Amid rising COVID-19 cases and ongoing restrictions, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ annual convention will not meet in person for the first time since 1897. The new adaptations designed for the pandemic have provided increased accessibility for Witnesses normally unable to attend, changes that will long outlive social-distancing guidelines.
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(OPINION) Recent developments in the Supreme Court and in the progression of LGBTQ rights will only create more controversy between religious groups.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in includes the announcement of finalists for the Religion News Association awards, plus coverage of mask mandates and churches, the death of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis and other top headlines from the world of faith.
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The voice and legacy of Rev. C.T. Vivian was memorialized at the Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta July 23 during a funeral that captured the faith and spirit of one of the most courageous veterans of the Civil Rights movement. Watch the full recording here.
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A church in Little Rock, Ark. is working to rebuild after its building was firebombed during Black Lives Matter protests in May. Its efforts to rebuild go beyond the physical, as an effort entitled Project Hope works to increase diversity in the church.
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(OPINION) Jesus wasn’t white, though he’s represented that way in art, TV and movies. Does that mean Christians should stop viewing and endorsing these representations?
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(OPINION) Over the weekend, African-American activists were arrested in New York for pouring black paint over a Black Lives Matter mural. Some have lauded it as a courageous act, and others have dismissed it as no more than vandalism of public art.
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C.T. Vivian’s funeral will take place at Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. The service is limited to 50 people because of COVID-19 precautions but will livestreamed online Thursday at 11am ET.
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(OPINION) As Americans go from the racial reckoning that has engulfed America for the past two months to the start of the general election season, vandalism involving the burning of a church or the decapitation of a Jesus statue can become highly symbolic and significant.
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Mary Magdalene, the first apostle of Jesus and first to see him resurrected, is trending on Twitter on her feast day. She’s been reinvented numerous times throughout church history and even attracts fans outside the faith.
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Known as a theologian who wrote the popular Knowing God series of Bible studies, Packer was also a churchman and organization leader.
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(OPINION) Part III of a series. Many who claim to be anti-fascist don’t understand the historical implications of the term. Fascism manifests itself on both ends of the political spectrum.
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John Lewis, who died on Friday, played a large role in faith communities in Atlanta—such as with the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition formed in 1982. Jews in Atlanta remember his legacy.
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(OPINION) Recent violence and hate crimes in Ethiopia has parallels to pre-genocide Rwanda with many lessons: the further we stray from faith, the further we stray from justice.
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Churches in Kenya are slowly reopening during the coronavirus pandemic, though some church leaders think their religious freedom is coming under fire with restrictions, including a limit of one hour for a worship service and a ban on adults 58 and older and youth younger than 18.
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(OPINION) Part II of a series. There’s a difference between a revolution and a total revolution, the latter justifying any means to achieve justice. Total revolution marks a human attempt to reach beyond their own limitations.
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(OPINION) Only two popes throughout history have had “great” added to their title. Many believe that Pope John Paul II should be the third to receive this honor.
Read More(OPINION) What stood out to me most in regard to Lewis was that he put principles over politics and for that he was respected by Republicans and Democrats. At the height of the 2008 Presidential campaign I learned during a gathering President George W. Bush hosted at the White House it wasn’t certain that Lewis was going to endorse Hillary Clinton for president.
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(OPINION) The killing of George Floyd and the riots following his death have perpetuated the idea that a burning of America must happen to create justice. But this violence does more dehumanizing of all parties than it does good.
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The Navajo Nation is seeing an abrupt change to their way of life. Burial rituals are changing. Food insecurity is growing. Traditional ceremonies and religious services are cancelled, and without Internet (and without electricity in some homes), no virtual experiences can even attempt to break the isolation.
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