‘Jesus Revolution’ And A Related Documentary Show Faith’s Complications

(OPINION) Lonnie Frisbee may have been largely airbrushed out of the Jesus movement history by some of his former colleagues because his personal story was inconvenient. On separate occasions, Frisbee was fired by Chuck Smith and John Wimber, and afterward was regarded as an outcast by the movement he’d largely started.

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Should Israel Outlaw The Antiquities Trade?

JERUSALEM — Israel’s central — and arguably shameful — role in the global antiquities business was the subject of a Zoom lecture on May 2 sponsored by the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and the Palestine Exploration Fund headquartered in London.

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Did Siri Go to Sunday School? An Interview with Apple’s AI

Artificial Intelligence programs such as ChatGPT continue to become more popular and accessible. With many questioning the future of AI and its implications, we asked Apple’s Siri a series of questions about different religious faiths.

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Pastor And Bestselling Author Dr. Timothy Keller Dies At 72

Once a seminary professor, Pastor Tim Keller planted Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City in the early 1990s and ministered to the, arguably, unchurched elite of Manhattan in New York City. In rented auditoriums, Keller preached in professorial style to thousands of young professionals and families.

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➗ Who’s In? Who’s Out? The Latest On The Baptist And Methodist Doctrinal Divides 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the ongoing battles over who’s in — and who’s out — among Southern Baptists and United Methodists. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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Kashmiri Muslims Slam Social Media Influencers For Violating Faith And Sentiments

Canon India uploaded a picture from Kashmir on its social media handles last year. As soon as it reached the audience in Muslim-dominant region, a wave of anger and outrage swept across people after they saw a couple posing for a memorable picture in the backdrop of Hazratbal shrine, which is believed to be the most revered religious place in Kashmir.

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How The Italian Press Covers The Vatican And Pope Francis

(ANALYSIS) There’s nothing like walking down Via della Conciliazione in Rome. It’s a very long street, bustling with cars and tourists, that feeds into St. Peter’s Square. It’s a reminder of how imposing the Vatican can be, at least physically, in an increasingly secular West. Italy, however, remains a Catholic nation, at least culturally, with reminders everywhere.

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LGBTQ+ Dreams By Some In Today’s American Catholic Church

(OPINION) Referring to the “wedding banquet at Cana,” when Jesus turned water into wine, the Jesuit theologian called for a changed church in which “people of all races, genders and sexualities rejoice at the presence of love” and a world in which “spiritual wounds will be healed, where faith-based violence will be no more, where fear and intolerance are relics of history.”

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Pakistan Encroaches On International Ahmadi Web Site Content

(ANALYSIS) Since 2008, the PTA has repeatedly banned or taken steps to ban online Ahmadi content inside Pakistan. However, the PTA has now extended its efforts to block or remove content that is hosted outside of Pakistan in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Singapore and Switzerland.

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Are Some Human Rights More Important Than Others? Religious Freedom Advocates Often Put It First

(ANALYSIS) Every year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) releases a report on religious oppression around the world, recommending that the State Department designate specific countries as especially severe violators. In this year’s report, released May 1, 2023, Iran came in for particular criticism after months of protests and arrests sparked by headscarf laws. Sri Lanka, Cuba and Nicaragua were also singled out as areas of concern; Nicaragua is specifically accused of persecution against Catholics.

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Latter-day Saints Whistleblower Gives First National TV Interview

A former employee of a $100 billion investment fund owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave an interview on national TV program “60 Minutes” about his experience working at the Salt Lake City-based Ensign Peak Advisors Inc. and what drove him to file a whistleblower complaint with the IRS and other government entities.

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It Is the Shepherd, Not The Sheep, Who Is Smart

(OPINION) We are just dumb sheep — meaning, dumb compared to the wisdom and knowledge of God and compared to the challenges we face in this world, despite the wisdom we gain by experience and the knowledge we gain through the Word. For me, that brings tremendous comfort.

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This Jerusalem Ice Cream Shop Reaps Profits During Netanyahu Protests

Mousseline, a small gourmet ice cream shop directly across the street from the president’s residence on Hanasi Street, found itself swamped on Saturday nights, the regular night for the demonstrations in recent months. 

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5 Baseball Players Who Traded Their Gloves For The Lord And Became Pastors

Pro sports can be a demanding career path for many young men and women. Baseball, for example, has produced a number of talented stars, but many of them couldn’t handle the success and money that came with being a big-time ball player.  As a result, many have used their post-playing careers to preach the gospel and help others in need.

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Repeat After Me: White Catholics Voting In 2004, White Catholics Voting In 2024

(OPINION) It’s time to focus on the U.S. Catholic vote in 2024, following up a prior Memo assessing religion angles with Donald Trump’s prospects. The Guy once again advises journalists and other observers that Catholics are more pivotal politically than unbudgeable Democrats such as Black Protestants, non-Orthodox Jews and nonreligious Americans.

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Second Christian Conscientious Objector Given Jail Sentence In Ukraine

Mykhailo Yavorsky, a 40-year-old Christian, is appealing against a one-year jail term handed down on April 6 for refusing mobilization on grounds of conscience. If he loses his planned appeal he will be sent to prison. “I would not carry weapons and would not put on a uniform, as I can't kill a person,” Yavorsky told Forum 18.

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The Broken: ‘Dalit’ Sikhs Fight Back Against Land Discrimination In Punjab

The caste system's historical legacy has prohibited dalits from owning land nationwide, and this pattern remains prominent in India's Sikh-majority state of Punjab, which has a population of about 30 million.

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From Kali To Mary To Neopagan Goddesses, Religions Revere Motherhood In Sometimes Unexpected Ways

(ANALYSIS) Motherhood and nurturing are not celebrated only on particular days, however. Many religions include goddess-centered traditions that embrace many forms of the divine feminine as central to their belief systems. As a religious studies professor who travels with students around the world to explore different cultures and practices, I have often noticed the interest students have in the variety of goddess traditions we encounter.

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🚨 Another Week, Another Mass Shooting In America: Have We Had Enough? 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in covers God, guns and other faith angles after the mass shooting at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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