(OPINION) Pop quiz: What do you imagine God was doing before creation, back then in eternity past? Many answer how, in eternity past, God chose us before the foundation of the earth to be part of the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. True, except that in eternity, there is no such thing as time back then, before creation. Eternity is timeless.
Read MoreRepublican leaders have been pushing for Christian values in public schools, with mixed results. Many Christians are disillusioned with both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, and the polls suggest that many may not vote in the upcoming election.
Read More(OPINION) This past weekend, we celebrated our 25th annual missions conference, thanking God for the amazing testimonies from our faithful workers who have served on the mission field worldwide, often quite sacrificially.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In her campaign against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump — whose 2016 victory angered her — the Harris team has used Doritos as a symbol of the feisty, combative side of the vice president’s personality.
Read MoreAmid the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, a group of Salesian nurses are helping women combat drug addiction. Manipur — an Indian state nestled in the mountains along the border with Myanmar — has been gripped by ethnic violence since last year. Approximately 250 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced.
Read MoreNo publicity has gone to women who have chosen a different path. The Catholic Church, for example, opposes aborting the handicapped unborn on the grounds that all life — no matter how disabled — has “inherent dignity.” This debate has been reignited as Vice President Kamala Harris, who favors expanding abortion rights, runs for president.
Read MoreChristian men and women use pornography more today than in 2016 when Barna spotlighted the sin among pastors and congregants, an updated study found in calling the church to be a place of healing for those impacted by the pervasive and destructive phenomenon.
Read MoreTo Latvia’s north, the former Soviet nation of Estonia also shares an eastern border with Russia — and Churches of Christ there share the concerns of their brothers and sisters to the south. “For Estonians, it has never been a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ about a war or a threat to their freedom.”
Read MoreAmerican churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues. Four in five U.S. Protestant churchgoers believe a pastor must address current issues to be doing their job, according to a Lifeway Research study. Only 16% disagree and 4% aren’t sure.
Read MoreThe flood waters trapped one of Geren Street’s neighbors as he tried to escape in his truck. First responders were able to answer the neighbor’s distress call and freed him as the force of the water pinned the truck door closed. In the days that followed, Street housed the man at First Baptist Church of Roan Mountain along with several other families who lost everything.
Read MoreWith two weeks left until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris has made visiting churches an integral stop along the campaign trail, urging voters to cast early ballots as part of her “souls to the polls” campaign. The push comes as Harris attempts to motivate Black Christians who have traditionally been a part of the Democratic Party’s voter base.
Read MoreRepublican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance’s appearance at a far-right Christian revival tour last month may have broken tax and election laws, experts say. On Sept. 28, Vance held an official campaign event in Monroeville, Penn., in partnership with the Courage Tour, a series of swing-state rallies hosted by a pro-Trump Christian influencer that combine prayer and public speakers.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Before this month’s synod at the Vatican, Pope Francis took the question of allowing women deacons off the agenda, referring this and other hot-button issues to study groups. That distressed many Catholic activists. Leaving aside this matter of ordained ministry, sisters in religious orders and lay women could fill many influential church posts monopolized by male priests.
Read MoreThe pontiff reflected on his own memories of playing soccer as a child in Argentina. Francis also described sports as an experience of the “sense of fraternity,” because friends would play “knowing only opponents on the field, never enemies.” Sports offer lessons in life, he added, as players learn from the highs of winning, the effort it takes to win, and the loss of defeat.
Read MoreIt is said that all dogs go to heaven. At least, these two certainly will. In fact, Eric and Florence are no ordinary assistant attendants undertaking duties at England’s Tewkesbury Abbey located northwest of London. These special helpers are two Labrador dogs belonging to the head attendant, Chris Skepper, who come to work on a regular basis within the abbey.
Read More(ANALYSIS) At the current synod, whose purpose is to address “communion, participation, and mission” in the church, women’s role is on the agenda. But Catholic women have historically found ways to speak to and about their church leadership, even when they have been excluded from its proceedings.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I’ve written before about the political activity of a bunch of different religious groups. But I wanted to revisit that prior work and take the level of analysis down one layer of granularity to look at specific Protestant denominations.
Read MoreIf an editor wanted to craft a headline that would ignite the telephone switchboards for conservative and Christian talk shows, this would probably be it: “Study says 32 million Christians likely not to vote.”
Read More(REVIEW) Forgiveness is widely considered one of the most difficult things to do in life — particularly when it comes to the relationship between parents and children. This is probably why so many films deal with the idea of reconciling with one’s parents. “Exhibiting Forgiveness” does a great job of honestly wrestling with the hardest questions around forgiveness.
Read MoreAn Army veteran and father of three was found guilty of praying silently in a large abortion buffer zone in England and fined the equivalent of $11,700, Alliance Defending Freedom UK (ADF UK) reported. Adam Smith-Conner could face jail time under the conditional discharge the court granted, his attorneys said, if he commits the same crime within the next two years.
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