Does 'Holy' Mark A New Era In Justin Bieber's Music?

(REVIEW) Justin Bieber’s newest single “Holy” features Gospel influences and Christian lyrics. It’s been announced as a “new era” in his music. This song isn’t the first time he’s explored faith in his work, but “Holy” does accompany recent proclamations of Bieber’s evangelical Christian faith on social media.

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Catholics could be energized for Trump should he nominate Barrett to SCOTUS

(ANALYSIS) The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has prompted President Donald Trump to pledge a nominee this week. Frontrunner Amy Coney Barrett, a Catholic, has a record of being anti-abortion and will certainly inflame those on the political left who fear an overturning of Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.

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Unconventional Churches Draw Young Believers To Worship In Odd Places

Since the early New Testament church met in homes, many startup churches and church plants have met in eccentric, odd and unusual locations, calling themselves churches without walls. As younger Americans continue dropping out of the pews, ministries like Christ Chapel’s college outreach in Ft. Worth leave traditional spaces behind and come to their audience in bars, coffee shops and Zoom.

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Netflix's 'The Devil All the Time' Exploits Faith In Dark Thriller

(REVIEW) The newest Netflix original, “The Devil All the Time,” takes place in a rural town where God exists but never intervenes. The cast of characters, who are haunted by or participate in evil, are therefore only able to wrestle with their own sin.

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Will we soon live in a world without Mormons and Southern Baptists?

This week’s Weekend Plug-in summary highlights discussions over a possible new name for the Southern Baptist Convention as well as one group dropping the term “evangelicals” from its name. Plus, find our usual roundup of the top reads from the world of faith.

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Muslims in Hong Kong, 'the next Xinjiang,' silently support Uyghurs

After China’s latest security law restricting several freedoms, Hong Kongers are increasingly drawing parallels between China’s treatment of the Uyghurs and themselves, while fears heighten in Hong Kong’s Muslim minority for speaking out against the government.

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Will Israel’s peace agreements bring religious freedom in the Middle East?

(OPINION) Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have announced major peace agreements with Israel, with Oman hinting it will join an agreement next, easing tensions and increasing economic opportunities in the Middle East. The peace agreements, with Israel promising not to annex the holy lands in Judea and Samaria, could mean not just long-elusive peace between Palestinians and Israelis but also increasing religious freedom across the region.

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Christian private school students more likely to have stable marriages, study finds

Many studies in education focus on testing, graduation rates and college entrances. For the first time, a new study by the Institute for Family Studies and the American Enterprise Institute links different types of schooling to marriage and family formation.

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International Fellowship Of Christians And Jews Taps Evangelicals For Support

Many evangelical Christians are giving money to International Fellowship of Christians and Jews despite the fact that the fellowship does not promote the Gospel and pays its leaders large salaries. Do they know what organization they’re giving to?

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On Birmingham church bombing anniversary, a call for a unified movement for justice

The struggle for a just and equal society isn’t only about Black people and racism, said Rev. William Barber at the 16th Street Baptist Church 57 years after the Ku Klux Klan bombing that killed four young girls. He called for communities of faith to unify around shared values and concern for the vulnerable, and to reject the divisiveness that leads to violence.

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After Kabul terror attack, Afghan Sikhs are fleeing to India

A New Delhi-based Sikh organization is sponsoring dozens of Afghan Sikhs to settle in India after the March terror attack on a Kabul gurudwara, a Sikh temple. Although Sikh has ancient history in Afghanistan, Sikhs now make up only a tiny minority in the country, while the Indian government welcomes Sikhs, whose faith formed from Hinduism.

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Yet another book about who will follow Pope Francis examines a church in transition

(REVIEW) While 83-year-old Pope Francis is in good health, that hasn’t stopped speculation over who will come next. In his new book, author George Weigel examines the problems affecting the church and what the next pope will need to do in order to address them. Think of it like a very long to-do memo for the next head of the Catholic church.

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Understanding the American Muslim Vote

The data reveals a surprisingly complex picture of a religious group that can feel pulled in opposite directions on issues of policy and partisanship, still seeking to find an identity in American politics. While American Muslims support the Democrats by a landslide, they don’t agree on many progressive policy priorities.

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