(ANALYSIS) Israeli nonprofits amassed US$35.3 billion in total income in 2015, roughly $45 billion in 2023 dollars, from all sources. That total included revenue like university tuition and concert ticket sales, as well as $4.4 billion – roughly $5.6 billion in 2023 dollars – in donations from all sources, foreign and domestic.
Read More(REVIEW) Fighting Muhammad Ali and losing in 1974, Foreman began a downward spiral. Hit after hit to that newly accrued self-esteem eventually resulted in a near-death experience after a match. It’s after waking up from the blackout that Foreman experiences a transformational conversion, becoming a baptized Christian.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights first Republican presidential cattle call of the year in Iowa, where evangelicals are a crucial voting bloc. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On April 14, United Nations experts warned that the repressive enforcement of Iranian hijab laws, as announced by the state authorities, would result in additional restrictive and punitive measures on women and girls who fail to comply with the country’s compulsory veiling laws.
Read MoreSince the end of the Cold War, four Muslim-majority countries — Kazakhstan, Libya, Iran and Indonesia — have hosted the FIDE World Chess Championship. Despite the fact that hundreds of Muslim players have been ranked by FIDE over the years, the game remains controversial with many mainstream Sunni and Shia scholars disapproving of chess.
Read More(OPINION) Among a host of crazy Black Hebrew Israelite beliefs, one of the most bizarre is the idea that they have preserved the real pronunciation of the Hebrew language, which they call Lashawan Qwadash. This is similar to claiming that Pig Latin is the true form of English or that William Shakespeare was famous for shaking a spear. It is that patently and blatantly absurd.
Read More(OPINION) In education circles, an incident like the Dalai Lama asking a boy to suck his tongue is often called a teachable moment. But the real lessons to be learned from this video could be titled “How NOT to respond to possible child sexual abuse” Or “How NOT to respond to a troubling sexual situation with a child.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Revelations regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ finances have raised questions concerning the ethics of a religious organization amassing such a large amount of wealth, and how it is balanced with charitable giving. But headlines often overlook the long and surprising history of the modern church’s financial success — as well as the continued anxiety surrounding its economic reserves.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights a Supreme Court case involving a mail carrier who quit his job rather than delivery packages on Sunday. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) The future journalist was both shocked and inspired by her contact with Christians caught in that land's toxic climate of paramilitary warfare, drug trafficking and kidnappings. She struggled to grasp how someone like pilot Russell Martin Stendal, after years held for ransom, could forgive his kidnappers and then start a missionary effort to convert them.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Richard Glazar insisted that no one survived the Holocaust without help. To this Prague-born Jewish survivor, who endured Nazi imprisonment at Treblinka and Theresienstadt, plus years in hiding, it was impossible to persevere without others’ support.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The inability for certain types of stories to register with the secular press — especially legacy media — is yet another sign of the political, cultural and moral divisions in our society and the dying notion of an objective press.
Read More(OPINION) The world’s largest organization of Muslims is campaigning for thorough worldwide reform of how to understand the faith’s religious law, Shariah, and applied jurisprudence, Fiqh. Such an ambitious goal may seem unlikely, and to date, Western media have given the effort minimal coverage. It’s time for that trend to change.
Read More(OPINION) Late last year, the American Bible Society published its annual “State of the Bible” report, and the results signal a dramatic decline in Bible reading. It seems clear that we are cultivating a society that does not care to make Bible reading a regular habit.
Read More(REVIEW) This past weekend, two movies about demonic possession released. “The Pope’s Exorcist,” starring Russel Crowe, is a Hollywood horror with a big budget and inspiration from the Vatican. “Nefarious” is a faith-based horror drama made by the creators of the “God’s Not Dead” franchise.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Marking April as Arab American Heritage Month – a time to learn about the history, culture and contributions of our nearly 4 million strong community – is gaining traction across the country. In 2022, Joe Biden made history as the first U.S. president to recognize the month, which he did again in 2023.
Read More(BOOK EXCERPT) While there were elements of hippie culture in the Jesus Movement, there was also a rejection of the purely hedonistic, live-and-let-live ethos of the 1960s. The 1960s had ended with assassinations, domestic terrorism, massive social unrest, incredible racial tension, and the peak of the Vietnam War. By the time the 1970s rolled around, America was in a dark, foul mood.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the latest research concerning the decline of Latino Catholics in the U.S. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) Quantum theory can widen how we imagine the cross of Christ. Jesus did redeem us on the cross. But wondrously beautiful things happened simultaneously to his blood being shed. For instance, Jesus married (betrothed) us. In Jewish tradition, a redeemer was a male relative responsible for caring for a deceased relative’s possessions, including the widow.
Read More(PERSONAL ESSAY) Buddha’s birthday is celebrated as a more quiet holiday in Japan as opposed to other countries, where it tends to be a grander national celebration. Known as Hana Matsuri (flower festival) or Kanbutsu-e (literally “Buddha bathing party”) in Japan, this birthday commemoration for Shakyamuni Buddha became intertwined with traditions from ancient Japanese farmers.
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