(ANALYSIS) As 2021 comes to a close, everyone is looking toward 2022. The news cycle over the last two years has been dominated by COVID-19, and that doesn’t seem to be subsiding given the rash of recent omicron infections. The Catholic world, meanwhile, had in 2021 one of its busiest years. Expect 2022 to be just as busy.
Read MoreTelevangelist and prosperity gospel preacher Kenneth Copeland, who is the leader of Eagle Mountain International Church in Tarrant County, Texas, has a reported net worth of $750 million. But because his $7 million mansion is considered a “parsonage” for the church under Texas Tax Code Sec. 11.20, the property is tax-exempt.
Read MoreIt was another tough year for many people around the planet. The pandemic, just as it seemed to be subsiding this fall, rages on thanks to the omicron variant. Aside from COVID-19, issues such as climate change and the plight of migrants continues to plague nations, and international conflicts continue to rattle millions around the globe.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On Dec. 31, people from cultures all around the world will be raising a toast to welcome in A.D. 2022. Few of them will think about the fact that A.D. signals “anno Domini,” Latin for “in the year of our Lord.” In A.D. temporality — the one acknowledged by most societies today — next year marks 2023 years since the purported birth of Jesus Christ.
Read MoreThere’s an excess of Christmas movies to stream this holiday season. We’ve compiled a list of 12 of the best faith-based Christmas movies to enjoy.
Read More(OPINION) With the second holiday season of the pandemic upon us, many people will have the opportunity to rejoin family and friends for celebrations. The pandemic has kept many of us apart longer than expected, and it may have been months since we’ve visited with our loved ones. In addition to enjoying food, folks and fun, there may be some not-so-pleasant surprises.
The 2022 World Cup, which will be held in the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, will test the majority-Muslim country in several ways — primarily when it comes to religious mores around public intoxication and homosexuality, both of which are illegal there.
Read MoreSupporting a full-time minister requires an average of 130 or more in worship, but 65% of American churches count an average of fewer than 100 in worship. So, from flight attendant to funeral director, secular jobs help pay the bills for bivocational ministers.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Each season, the celebration of Christmas has religious leaders and conservatives publicly complaining about the commercialization of the holiday and the growing lack of Christian sentiment. Many people seem to believe that there was once a way to celebrate the birth of Christ in a more spiritual way.
Amid heightened needs of Afghan girls and women, ReligionUnplugged interviews Daisy Khan, one of the most prominent female Muslim leaders in the U.S., about her work leading the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality to advance the rights of women based on the spiritual principles’ integral to the Islamic faith.
Read More(TRAVEL) Among all the hustle, bustle and stress that comes with Christmas, we should also all be reminded that it is a time of prayer. While prayer can take up many forms, Catholics are returning to in-person Mass now that COVID-19 lockdowns have largely been done away with.
Read MoreTaga Jones’ home is one of hundreds destroyed by a rare December tornado that tore through four states — Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky — in four hours. It was part of a Dec. 10-11 outbreak in which more than 30 tornadoes were reported across six states.
Read MoreAt least 50 people are feared dead, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said, after a devastating night of storms that stretched from Arkansas to Illinois.
Read MoreOn Nov. 29, the U.S. District Court in Kentucky entered judgments of nearly $4.7 million against Aliera, which marketed “sham policies” and “realized exorbitant profits” by declining to pay claims and instead retaining 84% of customer donations, in violation of federal requirements.
Read More(OPINION) This year, with Hanukkah slotted earlier in the cultural calendar, it seemed like the powers that be in American commerce went out of their way — for better and for worse — to crank out extra gifts and advertisements targeting Jewish consumers.
Read More(ANALYSIS) While many state legislatures and the U.S. Supreme Court seem to be ready to reverse Roe v. Wade and ban or severely limit abortion, the majority of Americans want abortion to be available as a choice, and the share who would support a total ban on the practice is incredibly small.
Read MoreA Christian children’s home in Tennessee that receives federal funds for some of its programs has sued the Biden administration, challenging its reversal of Trump-era exemptions that gave some Christian child welfare agencies the option to deny the placement of children with foster or adoptive parents who do not agree with their faith and beliefs.
Read More(REVIEW) The Brooklyn Museum takes the road less traveled in its exhibit “Andy Warhol: Revelation” by spotlighting beyond Warhol’s commonly known artistic themes of sex, drugs and modern American life to uniquely unmask the artist’s Roman Catholicism.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Forty years after a nationwide “satanic panic” that stoked fears of ritual child abuse, conspiracy theories are latching onto fears of the devil — from the false belief that tracking devices are in COVID-19 vaccines to theories that the Astroworld tragedy was a satanic sacrifice.
Read More(OPINION) When Michael Metzger was nine, his father read a bit of poetry to him. He showed scant interest. But he can still recall the opening lines of both because of their enchanting phrasing and rhythm. Today, Metzger has a love for poetry. Here’s why.
