(ANALYSIS) The U.S. Census Bureau says about 7 million children, or about 13% of school-aged students, go to private schools. This includes about 3.5 million homeschooled children. Both numbers represent significant increases in the past five years. Why has this shift taken place?
Read More(ANALYSIS) An “intelligence” report has emerged suggesting that over 900 “Kuki militants,” trained in advanced warfare techniques, have crossed from Myanmar into India and may target Meitei villages in Manipur as Christians in the region continue to be persecuted. It’s strange that this information was shared with the public, rather than communicated discretely to the Indian army.
Read More(ANALYSIS) How Catholic voters view the candidates and issues could nudge margins enough to swing the election, and so could many other factors in such a nail-biter. Though political coverage emphasizes evangelicals, shifts by the two different Catholic segments are usually much more important in general elections.
Read MoreAt 4:44 a.m., the calls to prayer begin. They come from everywhere, it seems, reminding me that I’m in the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. There’s at least one mosque in every direction from the home of Daniel Setiabudu, the Christian minister who’s graciously taken me in for a couple of nights.
Read More(REVIEW) Over the past four years, PornHub — one of the most-visited sites on the internet — has faced a reckoning of epic proportions. Efforts spearheaded by sex-trafficking activist Laila Mickelwait are the reason behind this reckoning, recounted in Mickelwait’s new book “Takedown: Inside the Fight to Shut Down PornHub for Child Abuse, Rape and Sex Trafficking.”
Read More(OPINION) If you haven’t read Ruth recently, or ever, you should. It’s a classic romance. I should say, it’s a romance among other things. That’s what intrigues me about the Bible, Old Testament and New. Nothing is ever just one thing. It works on a straightforward level, but it’s also full of allusions to other biblical passages and buried meanings and, well, there’s no end to it.
Read More(OPINION) There is only one Creator, only one worthy of adoration and worship, only one whose name will be proclaimed throughout eternity. The rest of us are created beings, here for His pleasure and purpose. He is eternal. We are here today and gone tomorrow. He is essential. We are dispensable and disposable. Only God is God.
Read More(OPINION) I want to remind us of what is good about being a Southern Baptist. That’s why I’ve chosen Hebrews chapter 10, verses 23 and 24, to be the theme verses for this year. And the theme statement will be “Hold fast."
Read More(REVIEW) The “Beetlejuice” sequel shows that Tim Burton continues to present religious themes, such as when Beetlejuice makes the sign of the cross and immediately catches on fire. Also, the movie expands the afterlife and shows how there are places beyond the waiting room and hallways we were shown in the first movie.
Read MoreA Lifeway Research study found U.S. Protestant pastors are just as likely to say someone connected to their congregation has been personally affected by opioid abuse today as compared to five years ago. They are less likely, however, to report their church is providing spiritual support for those addicted or any type of support group for those dealing with substance abuse.
Read MoreMost religious mythologies reflect how various peoples experience the world. Mesopotamia had really bad weather and tribal warfare, so its people tended to portray the gods as deeply chaotic and unreliable. Meanwhile, their Egyptian neighbors had stable weather and an equally stable government. As a result, their gods were largely stable and benevolent as well.
Read MoreSerbian judo star Nemanja Majdov was slapped with a five-month ban for making the sign of the cross before he competed at the recent Paris Olympics. He was accused by the International Judo Federation of violating its code of conduct for “having shown a clear religious sign when entering the field of play” and barred from participating in tournaments and other events.
Read More(ANALYSIS) American gospel musician Kirk Franklin and his Maverick City shook off negative perceptions from Kenyan skeptics to stage a show. As fans gathered at the Ulinzi Stadium in Nairobi to dance to Franklin, critics chose to stay away. Those who believe they are defenders of the Christian faith warned that Franklin was no longer representative of Jesus.
Read MoreHere’s the big idea in the podcast: Elite newsrooms allowing reporters to live in the heartland offer opportunities for reporters to interact with voices and points of view that they would not have encountered otherwise. In the end, however, a newsroom is only as diverse as the worldviews and source lists found in the work of its editors and superstars.
Read MoreTensions rose in the Ohio city after the Republican presidential ticket spread claims on social media and during the presidential debate that immigrants in Springfield were eating people’s pets. Bomb threats forced the closure of city buildings, schools and hospitals. It also made the city the subject of national and international news for a week or more.
Read MoreThe Vatican gave Catholics the green light to continue visiting the Bosnian village of Medjugorje, where children reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary some four decades ago. The Vatican's doctrinal office released a statement that fell short of declaring the apparitions “authentic” — but instead recognized the “positive fruits” for pilgrims stemming from the spiritual experience.
Read MoreAccording to a Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant churches with ongoing adult Bible study groups, 56 percent say the label “Sunday School” describes at least part of their groups ministry. Almost three in four (72 percent) say they are comfortable with others referring to their groups as adult Bible studies.
Read MoreTrustees for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee approved a recommendation this week to create a department within the EC to assist churches in the area of sexual abuse prevention and response.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In the bitterly divided evangelical world, any discussion of these issues — such as a confession signed by A-list evangelical Trump critics, as well as some doctrinal progressives — will automatically be framed by the rhetoric of the former president and his boldest supporters. Decades of rapier thrusts by late-night comedians, newsroom warriors and oppo researchers fade into the past.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The man who wrote “The Exorcist” knew what he was doing. The late William Peter Blatty was a witty Hollywood veteran (he wrote the Pink Panther classic “A Shot in the Dark”), as well as an articulate pro-Catechism Catholic.
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