Posts in North America
The Faustian deal of trying to be a good Christian and a Trump voter
The Faustian deal of trying to be a good Christian and a Trump voter

(COMMENTARY) Due to God’s charge to Christians, they should not support President Donald Trump. By claiming one can be a “good Christian” despite who you vote for, Christians such as Jerry Falwell Jr. imply that one’s political activities are completely divorced from their faith. Such a claim, in essence, reduces Christianity to a mere set of propositions and intellectual or moral claims. However, the Bible presents Christianity as something far more whole-person than many Trump supporters realize.

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Analysis, Politics, Religion, Opinion, North AmericaZachary WagnerDonald Trump, Russell Moore, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Wayne Grudem, Jerry Falwell, Jr., Liberty University, Christians, Primary Feature, Christianity
Surprise – The crucial religion story of 2018 is the specter of 'designer babies'
Surprise – The crucial religion story of 2018 is the specter of 'designer babies'

(COMMENTARY) He Jiankui, a U.S.-trained biological researcher in China, claims he has successfully altered the genes of newly born twins, with a third such birth expected soon.

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Asia, North America, Science, Religion, OpinionRichard OstlingChina, DNA, Designer Babies, He Jiankui, The New York Times, Francis Collins, CRISPR, Axios, The Economist, AIDS, National Academy Of Science, Richard Ostling, Donald trump, Donald Trump, Christianity
Future of all those Roman (and American) churches? No need for anxiety, says pope
Future of all those Roman (and American) churches? No need for anxiety, says pope

(COMMENTARY) Lots of Rome’s 900-plus churches will be empty in the next generation or so.

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Europe, North America, Religion, OpinionTerry MattinglyRoman Catholic, Catholic Church, Phil Lawler, Pope Francis, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Italy, Demographics, Europe, Pope Benedict XVI, Birth Rates, Georgetown University, Roman, American Catholic, American church, Terry Mattingly, Catholic, Catholicism, Christianity
The Saudi puzzle: Here are four religion threads woven into this sordid political drama
The Saudi puzzle: Here are four religion threads woven into this sordid political drama

(OPINION) There are several more religion stories to be told surrounding the murder of the former Washington Post op-ed writer Jamal Khashoggi.

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Middle East, Religion, Politics, North America, Conflict, Analysis, OpinionIra RifkinIra Rifkin, Middle East, Islam-Muslims, Godbeat, Islam, Muslims, Human Rights, International News, New York Times, CNN, BBC, Washington Post, Primary Feature
Buckley's Catholic faith and conservative political legacy
Buckley's Catholic faith and conservative political legacy

William Buckley’s ability to articulate a strong national defense, need for small government and a devotion to God and traditional values became the bedrock of the modern American conservative movement. It was Buckley’s Catholic faith that proved central to his life and ideology. He was a man who not only lived his devotion daily, but one that helped to inspire future generations of politicians, thinkers and broadcasters.

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Society, Religion, News, Culture, North AmericaClemente LisiCatholic Church, communism, conservatism, National Review, Republican Party, The King's College, William F. Buckley, Ronald Reagan, Supreme Court, Clemente Lisi, Primary Feature, News, Catholicism, Christianity, Rush Limbaugh, Ted Cruz, Brett Kavanaugh, Trump, Reagan Comment
The Catholic Connection To Thanksgiving Day
The Catholic Connection To Thanksgiving Day

(OPINION) The Thanksgiving meal in 1621 between the Pilgrims and Native Americans in Massachusetts may not have been the first of its kind. Some historians say the first meal has a connection to Catholicism and that it took place more than 50 years earlier in Florida.

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North America, OpinionClemente LisiPrimary Feature, Thanksgiving, Catholicism, Catholic Church, St. Augustine, Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Protestant separatists, Don Juan de Onate, Fort Caroline, Florida, President Abraham Lincoln, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Clemente Lisi, News, Christianity, Thanksgiving day
New Documentary Honoring Charleston Church Shooting Tells Story of Forgiveness
New Documentary Honoring Charleston Church Shooting Tells Story of Forgiveness

Deeply stirring documentary “Emanuel” about the 2015 Charleston Church shooting, directed by Brian Ivie, unearths a hidden parallel tale of living amidst hate. The film, which premiered on November 14 at the New York Documentary Festival, shows how one community chose to respond to tragedy with forgiveness.

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Religion, Culture, Opinion, North AmericaAnastassia GliadkovskayaPrimary Feature, Charleston, South Carolina, Civil War, Confederate Flag, John Shepherd, Brian Ivie, New York Documentary Festival, Andy Peterson, Justice Film Festival, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Dylan Roof, Poly Sheppard, Chris Singleton, Anastassia Gliadkovskaya
Stan Lee on God
Stan Lee on God

(COMMENTARY) Marvel Comics’ creative genius Stan Lee revolutionized the comic book world with super-heroes who were flawed, insecure and prone to evil forces. What’s lesser known or asked is where Lee’s storytelling perspective came from and how his mix of religious beliefs informed the Marvel universe.

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Culture, Opinion, North AmericaMeagan SaliashviliPrimary Feature, Stan Lee, Meagan Clark, Marvel Comics, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Spider-Man, The Hulk, Black Panther, Thor, Marvel, Judaism, Christianity
Jordan Peterson: The Devil's in the details of all those Youtube debates (Part 1)
Jordan Peterson: The Devil's in the details of all those Youtube debates (Part 1)

(COMMENTARY) University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson answers critics, the faithful and seekers in between on his popular Youtube channel. Peterson has sent mixed signals about Christianity.

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Religion, North America, OpinionTerry MattinglyTerry Mattingly, Jordan Peterson, Twitter, Youtube, Sam Harris, Psychology, Toronto, Atheism, Bishop Robert Baron, Donald Trump, YouTube, Millennials, Catholic, Christianity
A Christian’s acquittal in Pakistan is fueling advocacy against "blasphemy"
A Christian’s acquittal in Pakistan is fueling advocacy against "blasphemy"

After the unprecedented acquittal of a Christian from blasphemy charges, Pakistan is bowing to pressure from hardline Islamist groups to ban her exit from the Muslim-majority country.

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Asia, Conflict, Justice, Politics, Religion, Religion News, Press Freedom, North America, NewsMuhammad Akbar Notezai and Meagan ClarkPrimary Feature, Asia Bibi, Lahore, Pakistan, blasphemy, Prophet Muhammed, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Barely Sunnis, Barely clerics, extremism, South Asia, Amir Cheema, Salman Taseer, Mumtaz Qadri, Shahbaz Bhatti, Meagan Clark, Muhammad Akbar Notezai, News, Islam, Muslim
Ties that bind: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, Russia and Fatima
Ties that bind: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, Russia and Fatima

(COMMENTARY) Pope John Paul II believed his and former US President Reagan’s survivals of shootings were part of a divine plan countering evil in Russia.

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Politics, Religion, North America, Europe, OpinionTerry MattinglyReagan, Pope John Paul II, Fatima, Berlin, Cold War, Paul Kengor, Russia, Mikhail Gorbachev, Terry Mattingly, Primary Feature, Catholicism, Christianity, Soviets, Ronald reagan, Ronald Reagan
Collect story ideas and contacts galore at religious eggheads’ annual extravaganza
Collect story ideas and contacts galore at religious eggheads’ annual extravaganza

Religion scholars will meet Nov. 17-20 in Denver for simultaneous conventions of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the professional counterpart for Scripture specialists, the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL).

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Religion News, Religion, North America, English, NewsRichard OstlingRichard Ostling, American Academy Of Religion, Society Of Biblical Literature, Biblical Archaeology, Westar Institute, Jesus Seminar, Evangelical Theological Society, David Dockery, Rachael Denhollander, #MeToo
Keeping up: Transgender challenges ahead for news media and 'mainline' Protestants
Keeping up: Transgender challenges ahead for news media and 'mainline' Protestants

(COMMENTARY) The New York Times reported this week that the Donald Trump Administration is considering, for federal purposes, a definition that a person is male or female “based on immutable biological traits identified by or before birth,” supplemented if necessary by genetic testing. That would overturn a policy under President Barack Obama to recognize transgender identities.

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Analysis, Society, Opinion, North America, PoliticsRichard OstlingRichard Ostling, The New York Times, Donald Trump, Millennials, Ligoinier Ministries, Teresa Berger, Duke University, Jill Soloway, Kwame Appiah, Pronouns, Angel Collie, Kate Ott, Yale Divinity School, Drew Theological School, Barack Obama, Transgender, Yale, Protestants, Christianity
Complex realities behind that '81 percent of evangelicals love Trump' media myth
Complex realities behind that '81 percent of evangelicals love Trump' media myth

(COMMENTARY) In the current news theory of everything, few numbers in American political life have received more attention than this one – 81 percent of white evangelicals voted for Trump in 2016. Politicos have paid less attention to signs that many evangelicals cast those votes with reluctance, and some with a sense of dread.

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Analysis, Opinion, North America, PoliticsTerry MattinglyEvangelicals, Donald Trump, Media Bias, Pew Research Center, Scott McConnell, Wheaton, Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham, Clergy, Primary Feature, Terry Mattingly, Christianity