A Slightly More Transparent LDS Church One Year After News Of A $100 Billion Fund

Ensign Peak Advisors, the investment firm connected to the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints, started filing a quarterly 13F form on Feb. 14, 2010, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates publicly traded companies and other financial firms. Its initial filing revealed EPA had $38 billion in stocks and mutual funds at the end of 2019, including $1.5 billion in Apple and Microsoft. The firm had nearly $1 billion worth of shares in Amazon and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, as well.

How will Catholic issues shape news coverage under President Biden?

(OPINION) Biden’s brand of Catholicism resonated with the mainstream press and many voters. The election now over, how the president-elect navigates the complicated world of the church’s hierarchy will be a big storyline.

Catholicism, Politics, Religion, OpinionClemente LisiDecember 18, 2020Clemente Lisi, opinion, journalism, Catholic church, Christianity, Joe Biden, Trump, RechargeComment

In the year of the pandemic, counting down the top 10 religion stories of 2020

This week’s Weekend Plug-in counts down the top 10 religion stories of 2020, as determined by the Religion News Association. Also: our usual Friday roundup of the top reads in the world of faith.

U.S. Human Rights Commission Calls Nigerian Violence ‘Genocide'

The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan Congressional caucus, held a panel on Dec. 17 to discuss religiously-motivated violence in Nigeria. Hundreds of Christians and Shia Muslims have died or suffered other violence at the hands of Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen. The committee and panelists discussed what the U.S. should do to help in the future.

Why India is evicting Muslims from forests in Kashmir and axing thousands of trees

The Indian government has evicted hundreds of nomadic Muslims living in the forests of Kashmir and cut down their sources of income— their apple orchards. The move comes a year after a court order declaring their occupation of the land illegal, but activists say the Hindu nationalist government is ignoring a law allowing tribal people to live on government land and accusing the government of wanting to change the Muslim character of the region.

Warnock’s Israel Stance Remains an Issue for Jewish Voters in Georgia

(OPINION) Support for Israel is at the heart of lobbying for Jewish votes by the Democratic and Republican candidates as the Senate runoffs near. Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock has proved to be “disappointing” for some Jewish voters in Georgia on the account that he may believe that Israel is an “apartheid state” according to past actions.

From the Vatican’s table to yours: New Christmas cookbook a culinary masterpiece

(REVIEW) David Geisser’s new cookbook in time for the holidays, The Vatican Christmas Cookbook, offers up over 100 recipes from around the world.

We should all cheer the religious freedom win in Muslim-FBI suit

(OPINION) The Supreme Court recently upheld the religious freedom of Muslim Americans in a case of three Muslim men who accused the FBI of forcing them to violate their religious beliefs to spy on fellow Muslims. Here’s why we should all cheer.

Armenians Displaced From Nagorno-Karabakh Fear Churches Will Be Destroyed

(ANALYSIS) Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh ended on Nov. 9 after Russia brokered a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Now Armenian heritage organizations worry historical churches and other religious sites will be destroyed.

Sotheby’s to auction Sassoon dynasty’s Jewish artifacts from India, Iran and more

A collection by the Sassoon family, called the Rothschilds of the East, is going on the auction block at Sotheby’s on Dec. 17. The Sassoon family left Ottoman-controlled Baghdad and built their wealth trading opium and textiles from Bombay, Rangoon, Hong Kong, Singapore and London.

Brutal report says Episcopalian pews may be empty by 2050

(OPINION) Though the Episcopal Church prides itself on its progressive politics that align with President-elect Joe Biden’s, the numbers of weddings and baptisms are quickly decreasing along with a 2 percent decrease in population size, according to Office of the General Convention

The Growing Divide Within American Evangelicalism

New survey data shows white evangelicals hold very different political views (like believing Donald Trump won the 2020 election) than the so-called evangelical elite that includes evangelical leaders like best-selling Bible study author Beth Moore. The result is the loudest evangelical voices are like generals without an army.

How Fears Of 'Love Jihad' Gripped The Indian Imagination

(ANALYSIS) A narrative pushed by Hindu nationalists suggests Muslim men are forcing Hindu women and girls to marry them and convert to Islam. An anti-conversion law that prohibits “love jihad” was passed at the end of November and criminalizes Hindu-Muslim couples.

A rare astronomical event is happening this Christmas. Is it the Star of Bethlehem?

(ANALYSIS) On Dec. 21, our solar system’s two largest planets Jupiter and Saturn will appear together in a rare astronomical event called a conjunction, not seen since 1226. The extra bright light calls to mind the Bible story of when King Herod’s magi followed a star to find Jesus Christ as a child and worship him as God’s son.

Pro-Trump protesters burn BLM banners outside four historic D.C. churches

After a peaceful pro-Trump prayer rally this weekend, protesters — some identified as Proud Boys— burned Black Lives Matter signs taken from four historic churches in the nation’s capital, including the oldest African American church.

Trump-Supporting ‘Jericho March’ Ends In Protest, Burning Of BLM Banners

This weekend, thousands of Trump supporters gathered in Washington D.C. for the Jericho March, part of a campaign to expose voter fraud and ensure a second Trump term. The event included several conservative Christian speakers and ended in protests throughout the city.

Trump calls COVID-19 vaccine 'a medical miracle,' but many religious people are skeptical

President Donald Trump calls the first COVID-19 vaccine approved by the federal government a “medical miracle.” So why are many religious people so skeptical? That’s a key question in this week’s Weekend Plug-in.

Will U.S. Push For International Religious Freedom Continue Under Biden?

(ANALYSIS) As Joe Biden prepares to enter office, religious freedom advocates are searching for signs that his administration will maintain the delicate institutional framework built during the Trump administration. Without a commitment from the president-elect, they fear it could all evaporate.

Excerpt From ‘Jesus. A World History’: A New Book On The Life And Influence Of Jesus

(EXCERPT) “Jesus. A World History,” by Markus Spieker, is both a biography of Jesus and a historical narrative of his influence across the world.

A Pastor Fights To Stop Old Men From Marrying Young Girls In Nigeria

In remote Nigeria, a pastor and his wife are working against the traditional practice of “money marriage,” in which girls as young as 7 are married to old men and denied a basic education.

Africa, NewsLinus UnahDecember 11, 2020Linus Unah, Nigeria, forced marriage, arranged marriage, Primary Feature, Africa, money marriageComment

Address

Contact

Information