In the face of the vast human suffering, staggering damage to infrastructure and environmental catastrophe caused by the conflict — which marks its 100th day on Sunday — another controversial post-war scenario is for Israel to rebuild some of the post-1967 Gaza Strip settlements from which it unilaterally withdrew in 2005.
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(ANALYSIS) The Vatican’s decision to allow priests to bless couples in what they called “irregular relationships” continues to get lots of media attention, especially since it involves same-sex couples. Here’s how some Catholic priests who are active on social media and YouTube are explaining what it all means.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in focuses on the evangelicals supporting Donald Trump in the Iowa caucuses. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
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(ANALYSIS) Shared testimonies, collective singing, silent meditation and baptism rituals — these are all activities you might find at a Christian church service on a Sunday morning in the United States. But what would it look like if atheists were gathering to do these rituals instead?
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“The Book of Clarence” is an entertaining and God-glorifying hero’s journey story of redemption that – if not for some of its PG-13 material and off-beat style – would be right at home in any faith-based movie environment, but far better quality-wise than most.
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For centuries, the Bible has been central to the spread of Christianity. In the West, Bibles have been a symbol of faith and very often also art. It’s the reason why J. Pierpont Morgan collected these sacred texts in the form of illuminated manuscripts, drawings and early printed books.
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(ANALYSIS) For all the death and destruction that COVID-19 brought to the United States and every other country on Earth, it also gave us a tremendous window into how folks handled mental stress in near real time. Here we look at whether there’s an association between mental illness and religious attendance.
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(ANALYSIS) Recent months (and years) have seen a crackdown by the Nicaraguan government against religious leaders and institutions. Among others, President Daniel Ortega “ordered the arrest of, forced into exile, and verbally attacked priests and bishops, labeled them ‘criminals’ and ‘coup-plotters,’ and accused them of inciting violence.”
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Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud — one of this season’s rising stars in the NFL — isn’t just known for throwing touchdown passes and getting his team into the playoffs. Stroud also made headlines for his faith after thanking Jesus following his team’s 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts this past Saturday, earning the team a spot in the playoffs that start this weekend.
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(ANALYSIS) Fiducia Supplicans ("Supplicating Trust") document triggered debates around the world, but negative reactions have been especially strong in Africa, with strong protests from bishops' conferences in Malawi, Zambia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Angola and other nations.
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(ANALYSIS) As long as they’ve been around, so-called “faith-based films” have been mired in controversy. Whether it’s accusations of bad writing and acting, heavy-handed messages or the demonizing of non-Christians, such movies always seem to be a lightning rod of passionate disagreement.
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(OPINION) My issue with Donald Trump supporters is not political at all. It is spiritual. It is prophetic. It is about the honor of the Lord and the reputation of the Spirit. It is about credibility. And if there is a prophetic word that God is speaking now about the 2024 elections, it is simply this: “Enough already with the Donald Trump prophecies!”
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Like all Muslims, Islam and its teachings is for the Molbog a way of life. But for them, crocodiles are considered sacred and their ancestors. In fact, the Molbog word for crocodile — “opo” — is the same one used to refer to grandparents.
Read MoreThe Muslim community in Uganda entered 2024 with three rival muftis each heading his own faction. The fraternity has been split into factions as a result of endless wrangling caused by, among other things, the mismanagement of Muslim-owned properties.
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(ANALYSIS) Jan. 5 marked 336 years since the death of an extraordinary woman you have probably never heard of: Catarina de San Juan. Her life reads like an epic. Born in South Asia during the early 17th century, she was captured by the Portuguese at age eight and sold to Spaniards in the Philippines.
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Water scarcity is a big problem in many communities around the world due to a combination of factors. Some of them have exacerbated the problem, including population growth, urbanization, increase in demand of water and climate change. A Catholic group in Nigeria is working to change that.
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(OPINION) As I get older, I find my resolution for each new year is the same. I don’t need to make a list of resolutions. I just want one thing: Peace.
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In order to build the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline, critics said TotalEnergies is moving over 2,000 graves in Uganda and Tanzania, without adhering to cultural and religious burial customs. GreenFaith — a multi-faith climate justice organization — recently released a report titled “As If Nothing Is Scared” to shed light on the issue.
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This year’s Golden Globes — the first in a series of awards that will set the stage for the Oscars — took place on Sunday evening at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Among the top film nominees coming into the night were Greta Gerwig's blockbuster “Barbie,” Christopher Nolan's “Oppenheimer” and Martin Scorsese's “Killers of the Flower Moon.” See which movies and TV shows won awards this year.
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As India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to run for a third term, the country remains on the brink. Activists, journalists and civil society groups have continued in recent months to raise alarms at the rise in religious persecution of minorities throughout the country.
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