Religious Freedom Can Be About Recognizing Our Brokenness During Lent

(ANALYSIS) Despite the often polarized views on religious freedom, its essence remains timeless and profound, particularly for Christians. For believers, religious freedom finds its most profound expression in the image of a God baby born over two millennia ago to a virgin. This freedom is not just about the ability to practice one’s faith openly, but also about the freedom to cultivate a personal relationship with Christ and to navigate the intricate tapestry of His church and the world. It's about recognizing our brokenness.

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How Do Americans Feel About In-Vitro Fertilization?

(ANALYSIS) There has been another implication of Dobbs that I don’t think the average American would have seen coming. In 2020, a couple sued a hospital in Alabama that had removed their frozen embryos from cold storage and dropped them on the floor. The couple argued this amounted to the wrongful death of a child. The Alabama Supreme Court agreed, writing that those embryos constituted persons who were entitled to the same rights as any other child.

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Investigations Test Legal Protections For Jewish College Students

A federal investigation or lawsuit related to antisemitism on college campuses has been opened or filed nearly every other day on average since Oct. 7, according to a new report. The complaints describe a range of incidents, including white supremacist flyers at Montana State University and a drunken assault at the University of Tampa.

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Religious Restrictions Increase In Many Parts Of The World, New Study Reveals

Restrictions on religion by government officials across the world reached a new peak in 2021, a new Pew Research Center report released on Tuesday revealed. The report looked at 198 countries and territories around the world. It is the 14th year that Pew released such a report on the global state of religion.

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Connecting With God And Others: How Chaplains Support Denver’s Unhoused

Chaplains have to be delicate on what questions and subjects they talk about if they want to establish a connection. “It can be very difficult because many times, they may feel that they have been abandoned by families and friends and by God. So we will try to help them, hopefully, to understand that we personally do not feel that they are abandoned by God,” said Rene Palacios, director of chaplaincy and community care at the Denver Rescue Mission.

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‘Cult’ Classics: Best Documentaries Now Streaming About New Religious Movements  

There’s no denying the popularity of true crime media in the non-fiction genre. In addition to shows and novels, true crime makes up a massive portion of the podcast market and fuels content creation on social media.  Though there are more than a few ethical concerns that come with recounting the most gruesome details of crimes for a rapt audience, demand for this type of content is high — and there’s no shortage of it.

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From Super Bowl-winning Chaplain To Unique Ministry As ‘Life Coach’

For 14 seasons, Pastor Rod Hairston served as a chaplain for the Baltimore Ravens, where he helped the NFL franchise build a winning culture among the front office executives, coaches and players. After two Super Bowl rings and serving as a sports chaplain from Howard University to UCLA, Hairston, 57, is a “life coach” working with couples.

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How The 2024 Oscars Wrestle With A Post-Christian West

(ANALYSIS) This year’s Best Picture nominees at the 2024 Academy Awards showcase how our culture is wrestling with a post-Christian society, whether or not these films feature religion or not. While Hollywood has gained a reputation for being deeply secular — even anti-religious — after Oscar nominees over the past two years featured rather complex portrayals of religion.

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Pastor Says His ‘Heart Has Kind Of Sunk’ Following Texas Wildfires

Pastor Bob Bynum has become somewhat of a rancher’s helper, wrestling cattle at times and helping when needed among the 20 or so ranchers who worship at Locust Grove Baptist Church. The Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest in Texas history, came within a mile of a church member’s ranch, Bynum said, but none of the church’s members have reported any direct losses.

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How Catholicism Shaped America Through Movies And The Politics Of Today

(ANALYSIS) Think back to a time well before the internet when anyone could own a little bit of property in the suburbs. “God” had just been added to the pledge and father always knew best. Sound perfect? Great, even? This sepia-infused vision of mid-century America informs an entire political movement today.

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How Missionaries Created A ‘Perfect Environment’ Without Drugs And Alcohol

The little settlement of Kijabe, about a two-hour drive northwest from Nairobi, stands out as the only drug- and alcohol-free town in Kenya thanks to the legacy of American missionaries that arrived here over a century ago. In fact, the spiritual footprints of Rev. Charles E. Hurlburt are still visible in this part of Africa.

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As War In Gaza Rages On, the Latest Despicable Anti-Israel Lie

(OPINION) According to a quote widely attributed to Winston Churchill, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” This is absolutely true when it comes to reporting about Israel, except even more so. We could say that anti-Israel lies become canonized, even becoming part of sacred religious lore, before the truth even gets out of bed.

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Clerics Accuse Nigeria’s Military Of Being Complicit In Christians’ Murder

Violence by Islamic extremist groups such as Fulani militants, Boko Haram and Islamic State in West African Province increased during the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari, putting Nigeria at the epicenter of targeted violence against the church. The West African nation of 226 million is divided evenly between Christians and Muslims.

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🧪 Faith And Frozen Embryos: Alabama's In Vitro Fertilization Ruling Stirs Religious Debate 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the religious debate stirred by the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling on in vitro fertilization. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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Hannah Rose Thomas’ ‘Tears of Gold’ and the Empathetic Power of Art

Artist and human rights activist Hannah Rose Thomas has recently published an art book, “Tears of Gold,” which is filled with painted portraits of women who had escaped violence in their respective countries. The book also contains self-portraits of these women, along with their own words.

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Faith Leaders Remain Key To Protecting Migrants

(ANALYSIS) Several prominent figures in the Christian right have offered justification for anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies. The Christian right has asserted the need to protect the American culture and families from the alleged dangerous influence of Islam and from the supposed wave of hardened criminals crossing the southern border.

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