(ANALYSIS) In 2023, 2,444 anti-Christian hate crimes were documented in 35 European countries. This included 232 personal attacks, such as harassment, threats and physical violence. At least 2,000 Christian places of worship were damaged. Attacks took place throughout the continent, including Germany, the United Kingdom and especially France.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I have been keeping an Artificial Intelligence folder for several weeks now, with a focus — naturally — on topics that should interest religious leaders.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Turnout! Due to the stay-at-home factor, Democratic votes for president fell by some nine million from 2020, causing political scientist James Galbraith to say the party had committed “suicide.” Kamala Harris and the Democrats had a problem with men. Donald Trump’s Republicans had a big problem with women (though Harris did a bit worse with them than the male Joe Biden had).
Read MoreWhat does a Roman centurion and an artist have in common with an ancient mosaic from the Holy Land more than 1,800 years ago? All are featured in the Megiddo Mosaic on display at the Museum of the Bible in an exhibit considered to be the oldest display of Christian faith in the world. The museum opened seven years ago this month.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Democracy depends upon using words wisely. With the right words, citizens can live and work together, even in disagreement – and resolve conflicts peacefully. A lesson from Buddhism seems particularly apt in this moment of enemyship: Treat the people you disagree with as mistaken rather than evil.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Now, thanks to a brave young Yazidi woman, Mediha Ibrahim Alhamad, the struggle to reestablish life after years of enslavement is brought to the surface, with a documentary from director Hasan Oswald and executive producer Emma Thompson.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I’ve been a party to a lot of conversations about being mainline over the last 20 years. And sometimes I get the distinct impression that evangelicals really, really don’t like mainline Protestants. But do prefer nonbelievers to mainline Christians?
Read MoreFreedom of religion or belief, a right that speaks to something so deep-seated in each of us that it practically defines what it is to be human, is under attack in many parts of the world. Repressive laws, exclusion, deportation, imprisonment and out-and-out genocide threaten the liberty of far too many religious communities in far too many places.
Read More(ANALYSIS) We are social scientists who spent the past five years conducting research on the role of faith at work. Our findings confirm that there are many challenges when religion comes into the workplace. However, the costs of ignoring or suppressing workers’ faith often exceed those risks and challenges.
Read MoreMembers of the small Jewish community in Amsterdam confronted the city’s deputy mayor Friday morning, demanding answers for its failure to prevent violent attacks on Israeli soccer fans the night before that international Jewish organizations and leaders condemned as a pogrom. Videos showed men running through the streets beating Israelis and shooting fireworks at them.
Read MoreFethullah Gulen was an Islamic cleric who had built a powerful global movement — but eventually found himself exiled in the U.S. and caught up in accusations that he had orchestrated a military coup against Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Here’s a behind-the-scenes bit of information: I don’t have any raw data at my disposal about how religious groups are intending to vote in the 2024 presidential election. However, I do have a way to back into some information about how things should shake out come Tuesday night.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It’s a good thing when academics and pundits start writing about hot-button issues linked to screen culture. That’s how things get done in the marketplace of ideas.
Read More(OPINION) During the centuries, Christians have held widely different views on their relation to the political order. Some have taken the attitude that they should have nothing to do with civil government. At the opposite extreme, others have identified the church with the state. Between these positions, different groups have made various combinations.
Read MoreAt church, churchgoers are surrounded by people who share their religious beliefs, but that doesn’t prevent them from having friends who believe differently.
Read MoreWitchcraft, a term loaded with fear and kitsch, dredges up images of pointy hats and bubbling cauldrons. But for an increasing number of people today, witchcraft is not just a spooky movie or costume. For some, it’s a religion, a community, a spiritual journey and a daily practice.
Read MoreThe Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) has urged the U.S. government to intercede for the American families and Chinese orphans caught in limbo by the end of China’s international adoption program.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Behind the sensational headlines, the Sunshine State has another, far more solemn side. Not only is Florida a religious state, but according to recent rankings, it is one of the most religious states in the nation — a fact that might surprise some. Florida’s zest for the transcendent extends beyond the Bible Belt. The Cuban-American community has had an impact on the state's religious landscape.
Read MoreAddressing the Synod Assembly on Saturday evening, Pope Francis highlighted how the Final Document, written over the course of the 2nd Session of the Synod on Synodality that began on Oct. 2 following a process of listening and dialogue, is the fruit of over three years of listening to the People of God.
Read MoreWith two weeks left until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris has made visiting churches an integral stop along the campaign trail, urging voters to cast early ballots as part of her “souls to the polls” campaign. The push comes as Harris attempts to motivate Black Christians who have traditionally been a part of the Democratic Party’s voter base.
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