Posts in Politics
Biden elected second Catholic U.S. president in history: What does it mean for a divided nation?

(ANALYSIS) Former Vice President Joe Biden’s Catholicism often helped shape his politics as did a family tragedy earlier in his life. Biden promises unity post-Trump, but how he governs could ultimately result in an even bigger political split in the U.S. over the next four years.

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5 things we learned about faith voters this election cycle

(ANALYSIS) From exit poll results to the outcome of several ballot measures, here’s how religious denominations impacted the U.S. elections.

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Why are U.S. voters so wary about electing atheists? What about voting for evangelicals?

(OPINION) In a recent study by the Gallup Poll, researchers found that Americans are much less likely to vote for an outward atheist due to past concerns with the people group. They associate atheism with communism and immorality, making it difficult for someone to rise above those stereotypes and gain power in office.

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Bevelyn Beatty, 'Jesus Matters' activist who defaced BLM murals, stabbed outside White House

In July, Bevelyn Beatty, a fiery Christian, conservative and Black woman, got America’s attention when she painted over three Black Lives Matter memorials in New York City to promote “Jesus Matters.” Religion Unplugged contributor Princess Jones spoke with Beatty about her life and her fight to reveal the truth as she sees it about the state of the Black community and Black church.

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Religious voters to have a big say following contentious campaign

Americans cast their votes Tuesday to decide between giving President Trump another four-year term or whether to elect challenger Joe Biden.

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Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement for this Election Day and Beyond

(OPINION) We have resources in American political thought to help us through this tumultuous period. Anyone troubled by the prospect of violence this Election Day should reflect on the strategy behind the great victories of the Civil Rights Movement.

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For many Americans, religion will play a major role on Election Day

Just days before Election Day, a new poll finds that four in 10 Americans factor in personal religious beliefs into their voting decisions.

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Macron is right to defend free speech in France, denounce Islamists

(OPINION) The Oct. 16, 2020 terrorist beheading of French schoolteacher Samuel Paty has galvanized France and led to increased international tensions. French President Macron has portrayed the conflict not as a lone terrorist attack but as a war between Islamists and France that is a conflict of ideologies.

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Don’t vote Trump for religious liberty

(OPINION) Many Christians are rightfully concerned that religious groups committed to a traditional, biblical ethic of marriage will be increasingly marginalized and restricted. In response to these anxieties, many conservative religious people turn to a perceived strongman who will keep their institutions safe. Here’s why they shouldn’t.

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Violence against India's marginalized Dalits rising, new data shows

Crimes against Dalits, a community marginalized for centuries in the complex Hindu social hierarchy, have increased by more than 7% in the last year, according to new government data. Experts and activists blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “politics of hatred” and say a law from the ‘80’s meant to deter the crimes has pervasively failed.

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COVID-19 Is Fueling A New Jesus Movement

After touring the country for months holding worship events, charismatic Christian worship leader Sean Feucht is hosting prayer and revival events in Washington, D.C. this weekend that are expected to draw 15,000 people. Many charismatic groups believe this year of hardships is creating an opportunity for ministry, to bring healing and peace, and are rallying against what they see as unfair restrictions during the pandemic.

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Armenia, Artsakh and Turkey’s Neo-Ottoman Dream

(OPINION) Now, more than 25 years after the rather unclear resolution of a 1994 conflict—and emerging in the notoriously painful year 2020—the Armenia/Artsakh vs. Azerbaijan conflict has flared up again. And this time—tragically—Turkey’s Islamist President Tayyip Erdogan has powerfully entered the fray.

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Catholic Leaders React To Francis' Support For Same-Sex Unions

(ANALYSIS) The disoriented juxtaposition of Catholic Church teaching on marriage with the comments of Pope Francis on civil unions of same-sex couples was not lost on Catholic leaders worldwide, who expressed concern, confusion and anger in response.

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Why Chilean Protesters Set Fire To Churches

(ANALYSIS) "The only church that illuminates is a burning church,” one protester said, pictured with an altar in flames on a social media account. The recent arson on two Catholic churches in Santiago was not random but as much a referendum on the Catholic Church, where sexual abuse cases in Latin America are topped by only Mexico, as on the country’s constitution that sparked the protests against economic inequality.

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Will U.S. Catholics split their vote this year?

(OPINION) Trying to gauge voter enthusiasm is difficult. While Trump voters do seem generally more energized — especially among evangelicals and church-going Catholics — compared to Biden supporters, the events of the past few weeks in Washington may have shifted priorities.

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Religious Freedom Lately: Chilean churches set on fire, Native American petition denied and more

Why a federal court has denied petitions from a Native American tribe to stop construction on land they claim their ancestors are buried, how two Chilean churches were set ablaze during protests against inequality and the latest world leader to demand a UN investigation of China’s abuses against Uighurs.

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