(OPINION) These days the "response rates" among those in randomly selected samples are so low it's tough to tell how representative the people are. Pew's expertise often provides all-important distinctions between white "mainline" and white "evangelical" Protestants, and between white and Hispanic Catholics. Pew is changing the way it surveys religious behavior and attitudes, so the media will want to be aware of why and how.
Read More(OPINION) What is more important, embodying the Gospel or the traditional image of a Southern Republican? As the Southern Baptist Church has experienced critiques for racial issues, their numbers for baptism have ominously declined as well.
Read More(OPINION) The upcoming International Women’s Day should be used to rethink the impact of our everyday choices on the situation of women. This includes the way we shop. Indeed, recent research suggests that it is very likely that my power suit means enslavement, forced labor and abuse of Uyghur women.
Read More(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.
Read MoreIn this week’s Weekend Plug-in, top religion journalists analyze Catholic bishops’ conflicting and sometimes confusing statements on Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. Plus, find links to all the week’s top religion news and best reads.
Read More(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.
Read More(OPINION) A new survey finds that 1 in 3 young people ages 13-25 don’t trust people of other religions “very much” or “at all.”
Read More(OPINION) The majority in the new 2-1 decision in Indiana regarding Christmas decor in front of the Lion’s Club argued that the "nativity scene is constitutional because it fits within a long national tradition of using the nativity scene in broader holiday displays to celebrate the origins of Christmas." This post-Christmas decision in the heartland may have been a turning point in the ‘reindeer laws’ debate.
Read More(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.
Read More(OPINION) What definition of “religion” is the right definition to use in American society? How does that definition of religion relate to the insurrectionist riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6?
Read More(ANALYSIS) German bishops have brought what they call reforms back to the forefront over the past few weeks with a series of moves that could forever change Roman Catholicism.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in revisits a famous quote by the famous theologian Karl Barth on reading both the Bible and the newspaper. Plus, check out the week’s top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) The United Methodist Church is on the brink of America's biggest religious schism since the Civil War, with the conflict centering on sexual morality, biblical authority and theological liberalism. The 2020 General Conference to settle matters was postponed until this coming Aug. 29- Sept. 7 in Minneapolis, a city that currently limits meetings to 150 people.
Read More(OPINION) What does the phrase “follow the science” mean for journalism and particularly the impact of Catholic voices in news stories? That Catholics, and traditional religious believers in general, are seen as anti-science puts them in direct contradiction with what these politicians say and want.
Read More(OPINION) Ravi Zacharias, known for turning "apologetics" (defense of the Christian faith) from defensive bombast to intelligent and personable persuasion through books, countless personal appearances worldwide and the global team of some 100 speakers he built — died last May. Though, the coverage of multiple sex scandals he was involved in during his lifetime still stains the news today.
Read More(OPINION) Evangelical megachurch leader, Max Lucado, spoke about the trials of 2020 and the coronavirus during his recent sermon streamed online by the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. last Sunday. This invitation to speak alarmed legions of Episcopalians opposed to his history of orthodoxy on sex and marriage to trigger an online storm.
Read More(OPINION) Increasingly, everyday citizens are falling prey to the cancel culture mob. But how can we reverse cancel culture? Some biblical principles can help.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the religion angles related to the winter storm that left millions without power in Texas. Plus, catch up on all the week’s top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) As churches shifted to virtual services during the COVID-19 crisis, much of evangelicalism transferred to the Internet. In a Barna study, researchers asked the question, is this virtual work being done during the pandemic going to actually bring people through the doors when the church opens back up?
Read More(OPINION) Conservative Christians propose that the final day of Trump’s campaign to overturn President Biden’s Electoral College victory involved religious “heresy” or “apostasy.” A survey by the conservative American Enterprise Institute shows 63% of White evangelicals think Biden’s win was illegitimate, despite the numerous federal and state court rulings that found no evidence for Trump’s claim of a “sacred landslide.” But to what extent were Christians implicated in the Capitol mayhem?
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