An ancient site on Israel’s Golan Heights is revered by Druze and Christians, who honor the site as the place where Jesus tells St. Peter: “on this rock I will build my church,” but Jews revile the site as a place of pagan worship.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in explores a viral tweet’s claim that Tim Tebow kneeling in prayer on the field upset the NFL.
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(ANALYSIS) The Turkish government’s conversion of the Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque has drawn sharp criticism, celebration, and now pledges to rebuild the church in Syria. The decision is part of a long-term agenda of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Islamist parties to restore national pride in its Ottoman past, drawing both sharp criticism for implications for religious minorities and mixed praise in the region.
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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) asked Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos why his company partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, known to label mainstream religious beliefs about homosexuality as hate, to determine what charities should be omitted from the online retailer’s list of organizations customers can automatically donate a portion of their spending to.
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(OPINION) A report published by the Bar Human Rights Committee in the UK will hold China accountable for genocides and other related violence against Uighur Muslims.
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(OPINION) Tisha b’Av is a Jewish day of mourning to remember the destruction of Judaism’s First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The way this mourning is completed provides valuable insight on how to handle the problems of our country today.
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Like many other religious gatherings, the Islamic pilgrimage Hajj has been altered due to coronavirus concerns. This year, Hajj will only be open to residents of Saudi Arabia. Check out the best five ways to experience a virtual Hajj.
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(OPINION) The way that Democrats handle faith in politics—particularly with issues of same-sex marriage—will play into the way Christian voters swing in the 2020 election.
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(REVIEW) The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates by the National Catholic Register's longtime Rome correspondent Edward Pentin delves into the lives of the cardinals most likely to follow Francis.
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(OPINION) A Jewish family mourns loss and pays tribute to a loved one who survived WWII and contracted the coronavirus in a California nursing home.
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First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in America. The church released a statement against racism, and will remove the names of former pro-slavery pastors from its buildings.
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The celebration of life and funeral of Rep. John Lewis, the Civil Rights veteran, will take place all week from Alabama to Washington, D.C.
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(OPINION) A simple removal of the “Whites Only” signs from water fountains, restrooms and waiting rooms missed the larger problem of segregation. The era of legalized racial segregation and discrimination was marked by the economic exploitation, political disfranchisement and social subordination of African Americans.
Read More(OPINION) Forces in Ethiopia and abroad are currently capitalizing on the appalling murder of the musician and political activist Hachalu Hundessa, which led to violent ethnic-based clashes that killed nearly 200 people this month. Political groups in Africa’s second-most-populous country have consistently paraded distorted and, at times, wholly inaccurate narratives about the democratic values Hundessa stood for.
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(REVIEW) The most fascinating aspect of Apple TV Plus’s “Greyhound” is the faith of its title character, Captain Ernest Kraust. By incorporating prayers and Biblical references, the story becomes more reminiscent of a Gospel story.
Read MoreAmid 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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