(OPINION) “Weekend Plug-In” is a column by veteran religion writer Bobby Ross Jr. Look every Friday for analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. This week: veteran religion writer Adelle M. Banks reflects on her 25 years with Religion News Service.
Read MoreThe two preachers, one from Tennessee and one from Texas, have both experienced the real-life nightmare of Sunday morning worship giving way — suddenly and inexplicably — to deadly gunfire.
Read MoreThe 2019 documentary, now airing on PBS, follows a Somali father’s quest to understand why his American-born son tried to join ISIS in Syria.
Read More(OPINION) In a surprise move, Francis rejected a proposal on Wednesday that had called for married men in remote areas of the Amazon to serve as priests, a decision widely seen as a victory for conservative Catholics who feared such an exception would eventually lift the celibacy requirement of clergy around the world.
Read MoreRepresentatives gathered in Colombia for the first inter-American Lutheran conference to share ideas and support in their mission to care for migrants, especially children in detention centers.
Read MoreThe chocolates resemble the pilgrimage site in Lourdes, France where St. Bernadette is believed to have first seen the Virgin Mary on this day 162 years ago.
Read MoreSome schools are requiring exams on Saturday, when Adventist students observe sabbath.
Read MoreTrump’s most ardent supporters defended his statements as understandable. Others in his party are saying the comments undermined the core purpose of the annual event.
Read More(OPINION) Denying internet access is becoming more common as a tool for suppressing dissent and violating human rights. It puts entire communities in real danger, as is the case for Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims.
Read More(OPINION) The President and one of the leading Democratic candidates have ideological differences with some of their most important potential supporters exposed by their rhetoric about one of the nation’s most divisive issues.
Read More(NEWS ANALYSIS) At the launch on Wednesday, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed the ever-growing need to combat the increasing violence based on religion or belief, including “terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yazidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma” and “the Chinese Communist Party’s hostility to all faiths.”
Read MoreThe mainstream Anglican communion, the Church of Uganda, has condemned the pastor for leaving his wife for a younger woman in his church. The Pentecostal pastor is one of many prominent church leaders preaching in favor of the ruling political party and claiming to provide miracles to amass a bigger crowd and donations.
Read More(OPINION) A few things happened in January that have set the mood for the Iowa caucuses that took place Monday, the official start of the primary season. One of the biggest took place about 1,000 miles east of Des Moines, in Philadelphia, when Archbishop Charles Chaput was replaced by Nelson Perez.
Read MoreFrom 2016 to 2019, Indian Christians recorded 1,774 cases of hate crimes, with 527 in 2019 alone.
Read MoreA popular Pentecostal pastor was arrested after he led a service that resulted in 20 deaths. The incident is part of a dangerous trend in some African countries, where services create deadly conditions for desperate people.
Read More(NEWS ANALYSIS) A recent report found that Islamic terrorist groups killed at least 1,000 Nigerian Christians last year and displaced many others with land grabs. While the government says it has defeated Boko Haram, killings of Christians have spiked in recent weeks.
Read More(OPINION) West Africa’s Christians are suffering extraordinary levels of violence at the hands of radical Islamist killers, while the Pentagon is deliberating withdrawing troops from the region.
Read More(OPINION) News organizations are trying to catch up to how religion is influencing American politics. Coverage would improve if more reporters understood the subgroups that comprise blanket terms like Protestant and Catholic.
Read More(OPINION) Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks urged religious and political leaders to understand how current trends feed the scapegoating of a people who have endured persecution throughout history.
Read More(NEWS ANALYSIS) The conviction in the UK of a gay serial rapist from Indonesia is fueling debates in the Muslim-majority country of whether rape is a symptom of homosexuality. While homosexuality is not a crime in Indonesia, the largest Muslim organizations have been advocating to criminalize gay sexual activities.
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