Pro-Abortion Rights Protesters Hit Catholic Churches: Why You Didn't Read About It

(ANALYSIS) If there was ever a doubt that Americans are living in two, separate news universes, then the past two weeks certainly crystallized that reality even more than the polarizing presidential elections of 2016 and 2020. As a result, a major news story on pro-abortion rights protesters at churches was totally ignored by many mainstream news sites.

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‘Reading The Church Fathers’ Tells The Story Of How The Past Shaped The Church We Know Today

(REVIEW) Emerging from a small sect within Judaism, early Christianity absorbed much of the religious, cultural and philosophical traditions of the Greco-Roman world at the time. A new book looks at the centuries that followed the crucifixion of Jesus, which were ones of intense persecution. Christianity would eventually flourish and become the state religion of the Roman Empire.

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Urban Ministry Conference Discusses Pros And Cons Of Federal And State Funding

At the National Urban Ministry Conference’s first in-person meeting since 2020, COVID-19, new ministry initiatives and resources — including the use of government grants — dominated the discussion. Accepting government funding can be a boon to faith-based organizations but places stipulations on religious activities and evangelism.

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United Nations On A Human Rights Visit To Xinjiang, China

(OPINION) In May 2022, United Nations officials — including Michelle Bachelet, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights — are to visit Xinjiang, China, to investigate the allegations of serious human rights violations. This is the first time in over a decade that China is to host the U.N. human rights chief.

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Russian Religious Communities Opposed to Ukraine War Face Pressure And Censorship

State censorship and control of religious communities increased following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lutheran Archbishop Dietrich Brauer, who has left Russia, said that, at the start of the war, President Putin's administration made “a clear demand” of religious leaders to speak out in favor of the invasion.

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Christian Pro-Life Ministries Have Been Caring For Women And Babies For Generations

(OPINION) The idea that pro-lifers don’t care for babies after they are born has been a convenient slander hurled against pro-life Christians. But more than 2,500 pro-life pregnancy resource centers are committed to helping women make life-giving choices, and they often support these women for years after their babies are born.

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Mission Berlin: The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints And Its Nearly 170 Years In Germany’s Capital City

A tireless desire to share their message with the people of Berlin — and Germany as a whole — has helped the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ mission in Berlin persevere over the years, up to the present day.

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This Political Reporter Says Journalism Has Made Him A Better Christian — He's Not Alone

Is it hard to be a Christian and a journalist? Is it possible to be a Christian and a journalist? This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights recent first-person pieces that explore these questions. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith?

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Trio that Defrauded Churches With Bogus Building Loans Sentenced to Years in Prison

Last week, the last of the three criminals confessed to conspiring to defraud churches as part of a scheme they cooked up back in 2013. The news was announced by the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, which charged the three men in 2019.

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Country Music Star Naomi Judd Faced Demons And Angels

(OPINION) Naomi Judd had battled through waves of anxiety attacks to address some dark realities — such as rape, crisis pregnancy and her battle with hepatitis C that retired the Judds. What she hadn’t discussed was the sexual abuse in her childhood that led to treatment-resistant depression.

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Vatican Expresses ‘Concern’ Over Cardinal Zen Arrest For Ties To Pro-Democracy Fund

The humanitarian activist and religious freedom fighter Cardinal Zen, who had previously served as bishop of Hong Kong from 2002 to 2009, was detained, along with four others, in connection with his role as administrator of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which supported pro-democracy demonstrations by paying for the legal and medical fees of protesters.

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Theoretical Physicist Dr. Frank Wilczek Receives 2022 Templeton Prize

In an interview with ReligionUnplugged.com, theoretical physicist and Templeton Prize winner Dr. Frank Wilczek said he was raised in New York City by parents with Italian and Polish backgrounds who wanted him educated in the Catholic tradition: “As a child, I took it very, very seriously and I think it had a residual influence in my later life in helping me to think big and look for the hidden meaning of things.”

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Senate Hearing Examines Political Role Of Tax-Exempt Organizations

Politicians from both parties benefit from the abuse of the tax code, but they differ over who’s responsible, claiming that those on the other side are guilty of the greatest abuse. But they agree on one thing: Abuse has skyrocketed since 2010 and the Supreme Court’s controversial Citizens United decision.

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Lawsuit Accuses Liberty University Of Inadequately Addressing Rape Complaint

A Washington, D.C.-area law firm has filed a complaint in a Virginia district court alleging Liberty University failed to properly investigate a student’s report that she was raped by another student and retaliated against her after she made the report.

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Adopting A Doodle Puppy From Amish Country’s Epicenter of Dog Breeding

Like many people seeking special companions in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States, we drove hours, invested hundreds of dollars and loads of emotional energy into this pilgrimage to a unique religious and cultural landscape. We’d come to adopt a five-pound, brown, furry little friend. She was an Amish-born canine Doodle princess. Her given name: Alisha.

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Abortion Bombshell: Panel Explores Religious Response To Roe v. Wade's Likely Strikedown

Weekend Plug-in features a reporter roundtable on this week’s bombshell news: the leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would reverse Roe v. Wade. Plus, as always, catch up on all the week’s best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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