📝 Jesus Didn't Lie On His Resume, But This Top Southern Baptist Official Did 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in covers the resignation of a top Southern Baptist Convention official for lying on his resume. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

Rising Intolerance In Pakistan And Misuse Of Blasphemy Laws

(ANALYSIS) Three influential cards have always played well in Pakistan’s political arena: Sunni Islam, the army and patriotism. Being a Sunni Muslim makes you powerful and provides a deep sense of being an extraordinary Pakistani.

Asia, AnalysisKiyya BalochAugust 17, 2023Kiyya Baloch, Pakistan, Christianity, Zenger, Zenger News, ZengerNews, Secondary feature, rechargeComment

British Government Officially Recognizes Daesh Genocide Against The Yazidis

(ANALYSIS) Starting this month, the British government has formally recognized the Islamic State group atrocities against the Yazidis as genocide. The announcement comes nine years after the atrocities and follows a determination of the atrocities as genocide by a German court.

AnalysisEwelina U. OchabAugust 16, 2023Ewelina U. Ochab, Yazidis, Daesh, Genocide, Religious minorities, Middle East, ForbesComment

Jesus and AI: A Chatbot Willing To Take On Questions Of All Kinds

(ANALYSIS) No one has called Jesus an internet guru — that is, until now. In his latest role as an “AI Jesus,” Jesus stands, rather awkwardly, as a white man, dressed in a hooded brown-and-white robe, available 24/7 to answer any and all questions on his Twitch channel.

Giving To Maui Disaster Relief And Who To Avoid

(ANALYSIS) The horrific scenes coming from Maui — and news that at least 90 people have died — have caused many of our readers to ask, “How can I help?” Here are a few principles and tips to keep in mind as you give to Maui relief efforts. We also have our assessment of some ministries that are raising funds to help.

Russell Moore on Christians who Are Switching Churches or Hitting Exit Doors

(ANALYSIS) “Book of the Month” is certainly an appropriate label for Russell Moore’s “Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America,” released July 25 by Sentinel. I am borrowing that label, of course, from that venerable subscription club and corporate partner during The Guy’s days working with the old Time Inc.

Analysis, BooksRichard OstlingAugust 14, 2023richard ostling, books, analysisComment

🔥 Prayers For Maui: Houses Of Worship Burned; People Of Faith Organize Help 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the devastating Maui wildfires. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

Infrequent Church Attenders Were Trump's Base, Right?

(ANALYSIS) I can’t point to one specific instance of this, but it’s something I see in the online discourse: “It’s the folks who don’t go to church who put Trump in the White House.” “It’s the most religiously devout Republicans who are the ones driving the MAGA train” Which one is right? Both are. Which one is wrong? Both are.

Skipping doctrine at World Youth Day in favor of scandals and politics

(ANALYSIS) The concept of World Youth Day has been influenced by the Light-Life Movement that has existed in Poland since the 1960s, where Catholic teens celebrated a “day of community” during youth camp retreats. This has morphed into the five-day event that ended Sunday.

Religion, Analysis, NewsClemente LisiAugust 8, 2023Clemente Lisi, religion, Catholic church, World Youth Day, Pope Francis, recharge, RechargeComment

Exploring Without Clarity: A Review of ‘Walking With the Spiritual But Not Religious’

(REVIEW) This book is a valiant attempt to create an ethic of deep listening, empathy and guidelines for spiritual mentorship for those who find themselves marginalized by the religious community. At the same time, the Staffords’ lack of clarity exposes the groundwork to logical fallacies, self-refuting statements and logical circles.

Analysis, BooksRafa OliveiraAugust 8, 2023Rafa Oliveira, books, Christianity, book review Comment

How India’s ‘Elephant Whisperers’ Overlooked Deeper Issues

(ANALYSIS) The film missed the mark in looking at the socioeconomic conditions that many caretakers and mahouts undergo, the plight of the elephants outside of conservation efforts, and the history of this bond between humans and elephants in South Asia that dates back nearly 5,000 years.

⚖️ Seeking Justice In Tree Of Life Synagogue Shooting: Will Killer Really Be Executed? 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in starts with the death penalty sentence in the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

The Unheard Voices: Men’s Untold Struggles with Post-Abortion Grief

(OPINION) Men who have been affected by abortion are a neglected voice in the abortion debate. It is an oft-repeated mantra that men need therapy — and new research shows that this may be especially true for men experiencing grief after abortion and disenfranchisement of their pain.

How I Escaped From The Shiny Happy People, But Still Had Survivor’s Guilt

(PERSONAL ESSAY) How did I — a child raised into that organization — break free? How can anyone break free of misguided, fundamentalist religious movements or cult-like organizations and, yet, still retain any kind of religious belief?

After-school clubs and the Satanic Temple’s push for separation of church and state

(ANALYSIS) As the start of the school year rapidly approaches, controversy can’t be far behind. But not all hot-button topics in education are about what goes on in class. Over the past few years, conflict has trailed attempts to establish After School Satan Clubs sponsored by the Satanic Temple, which the U.S. government recognizes as a religious group.

How will religion fare as liberal arts education shrinks in the United States?

(OPINION) Pity U.S. colleges coping with political feuds, “diversity,” declining applications and enrollments, student debt and tight budgets. Add religious and moral issues, and things get even more complex.

Reaction to Leslie Van Houten’s Parole Shows How Unforgiving We’ve Become

(OPINION) This isn’t a column about Leslie Van Houten. This is a column about the often competing virtues of justice versus mercy. But the news event that started me thinking (again) about those dueling impulses was the recent announcement that Van Houten, a former member of Charles Manson’s “family,” will soon be paroled from prison.

🎤 The Late Sinéad O’Connor Ripped Up The Pope's Photo: Was It Offensive Or Prophetic? 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in covers the death of Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

Why the Catholic press and columnist Ross Douthat remain essential reading

(ANALYSIS) I have found it healthy and important to watch Fox News and read The New York Times. Both are highly influential in their respective partisan bubbles. Both impact the world around us, for better or worse, and that’s of great importance in a world were journalistic objectivity is a relic of a pre-internet world.

Analysis, Catholicism, North America, ReligionClemente LisiJuly 28, 2023Catholic church, Vatican, Pope Francis, Ross Douthat, recharge, RechargeComment

The Fight For Women’s Suffrage: An Iconic Moment Shaped By Quaker Beliefs On Gender

(ANALYSIS) The two-day Seneca Falls Convention marked the beginning of the movement for women’s suffrage, which would be granted 70 years later by the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution. And it likely wouldn’t have happened without Quakers.

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