(ANALYSIS) Mark Leibovich, author of The Atlantic’s “Why Do Democrats Hate Winning,” is among those who think it is. He expresses his concern to James Talarico, who is now running to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. In 2021, Talarico made such a declaration. Leibovich posits that this could cause trouble for him as a candidate.
Read MoreWhen Americans call President George Washington the “Father of His Country” it’s an honorary title based on politics and history. When modern citizens of the Republic of Georgia refer to Patriarch Ilia II as the “Godfather of Our Land” they are being quite literal, in terms of the rites and traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith.
Read MoreSecretary of War Pete Hegseth announced two historic changes to the military’s chaplaincy corps this week after previewing those updates this past December. The first was the consolidation of the faith codes associated with chaplaincy and the second was the replacement of rank insignia from chaplains’ uniforms with their religious insignia.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Supreme Court recently announced a major decision in what seems like a quintessential religious freedom case: A Christian preacher charged with violating a city ordinance for sharing his faith in a public park. But outrageous as it may have been, the preacher’s arrest was not actually at the heart of this case.
Read MorePassover plans this April 1 are a tossup for Israel, including the nation’s 20,000 to 30,000 Christians.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In an era when religious and moral differences often feel like threats to identity, cultivating an individual ethic of pluralism may be one of the most critical civic tasks before us. Pluralism is not who we are by default. But it can be who we become — slowly, deliberately and together.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Cesar Chavez, revered labor leader and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, built a legacy of nonviolent activism rooted in the Catholic faith. New allegations of decades-old sexual abuse now challenge his image, raising questions about power, morality and how society should reassess historical figures and their complicated legacies.
Read MoreBefore the war broke out, knowledgeable observers agreed that a vast majority of long-suffering Iranians despised the ruling theocracy’s incompetence and oppression. So a revolution now might seem as likely as in 1979, when such widespread revulsion brought down one dictator, only to be replaced by another one.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If you’ve ever taken a sociology course in college, there’s a good chance that the instructor spent at least a little bit of time talking about the power of symbols in a society. They can be nothing more than a single word or just a short phrase that can convey a world of meaning, purpose and solidarity.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi by Iran’s tyrannical regime is not just another macabre hanging in the theocracy’s escalating use of capital punishment, but a revealing incident in how the state confronts ongoing dissent.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Democratic Senate candidacy of James Talarico in Texas represents more than a conventional partisan contest. If he succeeds, it would signal a reopening of that religious space for the left. If he fails, it will only reinforce the notion that overtly Christian rhetoric remains the domain of conservative politics.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Every major escalation in the Middle East sends shock waves far beyond the region. In the United States, those shock waves arrive not as distant tremors — but as catalysts for domestic radicalization and violence, particularly against Jewish communities. The data, in this regard, is unambiguous.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In theory, many Christians support pacifism or non-violent resistance, but for Iranian Christians, those theories are challenged by the harsh realities of a hellish regime and an ongoing war. This question of ‘just war’ has a long history, going back to the first centuries of the church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The war in the Middle East is rapidly expanding across the Gulf countries, including Iran and Lebanon. The conflict has already targeted the region’s civilians, natural resources, tourist destinations and U.S. military bases. Some Muslim community leaders in the U.S. warn that people far from the conflict could experience backlash.
Read MoreMuslims in French Guiana are a small minority, making up roughly 0.9% of the population, which equates to about 2,070 people. However, asylum applications from Muslim communities are surging and the small Muslim community that does exist are finding a way to observe their religious traditions.
Read MoreMoody Bible Institute will be allowed to participate in Chicago Public Schools’ student teaching program after the college alleged religious freedom violations in being excluded. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) first said Moody couldn’t participate in the student-teacher internship unless the institute abandoned its religious-based hiring practices, but agreed to drop the requirement after Moody filed a federal lawsuit.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, debates about religious freedom continue to occupy the center of American public life.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It’s Oscars season and some of Hollywood’s most notable films about religion — from “Ben-Hur” to “A Man for All Seasons” — were made many decades ago. Why do explicitly faith-centered films appear less often in mainstream Hollywood today? How does spirituality continue to shape storytelling in different ways? We answer all these questions and more.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For millions of Iranians — especially religious minorities — the central political question is no longer simply whether the Islamic Republic can reform itself. After decades of repression, including the criminalization of peaceful religious expression and the systematic restriction of independent faith communities, the deeper question is what kind of political future could realistically secure freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all Iranians.
Read MoreWhat can news consumers learn from this complicated drama? Surely it is a commentary on the age in which we live that many Americans laughed when they read the early New York Times headline about the terrorist attack that fizzled near the New York home of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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