American missionary killed by reclusive island tribe in India

A 27-year-old American, John Allen Chau, was killed by members of the Sentinelese tribe in the North Sentinel Island of Andaman, India after he made several unsuccessful attempts to contact them, allegedly to preach Christianity.

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The Catholic Connection To Thanksgiving Day

(OPINION) The Thanksgiving meal in 1621 between the Pilgrims and Native Americans in Massachusetts may not have been the first of its kind. Some historians say the first meal has a connection to Catholicism and that it took place more than 50 years earlier in Florida.

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New Documentary Honoring Charleston Church Shooting Tells Story of Forgiveness

Deeply stirring documentary “Emanuel” about the 2015 Charleston Church shooting, directed by Brian Ivie, unearths a hidden parallel tale of living amidst hate. The film, which premiered on November 14 at the New York Documentary Festival, shows how one community chose to respond to tragedy with forgiveness.

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Stan Lee on God

(COMMENTARY) Marvel Comics’ creative genius Stan Lee revolutionized the comic book world with super-heroes who were flawed, insecure and prone to evil forces. What’s lesser known or asked is where Lee’s storytelling perspective came from and how his mix of religious beliefs informed the Marvel universe.

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Jordan Peterson: The Devil's in the details of all those Youtube debates (Part 1)

(COMMENTARY) University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson answers critics, the faithful and seekers in between on his popular Youtube channel. Peterson has sent mixed signals about Christianity.

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This ‘Indian Peter Dinklage’ is Overcoming the Stigma of Dwarfism in Bollywood

Last year local audiences to Tariq Mir’s stage plays and TV serials laughed at him and his troop of little people, or “dwarves” as they are sometimes called in India. His big break came when a Bollywood director tweeted a selfie with him at a film festival that went viral. Now Tariq sees it as his mission to change the stigma around dwarfism in Indian theater and cinema.

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A Christian’s acquittal in Pakistan is fueling advocacy against "blasphemy"

After the unprecedented acquittal of a Christian from blasphemy charges, Pakistan is bowing to pressure from hardline Islamist groups to ban her exit from the Muslim-majority country.

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Ties that bind: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, Russia and Fatima

(COMMENTARY) Pope John Paul II believed his and former US President Reagan’s survivals of shootings were part of a divine plan countering evil in Russia.

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1,000 years of Orthodoxy history loom over today's Moscow-Istanbul clash

(COMMENTARY) There are three distinct Ukrainian Orthodox strains with differing loyalties to Russian and Turkish Orthodox patriarchs. While an Istanbul patriarch has lifted a condemnation of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, a Moscow patriarch has severed ties with Kiev.

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The Death of Free Speech in Europe

(COMMENTARY) Europe took a dystopian turn last week when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that governments can punish citizens for criticizing the prophet Muhammad if such criticism “conflicts with the right of others to have their religious feelings protected.”

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Collect story ideas and contacts galore at religious eggheads’ annual extravaganza

Religion scholars will meet Nov. 17-20 in Denver for simultaneous conventions of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the professional counterpart for Scripture specialists, the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL).

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Jamal Khashoggi and the Middle East’s Game of Thrones

Jamal Khashoggi may have signed his own death warrant with his opinion column in The Washington Post when he criticized the White House’s democratic efforts in the Arab world, including both the Obama and Trump administration.

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Keeping up: Transgender challenges ahead for news media and 'mainline' Protestants

(COMMENTARY) The New York Times reported this week that the Donald Trump Administration is considering, for federal purposes, a definition that a person is male or female “based on immutable biological traits identified by or before birth,” supplemented if necessary by genetic testing. That would overturn a policy under President Barack Obama to recognize transgender identities.

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