The last thing anyone expected from last night’s Oscars ceremony was Will Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage. After he did, he proceeded to talk about God’s calling for his life. Here, we recap that and other faith moments from last night’s awards.
Read MorePope Francis offered up a special prayer for Ukraine and Russia in connection with a Marian apparition that’s over 100 years old. The pope called on all bishops, priests and believers to join him in the consecration of Ukraine and Russia, an act triggered by a 1917 apocalyptic vision of Mary to three children in the Portuguese city of Fatima.
Read MoreBrian Houston has resigned as Hillsong global senior pastor after an internal investigation found he acted inappropriately toward two women.
Read MoreFaced with the reopening of face-to-face services, opinions on COVID-19 safety and security protocols have split congregations. Here is how a Brazilian church in New York handled the challenge.
Read MoreMichael O’Keefe and his attorney claim he was fired for including an openly gay guest speaker in his senior-level “Business of Branding” course. But the university asserts that O’Keefe’s termination stemmed from the content of the speaker’s presentation — and the professor’s alleged subsequent effort to squelch student complaints.
Read MoreJudge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been questioned in hearings this week to become the first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. “I must also pause to reaffirm my thanks to God, for it is faith that sustains me at this moment,” Jackson said.
Read MoreOnlySky is believed to be the first web platform devoted exclusively to secular ideas and voices. But nonreligious Americans are a group notoriously hard to define and pin down.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Are nearly 40% of clergy really about to leave the ministry? It’s a question that has come up regularly in conversations among sociologists of religion since the Barna Group, a research firm that focuses on religion, found last year that 2 in 5 Christian pastors had considered quitting full-time ministry in the past year.
Read MoreMask mandates are receding, COVID-19 cases are declining, and more houses of worship are going back to normal — holding in-person services once again. But attendance at those in-person services has not risen over the past six months, a new report by Pew Research finds.
Read MoreThe pastor of a New Hampshire church has been removed from his duties after being charged with possession of child pornography, but conditions of his bail require that he continue living at the church.
Read MoreFolk and rock anthems in response to the Russian invasion have created an air of nationalism and unity among Ukrainians. Besides the explicit protest in their lyrics, they recall other historical periods of conflict in the country.
Read MoreA new project by evangelicals, for evangelicals aims to persuade those on the fence about vaccination to go ahead and get the shots and equip church leaders to lead fact-based discussions while appealing to biblical values.
Read MoreThe University of Oregon plans to purchase the former Portland campus of Concordia University for $60.5 million and build a children’s behavioral health institute on the 13-acre site, funded by a $425 million gift from former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie, who is a University of Oregon graduate.
Read MoreOn March 11, President Ilham Aliyev signed further religion law amendments handing responsibility for naming prayer leaders in all mosques from the Caucasian Muslim Board to the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations.
Read MoreLithuania’s Hill of Crosses, where many visitors have left crosses to honor soldiers who died in uprisings against czarist Russia, has become a site to pray for Ukraine. The history of the Hill of Crosses is unclear. Folklore says the first cross was placed on the hill, formerly the home of a wooden castle, to remind others to pray for mercy and health of people. Soon, crosses began appearing to honor soldiers who died fighting against Russia, which disapproved and repeatedly demolished them.
Read MoreAs Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, many American Christians are trying to help in any way they can, whether through prayer, donations or housing refugees. There is a tremendous amount of care and concern for Ukrainians — and a desire to do something.
Read MoreHoli is one of Hinduism’s major festivals celebrating new seasons and joy with colorful powders, bonfires, sweets, singing and dancing. This year Holi falls on March 18.
Read MoreOn March 10, a court fined the Rev. Ioann Burdin of the Moscow Patriarchate's Kostroma Diocese one month's average local wages for online remarks and a Sunday sermon in church condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and stressing the importance of the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”
Read MorePope Francis — in a private video call on March 16 with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church — said religious leaders “must not use the language of politics, but the language of Jesus.” Francis’ remarks to Patriarch Kirill, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, were the latest in a series of moves to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Read MoreMulti-Faith Neighbors Network was co-founded by a Christian pastor, a Muslim imam and a Jewish rabbi to promote international religious freedom and increase cooperation and understanding between the Abrahamic faiths. The friendship between co-founders Bob Roberts Jr., an evangelical pastor in Texas, and Mohamad Magid, an imam in Virginia, illustrates that mission. “Imam Magid is literally one of the best friends I have on the face of the earth,” Roberts said. “I’d rather hang out with him than most Christians I know.”
Read More
