From Oklahoma to New Jersey to Nairobi, faith communities are taking up collections, helping refugees and voicing opposition to the military invasion of Ukraine. Many recognize that part of the motivation is for the Russian Orthodox Church to gain power in the Orthodox world. And Putin, at age 70, is making a desperate move to regain territory Russia once held during the Soviet Union. Both motivations create waves of anger, fear and the will to resist such totalitarian behavior.
Read MoreFor the past century, America’s conservative Christians and politicians were united in the belief that the communist USSR — and later, Russia — was anti-American, anti-God and a threat to the world. But recently, some Christian nonprofits have consistently praised Russia as a global beacon of hope for families and the survival of Christianity.
Read MoreAbout 50 Christians with ties to Ukraine gathered for an afternoon of prayer at the North Davis Church of Christ in Arlington, Texas. Less than 48 hours after the prayer service, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the breakaway republics and ordered his military to “maintain peace” in the disputed areas.
Read MoreThe Bible translation industry takes in about $500 million per year in donations. With all that money, it produces about 15 completed Bible translations each year. But Strategic Resource Group has embarked on an experiment to see if a secular company — a translation service provider — can translate the Bible faster and cheaper.
Read More(OPINION) Yes, baptism-gate has been all the rage. News coverage of it, however, has not been so good. The specifics of the doctrines surrounding baptism are often too difficult for many journalists to write about fairly. When they do tackle these issues, they tend to assume the Vatican is wrong and rigid. After all, the experts they consult agree with that very notion.
Read MoreIn towns devastated by tornado and fire in Kentucky and Colorado, Christian disaster relief organizations struggled to get enough volunteers because of omicron concerns. But members of local churches stepped in. For them, the coronavirus was a secondary concern.
Read MoreStudents at Gordon College organized a rally “in solidarity with women and the LGBTQA+ community” after a speaker made what were characterized as misogynistic and transphobic remarks during a chapel service.
Read MoreTwo years into the pandemic, church leaders reflect on the blessings — and drawbacks — of livestreaming. While some leaders worry about Christians forsaking physical gatherings, a majority of those surveyed said they see benefits to maintaining virtual options — especially for the immunocompromised, shut-ins and traveling members.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the parallels to American-style Christian nationalism in Canadian truckers’ Freedom Convoy protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Plus, catch up, as always, on the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreOnce upon a time — way back in the 1950s and ‘60s — the wealthiest Americans paid a top tax rate of over 90%. Now, the top tax rate is 43%, but many of the richest Americans use a variety of techniques to pay much less. A group called Patriotic Millionaires says the rich should pay their fair share to help reduce rapidly expanding economic disparities.
Read MoreStan Cottrell is incredibly fast and on July 3, 1980, broke the mark recognized by Guinness World Records for running from New York City to San Francisco — 66 miles per day for 48 consecutive days. And he has been told he set another distance record this year by reaching 270,000 miles of running in his lifetime.
Read More(OPINION) In February 2022, lawyers for the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, a nongovernmental organization, applied for a judicial review of whether the Canadian government’s inaction amid the ongoing genocide against Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China violates its international obligations.
Read MoreSince evangelicals galvanized to declare abortion their No. 1 social and political issue, they have used two main strategies to reduce the number of abortions: legislation that restricts access to abortion and ministries — including pregnancy centers — that give women viable alternatives to abortion by providing the resources and support they need.
Read More(OPINION) Reporter Kelli Stavast interviewed the NASCAR winner Brandon Brown and said that the crowd was cheering, “Let’s Go, Brandon,” when the crowd was actually cursing President Joe Biden. The Rev. Seth Carter was surprised when people of the church started adding the slogan “Let’s Go, Brandon” into regular conversations.
Read MoreWhen New Dover United Methodist Church in Edison, New Jersey, closed its doors in 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19, parishioners went home and made sandwiches. They haven’t stopped. To date, they have made 100,000 sandwiches for the hungry in their neighborhood.
Read MoreAmerica incarcerates people at higher rates than any other country, and as the country’s inmate population has grown to more than 2 million, major prison ministries have followed the “captive audience” model. But COVID-19 made some prisoners inaccessible for two years. That’s why some say a different model — a staff model — makes sense.
Read MoreEnes Kanter Freedom’s efforts go far beyond the basketball court. He is one of the most outspoken basketball players and athletes at the professional level when it comes to activism, standing up for religious freedom and the oppressed. He’s been one of the few pro athletes willing to criticize China for its treatment of religious minorities.
Read MoreThe Mount Angel Abbey, a Benedictine brewery in Mount Angel, Oregon, welcomes visitors year-round to taste and believe that the Lord is good. They follow the tradition of Saint Benedict, the late fifth-century founder of the Benedictine order who created self-sufficient communities in which the monks could make their own food and drink.
Read More(REVIEW) In a push to create a conservative alternative to Hollywood, the conservative news outlet The Daily Wire produced its first film, premiering Feb. 10 on YouTube. “Shut In” is a solid home-invasion horror film that seamlessly integrates faith with thrills. ReligionUnplugged talked to producer Dallas Sonnier about how his parents’ murders influence his portrayals of violence and faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The focus the past few weeks has been on Germany and the involvement of Benedict XVI in the handling of some abuse cases, decades before he became a key church official in Rome and, eventually, pope. This was also long before the church adopted stricter policies on how to handle cases of clergy sexual abuse.
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