Posts in Religion
This Sukkot, remembering the Jewish and Christian roots in Jerusalem

(OPINION) Efforts to disconnect Jerusalem from Jewish (and thus Christian) history are a fairly recent endeavor. Thankfully, in the meantime, sources documenting Judaism and Christianity’s historical roots are increasing exponentially.

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In Yemen, mosques provide no sanctuary from Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes

More than 1,000 mosques in Yemen have been damaged or destroyed by airstrikes since the conflict began in 2015. The latest hit in September killed a family of seven, including four young children and their pregnant mother, who tried to take shelter in their village mosque.

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The Georgian Saint revered for fighting Soviet communism

(OPINION) Gabriel Urgebadze changed the trajectory of his life when he lit a portrait of Vladimir Lenin on fire and told a crowd to follow Jesus instead. Today, more than a hundred pilgrims visit his grave everyday, praying for miracles.

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After a blunt sermon, how will Southern Baptists address sexual abuse?

(OPINION) J.D. Greear, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, called on his flock to confront the predators among them. Other leaders have urged victims to forgive their abusers and avoid tarnishing the church’s reputation.

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Faith Profiles of the 2020 Democratic Candidates

Most of the American Democratic candidates for president identify with a religion. Our guide highlights the faiths of the 2020 candidates and explains the impact on their policy views.

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Judge rules doctors can decline to perform transgender surgery on religious grounds

A U.S. federal court ruled on Tuesday that doctors will not be required to perform gender transition surgeries if it runs contrary to their religious beliefs. The decision reversed a requirement put forth by the Obama administration three years ago.

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Hope in the face of despair: Ethiopian PM Abiy’s rise to the Nobel Peace Prize

Abiy Ahmed is an inspirational leader and an evangelical Christian hailed as a Moses figure for Ethiopia. He ended nearly two decades of a stalemate from a war with Eritrea that had killed 70,000 people. But the country is far from peaceful yet, and his leadership challenges are just beginning.

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As the vaccine debate continues, religious exemptions face scrutiny

Amid a measles outbreak, New York became the second state this year to end religious exemptions from vaccines. Forty-five states still allow religious exemptions, and 15 states allow exemptions for personal beliefs, which can encompass religion or can be philosophical or moral.

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Mourning the death of John Samuel Mbiti, ‘father of modern African theology’

There is one person’s body of work that came to define outsiders’ views on African religion more than any other in the past 50 years: Prof. John Samuel Mbiti, a Christian philosopher, Anglican minister and writer from Kenya.

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Why Did Some Media Show Brandt Jean’s Courtroom Hug But Edit Out his Remarks?

(OPINION) After several clicks and searches, we did find full-length versions of the video provided by Fox News and the Dallas Morning News. It makes us wonder why some media felt the need to excise Brandt’s words, which were so incredible.

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Why the Vatican is debating priestly celibacy in the Amazon

A discussion in Rome this week will include whether the church should allow flexibility in its traditional vow of celibacy for priests to ordain married men in the remote Amazon. The decision could very well impact Catholicism around the world.

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Everything you need to know about Yom Kippur

Considered the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur is also known as the day of atonement. It begins at sundown on October 8 and ends at nightfall the following day. The holy day also marks the end of the “10 Days of Repentance.”

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Chaput-Martin feud highlights media distortion of Catholicism

Who is made a cardinal can be loaded with intrigue. It’s why the Catholic church is covered like a political institution and less like a religion. It is this dangerous tendency, largely on the part of the secular press, to reduce theological positions to political ones that has fueled divisions during the Pope Francis era.

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What does 'Evangelical' mean in 2019?

(OPINION) “Evangelicals” is often used as a stand-in for conservative white Protestants. This misses the diversity and changing nature of a religious movement that is important in its own right, not just for its political clout.

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TED Talks For The Religiously Minded

Out of more than 3,200 talks listed on the TED website, less than 80 center on religion, and the ones that do often approach the topic from a secular humanist perspective. We rounded up our top seven picks focused on religion and faith.

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