Posts in Politics
What The Catholic Church Says About Political Violence And The Need To Forgive

(ANALYSIS) As a specialist in medieval Christianity, I know that Catholic views on the morality of killing have evolved over time. And while Christianity eventually came to defend the idea of warfare for self-defense and the common good, it has also emphasized the value of forgiveness of enemies.

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Erskine College Sues For Loan Repayment, Faces Own Financial Issues

Erskine College, a small Christian college in South Carolina that has faced its own financial challenges in recent years, has filed a lawsuit in a South Carolina state court against Icelaven Development Group for failing to repay a $1 million loan.

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Crossroads Podcast: Did God Alone Save Trump?

I don’t have solid poll data backing me up on the following. But, in my experience, if you walked up to lots of church-going, scripture-quoting evangelical Protestants and Pentecostals and said you were trying to think of a Bible verse defined by “6:11” many, if not most, would immediately say, “You mean Ephesians 6:11?”

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Why GOP Jews Are More Jazzed About Trump This Time

(ANALYSIS) Republican Jews at their party’s national convention this week describe their enthusiasm for Trump as more robust than it has ever been. “Trump is not only going to unite America, he’s going to bring together Jews in the Republican Party in a way that has never happened before,” Florida’s Paul Packer said.

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Subjugation Of Women: New Book Argues Misogynistic Behavior Contrary To Islam

(REVIEW) Is subjugation and oppression central to the life of a Muslim woman? What roles do Islamophobia and white supremacy have in this misogyny? And where do the biggest threats to Muslim women’s freedom and safety really come from? These are some of the many pertinent questions that Samia Rahman answers in her new book, “Muslim Women and Misogyny: Myths and Misunderstandings.”

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Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit: Advocates Spotlight Growing Global Tensions

The theme of the conference, which took place at the school’s campus in South Bend, Indiana, was “Depolarizing Religious Liberty,” which still depends too much on one's race, faith or nationality. The highlight of the summit was an awards program and gala where the Religious Liberty Clinic was named after Lindsay and Matt Morun, who have supported such efforts financially since its inception.

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What Do We Do Now: A Christian Response To The Attempted Trump Assassination

(OPINION) We forget that Christians with no political power whatsoever, believing in a risen Christ who never sought nor espoused any earthly power, changed the world in a generation. They did it without a bully pulpit, without a 24/7 news cycle, without social media. Amid war, disease and disaster, they fed the hungry, rescued abandoned babies and created hospitals to care for the sick and dying.  

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Al Hassan Convicted Of International Crimes, But Not For Ones Based On Gender

(ANALYSIS) On June 26, Trial Chamber X of the International Criminal Court (ICC), by a majority, convicted Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud (Al Hassan), a Malian Islamist militant, of some of the charges brought against him of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between April 2, 2012, and Jan. 29, 2013.

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How JD Vance’s Catholic Faith Influenced His Politics

In accepting the invitation to be Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance could become the nation’s second Catholic vice president, after Joe Biden, should the GOP win the White House this November. Vance is also only the second Catholic GOP veep nominee after Barry Goldwater chose William Miller in 1964. Here’s a deeper look into Vance’s faith and how it has influenced his evolving political philosophy.   

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Educational Disputes With Religious Angles Central To GOP’s Agenda

(ANALYSIS) The lavish over-use of capital letters in the 2024 Republican Party platform, set for approval at this week’s Milwaukee convention, demonstrates that this is wholly a Donald Trump production. So does the Trumpublicans’ softened stance on abortion, which has dominated the news coverage.

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Christians Pray For Trump — And The Divided Nation — After Assassination Attempt

The morning after a gunman perched atop a roof narrowly missed killing former President Donald Trump, Christians across the U.S. came together Sunday — as always — to worship God and pray. Many preachers addressed the assassination attempt from the pulpit.

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Why As Few As 5% Of Americans Attend Church Each Week

(OPINION) If just 5% — or 6%, or 7% — of Americans feel committed enough to darken the doors of their churches for even an hour a week, then we no longer need to worry about becoming a post-religion culture. We’re there. Secularization has won.

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Are Hindu Nationalists Solidifying Their Presence In The UK?

(ANALYSIS) With politicians from both Labour and Conservative parties visiting Hindu temples and endorsing Hindu manifesto prepared by divisive Hindutva forces, the question is, has the Hindutva identity now intensified in the U.K.? And the bigger question is, will these elected members of Parliament who endorsed the document now allow sectarianism to flourish?

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Trump Survives Assassination Attempt As Lawmakers Call For Prayers

A rally for former President Donald Trump was interrupted Saturday afternoon following what appeared to be gunshots. Trump was speaking at a campaign rally when several pops rang out. After lifting his hand to his ear, Trump ducked to the ground as the crowd behind him scattered.

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Please, Please, Please — We Must All Tone Things Down

(OPINION) As we all sit here stunned watching the footage of the attempted assassination of President Trump, it really is a time for reflection. Are we contributing to this atmosphere of hatred and violence? What kind of emotions do we stir up with the words we speak and the memes we post? What are we fomenting? To what end?

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On The Ground In Iran: The Islamic Revolution And Faithful Resistance

(ANALYSIS) I am in Iran. The president has died. And they think I did it. Or at least that is what it felt like on the evening of May 20, when news came that Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter was forced to make a “hard landing” in the rugged mountains near Tabriz.

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Pro-Life Voters And The New Trump Platform

(OPINION) There is a new challenge for pro-life voters as we approach the 2024 elections. On the one hand, it’s impossible for a truly pro-life voter to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate given the radical, pro-abortion stance of that party. That holds true as well for the positions of President Biden, which continue to lurch farther to the left. But now that the RNC has embraced the watered down platform crafted by the Trump team, do we acquiesce and vote GOP?

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How Faith-Based Projects Are Helping To Stem Africa’s Growing Eco-Anxiety

As the effects of climate change become more apparent in Africa and in other parts of the world, eco-anxiety is becoming prevalent. This is true especially in Africa, a continent that is home to a disproportionate share of climate change-related disasters but also has limited resources to deal with them.

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