(OPINION) How do Latter-day Saints view the polygamy in their faith's past? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, was founded in 1830 by the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr., who later began practicing and advocating polygamy, a controversial teaching.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the Supreme Court arguments over a Texas death row inmate who wants his pastor with him at his execution. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) This year the peaceful celebration of Durga Puja that is so cherished by Hindus in Bangladesh was fraught with violence against Hindus and their places of worship.
Read More(OPINION) People often view scientists as “Godless.” But while its true that some — particularly members of the “new atheism movement” — couple their irreligion with an aggressive critique of religious belief as a threat to societal well-being, most atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K. are not anti-religious.
Read More(OPINION) Media eyes are trained on the U.S. Supreme Court's Dec. 1 argument on Mississippi's abortion restrictions, preceded by a fast-tracked Nov. 1 hearing about the stricter law in Texas. But don't neglect the Court's Dec. 8 hearing and subsequent decision on tax funding of religious schools in the potentially weighty Carson v. Makin case.
Read More(OPINION) Mark Zuckerberg says “meta” — from the Greek word meaning beyond — “symbolizes that there is always more to build.” Uh, not quite. “Meta” does mean beyond, but it doesn’t signify there’s always more to build. In fact, it signifies boundaries. And if you’re in an ancient faith tradition, you’ll recognize it is God who is the true Meta.
Read More(OPINION) At the end of October, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute team secured the evacuation of 79 women judges, lawyers, journalists and other human rights defenders from Afghanistan to Greece. But states must also wake up to the message sent by the Taliban and consider other ways they can help.
Read More(OPINION) In the 2002 race to become the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, critics noted that Bishop Michael Nariz-Ali was a strong evangelical leader in the global Anglican Communion. But more recently, Nariz-Ali stunned the Anglican world by announcing that he was returning to Roman Catholicism.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearing on a death row inmate’s spiritual rights at his execution. Plus, as always, catch up on all the week’s best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) Food banks, food pantries, meal programs and similar initiatives run by churches and other faith-based institutions are among the charitable organizations seeking to fill the gap left by government benefits for the food insecure.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A funny thing happened when President Joe Biden visited Pope Francis at the Vatican. The event actually made news, especially with Biden quotes about what allegedly happened in private. It was big news across the media ecosystem because of 20 words the president uttered to reporters in Rome after the face-to-face.
Read More(OPINION) When faced with such crises as seen in Afghanistan over recent months, there is a need for a variety of actors to provide assistance, including businesses. Businesses can do good and as seen in the case of Airbnb.org their assistance can effectively fill the gaps in humanitarian responses.
Read More(OPINION) If an American Jew suggested what I am about to quote, they might be hauled into the court of Jewish opinion, excoriated in some quarters and lauded in others. But these are the thoughts of Israelis who, while grateful for U.S. aid, find in recent events reasons to reevaluate that part of the relationship.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in opens with five frightening headlines involving evangelicals. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) It should be evident to all paying attention that the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will proceed as planned. Forget the meager protests against China’s cruel and immoral treatment of its own. The bad guys appear to be on the verge of another power-play victory.
Read More(OPINION) The Guy suggests that something far deeper than just a chatter-fest among self-appointed Twitter leaders is occurring in the Trump Era, which continues, to some degree — something that has the potential to wound or reshape what has been the largest and most dynamic segment of American religion: evangelical Protestants.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Oak Flat is regarded as holy by the San Carlos Apache Tribe, but it rests on about 40 billion pounds of copper. In 2014, legislation was passed by the U.S. government to transfer the land to the Resolution Copper mining company. This year, the tribe is fighting back in a case that tells us all something about what it means to be human.
Read MoreOn November 18, 2009, I appeared on the Tyra Banks show, debating the question of what treatment was best for children who identified as transgender. Sitting next to me was Dr. Marci Bowers, himself a male to female, and known as the rock star of transgender surgery, and Kim Pearson, a straight, married woman who is an advocate for transgender youth.
Read More(OPINION) Is the COVID vaccine the biblical "mark of the beast"? Many odd anti-vaccination rumors with murky origins are floating around social media, alarming healthcare workers as they combat a virus that has killed 720,000 Americans and counting.
Read More(OPINION) When political scientists and pollsters discuss faith and politics, one of their biggest challenges is separating the true believers from those who merely say they are believers. It's kind of like distinguishing between "football fans" and "FOOTBALL FANS," said John C. Green, a trailblazer in studies of politics, pulpits and pews.
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