Posts in Politics
In New Memoir, Josh Shapiro Confronts Antisemitism, Israel And Political Pressure

The Pennsylvania governor’s new memoir, “Where We Keep the Light,” explores his Jewish identity, principled stances on Israel and political risks. He recounts antisemitic attacks, early ties to Israel and his refusal to soften controversial views during 2024 VP vetting, offering a candid reflection ahead of a potential 2028 run.

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Crossroads Podcast: A Lemon Of A News Report Or Just New Journalism?

During this tense moment in journalism, will Southern Baptist leaders return telephone calls from elite newsrooms or will they choose to speak to “conservative” and “religious” publications, alone?

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✍️ After 61 Years, This Legend Still Hasn’t Missed A Beat On The Godbeat 🔌

“Why not keep busy?” That’s Richard Ostling’s response when asked why he’s still covering religion at age 85 — after six decades on the Godbeat.

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Why This Idyllic Island Nation Is Cracking Down On Religion

(ANALYSIS) The Maldives, the small South Asian island nation, recently passed a new law to tighten the noose of the media. But this new law also indirectly strengthens the state’s restriction on religious freedom. Under this law, media outlets will be punished if they publish any content that contradicts Islamic principles or that could be seen as offensive to Islamic sentiments. 

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DOJ Announces Arrests Tied to Disruption Of Minnesota Church Service

Federal authorities announced arrests after activists disrupted a Minneapolis Southern Baptist church service to protest ICE activities. Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and two others were charged under an 1871 conspiracy statute. Church leaders have condemned the protest, while activists called it a peaceful demonstration.

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Pope Leo Warns Christian Persecution And Free Speech Are Human Rights Crises

“It is painful to see how, especially in the West, the space for genuine freedom of expression is rapidly shrinking," said Leo.

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35 Nigerian Christians Killed, Nearly 175 Others Abducted In Separate Attacks

Nearly 175 worshippers were abducted on Jan. 18 from three churches in Kaduna State in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, Christian advocacy groups reported, after at least 35 were killed in separate attacks on villages in the Middle Belt and eastern Nigeria.

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Minnesota Church Condemns ‘Shameful’ Protest Disrupting Worship Service

Leaders of Cities Church condemned protestors who disrupted a St. Paul worship service, calling the conduct unlawful and intimidating. Pastor Jonathan Parnell addressed the incident biblically, urging perseverance. The Department of Justice began investigating, while church leaders affirmed their mission and called on authorities to protect religious freedom rights broadly.

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‘The Vanishing Church’ Makes The Case For Both Belief And Belonging

(REVIEW) Ryan Burge has created the most important and readable book right now to understand religious decline and polarization in the U.S. His message to commit your life to a shared community is one America needs right now. But it will be up to others to create and maintain the compelling shared vision that binds together the community that Burge wants. 

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DOJ Vows To Press Charges After Anti-ICE Activists Disrupt Church Service

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says she has spoken to a Minnesota pastor following a disruption by protestors during Cities Church’s morning worship service on Sunday. “Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law,” Bondi wrote on X late Sunday night.

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Anti-ICE Protest Disrupts Sunday Worship At Minnesota Church

An anti-ICE protest disrupted Sunday worship at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn., with demonstrators chanting inside the sanctuary. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon streamed the incident live. Southern Baptist leaders condemned the disruption, calling it a violation of religious freedom and urging authorities to protect churches.

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‘Moral Anarchy’: Supreme Court Confronts The Meaning Of Sex In Landmark Sports Cases

(OPINION) Christians understand what science reveals: masculinity and femininity are fixed moral categories that God has made and declared to be good. When societies reject God’s moral law, anarchy results. God’s people must boldly declare to the world what is true. At the same time, we must communicate the good news of the Gospel to those who disagree.

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Where Evangelicals Live (And Where They Don’t)

(ANALYSIS) Where are there lots of evangelical Christians in the United States, and where is it hard to find one? That’s actually a really difficult question to answer from a methodological perspective. Very few surveys offer enough granularity to provide rigorous state-level estimates, let alone data at the county level. But because of the rapid acceleration of Artificial Intelligence, I can actually provide you all with a really good answer now.

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📰 How A Career Choice By My Wife Led Me To The Godbeat 25 Years Ago 🔌

Perhaps not surprisingly, in a Bible Belt state such as Oklahoma, religion came up even in prison reporting — from Catholic bishops making appeals at clemency hearings to Allen, the inmate whose death I witnessed, declaring in her final statement, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

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How Hate Speech Became A Governing Strategy In India

India recorded 1,318 in-person hate speech incidents in 2025, averaging more than three each day and overwhelmingly led by Hindu nationalist groups affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The report supports the inference that a political choice is behind the sustained scale of public incitement, which undermines both the rule of law and the idea of equal citizenship.

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Violence Against Christians Reaches All-Time High In 15 Nations

Violence against Christians has reached an all-time high in 15 countries, with 388 million people facing severe persecution worldwide, Open Doors reported. Nigeria remains the deadliest nation, while Syria saw the largest single-year rise amid instability. Other dangerous parts of the world include North Korea, Somalia and Yemen.

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How Iran’s Ethnic Provinces Reshaped The Protest Movement

(ANALYSIS) When protests began in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar in December, authorities misjudged them as limited economic unrest. Instead, demonstrations spread nationwide, killing thousands and drawing in ethnic minorities. The uprising exposed deep divides over change, revealing that centralized opposition visions failed to address Iran’s ethnic diversity adequately.

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Nigerian Humanitarian Calls For Peaceful US Response To Religious Persecution

A Nigerian minister and humanitarian urged the U.S. government to use peaceful methods to address religious persecution during a Jan. 13 USCIRF hearing in Washington. Rebecca Dali said bombing worsened trauma for communities and encouraged intelligence-based cooperation, as witnesses testified about Christian persecution in multiple countries worldwide.

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From Tehran To The Diaspora: How Social Media Is Driving Iran’s Protests

(OPINION) Days of protest across Iran left hundreds dead as authorities imposed an unprecedented internet blackout to suppress dissent. Social media nevertheless shaped mobilization, documentation and global awareness through diaspora networks and dissident media, revealing escalating demands for regime change through the use of technology.

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New $2M Project Aims To Digitize 16th Century ‘Tudor Domesday’ Records

History nerds rejoice! An incredibly detailed land-use survey and census from the 1500s, commissioned by none other than Henry VIII, will soon be digitally available to everyone, including genealogists, educators, researchers and community groups, thanks to a new $2 million project. The historic records, published under the title “Valor Ecclesiasticus,” or Value of the Church, were the Tudor equivalent of the Domesday Book.

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