‘Redeeming Love’ Combines Worst Parts Of Faith-Based And Romance Films

(REVIEW) The film ‘Redeeming Love’ is based on the hugely popular 1991 Christian romance novel by evangelical author Francine Rivers that loosely retells the biblical story of Hosea. Unfortunately, this adaptation combines the worst parts of faith-based films, romance films and gritty dramas into a hilarious Frankenstein’s monster of a misfire.

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Does European Multiculturalism Threaten Women’s Rights?

(REVIEW) “Prey” is a meticulously researched book, and Ali offers us page after page of grim statistics to support her thesis that the surge of immigration into Europe in 2015 has led to a surge in sexual violence.

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Online Church And Virtual Spirituality In The Pandemic Age: Can We Have A Wordle, Please?

This week’s Weekend Plug-in goes high-tech — with stories about online worship, virtual reality church and Wordle as ritual. Plus, catch up, as always, on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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After Grim Reports For Canadian Churches, How Will They Respond?

(OPINION) After seeing 2018 General Synod reports, the Anglican Church of Canada’s research and statistics expert produced an analysis that said projections of the data indicate that there will be no members, attenders or givers in the Anglican Church of Canada by approximately 2040.

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Why Are People Calling Bitcoin A Religion?

(OPINION) Read enough about Bitcoin, and you’ll inevitably come across people who refer to the cryptocurrency as a religion. Bloomberg’s Lorcan Roche Kelly called Bitcoin “the first true religion of the 21st century.” There is even a Church of Bitcoin, founded in 2017, that explicitly calls legendary Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto its “prophet.”

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The Only Winner Of The 2022 Beijing Olympics Will Be The Chinese Government

(OPINION) The 2022 Beijing Games are surrounded by controversy. The Chinese government is accused of genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. Evidence shows the Uyghur people are held in concentration camps, forcibly sterilized and subjected to forced labor, torture, rape and sexual violence.

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What Would Jesus Do At An Israeli Military Checkpoint?

For 42-year-old Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac, the bullet hole inside his church is a symbol of the conflict he aspires to resolve. A Lutheran with an evangelical background, he is involved in the controversial and often slow work of exposing Christians abroad to the realities of the Israeli occupation.

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Descendants Of Self-Freed Slave Still Live And Worship On His Nashville Land

It’s easy to miss amid the upscale apartment complexes of Nashville’s Bellevue neighborhood. But the Old Hickory Boulevard Church of Christ is rich with history, standing on one of the oldest settlements continuously owned by an African American family in the state of Tennessee.

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Solving The Opioid Crisis, Ethically: Is The Answer Less Supply, Or More?

(OPINION) Year after year, America’s drug overdose crisis is worsening. In the 12-month period ending in June 2021, the most recent period for which there is reliable data, more than 101,000 people died from drug overdose in the U.S., — an increase of more than 20% from the previous year.

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How Orthodox Jewish Law Is Adapting To In Vitro Fertilization

According to increasingly common interpretations of Orthodox Jewish law, any assisted reproductive technology — including egg and sperm extraction or IVF, which have grown in popularity in recent years — requires the presence of “mashgichim,” Jewish law supervisors. But not all Orthodox Jews agree with the practice.

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For Top Athletes, Is Standing Up For Human Rights — In Beijing, Saudi Arabia, Qatar — Worth The Risk?

(OPINION) The Beijing Winter Olympics are quickly approaching and being held in China’s capital city. A major question is, “Do elite international athletes have a moral responsibility to publicly comment or act in a way that acknowledges their awareness of oppressive — or worse — political conditions in nations in which they compete?”

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Pew Survey On Blasphemy Laws Must Be Supplemented With Grounded Realities

(OPINION) A recent Pew survey found that 40% of countries and territories worldwide had blasphemy laws in 2019. But a few caveats bring a greater understanding of how blasphemy laws and hate speech laws are impacting believers and nonbelievers today.

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Pope Benedict Faulted Over Sex Abuse Claims: New Report Is Just One Chapter In His – And Catholic Church’s – Fraught Record

(OPINION) An in-depth report released last week alleges that former Pope Benedict XVI allowed four abusive priests in Munich to remain in ministry. The pope, then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, led the German archdiocese from 1977 to 1982.

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Nashville's Rabbit Room Offers Community For Christian Artists, Writers And Musicians

In an increasingly divided culture, even within the church, the Rabbit Room was created to build and nourish stronger Christ-centered communities by cultivating stories, music and art. It was founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter and author Andrew Peterson after he visited Oxford, England, and was inspired by the stories of the Inklings.

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We Must Respond To The Worsening Global Refugee Crisis

(OPINION) It is only February, and 2022 has brought enough concerning news for refugees. It is estimated that 82.4 million people are displaced worldwide, 42% of whom are children. For 51 million, displacement is a result of flaring conflict and violence. Most new displacements occurred in Africa. This trend will continue.

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These Ugandan Clergy Are Marrying Multiple Women

Several prominent Ugandan pastors’ marriages have recently shattered in the public eye, causing many of Uganda’s 34 million Christians to express concerns about the state of marriage in their country. In most of the scandals, male pastors are abandoning their spouses after many years for young women in their congregations.

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In Mitch Albom’s New Novel ‘The Stranger in the Lifeboat,’ Faith Saves Lives 

(REVIEW) What would you do if you encountered God, seemingly the same as any other man, and He offered to save your life as long as you believed in Him? Would you believe? What would it take? These are the questions at the core of Mitch Albom’s new novel, “The Stranger in the Lifeboat.”

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NFL Standout Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp Furthers Faith And Football Family Legacy

(ANALYSIS) Cooper Kupp is a well-known name across football who helped punch the Rams’ ticket to the NFC championship in 2022. But above all, what’s most noticeable is Kupp’s character and Christian faith.

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Led By Afghanistan, Global Christian Persecution Reaches Highest Level In 30 Years

(OPINION) Open Doors’ newly published World Watch List reveals significant changes in the situation of Christian minorities around the world. According to the research, the persecution of Christians has reached the highest levels since the World Watch List began nearly 30 years ago.

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'We have to stop hate': Why it's important to remember the Holocaust

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights coverage of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and presents a special panel discussion. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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