Posts in Religion
Fast Food’s Quest To Feed Body And Soul During Lent And Beyond

Fast food aficionados and practicing Catholics alike are often familiar with the Filet-O-Fish story and how the sandwich was born as a result of Lent. Catholics aren’t the only religious group chain restaurants cater to because of faith and dietary restrictions. Here’s a look at some of the biggest menu options from around the world.

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‘Everywhere Is Heaven’: The Art Of Stanley Spencer And Roger Wagner Join Forces

(REVIEW) For the first time in its 62-year history, the Stanley Spencer Gallery in England is collaborating with a living painter. The exhibition, Everywhere is Heaven, pairs Stanley Spencer’s visionary paintings with those of Roger Wagner, whose work transposes biblical events to contemporary settings.

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A Rally For Jews Who Reject The War But Not Israel

Unlike at other rallies for a ceasefire in Gaza, you aren’t likely to hear calls for Palestine to extend “from the river to the sea” at the one in New York’s Union Square. And there will be few or no denunciations of Israel as a “settler-colonial” state. Rather, rallygoers call on both Israel and Hamas to agree to a “bilateral ceasefire,” humanitarian aid for Palestinians and the release of all hostages in Gaza. 

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Religious Restrictions Increase In Many Parts Of The World, New Study Reveals

Restrictions on religion by government officials across the world reached a new peak in 2021, a new Pew Research Center report released on Tuesday revealed. The report looked at 198 countries and territories around the world. It is the 14th year that Pew released such a report on the global state of religion.

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How The 2024 Oscars Wrestle With A Post-Christian West

(ANALYSIS) This year’s Best Picture nominees at the 2024 Academy Awards showcase how our culture is wrestling with a post-Christian society, whether or not these films feature religion or not. While Hollywood has gained a reputation for being deeply secular — even anti-religious — after Oscar nominees over the past two years featured rather complex portrayals of religion.

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🧪 Faith And Frozen Embryos: Alabama's In Vitro Fertilization Ruling Stirs Religious Debate 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the religious debate stirred by the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling on in vitro fertilization. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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India’s Latest Mosque Fight Further Fuels Tensions Between Hindus And Muslims

Days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a Hindu temple built over a mosque demolished by agitators in 1990, a new report by the Archaeological Survey of India found that another mosque had been built over a pre-existing Hindu temple. A court ruling that followed the survey granted Hindus permission to conduct prayers in one of the mosque's four cellars, igniting tensions with Muslims.

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How Alabama Supreme Court’s Ruling On Life Affects IVF

(EXPLAINER) The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) healthcare system announced that it was pausing all in vitro fertilization (IVF) fertility treatments. This pause is due to the perceived fear of prosecution and lawsuits in light of the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday, Feb. 16, stating that human beings in the embryonic stage have the same legal rights and protections as children who are born.

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Game On: The Religious Dynamics Of A Biden-Trump Race

(ANALYSIS) Assuming it’s game on for an inevitable rerun of Trump vs. Biden, with a predicted narrow victory margin, what religious dynamics will be playing out?

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Is There A New Strongman Leading The World’s Largest Muslim-Majority Nation?

(ANALYSIS) The Feb. 14 election of Indonesia's current Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto as the country’s president should raise concern in the U.S., both because of who he is and also the chicanery surrounding his campaign. Official results will still take some weeks to appear and there are allegations of election fraud.

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Indigenous Embassy Opens In Jerusalem With A Nod To The 12 Tribes Of Israel

An emotional gathering of about 200 tribal leaders from North and South America, Canada, various Pacific island states and Africa took place in Israel as diplomats and dignitaries assembled for the launch of the “Indigenous Embassy.” Standing together with members of several North American tribes, members proudly displayed a collection of their artwork.

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Alito Sounds Alarm After Christians Denied Jury Duty Service In Missouri

The barring of two Christians from jury duty in a trial involving a lesbian is evidence that Christians with a biblical worldview are increasingly seen as bigots, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said after Missouri asked the High Court to review the ruling.

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🐘 Left Wants 'To Tear Down Crosses': Trump Talks To National Religious Broadcasters 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights Donald Trump’s remarks to the National Religious Broadcasters’ convention in Nashville, Tenn. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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Victims Of 2020 Delhi Riots Still Trying To Piece Their Lives Together

The memory of Feb. 25, 2020, remains vivid in Mohammed Tahir Saifi’s mind, as if it occurred only yesterday. He often looks back on that day as the one that turned his life upside down because he had to spend two years in jail for a crime he he did not commit. It was a day when a riot erupted in India’s capital, resulting in the death of over 50 people.

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Is The Michigan Campaign To Protest Biden’s Gaza Policy At The Polls Gaining Steam?

In a new poll, less than a third of Michigan voters said they supported a continuation in the fighting to eliminate Hamas in the ongoing war with Israel. How that will impact President Joe Biden’s chances in the Great Lake State remains to be seen.

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UK’s Asylum Policy: How To Handle Refugees Who Claim To Be Christian Converts

(ANALYSIS) No doubt there are those who falsely claim conversion from Islam to claim asylum, and some churches may be too credulous. But such conversions are occurring and such genuine converts face violence, imprisonment and even death if returned back to many countries.

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Why Jewish Groups Are Fighting A New Texas Law

A coalition of Jewish groups and other organizations is fighting an effort to replace guidance counselors with chaplains in public schools in Texas. The chaplains are not required to be licensed as mental health practitioners or have any specific credentials and will be paid with tax dollars.

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Bob Marley Biopic Puts The Spotlight On Reggae And Rastafarians

“Bob Marley: One Love,” a new movie that chronicles on the life of legendary reggae singer and songwriter — from his rise to fame in the mid-1970s up until his death in 1981 — has put a spotlight on what it means to be Rastafarian. Widely considered an iconic figure in the history of music, he is revered as the pioneer of reggae and a symbol of peace.

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