Posts in Politics
Religious voters react to Georgia Senate race results favoring Democrats

Rev. Raphael Warnock, pastor of the historic church of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, has won Georgia’s U.S. Senate Race to make history as the first pastor and Black Senator from Georgia since Reconstruction. Investigative journalist Jon Ossoff is also expecting historic win for the Democrats in an election that counted on high Black voter turnout.

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Pilgrimage: Why D.C.’s Basilica of the National Shrine is worth a visit

(TRAVEL) Aside from its rich history and architectural majesty, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception may very well be one of the most under-appreciated places to visit in Washington. In a city dominated by so many architectural wonders connected to politics, it’s easy to neglect that it also has a very large Catholic presence.

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5 storylines involving the Catholic church to watch for in 2021

(ANALYSIS) What will 2021 bring? That’s the big question following a 2020 that will forever remain a year where the world was held hostage by a pandemic. It was also a year where we had a combative presidential election and a reawakened social justice movement that brought our divided politics out into our streets.

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Fights over First Amendment rights will likely top religion beat agenda in 2021

(OPINION) Ongoing fights about the First Amendment and religious liberty are likely to prove the most newsworthy, but two other themes deserve attention as well.

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International Court Says It Can't Investigate Crimes Against Uyghurs In China

(ANALYSIS) Last week, the Office of the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court confirmed that it would not go further with the trials for the alleged crimes against the Uyghurs in China. The court does not have jurisdiction over crimes in China, allowing for senior Chinese leaders to continue religious persecution.

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The Growing Divide Within American Evangelicalism

New survey data shows white evangelicals hold very different political views (like believing Donald Trump won the 2020 election) than the so-called evangelical elite that includes evangelical leaders like best-selling Bible study author Beth Moore. The result is the loudest evangelical voices are like generals without an army.

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Indonesian politics roiled by return of radical firebrand imam Rizieq

(ANALYSIS) The recent return from Saudi Arabia of Islamist firebrand Muhammad Rizieq Shihab sparked massive welcoming crowds, threatens to reform old political alliances and may even create new ones.

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Pope Francis' new book: Don't rely on news coverage for what's in it

(OPINION) That Pope Francis would put his name on a book — written by a British author — criticizing the United States, its media and politics without understanding the First Amendment is a major shortfall of the project. There is also more to this book that the mainstream secular press did not highlight — like the pope’s staunch opposition to abortion.

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Kashmir goes to the polls for first time since India stripped autonomy

Analysts say if the election is fair, it could be a referendum on the constitutional changes made on Aug. 5 last year. But there is evidence that the Indian government is preventing local political parties from campaigning in India’s only Muslim-majority region.

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Serbia's Orthodox Patriarch Irinej dies of COVID-19 after leading funeral for bishop

Patriarch Irinej contracted COVID-19 after presiding over a funeral of a bishop in Montenegro, where thousands of attendees did not wear masks or socially distance. He was known for his pro-Russian stance in Orthodoxy, his close relationship to the Serbian government and president, and for overseeing completion of one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches, St. Sava Cathedral.

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Multi-Faith Organizations Have Unique Skills To Help Migrants Integrate

Civil society groups, many faith-based, have stepped in to provide a vital bridge between new arrivals and local communities. Some are skeptical of these faith-based organizations, but their work in communities, understanding of religion and multi-faith partnerships make them ideal to help migrants build support systems.

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Ethiopia’s Increasing Vulnerability to Islamic Extremism and What That Means for the Horn of Africa

(ANALYSIS) External forces from the Middle East are exploiting ethnic tensions and threatening peace between Muslims and Christians in Ethiopia.

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Who's to blame for McCarrick depends on what news sources you read

(OPINION) A week after the Vatican released its much-anticipated investigation of former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, there remain many unanswered questions. Whether journalists will delve deeply into these unanswered questions remains to be seen.

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Exclusive: Hong Kong's Cardinal Zen Says Vatican Lied About The Church in China

In a handwritten letter sent exclusively to Religion Unplugged, Cardinal Joseph Zen reflected on the Vatican’s continued cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party, declaring the Church in China “schismatic,” and placing the blame on Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin.

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The Charismatic Christians prophesying Trump's victory (and not backing down)

The possibility of President Trump winning a second term is looking dimmer and dimmer as election results show President-Elect Joe Biden eking out a victory even in traditionally GOP states such as Arizona and Georgia. But these modern-day prophets aren’t taking no for an answer.

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How liberal are Republicans? How conservative are Democrats? Here's what religious Americans think

(ANALYSIS) White evangelicals think that Democrats are incredibly liberal, but atheists see them as just slightly left of center. Comparing how religious groups perceive the political parties shows us how politicians are able to exploit the partisan divide to paint the other side as radical or extreme.

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Many Catholics Left Politically 'Homeless' After Biden Win

(OPINION) Biden Catholics took the win, leaving more conservative, traditional Catholics that weren’t comfortable voting for Trump as ‘homeless’ voters. Biden has outwardly declared himself as pro-choice, fundamentally discounting the traditional Catholic principle of anti-abortion.

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In the Armenia-Azerbaijan war, religious nationalism threatens peace agreement

(ANALYSIS) In the biggest escalation in tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan since their war’s end in 1994, Armenia’s Christian clergy are standing firm with both soldiers and civilians, as they always have, while Azerbaijan’s troops continue to push back Armenia’s line of defense.

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