Posts tagged Christianity
🤣 A Preacher And A Stand-Up Comedian Walk Into A Christian Youth Conference … 🔌

Hoss Ridgeway mixes preaching and stand-up comedy. The Indiana minister says he knows when it’s appropriate to be funny — and when the situation calls for a serious approach.

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Christians From Nicaragua And Panama Continue A US Church-Planting Legacy

Winning souls for Christ in Nicaragua was tough, but in a country where faith is almost an assumption, church membership and attendance doesn’t seem to be a priority, said minister César Gadea. Now, the church they planted is planting new churches. Some surveys refer to the South American nation as one of the most religious in the world.

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Hispanic Clergy Say Loss Of ‘Sensitive Locations’ Rule In ICE Raids Hurts Church

The loss of a rule that prevented officials from entering churches to arrest immigrants accused of being in the U.S. illegally has hurt the Church’s witness, the National Hispanic Baptist Network said on Jan. 29 in calling for the rule’s reinstatement.

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On Religion: March For Life Opens Up Complex Questions In Changing Times

(ANALYSIS) The questions at the 2025 March for Life were familiar ones for D.C. Beltway insiders: Would major politicians show up, and what would they say?

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How Religious Institutions Can Tackle The Rising Costs Of Health Insurance

(OPINION) Churches, temples and other religious organizations often employ experienced, highly skilled people — talented employees who could otherwise find work in the private sector but are called to service by their faith and belief in their community’s mission and values. These employees will often compromise on salary to do meaningful work, but they do expect adequate benefits and health care. For church leaders — often under pressure to keep a close eye on expenses — finding and paying for health care can be the most stressful part of the job. 

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Amid LA Wildfires, Houses Of Worship Serve Communities Devastated By Destruction

As flames continue to sweep across Los Angeles, the impact on local faith communities has been profound. Yet, it has also highlighted the spirit of generosity and solidarity among Angelenos. Many congregants, displaced by the fires, have found refuge in the homes of fellow members, while others have offered their properties at cost to help those who’ve lost everything.

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Trump Pardons 23 Abortion Protestors Convicted Under The FACE Act

Trump signed an executive order Jan. 23 pardoning 23 pro-lifers convicted of federal crimes for blocking entrances to abortion clinics before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, some of whom were serving prison sentences. “They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people,” Trump said at the signing ceremony. “This is a great honor to sign this.”

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The Religion And Politics Of Students Who Were Homeschooled

(ANALYSIS) Homeschooled kids constitute a population group that I’ve always wanted to try to understand better, but it’s a super hard methodological problem. There’s no central database that tracks them.

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‘The Familiar Stranger’ Reintroduces A Familiar Debate About The Holy Spirit

(REVIEW) Pastor Tyler Staton’s new book makes a compelling case for placing the Holy Spirit at the center of Christian life. Unfortunately, much of what it says also validates the fears of those skeptical about Spirit-filled theology. In times of perceived decline, people search for answers on how to reverse it. Many in the church and the Western world view Christianity and Western civilization as being in cultural retreat. One of the proposed solutions is "re-enchantment.”

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Why African Governments Are Seeking To Repeal Tax Exemptions For Churches

In November, Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced that starting this month, churches in the country would be expected to pay taxes. The announcement caused apprehension among religious leaders, prompting the country’s tax agency, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, to clarify that the new tax would apply only to churches’ trading income, not tithes and offerings.

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Elon Musk’s Inauguration Salute Just Another Distracting Meme

(OPINION) I have one bit of advice for all those people fuming over Elon Musk’s hand gestures: Stop. I know it’s tough to resist the temptation to go into full outrage mode over the apparent Nazi gesture Musk made during an Inauguration Day speech at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena. A lot of energy has gone into parsing Musk’s gesture, and attacking those who don’t see it your way.

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Houses Of Worship Tackle ‘The Challenge Of The Empty Church’

Shrinking church attendance. Closing congregations. Minister shortages. Post-COVID upheaval. All those factors contributed to the strong interest in the dialogue organized by Heritage21, which partners with churches to — as the ministry puts it — “renew, repurpose and replant God’s kingdom in these challenging times.”

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New Study Reveals Few Protestant Pastors Bank on Prosperity Gospel

A Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant pastors finds few hold or teach beliefs connected to the prosperity gospel, the theological movement that teaches God wants to make followers materially wealthy and will do so if individuals hold certain beliefs or perform specific actions.

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On Religion: How The Babylon Bee Toppled Digital Dominoes With Elon Musk’s Help

(ANALYSIS) While many critics accuse the Babylon Bee of spreading political misinformation — the website's motto is “Fake News You Can Trust” — controversies about its work usually center on clashes between religious doctrines and powerful trends in modern life, such as the sexual revolution.

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James O. Maxwell, Influential Preacher And Advocate For Racial Unity, Dies At 86

In the late 1950s, a young man named James O. Maxwell enrolled at Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas. Maxwell’s time at Southwestern — the only historically Black higher education institution associated with Churches of Christ — changed his life, and he became one of the fellowship’s most influential ministers.

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Jubilee Mascot Luce Appeals To A Younger Generation While Embracing Tradition

(ANALYSIS) Luce, the anime-inspired official mascot for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee, whose name means “light” in Italian, has been getting a lot of attention on social media. Some people love the cartoon and find her “cute,” but a few others consider her “unsuitable” and even “repugnant.”

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Exclusive: The King’s College Launches ‘Go-Forward Plan’ In An Effort To Reopen

The King’s College — the four-year evangelical school in New York City forced to shut its doors to students in 2023 under a mountain of debt — is seeking to resume operations in an effort to “create a significant center for Christian higher learning.” The school temporarily closed in 2023 following a budget shortfall. The search for a partner has been a fruitless one for King’s in the past.

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