St. John’s Episcopal Church, where Trump posed with a Bible on June 1, is known as the “Church of the Presidents.” Here are five facts about the historic church that you probably didn’t know, involving Abraham Lincoln, a marriage record of both enslaved and free African Americans, a presidential pew and more.
Read MoreAfter four nights of violent clashes between police and protesters and looting in New York City, more than 100 congregations organized a peaceful protest march in Brooklyn against police brutality and racism.
Read More(OPINION) When the Georgia legislature reconvenes in mid-June, there is a chance that a bill with enhanced penalties for bias or hate crimes will make its way to the governor. In the grand scope of things, putting a hate crimes law on the books in Georgia should be important on a level with, say, reopening massage and tattoo parlors, nail salons and bowling alleys.
Read MoreA Virginia church’s building, in the heart of downtown Richmond, was just one of many structures damaged by rioters and protesters over the weekend. “We’re more concerned with the personal damage than the physical damage — the souls of those who did the damage,” said James Nesmith, minister for the West Broad Church of Christ, a predominantly black congregation.
Read MoreTension between protesters demanding justice for George Floyd’s death and New York police officers fizzled out for a time when a church van playing gospel music strategically inserted itself into the mix. The crisis response team is led by Jamaican immigrants with a passion for Jesus and a history of social justice and community outreach.
Read MoreA church in the historically black neighborhood of St. Paul reopened this weekend after loosened coronavirus guidelines and days of violent protests nearby after the death of George Floyd. Pastor Dwight Buckner remembers the riots in the sixties and conjures Martin Luther King Jr.’s calming words, while a 22-year-old church member whose mother is recovering with COVID-19 tells how a white man stopped him at gunpoint on Saturday.
Read MoreScores of African-American players have called the Israeli Basketball Premier League home, drawn there for a chance to play professionally and earn decent money. In the process, these players have become ambassadors for the Jewish state — some marrying Israeli women, serving in the country’s army and converting to Judaism.
Read More(OPINION) Black Lives Matter is a departure from past social justice movements. It is not attached to any religious institution, and it is anonymous with no defined leadership. Unlike past civil rights movements spearheaded by ministers and laypeople, in the Black Lives Matter movement, the church has been relegated to the back seat.
Read MoreWeekend Plug-in looks at the faith of George Floyd, houses of worship reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic and other top headlines from the religious world.
Read MoreAfter George Floyd’s death in police custody May 25, his Houston pastor and ministry friends recall his role in their neighborhood outreach.
Read More(OPINION) A Nigerian Christian recounts her experiences struggling with mental illness and letting go of the idea that if she had enough faith, God would heal her.
Read MoreResearchers have grown concerned over the China-based app’s reach and the possibility of it bringing Chinese-style censorship to mainstream U.S audiences. After pro-life accounts were disabled and reinstated, now Christian TikTokers say their accounts and videos are being censored without explanation.
Read More(OPINION) A young evangelical writes about what God is teaching us during a global pandemic about our responsibility to care for other people and the environment.
Read More(OPINION) Like secular news outlets, Catholic media also face financial hardships created by the pandemic. This is a trend that has, of course, affected all news media and across many other industries, such as hospitality and tourism to name just two.
Read MoreThe newly ordained must take everything they learned and adapt it to serve their communities during a pandemic. New chaplains in particular are jumping into virtual pastoral care and may have to wait on certifications that lockdowns have delayed.
Read More(OPINION) As the world begins to cautiously emerge from lockdown, it has begun to look beyond its own borders. For most, the lockdown has confined us to the four walls of our homes. Yet for some terrorist organizations, COVID-19 has provided an opportunity to consolidate and expand. This is particularly visible in the case of Boko Haram and Daesh.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Both Mormons and white evangelicals lean heavily right-wing in American politics. But while Mormons look like white evangelicals in terms of partisanship and ideology, they don’t vote in lockstep. And one of those reasons may be policy, specifically on gun control, abortion and immigration.
Read MoreAfter a gathering in Kuala Lumpur in late February spread coronavirus to several countries in the region, Malaysia has made great progress in flattening its COVID-19 curve. Here is how Muslim families celebrated Ramadan and Eid al Fitr under a lockdown.
Read MoreThis week Indian security forces killed a rebel militant commander in Kashmir, destroying dozens of homes in the process amid rising coronavirus cases in India. Some families say the Indian officers started the fires and looted their possessions.
Read MoreLike everything else that involves large gatherings, the global pandemic has forced many schools to either hold their ceremonies online or postpone them to a future date. For the colleges and universities that did decide to hold ceremonies this month, the topic of God wasn’t far from the minds of commencement speakers like actor Tom Hanks.
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