A coalition of 17 states that outlaw abortion is suing the federal government for naming employee leave for elective abortions as a benefit of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The PWFA mandates that employers make accommodations including leave and relief from certain job responsibilities to ensure the safety of workers experiencing pregnancy and related conditions.
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The OM Ship, carrying a crew of 350 missionaries from 70 nations, arrived at the Richards Bay’s port in the Eastern Cape in South Africa for their five-month ministry stay earlier this year. They are currently stationed at five South African ports and are expected to complete their work in June.
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(ANALYSIS) The United States is experiencing one of the most significant shifts in Protestant Christianity in its history. What do I mean by that?
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(REVIEW) “Unsung Hero” is a testament to how the Erwin brothers have truly made a studio that can replicate the quality they’ve been able to establish in the faith-based film industry without them in the director’s chair. For those who love the kinds of films they make, this film should be another hit. For those who don’t, there’s nothing in here to change your mind.
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No money, no phones, no school, no medicine — and no questions. This is what life was like in Canaan, the shrine of an African Apostolic faith church on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, where police last month rescued hundreds of people — including more than 250 children — forced to believe they were prepared to depart for heaven.
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Over the next month churches will hold the annual event known as Graduate Sunday. Those days may include tables of photos in the foyer, graduates in their caps and gowns, a meal for senior and a sermon by the youth pastor, leaving parents to wonder about the science behind the speed of time.
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In several districts of central and southwestern Uganda, places with high levels of poverty, a beacon of hope shines bright these days. It’s The Share the Light Gospel Initiative — led by an American couple, Brian and Mary Kluth through HealthyCharity.org — that’s illuminating lives and brightening the future of hundreds of Christian families.
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(ANALYSIS) During his 2,454 days in captivity — between strategic moves among 20 or more hiding places in Lebanon — journalist Terry Anderson was often allowed by Hezbollah leaders to read a Bible.
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Megachurch pastor John Lindell apologized to his congregation on Sunday for inviting sword-swallower Alex Magala and disgraced pastor Mark Driscoll to the Stronger Men’s Conference two weekends ago in Missouri. The apology follows a week of controversy sparked by Driscoll’s sharp condemnation of Magala’s “strip” act.
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(ANALYSIS) If someone asks me who the most famous preacher in the United States is, the answer is honestly quite simple. It’s Joel Osteen, by a mile. He leads Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. His congregation meets in what used to be the home of the Houston Rockets basketball team. Its seating capacity is nearly 17,000.
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Islamic extremists waging an insurgency in Mozambique have increasingly targeted Christians and churches in the first three months of this year. As a result, priests and their followers — a total of 100,000 people — have been forced to flee following increased attacks that have left scores of dead and some church buildings destroyed.
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(ANALYSIS) Here are a few added observations to Religion Unplugged’s continued reporting this election year on vigorous agitation against “Christian Nationalism” as a threat to American democracy, with “White” often added to signal racial animus. This accompanies heavy breathing overall about fusing religion with politics in multiplied events, books, articles, Internet postings and broadcast punditry.
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(REVIEW) Though “Eli Harpo’s Adventure to the Afterlife” author Eric Schlich comes to this tale from a different spiritual trajectory than mine — I’m a former skeptic turned Holy Roller preacher — I found myself caught up in Eli’s story. That’s partly the result of good plotting. By the end of each chapter, I had to see what would happen next.
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“Immaculate” and “The First Omen” are two horror movies with pregnant nun protagonists in theaters at the same time. It’s admittedly an unusual event. They’re also a veiled response to the overturning of abortion nearly two years ago and the Catholic church’s stance on the issue.
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(REVIEW) This movie feels like a throwback to how faith-based film’s used to be. The cinematography, music and editing are frustratingly substandard in a world where Kingdom Storybook Company has shown that care can be taken with those elements in a Christian film. Ultimately, I have hope that Great American Pure Flix will grow in the quality of its content.
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Many across the world will celebrate Earth Day on Monday, which marks the 54th anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. The theme for Earth Day 2024 is the fight against plastic, aiming to increase awareness of the issue of pollution around the globe and its harmful effects on the environment.
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(ANALYSIS) The United Methodist Church’s General Conference will meet in Charlotte, North Carolina from April 23 to May 4, 2024. Originally scheduled for 2020 and delayed three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting of the church’s legislative body comes at a critical time for the United States’ second-largest Protestant denomination.
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(ANALYSIS) Like the crowd that followed Jesus, do we miss an important sign pointing to the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Maybe.
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LifeWise Academy founder Joel Penton was on Bluetooth, driving a vibrant red and yellow school bus fashioned into a camper, heading from Ohio with his wife and five school-age children to the newest academy sites in Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia.
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