(ANALYSIS) The recent trends of religious conversion have not rattled Kosovo’s politicians. Kosovo has been long seeking membership into the European Union, selling itself to the world as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious place. These conversions are building a political premise for them to prove that Kosovo is closer to Europe by trying to establish Catholicism as central to their identity given Europe’s strained relationship with Islam.
Read MoreThe Vatican on Sunday released the first photo of Pope Francis in the hospital since he began treatment for double pneumonia, in which the 88-year-old pontiff appeared to be breathing unaided.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, an important aspect of their faith is their role as stewards of God on Earth. One way Muslims do this is through the practice of Zakat, an obligatory kind of charity that’s one of the five pillars of Islam.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Sudan has filed an application instituting proceedings against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with regard to a dispute concerning alleged violations by the UAE of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) in relation to the Masalit group in Sudan, most notably in West Darfur.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Only about 30% of Americans can correctly answer basic questions about government institutions, public policy, etc. In other words, it’s a miracle that democracy works at all given just how little the average voter knows. But what happens when we throw religion in the mix?
Read MoreThis week marks the five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdown. Mostly, life has returned to normal. But in some ways we still seem to be struggling, our columnist notes.
Read MoreDuring a typical week, readers (or podcast listeners) send me emails or messages through various social-media platforms. Often, these people are frustrated or even angry. Most folks are not upset with me. More often than not, they are ticked off about something they have seen — or failed to see — in mainstream press coverage of the news.
Read MoreOver the years. as a film critic, I’ve sometimes been asked to change my reviews so that my criticism wouldn’t prevent people from seeing the movie and being impacted by its message. This question came to mind while watching the movie “The Last Supper” and reading the passion with which the filmmakers talked about making such a film. The filmmakers clearly had a lot of love for making it, but it is not a good film.
Read MoreThe Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind the Project 2025 blueprint for the second Trump administration, launched “Project Esther” to combat antisemitism. It was drafted largely by evangelical organizations. At the same time, Texas schools adopted a Bible-based curriculum that gives Esther a starring role in lessons about historical courage alongside Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks.
Read MoreAll Saints Church has a long history of supporting oppressed groups. In the 1940s, their chief pastor protested the deportation of Japanese Americans; in the 1960s, their White clergy stood alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at the Los Angeles “Rally for Freedom. In the 1970s, the church spoke out against the Vietnam War. Today, they are speaking out against Trump.
Read MoreMinisters who regret opting out of Social Security may soon get to reverse that decision. In a move lauded by evangelical leaders, U.S. legislators have reintroduced the bipartisan Clergy Act. The act offers a way out for clergy experiencing buyer’s remorse after taking advantage of a special exemption in the tax code.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Justice informed Southern Baptist Convention lawyers on Wednesday that its investigation into the SBC and its entities was closed. No sexual abuse-related charges were filed.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In the chaos, journalists have struggled to confirm statistics about fatalities, while waves of social media videos claim to show crucified Christians, Alawites and other members of religious and ethnic minority groups being beaten, militants firing machine guns into houses and committing other atrocities.
Read More(OPINION) In recent weeks, the plight of a group of Iranian asylum-seekers claiming to be converts to Christianity has been followed by The New York Times, helping to shine a light on a story not commonly reported by the mainstream media. The story, that is, of Iranian Christians who for years have found it harder and harder to find anyone willing to accept them.
Read MoreInternational House of Prayer-Kansas City (IHOPKC) founder Mike Bickle is a “chronic sexual predator” who should never serve in paid public ministry again, according to recommendations released yesterday, following an independent investigation by Firefly.
Read MoreFrom a donor’s perspective, it’s worth asking: Could a nonprofit’s dissolution introduce the temptation for its leaders to misappropriate assets or commit fraud? While documented cases of misconduct during dissolution are relatively rare, understanding the potential risks and implementing preventive measures are critical for maintaining public trust.
Read MoreMarch 8 holds painful memories for Ezekiel Batsi Batende, pastor of Swahili Baptist Church at Woodmont. On that day in 2008, he and his family fled their home in the Democratic Republic of Congo as rebels burned Machumbi village.
Read MoreAt least 973 civilians were killed in the initial attack by Alawite gunmen and killings that followed as the military and security forces intervened, the independent monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported, in addition to 250 Alawite gunmen and 231 members of the Ministry of Defense and security forces.
Read MoreSixty years after John Lewis and hundreds of civil rights activists were beaten by the Alabama State Police, thousands returned to Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge to remember one of the bloodiest campaigns of the 1960s.
Read MoreThere’s no doubt that like a religion, giving value to crypto requires faith. Those evangelizing for it certainly seem to be on a moral mission. For now, they seem unstoppable — and there’s more than the hard-earned savings of believers at stake. A glance at X is enough to demonstrate how much crypto has become not just another spurious get-rich-quick scheme, but a new way of life.
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