Posts in Religion News
Landmark LGBT ruling: What it means for exemptions, evangelicals and the election

In the latest “Weekend Plug-in,” columnist Bobby Ross Jr. interviews an all-star panel of religion journalists about the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on LGBT employment rights.

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Faith vs. COVID-19: Restrictions prompt clashes over churches reopening

In the nation’s latest religious freedom battle, church leaders in many states from New York to Oregon are clashing with governors over how and when to resume in-person gatherings.

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Templeton Prize awarded to Francis Collins, pandemic response leader

The geneticist and physician is a leading voice in the conversation about faith and science, and has been a steady voice urging religious communities to have faith in science. His agency is hard at work in the global race to find treatments for COVID-19.

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How The Jason Bourne Films Inspired A Pill-Sized Bible

A China-based Christian ministry hosts hacker events for Christians with backgrounds in the CIA, military and related intelligence fields. They use advanced technology to create and use devices ranging from drones, Bibles the size of credit cards and a pocket-sized WiFi device called the Gospel Cloud, inventions that 007 would be proud of if he were a man of God.

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New Zealand Crushed COVID-19: How Māori and Pacific Faith Groups Helped

Thanks to geographic isolation, decisive leadership and some luck, New Zealand has so far deflected a COVID-19 crisis. Church leaders in the island’s Māori and Pacific Islander communities have been key to this success, at times ahead of the government response while caring for the vulnerable in their flocks.

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Religious Nonprofits in 'Evangelical Mecca' Face Unprecedented Challenges

The coronavirus pandemic has confronted ministries with an unprecedented triple whammy: declining donations, unexpected expenses for sanitation and remaking workplaces for remote employees, and challenges in delivering their services, some of which are more needed now.

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Rev. Al Sharpton on the black evangelical vote

Civil rights activist and Baptist minister Al Sharpton talked to Religion Unplugged about the support for Donald Trump among some black evangelicals. With Trump's opposition to abortion and support for traditional family values, some black evangelicals say they have no choice but to vote for Republicans while others like Sharpton question how a majority of white evangelicals can support Trump. About 80 percent of African Americans have voted Democrat since the 1960s.

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How Coronavirus is Reshaping Jewish Life

Shabbat dinners are canceled, community centers are closed, and leaders in the Jewish community are having to come up with creative ways to foster community in these unprecedented times.

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Aging Catholic priesthood risk health to comfort the faithful during pandemic

The main duties of a priest are to administer the church’s sacraments — which include baptism, confession and holy communion — while also visiting the sick and providing pastoral care to parishioners. How does all that work during the COVID-19 pandemic when most priests are in the high-risk age category for contracting the deadly virus?

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Russia continues to restrict religious liberty with broad definition of extremism

Deliberately vague definitions of “extremism” are infringing on the religious liberties of many in Russia. As a result of this legal language, at least 313 Jehovah’s Witnesses have been placed under investigation, and many more have been imprisoned and convicted.

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Mickey Mouse + Harry Potter + Joe Biden = fantastic ledes in world of religion news

The best news stories start with a fantastic lede. Here are two fantastic ones from the world of religion news.

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Can Catholics eat plant-based 'meat' during Lent?

Plant-based products have unleashed a meaty debate in church pews and on message boards over whether products like the Impossible Burger can or can’t be eaten during Lent and if doing so is ultimately a sin.

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U.S. Catholics split on Trump and church teachings

As Democrats running for president prepare for a Super Tuesday contest that could very well determine a nominee, support among some segment of American Catholics for President Donald Trump is growing. Overall, the poll found that U.S. Catholics remain sharply divided when it comes to both the president and church teachings.

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The Bronx high school students marching for 'the born and the unborn'

A group of high school students from the Bronx represented a version of pro-life philosophy that takes the term beyond abortion and leftward on the political spectrum.

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'Holy Silence' tries to get into the mind of Pope Pius XII during World War II

(REVIEW) Seventy-five years after the liberation of Auschwitz, the film Holy Silence focuses on the pontificate of Pius XII and whether the pope did enough to help Jews from Nazi persecution during World War II.

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Protests ring in the new year in India as a 'Black Day'

Thousands gathered in the small Muslim neighborhood of Shaheen Bagh on the outskirts of India’s capital to protest against the new citizenship law that excludes Muslim migrants and a proposed citizenship register, calling Jan. 1 a “black day” rather than a holiday.

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The Best of Religion Journalism in 2019

The Media Project staff, board and members worldwide submitted nominations for the best efforts in religion journalism that we admired most in 2019.

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Religion Unplugged's top stories of 2019

Since launching in February, the Religion Unplugged team has been thrilled with our readers’ responses. We’re also proud to have won an Editor & Publisher award in our first year for best culture and entertainment news for websites under 1 million monthly views. Thank you for reading!

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LDS Church Members Discuss Tithes And Alleged $100 Billion Stockpile

The whistleblower distanced himself from the public exposure of the case by his twin brother. After pointing reporters to its frequently asked questions about finances on Monday, The LDS Church published a statement on Tuesday and then posted three short videos to YouTube on Friday. And past and present members of the LDS Church discussed the allegations widely online as the story spread through traditional and social media. 

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