(ANALYSIS) A Louisiana bill signed into law on June 19 requires displays of the Bible’s revered Ten Commandments in all public classrooms, even at the university level. Religious and nonreligious citizens immediately joined national lobbies in a federal court complaint that the law must be overturned for violating the U.S. Constitution’s ban on “establishment of religion” by the government.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Thoughtful Christians do need to speak up. During the late 20th century Marxist-Christian syncretism was a major problem, but Christian nationalism has much more influence within the evangelical world now and is, right now, the greater danger. In “Untangling Critical Race Theory,” Ed Uszynski writes, “Too often Christian commentary denounces CRT while making light of the real problems it seeks to address.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) While political pundits do their jobs in analyzing the presidential debate, I’ll do my job as a spiritual leader and encourage us to keep our priorities straight. In short, as I posted earlier this year, preach Jesus and vote for your presidential candidate of choice, based on scriptural principles. But do not preach your candidate. To do so is to defile your witness.
Read MoreMillions continue to suffer religious persecution globally, with wars and civil conflicts exacerbating already existing ills in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the U.S. State Department documented in its 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom. The report attempts to present an overview of persecution by governments, extremists and members of society, relying on information from government officials, religious groups, nongovernmental organizations, journalists, human rights monitors, academia and the media.
Read MoreThe timing was awkward, to say the least, for the recording of this week’s “Crossroads” podcast. Lutheran Public Radio listeners who heard this chat live heard us discussing an alleged “debate” between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump that had not yet taken place. Ditto for anyone who immediately downloaded the Issues, Etc., audio file.
Read MoreIn a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the case of Idaho and Moyle v. U.S. back to the Ninth Circuit Court in a ruling released on Thursday. The case involves a conflict between state law and the Biden Administration’s use of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
Read MoreMost churchgoers believe Christians have a good reputation with Americans in general, but they worry those feelings are starting to sour. A Lifeway Research study finds 53% of U.S. Protestant churchgoers say most Americans have a positive perception of Christians. Two in five (40%) disagree and 8% aren’t sure.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If anything can shift abortion opinion in the general public, it has to be Dobbs, right? It is, without a doubt, the biggest change in policy regarding abortion in the last 50 years. In fact, the last example I can think of a time when the government has taken away rights that were already granted was Prohibition. And we all know how that turned out.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In the midst of heated debates about female pastors and the morality of in vitro fertilization, the national Southern Baptist Convention recently passed a religious liberty resolution that — in terms of Baptist history — was rather ordinary. But these are not ordinary times in American life.
Read MoreMembers of Israel’s Haredi community are warning of a religious war after this country’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the government must start drafting yeshiva students into its military.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On June 13, 2024, Global Rights Compliance, an international nongovernmental organization, published evidence of Russian and pro-Russian forces using starvation as a method of warfare against Ukrainian civilians during their 85-day siege of Mariupol between February and May 2022.
Read MoreTwo years ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to an abortion. In the aftermath, many churchgoers say they’ve seen their congregations involved in supporting local pregnancy resource centers. A Lifeway Research study finds three in 10 U.S. Protestant churchgoers have seen at least one type of congregational connection with those local centers.
Read MoreIdaho Republicans have increasingly disagreed over how far to take these efforts. Capitol police in Boise had to intervene in a 2022 fight over proposed “parental freedom” legislation that would have created a $1,000 fine if a school didn’t give parents what they want. This year, two prominent far-right Republicans were recorded quarreling over the party’s direction that illustrates “a fracture among key far-right figures in Idaho politics, in a state where many races turn on contests of conservative purity.”
Read MoreThe big news was politics, of course, as in a convention speech by Vice President Mike Pence. The journalism establishment was not amused, as illustrated in this CNN headline: “Pence accused of ‘hijacking’ evangelical meeting.” Various types of Southern Baptist conservatives welcomed him.
Read More(REVIEW) The documentary “Gothix” tells the story of popular Twitch streamer Vanessa Rosa (known online as “Gothix”) who, having achieved her dream of being a full-time internet personality, loses it all when she states a controversial opinion that makes her the target of a concentrated harassment and boycott campaign by her friends and peers. “Gothix” is a timely documentary about the universality of cancel culture and how faith may hold the answer to navigating it.
Read MoreThe U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously reversed the judgment of the U.S. Court of Appeals and told opponents of the Food and Drug Administration their argument over the safety of mifepristone, commonly known as the abortion pill, should be taken up with the Biden Administration rather than the courts.
Read MoreSalem Media Group, the largest U.S. radio company providing Christian and conservative programming, is removing the book and film “2,000 Mules” from all its platforms. The group also apologized to a Georgia man who filed a defamation suit, claiming the film falsely accused him of ballot fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
Read MoreThe Israeli government and the Biden administration on Sunday lost a key moderating and unifying figure with the resignation of senior war cabinet minister Benny Gantz. This development could complicate the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a possible hostage-and-ceasefire deal, and might also lead to early elections in Israel later this year.
Read MoreOver the last decade, under the Modi government (which has retained power following the recent elections), Hindu nationalism has become the dominant political ideology in India. Proponents of Hindu nationalism argue that being Indian should be synonymous with being Hindu, which has led to increased religious and political tensions in the Indian diaspora — including in South Africa.
Read MoreNo one was surprised when the embattled United Methodist Church — after decades of fighting about the Bible, salvation and sexuality — boldly steered onto a progressive course after the exit of 7,659 congregations in America's biggest church split since the Civil War. At least, no one should have been surprised.
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