Crossroads Podcast: Bishops’ Election Highlights Division Over Culture Wars

Once again, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops gathered for debates and votes with serious implications for the current occupant of the White House and his supporters.

📕 He Bought A Book For 50 Cents: It Turned Out To Be A ‘Crown Jewel’ 🔌

In the early 1960s, Ron Bever paid 50 cents — roughly $5.34 in today’s dollars — for an old religious book at an estate sale. A rare books enthusiast, even Bever didn’t realize at first what a treasure he’d acquired.

What Does It Mean To Be ‘Pro-Life’ In 2025?

(ANALYSIS) It would be a mistake to assume that everyone in these movements adheres to one viewpoint, or is interested only in stopping abortion. In reality, there are many motivations that lead to people using the phrase “pro-life.” When reporters asked Pope Leo, he said, “It’s important to look at many issues that are related to the teachings of the church.”

Archbishop Paul Coakley Elected USCCB President: Is It Really All About Trump?

(ANALYSIS) Elected on Tuesday during the bishops’ fall meeting in Baltimore on the third ballot, Coakley, who turned 70 this past May, succeeds Archbishop Timothy Broglio, promising a leadership style that balances moral conviction with pastoral sensitivity in a time of deep political and cultural polarization.

Oversight Board Urges Meta To Address Information Gaps After Syria Case

(ANALYSIS) The Oversight Board, a body making precedent-setting content moderation decisions on the social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads, issued a decision calling on Meta to mitigate information asymmetries in armed conflicts. The Oversight Board is a body examining whether Meta’s decisions are in line with its policies, values and human rights commitments.

Nigeria’s Christians Under Siege: Why CPC Designation Was Long Overdue

(ANALYSIS) President Trump recently designated Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act. Like most of his acts, this ignited major controversy, much of it reflecting longstanding and now renewed disputes about what is really happening in that country.

Bad Bunny And Puerto Rican Muslims: What It Means To Be Boricua

(ANALYSIS) Bad Bunny is more than a global music phenomenon; he’s a bona fide symbol of Puerto Rico. The church choir boy turned “King of Latin Trap” has songs, style and swagger that reflect the island’s mix of pride, pain and creative resilience.

The Religious Freedom Case That’s United Both Sides Of Church-State Divide

(ANALYSIS) In recent years, litigation on certain types of religious freedom lawsuits have been practically run of the mill: prayer on school premises, for example, and government funding for students at faith-based schools.

Which Religious Groups Are Most — And Least — Likely to Get Tattoos?

(ANALYSIS) My assumption was that religious folks — especially those from more conservative backgrounds — wouldn’t feel very positively about tattoos. But it’s also clear that the overall stigma around tattoos has faded tremendously over the last couple of decades.

Analysis, North America, Religion, SocietyRyan BurgeNovember 8, 2025Ryan Burge, analysis, religion, tattoos Comment

Crossroads Podcast: Rise Of The ‘Nones’ And Democrats’ Religion Problem

The bottom line: There have been important, newsworthy trends taking place on the “religious left” as well as the “secular left.”

🇫🇷 Love In Many Languages: Diverse Christians Connect In Mediterranean Melting Pot 🔌

God and Google can bring people together in any language. A diverse group of Christians connected on a recent Sunday in Marseille, France.

On Religion: Reports Of Christian Genocide Grab Trump’s Attention

(ANALYSIS) The Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo had every reason to be emotional as he stood in a shallow grave containing the corpses of 11 members of his Nigerian church. Responding to pleas from Republicans in Congress and religious conservatives, President Donald Trump warned the United States may soon intervene.

Africa, Analysis, Christianity, Religious FreedomTerry MattinglyNovember 6, 2025Terry Mattingly, religion, analysis, Nigeria, Africa, Trump, religious freedomComment

When Rage Replaces Reason: The Rise Of America’s Violent Creed

(ANALYSIS) Street protests spill into riots. Universities host intimidation campaigns. Digital mobs savage anyone who dares step outside the script. Across America, political anger is spilling into the open, and on the left it increasingly takes a violent shape. What begins as dissent can tip quickly into destruction.

Closing The God Gap: Why Democrats Need Religious Voters

(ANALYSIS) As media pundits over-interpret the nationwide impact of elections in New York City, New Jersey, Virginia and California, let’s contemplate this: What do the data on religious dynamics say about prospects for a rather demoralized Democratic Party in 2026-2032, and whether a more centrist strategy might help?

Religion Over The Last 50 Years: Have We Reached Peak None?

(ANALYSIS) I’m not exaggerating when I say this — there is no other long-term, cross-sectional survey of the adult U.S. population that asks about religion in such a useful way. It’s the tree trunk of empirical social science in this space, and it’s cited everywhere. The phrase “General Social Survey” appeared in more than 4,400 articles published in 2024, according to Google Scholar.

Most Churches Aren’t Growing: What We Can Learn From Those That Are

(ANALYSIS) There’s a certain kind of conversation that happens among pastors and denominational leaders, usually in almost hushed tones: “Did you hear about how [insert church name] added a thousand new attendees last year?” Someone will inevitably chime in with another example of a church experiencing rapid growth. Before long, the discussion circles back to the same question: “How in the world do they do that?”

Analysis, Christianity, North America, protestants, SocietyRyan BurgeNovember 3, 2025Ryan Burge, church attendance, churches, Christianity, analysis, news, rechargeComment

Rediscovery Of African Burial Grounds Provides Chance For Healing

(ANALYSIS) As Charleston demonstrates, these projects are not only about preserving the past – they are acts of recognition, respect and reconciliation, helping communities nationwide confront and honor the histories long denied to African-descended peoples.

Crossroads Podcast: The Miracle That Changed Sir Anthony Hopkins’ Life

While most episodes of “Crossroads” focus on religious issues in news coverage, this week’s podcast was quite different. The hook for my discussion with host Todd Wilken was a New York Times interview in which Hopkins described, in often cryptic language, an “epiphany” that made him the man and movie legend that he is today.

🎃 Inside The Halloween Tailgating Trend Gaining Popularity At Houses Of Worship 🔌

Trunk-or-treating — aka Halloween tailgating — is a growing trend in houses of worship and elsewhere. Plug-in delves into the history of the events as well as why not everyone is a fan.

Can Screenwriters Scare The Hell Out Of People?

(ANALYSIS) In other words, this is another case of “good” religion vs. “bad” religion.

Analysis, Entertainment, ReligionTerry MattinglyOctober 29, 2025Terry Mattingly, Halloween, Halloween 2025, analysis, horror films, religion, film and TVComment