Posts in North America
Remembering Luis Palau and his last trip to Peru: 'Well done, good and faithful servant'

(OPINION) Luis Palau, called the Billy Graham of Latin America, died March 11 at age 86. Religion Unplugged contributor and board member of The Media Project recalls what it was like working with Palau in Peru and accompanying him on official meetings with government officials and artists.

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The Array Of Beliefs Inside America's Rising Religious 'Nones'

(OPINION) Religion Unplugged contributor and data journalist Ryan Burge thinks the rising number of Americans who don’t identify with any particular religion may be the most consequential religious group. They are one-fifth of the population and the fastest-growing religious group in the U.S. On point after point, they are notably different from both atheists and agnostics.

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A Guide To Faith Communities Booming On The Clubhouse App

Clubhouse, the new audio chat app from Silicon Valley, is a booming spot for faith groups hoping to supplement weekly worship and grow their communities. Here are the best ones to check out.

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Are we all evangelicals now? How the term has grown to blur theology and ideology

The term “evangelical” has broken away from its roots as a sub-genre of Protestant theology and has now morphed into a social, cultural and political term that stretches far beyond the boundaries of Christianity. In fact, the term “evangelical” is now being embraced by religious groups that do not believe in any of the tenets of an orthodox evangelicalism.

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How the Equality Act would impact faith-based child placement agencies

(ANALYSIS) The proposed Equality Act explicitly bans discrimination in federally funded programs on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, which would require all adoption and child placement agencies to adopt to LGBTQ couples.

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Ravi Zacharias International Ministries to Change its Name, Remove Founder Content

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries will change its name and remove content from late founder Ravi Zacharias from its website and social media platforms, RZIM CEO Sarah Davis said in a statement. Davis said the organization will discontinue the use of “The Zacharias Institute” brand immediately and that content to be removed includes publications and videos.

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How Harry And Meghan Sent The Church Of England Into Panic Mode

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex caused major waves via their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Accusations of racism, betrayal and a lack of empathy dominated the talk, but one key detail dropped about the couple’s wedding has left the Church of England in a difficult position.

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Why I Won't Make Another Christian Film

(OPINION) A filmmaker writes that none of the films he made had cursing, they didn’t have sex scenes, they didn’t have endings where everything wasn’t tied up nicely with a happy ending bow— not because he didn’t want to put them in his movies, or thought he could tell a better story without them, but instead because he knew if he did include mature content or unanswered questions in his films, they wouldn’t sell.

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Pope Francis On A Historic Visit To Iraq

(OPINION) Pope Francis’ Apostolic Visit to Iraq begins on March 5, 2021. This first-ever papal visit to Iraq aims to provide moral support to Christian minorities in Iraq and the region while facilitating the Vatican’s goal of building bridges with the Muslim world. The visit comes close to seven years after religious minorities in the region, including Christians and Yazidis, have been targeted for annihilation by Daesh.

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The Pandemic is Pushing Children's Ministers To Be Even More Creative

The pandemic has upended and reinvented the form and shape of ministry as Churches of Christ have learned to be virtual, socially distant and masked. But perhaps no aspect of congregational life has been called to creativity more urgently than children’s ministry.

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In True Crime Series 'Murder Among the Mormons,' LDS Church Reckons with Rewritten History

(REVIEW) New true crime series “Murder Among the Mormons” tells the story of 1985 Salt Lake City bombings connected to the LDS Church.

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'Where Feet May Fail': After Carl Lentz Affair, What’s Next for Hillsong Church?

After its celebrity pastor Carl Lentz’s marital affair became public, Hillsong Church is quietly rebuilding and resetting their global mission to keep reaching more people searching for meaning in their lives and create community and worship music. Critics say the church needs greater accountability for its leadership. Rumors of Lentz, who is married, acting inappropriately with women circulated as early as 2017.

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Reflecting on Ravi Zacharias: When we have to apologize for the apologist

(OPINION) Ravi Zacharias was perhaps the world’s most famous apologist for Christianity until his death last year, but now the most memorable part of his legacy is the apologetics challenge he has left behind for the rest of us. Here’s why we shouldn’t dismiss his arguments even after the revelation of his sexual abuses.

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Disability Activist Catherine Mardon Describes How She Was Surprised By Papal Knighthood

In 2017, Catherine Mardon and her husband were surprised with memberships into the Catholic Church’s Order of St. Sylvester for their work with disability advocacy and management of several activism campaigns.

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How New York’s 19th century Jews turned Purim into an American party

(ANALYSIS) On Feb. 26, Jews celebrate Purim with feasts, carnivals and charity. A historian of American Judaism points to Purim as an important holiday that increased Jews’ visibility in the United States in the 19th century.

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‘Joker Jesus’ Follows Overt Religious Symbolism in Superman Movies, Sparks Predictions for New ‘Justice League’

A photo released this week depicting popular comic book villain the Joker dressed as Jesus Christ is circulating social media. Fans speculate on what it means for the soon-to-be-released Justice League and reflect on the director’s past work — which heavily uses religious symbolism.

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There is a Better Way Forward Than the Equality Act

(ANALYSIS) The Equality Act would explicitly add to the definition of “sex” both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” but a Supreme Court ruling this summer already goes a long way toward ensuring LGBTQ individuals are protected from discrimination in federal law. The Equality Act would scrap a law that protects the religious freedom of organizations that adhere to orthodox theologies on gender and sexuality— there is a better way.

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