(OPINION) Go with heavy material. Certain translations of holy books offer valuable insights into our world and this era. Thomas Paine’s skewering of biblical religion is a worthy read, along with classics like “Lord of the Flies.”
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(OPINION) Responding to a review of his book Reforming Journalism, Olasky writes that a Christian alternative to mainstream journalism is needed and should follow principles of biblical objectivity rather than try to stay neutral on issues the Bible clearly addresses, like abortion or same-sex relationships.
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(OPINION) Believers draw strength from their faith and support from their communities. The coronavirus is straining the remarkable resilience of medical workers, even those who have the added safety nets that religion provides.
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Monday marks the centennial birth of Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II and was canonized a saint following his death. John Paul II was one of the longest-serving pontiffs in church history, the first non-Italian elected pope in 455 years and spent much of the 1980s ending communism in Eastern Europe.
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Megachurch pastor Brian Gibson of His Churches announced this week that his church would reopen services at three of his four locations across Texas and Kentucky on May 17 and asked other religious leaders to join him in standing up for what he sees as a religious freedom concern during COVID-19 restrictions.
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As COVID-19 locks people in their homes and has put others out of work, more people than ever are relying on charities, many faith-based, to fill basic needs. Tree of Life, based in Virginia, has seen a rise in demand from undocumented persons.
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In the Weekend Plug-in column, Bobby Ross Jr. reports on positive news concerning Associated Press religion writer Rachel Zoll, who is battling brain cancer.
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There were more incidents of anti-Semitism in the U.S. in 2019 than in any year since the Anti-Defamation League started tracking them in 1979, according to a report released this week by the group.
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(OPINION) The government can both provide robust protections for religious employers so as to not ask them to violate their sacred precepts and the government can, if it chooses, work to provide alternative means for women to access contraceptive services. This is especially relevant now because many institutions caring for the elderly most vulnerable to COVID-19 are faith-based.
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The reason for the cuts appears to be more related to falling enrollment after the Liberty president Jerry Falwell Jr.’s support for President Donald Trump than the economic impacts of the coronavirus.
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(OPINION) Expect an increase in agenda-driven messaging about religion’s role in the COVID-19 response and elsewhere in American public life. We should be aware of unbalanced narratives coming from the left and right, and journalists should take extra care in their approach to these issues.
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Catholic leaders — be it the pope, cardinals, bishops or even your local parish priest — don’t traditionally endorse candidates for political office. Here’s a look at why things may be changing as both the church and voters prepare for another U.S. presidential election.
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Two separate studies were published recently about how lower mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to more premature death. While one study estimates 75,000 Americans are at risk of dying by suicide, another finds that regular religious services attendance lessens the likelihood of a fatal mental health illness.
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On this day for 68 years, tens of thousands of Americans, evangelicals in particular, have gathered in public places and churches to pray for their leaders and their communities. This year for the first time, many hosts have canceled the event or shifted online, which has encouraged other Christian denominations and even other faith groups to join or organize parallel events.
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Spray nozzles called bum guns, water pots called lotas in South Asia and bidets have been keeping behinds clean for many years without toilet paper, in line with Islamic and Hindu texts urging purification of the body with water.
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(REVIEW) The WORLD Magazine Editor in Chief and author of 20 books writes that the Christian faith can and should use journalism to further its aims, but the only criterion of good journalism is a good story. Religious literacy simply gets you better stories, and Olasky never says this.
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The fight is the latest salvo in the ongoing war between traditional forces within American Catholicism and the LGBTQ community trying to push the church to more progressive positions on an array of social issues. The Catholic church considers sexual activity between members of the same sex to be a sin.
Read More(OPINION) The national conversation regarding religious freedom right now is largely focused on the question of public, in person gatherings for worship services. And yet, it is important to recognize that this is not the only element of the institutional religious freedom discussion that needs to be had at the moment. In the weeks to come, this column will take up in detail emerging public policies that impact the freedom of faith-based organizations.
Read More(OPINION) Nobody knows how long the COVID-19 crisis will last. Simply “waiting it out” is not an option for businesses, and it’s not am option for faith communities. In order to stay relevant in this time of uncertainty, churches need to exercise the same innovation seen in the marketplace.
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(OPINION) Most states are on a timeline to reopen businesses and lift shelter-in-place guidelines. The issue has become largely partisan, but in conservative Christian circles there is some debate about the morality of how we balance the economy and public health.
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