At the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Democrats steered clear of Barrett’s religion, even as Republicans focused on it. This week’s Weekend Plug-in has that news, plus all the top headlines and best reads from the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) What was a nominally a little-known conflict regarding the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region — also known as Artsakh — claimed by both Armenia and Azerbaijan has erupted into a full-scale war with an estimated thousands of soldiers on both sides killed in intense fighting.
Read More(OPINION) Sure, we make mistakes. We have blind spots and faulty assumptions. But many of the criticisms are off the mark: they misunderstand what journalism is about; they feed a growing sense that there is no agreed upon reality and set of facts to which we can all refer; and, as a Christian I fear they reflect poorly on people who say they love the truth.
Read MoreMany are tracking the way religious voters will vote in the upcoming election. Pew Research has published new data and analysis of these groups, noting that White Christians still lean toward Trump. They also offer analysis of the way religion has impacted past voting and approval ratings of President Trump.
Read MoreDubbed Not Our Faith, the PAC’s leaders include Billy Graham’s granddaughter Jerushah Duford and former aides and advisors from both sides of the aisle. The leaders of the PAC argued Thursday that Trump has denigrated the Christian faith and harmed migrants and refugees.
Read MoreA Chinese church now operating out of New York claims Jesus returned as a woman in China, upsetting Christian leaders in India wary of the group’s appeal among young Christians.
Read More(OPINION) Vandalism against Catholic churches is a news story. Period. Where is the coverage?
Read MoreWhen public schools in Alaska’s capital of Juneau moved to virtual classes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some students were unable to access their schools. The Juneau Church of Christ opened its annex building to provide Wi-Fi and tutoring for Glacier Valley students, who are required to wear masks and maintain 6 feet of social distance.
Read More(OPINION) Joe Biden and President Donald Trump used this year's virtual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner to preach to Catholic voters in swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida. The event produced few headlines, coming a mere six hours before Trump announced his positive test for COVID-19.
Read More(ANALYSIS) QAnon is one of the most talked about groups populating the internet. Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms continue to ban users and groups from their platform for spreading QAnon ideals, which they have labeled as violating their policies on hate speech. What does the group actually believe? Are they a threat to you or our country? And why are evangelical Christians so often associated with the group?
Read More(OPINION) An uplifting story from The Washington Post about a young Nigerian boy brought hope during times of uncertainty in many religious communities. Other news sources tried to continue telling the story, but the religious angle seemed underdeveloped.
Read MoreZen, who recently returned to Hong Kong from a trip to the Vatican, has no higher authority on Earth to appeal to in his fight to save his country’s church from infiltration by the Chinese Communist Party.
Read More(REVIEW) So far, no one has really been able to make a Christian comedy that connects with Christian — or non-Christian — audiences. But can it crack the code on how to make a successful Christian comedy?
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in may bug you a little bit. We’re going to talk about the fly that landed on Mike Pence’s head during Wednesday’s night vice presidential debate. And as always, we’ll highlight the week’s top religion headlines and best reads.
Read MoreBart Weetjens believes training CEOs and entrepreneurs to connect with something in the universe bigger than the bottom line will make them better and happier human beings who will then create happier, more compassionate employees, too. His own study of Zen Buddhism led him to create and sustain a successful landmine clearance project across Asia, using trained rats.
Read More(OPINION) Richard Ostling commends journalists at Christianity Today and World for prioritizing truth over tribalism in the case of sexual assault claims against Ravi Zacharias. Both publications seek to prioritize the community over the reputation of the religion.
Read MoreVice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris had a brief spat Wednesday over attacks against Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s Catholic faith. Pence brought up Harris’s past remarks about “extreme” beliefs of the Catholic group Knights of Columbus while Harris assured listeners that as people of faith Biden and her would not knock anyone else for their faith.
Read More(OPINION) A 2020 Executive Order prioritizes international religious freedom and promotes USAID and the U.S. State Department to infuse religious freedom with foreign policy. What will these organizations continue to do to advance the United States’s notion of religious freedom in and out of its borders?
Read More(REVIEW) Indie musician Sufjan Stevens released his newest album, “The Ascension,” on Sept. 25. He uses synth pop and tragic lyrics to express a sense of hopelessness with American society and politics. As he addresses God, however, his raw honesty creates an atmosphere of worship.
Read MorePopular pilgrimage destinations like Jerusalem and Rome have seen a massive drop in religious travelers, especially during Passover, Easter and this past summer.
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