Before the coronavirus pandemic, Ugandan church weddings were a show of financial prowess and status. Now during a lockdown, brides and grooms are holding small-scale events dubbed “scientific” weddings.
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New Jersey painter Nora Murphy created a series of portraits by blending vintage mugshots with Catholic saints who were considered criminals in their time.
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Easter, Ramadan, and Eid al-Fitr—amid COVID-19 lockdowns, religious celebrations have looked different this year. Thankfully, they don’t have to taste different. Most of us are still practicing our faith with social distancing, but staying home is the perfect way to venture into new recipes and maybe even taste a new religious tradition.
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On June 29, the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics, reasserting a commitment to abortion rights over fierce opposition from dissenting conservative justices in the first big abortion case of the Trump era.
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For the last 12 years, on the anniversary of Miriam the Prophetess’ death, artist Maureen Kushner has led a boat full of women to the spot on Lake Kinneret where, according to Jewish lore, the mystical spring known as Miriam’s Well now rests. Though the pandemic altered the group’s plans this year, it didn’t stop them from making the pilgrimage.
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Abby Johson, the prominent pro-life activist behind the evangelical film Unplanned, has come under backlash from religious pro-lifers after posting what they call a racist video. Some religious activists are pivoting to secular organizations that they think are more intentional about combating racism.
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The new law will increase the sentence given for a misdemeanor if the defendant acted with bias because of the victim’s race, sexual orientation or religion, among other factors. The office of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said the governor “commends the General Assembly’s bipartisan work and will sign House Bill 426 [hate crimes bill] pending legal review.”
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Gladys Kwedyo has not been able to walk since she contracted polio at 2 years old, but she’s never allowed the disability to stop her from having a fulfilling career and marriage or going into church ministry to help those in need. Though the pandemic has effectively shut down Zimbabwe, Kwedyo has a hand-controlled car, two hands and a big heart.
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(ANALYSIS) This week, city officials in Charlotte began removing stones around one of four monuments in the U.S. to the most prominent Jew of the Confederacy. In today’s political climate, it remains to be seen whether protesters will draw attention to Judah Benjamin or whether he will rest in relative obscurity among U.S. historical figures. As of now, the few monuments to his legacy still stand.
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The former National Security Advisor’s inside look at the Trump administration claims a widespread indifference from the president to China’s suppression of religious freedom, even as other diplomats pressed for the U.S. to act.
Read MoreJohn Miller’s film with David Bernabo, titled “Moundsville,” is a biography of a small town along the Ohio River — from its beginnings with a 2,200-year-old Native American burial mound, its economic boom and bust times as dozens of factories arrived and disappeared, to the current age of Walmart, shale gas and new generations hoping to figure out a future for the small town. The documentary is currently streaming on PBS.
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This week, St. Louis residents started a petition to remove a statue of the former French King St. Louis IX, deeming him anti-Semitic and Islamophobic. In response, local Catholics have formed a group to defend the canonized saint from vandalism or removal, while others are asking Pope Francis to “decanonize” the saint.
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Progressive Catholics like Martin Gugino see it as their role to help the United States achieve racial equality. Traditional Catholics, however, see Black Lives Matter as part of a sinister force that wants to spread Marxist ideology. While Catholics agree that racism is an issue in American society, the proposed remedies for those ills differ wildly.
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Protesters occupying Seattle’s “autonomous zone,” a portion of the city’s Capitol Hill district spread over several city blocks, have managed to keep police and politicians out for almost two weeks. But they haven’t kept out God. A group of interfaith clergy has set up a tent to offer spiritual counsel to protesters and gawkers alike.
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“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is moving far beyond black churches, civic groups and social organizations that have celebrated it as their own “Black National Anthem” for 100 years. As the nation grapples with the police killings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and many other African Americans, protesters have taken it up in California, Texas and Washington, D.C, where it was performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial earlier this month.
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With the swelling challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic further depriving the impoverished, Danielle Schneider, Brad Brunsch and Rachel Simmons face a year of ministry like no other.
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President Pierre Nkurunziza, who died June 8 at 55 years old, was a study in contrasts. He was known for public demonstrations of his Christian faith, yet his political opponents were often silenced or disappeared mysteriously. However, it was his biggest — and last — contradiction that will remain etched in the minds of Burundians. As the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Nkurunziza and his officials ignored the virus, but reports now say he may have died from it.
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Jeromyah Jones’ father was a painter, but his parents taught him more about the Bible than anything else, with the belief that a foundation in Scripture would allow him to be successful in any career he decided to pursue. This spiritual background helped Jones find his calling: to focus on the intersection of the Bible and black history, from the beginning of slavery in Africa to racial injustice in modern America.
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(TRAVEL) Based on chemical analysis of resin found on the limestone altars of a Tel Arad shrine, researchers in Israel recently published a study that suggests the ancient Israelites used cannabis mixed with animal dung to spark a level of ecstasy during worship.
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An Alabama pastor stirred controversy after liking social media posts that some community members viewed as culturally insensitive. Though he has since issued an apology, the local school board and housing authority have cut ties with the church, prompting further debate on whether actions on social media should warrant such a response.
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