(OPINION) An unmarried Catholic school teacher was dismissed from her position because she became pregnant through engaging in premarital sex. While religious freedom should include the right to remove an employee violating the school’s faith standards, the school could have handled the case of an unwed mother choosing life over abortion much differently.
Read More(OPINION) Cracks inside the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops widened with the election of President Joe Biden, a rosary-carrying Catholic who – in word and deed – has evolved into a fierce defender of abortion and LGBTQ rights.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The biannual U.S. Catholic bishops’ meeting received more than its usual attention this June due to one particular item on its agenda: a proposed document on the Sacrament of the Eucharist, a ritual also known as Holy Communion. What is the Eucharist, and what does it mean to be denied it?
Read More(OPINION) Whenever the Southern Baptist Convention gathers in times of trials and turmoil, one thing is certain – someone will preach a sermon that makes a difference. That's how Southern Baptists do what they do. These sermons may not produce as many headlines as SBC elections or fiery debates about hot-button social issues, but the sermons matter.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in explores the faith angle in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. Plus, catch up on all the week’s top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) What’s important to remember is that as Catholics our faith is not a set of political positions that we hold on a variety of issues. Our faith is rooted in what Jesus said about God’s purpose and his will for every person. That has been transmitted to all of us in the gospels, through centuries of church tradition and Canon Law.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It's hard to follow warfare inside the Southern Baptist Convention without a working knowledge of biblical symbolism. Here is a recap of some of the images and references at play.
Read More(OPINION) After centuries of slavery and racial persecution in U.S. history, a fascinating era emerged when the Bible was used to promote peace and equality rather than strife and subjugation.
Read More(OPINION) Standard news judgment automatically puts the spotlight on hot disputes in the nation's two largest religious sectors — white evangelicalism and Catholicism. Meanwhile, the media consistently downplay the third-ranking religious category, "Mainline" Protestantism. Do these “Mainliners” hold insights into how to mitigate sexual abuse scandals in churches?
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in explores the role of Christian denominations in taking Indigenous children from their families in Canada and the U.S. Plus, check out all the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) The Census Bureau reports the “unprecedented environment” during the COVID-19 pandemic fueled a boom in “pandemic pods” as well as parents considering virtual schools and home-school organizations beyond the neighborhood public school. The Census Bureau reported home-schooling among Black or African Americans increased by five times to 16.1% of households last fall.
Read More(OPINION) Whether you’re a Catholic or just like to root for the underdog — or both — then you’ll be watching Croatia at this summer’s European Championship.
Read More(REVIEW) “Otherwise/Revival” was co-curated by Cara Lewis and independent curator Jasmine McNeal. It presents the work of 31 contemporary artists exploring the impact that the Black church and, more specifically, the Black Pentecostal movement has had on their lives.
Read More(OPINION) The U.S. bishops used their recent spring gathering to urge the church to be welcoming to migrants. In the spirit of Mother Cabrini, the church needs to continue to reach out to immigrant communities. The bishops have pinpointed some of the issues. It’s time now for talk to be put into action.
Read More(OPINION) Faith-based foster care services are one essential element to providing children with loving families in a system where too many children languish. As recent research indicates, there are high turnover and recidivism rates among foster parents, yet more than 80% of foster parents cite faith or church support as an element that contributes to successful and sustained fostering. As the unanimous Court stated in Fulton, “[t]he City apparently prefers to risk leaving children without foster parents than to allow CSS to follow its religiously dictated policy, which threatens no tangible harm.”
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the crucial developments at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. Plus, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) Barring an intervention from Pope Francis himself, the U.S. bishops will consider, and vote on Thursday, a plan for a document about Holy Communion that includes denying the sacrament to politicians who repeatedly support policies advocating abortion rights. That includes President Joe Biden, only the country’s second Catholic commander in chief ever.
Read More(OPINION) While The United Methodist Church debates societal issues — LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter, welcome of refugees and the like — its congregations’ real estate is eating away at the denomination and threatening its viability.
Read More(OPINION) Rifkin explores his Jewish heritage and religion as he grapples with the death of his son. He explores the cultural tie to traditional burial and how his son opted against it — choosing cremation over a Jewish cemetery.
Read More(OPINION) It's often said religious couples generally tend to have more children than non-religious ones. Journalists should ask local observers and national experts if that remains true, and why so, and what impact growing secularism in places like North America will have upon the looming Birth Dearth.
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