The United States military has become increasingly partisan in recent years. The Armed Forces have become a new political battleground and the forefront of a cultural war between the political left and the right. That’s where Jace Yarbrough, a lawyer and Space Force reservist, found himself as this ideological and religious conflict worsens.
Read More(OPINION) What St. John Paul II taught was so wondrously beautiful that it took listeners some time to begin to grasp the significance of it. One of the first was his biographer, George Wiegel. He described the theology of the body as “a kind of theological time-bomb set to go off with dramatic consequences … perhaps in the 21st century.” I hope he’s right.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Journalists should be aware that 2023 turns out to be big for the much-discussed “secularization theory” framed by the 19th century founders of sociology. The nub of theory claims that economically advancing societies with improved education inevitably become more secular, largely because modern science explains matters formerly left to the religious realm.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Three men have filed a lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – also known as the LDS or Mormon church – and its investment arm, Ensign Peak Advisors, Inc. The men, at least one of whom remains an active member of the church, according to the lawsuit, allege that the church had fraudulently induced them into making donations.
Read More(OPINION) While expressing hope for future Synod on Synodality developments, a German bishop has officially asked his clergy to start performing rites blessing Catholics in same-sex relationships.
Read MoreVoters across the country cast ballots on Tuesday to elect a governor in Kentucky, decide legislative control in Virginia and determine whether the Ohio state constitution should be changed to enshrine the right to have an abortion. Republicans and Democrats are using the results to give them an inkling of trends that could affect next year’s races, including the 2024 presidential election.
Read More(OPINION) Jesus instructs us to be meek and gentle the way our authority figures have always instilled in us, following Jesus can feel like giving into more social conformity. Jesus, it seems, does not seem to be either able or willing to protect us when we need it or to give us a model for how to protect ourselves and those we love.
Read More(OPINION) I am urging you. I am pleading with you. I am imploring you. Wake up! The irrational hatred of the Jewish people and the demonizing of Israel is reaching proportions so dangerous that if people of conscience do not stand up, speak out, and push back, Jewish blood will start flowing in America, England, and many other countries around the world.
Read MoreAn alternative funeral for a top United Methodist Church pastor who committed suicide last month following a sex scandal has highlighted a clash between religion and culture in Zimbabwe.
Read MoreIsraelis craving a reprieve from all the bloodshed of the past month stemming from the Oct. 7 terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas are venturing out to explore the newly-opened National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. The visionary mega-project, a landmark to Jewish resilience, contains some six million rare volumes, manuscripts and books.
Read More(ANALYSIS) American religion is shifting rapidly now. The nones are climbing every single year. Mainline Protestants are losing ground day by day. And evangelicals are still having a huge impact on American culture, religion and politics. The purpose of this post is to give a broad overview of just how much the parties have shifted from the 1970s through today.
Read MoreThe fear of not being able to preach again gripped an Ohio author and pastor when his oncologists told him he had been diagnosed with tongue cancer. Dr. Edward Wishart was diagnosed in 2008 with the aggressive form of cancer of the tongue known as squamous cell carcinoma. It was an experience that would forever transform Wishart’s ministry and his relationship with God and others.
Read More(OPINION) I’m not sure why I’m bringing Job up again. Maybe it’s the war in the Middle East with its accompanying photos of mangled bodies and shell-shocked babies. Maybe it’s the local stories I’ve heard of fatal car wrecks and life-threatening cancers. Maybe it’s just the daily toll of age and oncoming frailty.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The group that is the most likely to attend services are not the poor, nor the wealthy. Instead, it’s people who are smack in the middle of the income distribution. This analysis points to the following conclusion: The people who are the most likely to attend services this weekend are those with college degrees. In other words, middle class professionals.
Read More(OPINION) There’s good reason to believe that at least part of the decline in rom-coms comes from the fact that a large part of the audience just doesn’t believe in romance anymore. Fewer and fewer people are getting married and increasingly people are disillusioned with dating. And this is bleeding its way into people’s viewing preferences.
Read More(ANALYSIS) An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes since the Israeli military began bombing the Gaza Strip on Oct. 8, 2023, in retaliation for a surprise attack by Hamas militants. Many of these Palestinians have sought refuge in United Nations emergency shelters in a situation the World Health Organization has described as “catastrophic.”
Read MoreOnly a few scholars and researchers have a comprehensive understanding of the religious aspects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There are not many Orthodox theologians and journalists who delve into discussions about Orthodox Christianity and its compatibility with Western values.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Senate Bill 763, enacted in September 2023, allows school officials to hire unlicensed chaplains, either as staff members or volunteers. Those who can pass background checks will be allowed to perform duties typically provided by counselors, such as mental health support. Local boards have until March 1, 2024, to choose whether to allow chaplain programs in their schools.
Read More(OPINION) As I celebrate the Rangers taking me higher “to a place with golden streets,” I can’t help but draw parallels between baseball and Christian life. The ups and downs. The perseverance required. The journey together with those of like minds. The promise of an indescribable reward at the end.
Read More(ANALYSIS) When Louisiana passed a law in August 2023 requiring public schools to post “In God We Trust” in every classroom — from elementary school to college — the author of the bill claimed to be following a long-held tradition of displaying the national motto, most notably on U.S. currency.
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