Posts in News
2024 Golden Globe Awards: Complete List Of Winners

This year’s Golden Globes — the first in a series of awards that will set the stage for the Oscars — took place on Sunday evening at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Among the top film nominees coming into the night were Greta Gerwig's blockbuster “Barbie,” Christopher Nolan's “Oppenheimer” and Martin Scorsese's “Killers of the Flower Moon.” See which movies and TV shows won awards this year.

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Modi Critics Raise Alarms Regarding India’s Persecution Of Religious Minorities

As India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to run for a third term, the country remains on the brink. Activists, journalists and civil society groups have continued in recent months to raise alarms at the rise in religious persecution of minorities throughout the country. 

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How Religion And American Politics Mix: 3 Trends To Follow This Year

(ANALYSIS) Religion is likely to play a big role in voters’ choices in the 2024 presidential election — much as it did in previous years. Despite an overall shift away from participation in organized religion in the U.S. populace, religious rhetoric in the political arena has intensified.

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La Befana: A History Of Italy’s Annual Epiphany Tradition

In Italy, a country that exudes centuries-old traditions rooted in Christianity, there exists a holiday that captures the imagination of both young and old alike every Jan. 6. The holiday — known as La Befana — is a unique blend of religion and folklore that marks the end of the Christmas season.

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Vatican Says Same-Sex Blessings Not ‘Heretical’ Following Pushback

Three weeks after announcing that priests could bless individuals in same-sex relationships, the Vatican published a clarification on Thursday following backlash — and even some confusion — from Catholic prelates around the world.

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Black Churches Hardest Hit By The Pandemic, But Did More To Promote Vaccines

Houses of worship with predominantly Black congregations suffered the most in terms of attendance and donations. At the same time, they did more to promote COVID-19 testing and vaccinations throughout the pandemic.

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Israel’s Highest Court Protects Its Power To Curb Extremism

(ANALYSIS) In the midst of Israel’s fierce war against Hamas in Gaza, the country’s highest court on New Year’s Day drew attention back to a previous conflict within the country. In a narrowly divided decision, the justices struck down a significant part of the contentious judicial reform passed in July 2023 by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Despite Gang Killings, South African Pastors Continue To Preach

Some South African pastors are among a group who have risked their lives by preaching the gospel in places where gang violence and murder seems to be an unending cycle. These brave pastors continue to preach even though their friends, family and church members live under the threat of violence every day.

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5 Catholic Storylines To Watch For In 2024

This was a very busy year on the Catholic beat. A decade after Pope Francis replaced the then-retiring Benedict XVI, the consistently progressive pontiff has very much been the focal point of plenty of news coverage in 2023. Expect more of the same in 2024.

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Q&A With Russian ‘Spy’ Maria Butina: Orthodoxy, Politics and Twerking

Religion Unplugged’s former executive editor Paul Glader reported a three-episode narrative podcast for the Sony Entertainment Media show “Infamous” about GOP operative Paul Erickson who led a colorful life that included advising a presidential candidate, making a Hollywood movie and dating an alleged Russian spy named Maria Butina. Upon hearing the podcast, Butina reached out and agreed to an interview to share her perspective on her now ex-boyfriend.

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Religion's Role In The Life Of Convicted Fraudster Pardoned By Trump

(EXCLUSIVE) The national spotlight turned on Paul Erickson in recent years when the red-haired, Russian national he was dating, Maria Butina, was accused of being a Russian spy during intense scrutiny on Russian connections to the United States during the Trump presidency. Butina was arrested in 2018 and deported in 2019 after she pleaded guilty for failing to register as a foreign agent. 

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Biblical Scholar Shares Research On LGBTQ Relationships

Rubel Shelly’s new book, “Male and Female God Created Them: A Biblical Review of LGBTQ+ Claims,” examines same-sex attraction and relationships through the lens of deep and scholarly biblical research. Shelly, a Bible scholar, is the author of dozens of books that dig deep into the Bible to expose and present its teaching.

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12 Biggest Stories Involving Orthodox Christianity That Took Place In 2023

The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, a major calendar change and the deepening rift between Constantinople and Moscow defined 2023 for the Orthodox church around the world. Here’s a look back at the biggest stories of the year.  

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Gen Zers And The Decline Of Christianity In Europe

It is ironic the Czech Republic, a place where religious monuments are enmeshed with public life, that people seem to have little place for faith in their daily routine. In fact, according to the most recent data, almost 50% of the Czech population does not identify with any religious tradition.

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Why Some Muslims Follow Traditions Tied To Zoroastrian

Zoroastrianism — an ancient monotheistic religion that predates Christianity and Islam — found a home in Uzbekistan in the 6th century when Persians established a base in the region. The religion has roots in Persia, and followers are spread out in modern-day Iran, India and Central Asia.

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The Role of Churches in Europe’s Refugee Integration

The Czech Republic has one of the largest number of refugees per capita of any European nation. After the beginning of the war in Ukraine, thousands moved to the Czech Republic seeking safety following Russia’s invasion. However, the amount of immigrants from Ukraine was increasing even before the war because people were in search of better jobs and to escape poverty and unemployment.  

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Texas Churches Partner To Form County’s Largest Food Bank

Harvest House now feeds an average of 300 families every week, providing them with about 5,000 pounds of food. That makes it the largest food pantry in Matagorda County, with a population of about 36,000 — nearly a quarter of whom live below the poverty level, according to U.S. Census data.

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‘Great Cloud Of Witnesses’ Helped Propel Harding To National Title

The 14-0 Colorado School of Mines, favored to win the game, jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. But the Orediggers wouldn’t score again. With its run-intensive “flexbone” offense, the Harding University Bisons dominated time of possession and scored 38 unanswered points, winning Harding’s first-ever Division II national title in front of more than 12,000 fans.

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How African Refugees Are Celebrating Christmas This Year

As most people take a break to gather and celebrate Christmas with family and friends, for tens of thousands of Africans that have fled threats, wars, turmoil and persecution at home, this is a moment that their homesickness is heightened. Many of them find solace in the church and connecting with relatives on social media.

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