you just know you are going to have to cover certain subjects. Any introductory biology course should touch on photosynthesis, a class on philosophy should cover logical fallacies, and any course on American history has to spend way too much time talking about the constitutional convention.
Read MoreFinancial instability, high unemployment and poverty in South Africa have led some women to choose prostitution as a means of supporting their children. As South Africa moves to decriminalize prostitution, Religion Unplugged interviewed Christian ministries that preach to women involved in prostitution to explore the church’s role in restoring their dignity.
Read MoreThe Catholic justice said what motivated her to write a book is to shed a light on the Supreme Court’s inner workings and give a behind-the-scenes look at what the justices do. She added that while the Supreme Court may not always “get it right” in every case, she does “think Americans should trust that the court is trying to get it right.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) With two dramatic actions, the “Religious Right” is suddenly prodding the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its historic 2015 Obergefell decision, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Such a radical and unpopular switch after only 10 years might seem implausible — but a close parallel already happened in the 2022 Dobbs decision.
Read MoreWhen it comes to morality, Americans don’t see much wrong with using birth control or getting a divorce, but few support extramarital affairs or human cloning. The latest poll results from Gallup spell out what activities U.S. adults view as morally acceptable and which ones are seen as immoral.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For decades, one name was ubiquitous in American evangelical homes: Focus on the Family. A media empire with millions of listeners and readers, its messages about parenting, marriage and politics seemed to reach every conservative Christian church and school. And one man’s name was nearly synonymous with Focus on the Family: James Dobson.
Read More(REVIEW) With no meaningful character arc and no coherent theme, “Honey Don’t!” leaves viewers adrift. It’s a detective story with no one to root for and nothing to say. Instead of delivering clarity in a chaotic world, it adds to the noise. In the words of Macbeth — adapted by Ethan Coen’s brother Joel in “The Tragedy of Macbeth” — the film is “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Read MoreJames Dobson, a politically influential conservative and anti-abortion activist who founded the Christian ministry Focus on the Family, died on Thursday at the age of 89. Dobson started Focus on the Family in 1977, which had more than 1,000 employees at its peak in the mid-90s, giving him the chance to influence legislation and White House policy for decades.
Read MoreCristiano Ronaldo’s engagement in Riyadh highlights Saudi Arabia’s evolving — but still inconsistent— social norms. Once governed by strict Islamic law, the kingdom has relaxed restrictions under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms. Ronaldo and partner Georgina Rodríguez live openly as an unmarried couple — something that remains risky for ordinary Saudis, especially women.
Read MoreThis old-school journalism issue loomed over this week’s “Crossroads” podcast as we discussed a new essay in The Atlantic — “Why Marriage Survives” — by sociologist Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A coalition of civil society organizations announced the launch of the People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan, an initiative to address the impunity for the dire situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Read MoreActivist Hooman Khalili hopes to inspire Iranian women to resist abuse and terrorism through murals displayed on college campuses across the United States. The murals, he said, are meant to spark civil discourse — especially among students — and draw attention to the fight for human rights in Iran at a time when all the focus is on Gaza and Ukraine.
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