During the coronavirus pandemic, the Promised Land Covenant Church in the Bronx lost 13 members to COVID-19 in six weeks, lost their building to a fire, and then months later, lost their new space to Hurricane Ida. Still, the church continues streaming worship online from temporary spaces and delivering food and resources in its community.
Read More(OPINION) People often view scientists as “Godless.” But while its true that some — particularly members of the “new atheism movement” — couple their irreligion with an aggressive critique of religious belief as a threat to societal well-being, most atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K. are not anti-religious.
Read More(OPINION) Media eyes are trained on the U.S. Supreme Court's Dec. 1 argument on Mississippi's abortion restrictions, preceded by a fast-tracked Nov. 1 hearing about the stricter law in Texas. But don't neglect the Court's Dec. 8 hearing and subsequent decision on tax funding of religious schools in the potentially weighty Carson v. Makin case.
Read More(OPINION) Mark Zuckerberg says “meta” — from the Greek word meaning beyond — “symbolizes that there is always more to build.” Uh, not quite. “Meta” does mean beyond, but it doesn’t signify there’s always more to build. In fact, it signifies boundaries. And if you’re in an ancient faith tradition, you’ll recognize it is God who is the true Meta.
Read MoreA Crimean court jailed 49-year-old Jehovah's Witness Igor Schmidt for six years on extremism-related charges, to be followed by six years of restrictions, although the prosecution presented no victims of any wrongdoing in court. Schmidt is the fourth Crimean Jehovah's Witness handed a long jail term. At least 12 more face criminal cases.
Read More(OPINION) At the end of October, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute team secured the evacuation of 79 women judges, lawyers, journalists and other human rights defenders from Afghanistan to Greece. But states must also wake up to the message sent by the Taliban and consider other ways they can help.
Read More(OPINION) In the 2002 race to become the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, critics noted that Bishop Michael Nariz-Ali was a strong evangelical leader in the global Anglican Communion. But more recently, Nariz-Ali stunned the Anglican world by announcing that he was returning to Roman Catholicism.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearing on a death row inmate’s spiritual rights at his execution. Plus, as always, catch up on all the week’s best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreDisposing of unwanted dolls and toys in Japan is not so easy. Throughout the year temples across Japan hold a “ningyo kuyo” (人形供養), a funeral ritual for unwanted dolls, especially traditional dolls. Held in both Buddhist and Shinto temples alike, the ceremony is a spiritual send-off to thank dolls for their service and properly put them to rest.
Read MoreAs Hondurans deal with COVID-19 deaths and lockdowns and recover from two hurricanes, Christian Relief Fund delivers bags of rice, beans, coffee and sugar — by truck, bike or donkey — to hungry families of the children it sponsors.
Read More(OPINION) Food banks, food pantries, meal programs and similar initiatives run by churches and other faith-based institutions are among the charitable organizations seeking to fill the gap left by government benefits for the food insecure.
Read MoreThe vast Amazon basin has long drawn missionaries seeking to reach people who haven’t yet heard the gospel of Christ. But now, missionaries working with New Tribes Mission Brazil and other groups are facing a formidable foe: Indigenous groups backed by laws that protect small isolated tribes from both pandemics and proselytizing.
Read More(REVIEW) The new documentary “The Jesus Music” interviews iconic Christian artists like Amy Grant, TobyMac, Michael W. Smith and more. It’s a fun documentary, but its nostalgia overshadows many more important discussions on the current state of Christian music — for Christians and non-Christians alike.
Read MoreMike Schmitz has become an unlikely podcast star. He isn’t only a Catholic priest, but Schmitz’s chart-topping daily podcast has become a huge hit since debuting on New Year’s Day. In January, the podcast debuted at No. 1 on Apple iTunes in all categories and over the past 10 months has become the greatest Catholic podcast ever.
Read More(REVIEW) The horrifyingly addictive Netflix Korean thriller has become the number one television show in more than 90 countries. But beyond the surprising visuals and horrific violence that touch on an array of themes, the show also has something to say about religion — specifically Korean forms of Christianity.
Read MoreThe Kenya Film Classification Board recently banned the documentary film “I am Samuel” about a religious gay man’s struggle for acceptance from his family and country, sparking debate on the rights of the LGBTQ community as well as interpretations of the Bible on same-sex relationships.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A funny thing happened when President Joe Biden visited Pope Francis at the Vatican. The event actually made news, especially with Biden quotes about what allegedly happened in private. It was big news across the media ecosystem because of 20 words the president uttered to reporters in Rome after the face-to-face.
Read MoreAs millions of South Africans visited the polls this week, the South African Council of Churches prayed that the local municipal elections would not trigger more spread of COVID-19. The nation has been one of the world’s hardest hit during the pandemic in terms of coronavirus infections and death rate, with 2.92 million cases and 89,179 deaths.
Read More(OPINION) When faced with such crises as seen in Afghanistan over recent months, there is a need for a variety of actors to provide assistance, including businesses. Businesses can do good and as seen in the case of Airbnb.org their assistance can effectively fill the gaps in humanitarian responses.
Read MoreDuring the pandemic this summer, 29-year-old Iris Ferreira became the first female rabbi ordained in France in the Reform tradition. A growing number of Jewish women in France are seeking to reform long-standing Jewish traditions, often going against the dominant Orthodox majority.
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