Posts in Analysis
Can the US choke Iran’s radical Islamist regime?

(COMMENTARY) Iran’s nefarious intentions and activities are being closely scrutinized by the Trump administration and have led to crippling sanctions on Iran’s oil exports. And now U.S. waivers – which permitted eight specific countries to purchase Iranian oil despite existing sanctions – will not be renewed in May 2019.

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Easter bombings come after wave of attacks against Sri Lankan Christians

In the past two years, Sri Lankan Christians have been attacked by various hardline Buddhist and Hindu groups. Christian organizations reported 89 cases of discrimination, violence and threats against Christians in 2018, with 40 cases already in 2019.

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Pilgrimage to Ireland: The Book of Kells at Trinity College

Trinity College in Dublin, to be exact, holds many a wondrous treasure for the insatiable scholar and fewer curiosities for the vaguely obligated tourist. For me, it held one of the crown jewels of literature, The Book of Kells.

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Can Pete Buttigieg rally the religious left?

(COMMENTARY) Mayor Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana - an openly gay man - has soared from obscurity to a talking point about whether the religious left can unite like the religious right did around Ronald Reagan.

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8 Takeaways from the Notre Dame fire and its aftermath

(NEWS ANALYSIS) In the wake of the devastating fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, insightful reporting of the event and reflections of its significance could be found across Twitter a day after the catastrophic blaze. Here are eight perspectives that stood out to us.

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Indonesian presidential candidates duel over who’s a better Muslim

(NEWS ANALYSIS) The country’s incumbent president Jokowi, seen as a liberal “metalhead of state”, chose conservative Muslim cleric Ma’ruf Amin as his running mate to win votes from an increasingly conservative Indonesia. Meanwhile, Jokowi’s challenger Subianto has been wooing radical Islamist groups.

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Notre Dame fire follows wave of vandalism at French churches

(COMMENTARY) Before Monday’s fire in Paris, a string of arson cases and other acts of desecration took place inside Catholic churches in France during Lent. In a country with a recent history of terrorism, these incidents somehow didn’t warrant any kind of attention from American news organizations. Even major outlets with a presence in Paris failed to adequately do so.

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Pope Benedict and Cardinal Sarah provide leadership in the age of Francis

(COMMENTARY) Again, it was conservative Catholic media that proved to be the preferred mouthpiece for Cardinal Robert Sarah and Pope Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI over the past week. Both men — with help from right-leaning news organizations — have been very vocal about the problems plaguing the church.

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Christian and Muslim leaders ask Indians to 'vote wisely' as Modi eyes re-election

(NEWS ANALYSIS) India’s general election opens polls April 11 to May 19, with the final count expected May 23. Leaders of India’s minority faith communities are telling their flocks to elect candidates committed to pluralism and respect for everybody’s faiths amidst growing intolerance blamed on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party.

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'Mayor Pete,' the Democratic primary and rise of 'alt-Catholics'

(COMMENTARY) While many Christians of various denominations have had to reconcile church teachings with that of who they prefer at the ballot box, the issue has not been fully explored in the mainstream press. At a time when pandering to one side is better for the bottom line, such journalistic discoveries of this grey zone are left underreported. Is covering both sides fueling political polarization?

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Searching for Catholic symbolism in 'The Godfather'

(COMMENTARY) Amid all the immorality, crime, violence and ultimately Michael Corleone’s final despair (for anyone who could sit through The Godfather III), this isn’t just a series of mob movies. The Godfather book and movie trilogy is loaded with religious symbolism.

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Tony Dungy’s new book examines the 'SOUL' that goes into a winning team

(COMMENTARY) In his latest book, Soul of a Team, co-written with Nathan Whitaker, the great football coach Tony Dungy asks the question: “What separates the truly great teams from the mediocre ones?” His answer can be found in “four simple yet highly effective principles — selflessness, ownership, unity, and larger purpose.” Those four principles form the acronym S.O.U.L.

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Are American Evangelicals Using Russia To Fight Their Culture War?

(ANALYSIS) The most interesting figure in the culture wars today may be Patriarch Kirill from the Russian Orthodox Church, which with Russia has been promoting traditional Christian agendas on sexuality and abortion. This weekened the international non-profit World Congress of Families, founded by a Russian and an American, is hosting its annual meet to promote a pro-Christian worldview, conservative gender roles, anti-abortion policies and a hetero-normative agenda.

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Actor Andrew Rannells misses an opportunity to seriously address clergy sex abuse in new book

(COMMENTARY) In his new book, actor Andrew Rannells reveals that a Catholic priest sexually assaulted him during confession and later at his home following a graduation party. Too Much is Not Enough: A Memoir of Fumbling Toward Adulthood is where Rannells goes into detail about his childhood experiences at a Jesuit high school in Nebraska.

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March Madness 2019: Finding God at the NCAA basketball tournament

(COMMENTARY) These God connections aren’t always easy to spot during March Madness. The TV coverage or your local newspaper’s sports section aren’t always there to point them out. It’s often something a player or coach will say in postgame news conferences — and highlighted by Christian news organizations — that thrusts faith into the limelight.

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Former BBC journalist writes about liberal bias in 'The Noble Liar'

(OPINION) Broadcaster Robin Aitken says the BBC is so biased, it’s already helped destroy the religious and moral foundations of British culture. Can he be serious?

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Ongoing questions linger on who knew what and when regarding McCarrick

(COMMENTARY) The big story remains who knew what and when. Who’s implicated in potentially covering up the misdeeds of now-former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick over the years? The implication here is that the cover-up — if that’s the word you want to use — goes beyond Pope Francis, but back in time years to when Saint Pope John Paul II was the head of the Roman Catholic church.

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March Madness 2019: Catholic schools look to maintain winning tradition

(COMMENTARY) Can a Catholic school once again win the NCAA men’s basketball tournament? If the past is any gauge, the odds are very good that a few Catholic institutions of higher learning will emerge as contenders over the next few weeks.

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Big trend piece to consider: Could the Catholic church in New York file for bankruptcy?

(COMMENTARY) Whether Cardinal George Pell of Australia was found guilty because of anti-Catholic bias is one theory, but the overall takeaway here — editors and reporters take note — is that this case may serve as a bellwether of more to come.

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