Turkey’s Armenian Christian Minority Is Safeguarding Ancient Liturgy

(ANALYSIS) For the Armenian religious minority in Istanbul, a practice based on ancient tradition serves as a strategy of visibility, a cry and demand, a claim to the minority right to the city for a people scattered and decimated by genocide more than 100 years ago.

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Should Church Leaders Trust Facebook And Big Tech?

(OPINION) The pandemic has left us with questions about the relationship between churches and Big Tech: Could traditional faiths hold rites in virtual reality spaces, along with augmented reality Sunday school classes? Could ancient Jewish prayers chanted by mourners be replaced with waves of comments and clicks?

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Why Religion And Radical Islam Are Essential To Understanding The Taliban

(OPINION) Today, innumerable dangers are posed by the radical Islamist beliefs of the Taliban. And yet, in more than a few reports and discussions, terrorism is noted while the profoundly religious nature of the new Afghan government remains unaddressed.

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A Sobering, Yet Motivating, Reality On The 20th Anniversary of 9/11

(OPINION) We went into Afghanistan 20 years ago to punish the Taliban, and now, thousands of lives and trillions of dollars later, the Taliban run the country. This is as stinging as it is humiliating. And yet it reminds us of a sobering reality: Until Jesus returns, there will always be evil on the planet.

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At 20th Anniversary Of 9/11, Faith Remains A Big Part Of The Story

This week’s Weekend Plug-in summary reflects on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Plus, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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Inside A Summer Drama: Why Everyone Expected Pope Francis To Resign

(OPINION) The press gets very, very, very excited when it comes to the election of a new pope. It is, after all, a global news event and a type of power struggle the press thinks that it can cover like it does a political election. That’s something the press understands better than complicated things such as doctrine, tradition and history.

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Are Churches Part Of The Solution To The Affordable Housing Crisis?

Houses of worship own billions worth of empty, deteriorating or underused real estate. Some local governments and denominations are moving to carve it into badly needed housing, but there are plenty of obstacles.

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Catholic Pilgrims Killed In South Sudan Latest Victims Of Violence

Unidentified gunmen recently ambushed a van carrying Catholic pilgrims along a highway in eastern South Sudan, killing five people, including two Catholic nuns. The attack is only the latest to highlight the dangers faced by faith leaders trying to usher in reconciliation after civil war and aiding a humanitarian crisis.

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Christian Adoption Center Splintering Over Allowing LGBTQ Families

Safe Families for Children, a national nonprofit that markets itself to churches and evangelical donors as a faith-based alternative to foster care, is losing some of its 100 local chapters that are starting new, independent groups to work only with traditional heterosexual couples.

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The Religious Freedom Impacts Of The Texas Abortion Law

(ANALYSIS) The Texas abortion law could affect the religious liberties of those providing pastoral care for women considering abortion or Jews who, in accordance with Jewish teaching, seek an abortion to save the life of the mother.

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Why Is The American Government Blocking Refugee Flights From Afghanistan?

(OPINION) “Why are our efforts being blocked?” The question is being raised everywhere — in daily emails, WhatsApp messages or texts from people on the ground in Afghanistan. Why are these Afghan refugees becoming “refuseniks,” those refused permission to leave?

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From Ida To Afghanistan To Abortion, The Best Religion Reads In A Gigantic News Week

This week’s Weekend Plug-in covers a big, big week in religion news, from the chaotic end of the war in Afghanistan to a momentous development in the nation’s battle over abortion. Plus, as always, catch up all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith, including disaster relief efforts gearing up after Hurricane Ida.

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Belarus Brings Criminal Charges Against Church For Outdoor Worship

Officials are threatening Pastor Vyacheslav Goncharenko and other members of New Life Pentecostal Church in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, with administrative and criminal charges for continuing to hold meetings for worship in the open air in the church’s car park.

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