Since the fall of President Suharto in 1998 and especially since the establishment of regional autonomy in 2001, there has been controversy over the practice by many Indonesian public schools to require Muslims and non-Muslims to wear symbols related to religion, like a headscarf.
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(OPINION) Katherine Stewart, Times reporter outwardly against the Christian Right, makes the surprising assertion that to understand Sen. Josh Hawley’s role in the unprecedented furies of recent weeks we must look back 16 centuries to one of the hottest theological disputes in Christian history.
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(OPINION) Nearly half (49%) of participating pastors agreed with the statement: “I frequently hear members of my congregation repeating conspiracy theories they have heard about why something is happening in our country,” revealing that QAnon conspiracy theorists are spreading from the Internet to the pews.
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The Catholic Church in Germany is already the most disruptive and wealthiest national church in communion with the Pope of Rome. Now, the bishops of the German Catholic Church are dropping a massive, controversial document onto the Vatican’s lap that seeks to break away from Catholic doctrine in the realms of sexual morality, ordination of women and episcopal authority.
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(ANALYSIS) Myanmar’s military has held a prominent political position in the country for decades. For almost 50 years, the country was under successive military regimes. These regimes displayed an ambivalent attitude to the country’s main religion, Buddhism – Buddhist movements, which were on the whole in opposition to military rule, were severely repressed.
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Nearly a dozen pastors and church workers in Florida and elsewhere have been charged with possessing child pornography and/or other sex crimes against children in recent months.
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(ANALYSIS) The Supreme Court recently reversed California’s discriminatory ban on indoor worship in a case brought by two churches against Governor Gavin Newsom. Here’s what the justices had to say, and what rules houses of worship must comply with during the pandemic.
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Sr. Nathalie Becquart, a French nun, was appointed as under-secretary for the Synod of Bishops on Saturday, Feb. 6. The decision has been divisive for Catholics. Becquart is the first woman to be appointed to the Synod, a Catholic institution established by Pope John Paul II as an advisory council for the pontiff made up of clergymen from around the world.
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Streaming service Amazon Prime contains three documentaries by Black creators that delve into the history of racism in the church, back to the origin of slavery in the U.S. and often further. Each takes a different focus, whether White Jesus, BLM or the structure of worship services.
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(ANALYSIS) It remains to be seen how the Biden administration will advance an approach to working together across differences, particularly between government and diverse faith-based and community-based organizations. Whatever approach the Biden administration takes, it will be building upon over two decades of bipartisan principles advancing faith-based and government collaboration.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in asks whether it’s accurate to say that Pope Francis is a “fan” of President Joe Biden, America’s second Catholic president. Plus, find links to all the week’s top religion reads.
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(ANALYISIS) Italian economist Mario Draghi is forming a new government at the president’s request after a collapse of the ruling coalition over its handling of the pandemic. How will Catholic Social Teaching factor in helping lockdown-weary Italians — from business owners to the unemployed — achieve economic stability? The answer can be found in a 2013 speech.
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(ANALYSIS) President Joe Biden’s remarks during his address at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 4 give insight on his view of faith and politics during his presidency.
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(OPINION) A recent study released explained the sexual atrocities against Uyghur women in China. International bodies, such as the United Nations, have been greatly silent, with a few meaningless statements that do not follow with decisive actions to change the fate of the targeted communities.
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(OPINION) The clash between Cardinal Blasé Cupich of Chicago and Archbishop Jose Gomez was a rare example – in public – of ongoing tensions among American bishops about how to handle Catholic politicians who dissent, in word and deed, from centuries of church doctrines on life-and-death issues such as abortion and euthanasia, as well as hot-button topics such as sex, gender and marriage.
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Incendiary rhetoric has made Georgia Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a controversial figure among Jews not only in Georgia, but nationally. She vows not to back down from her anti-Semitic statements despite her many critics in and out of the Republican party.
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Myanmar’s coup could bring even more harm to religious minorities there, like Rohingya Muslims who have been the targets of ethnic cleansing by the military. In the U.S., faith leaders of the sanctuary city movement are pushing back on fines, and a new American coalition of non-religious elected officials hopes to counter White Christian nationalism.
Read MoreMichelle Amuli was a socialite, fitness trainer, online influencer and unifier in life and yet a divisive and controversial figure in her death. Popularly known as Moana in Zimbabwe, her burial rights divided her Muslim paternal and Christian maternal families. The ruling became a landmark case on how to quell the all-too-familiar battles in Zimbabwe for religious and cultural burial rites.
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(OPINION) About a year into the pandemic, when face masks are largely mandatory, coverings have come to signify a wide range of things. Some Muslim women in the West who wear niqabs have reported a more positive experience.
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(ANALYSIS) Vaccines are beginning to be rolled out across the U.S., bringing questions for employees and their businesses. Can employers require their employees to take the vaccine? Can religious exemptions apply to the vaccine?
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