(OPINION) I finally got the coronavirus. But thanks to the luck of not getting it in 2020, say, and thanks to the hard work of public health officials, and thanks to vaccines and antivirals, I knew I wasn’t likely to end up on a ventilator or in a coffin, even though I’m an at-risk patient.
Read MoreFaith helped a COVID-19 patient and his family survive life support, a double lung transplant and 330 days in the hospital. Nearly a year after going home, Danny Mills has some normalcy back in his life, but he still lives with constant reminders of what he went through.
Read MoreSerbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic says he’s willing to miss more major tournaments after he was forced to sit out the Australian Open because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19. An eccentric Orthodox Christian, Djokovic’s faith plays a role in his decision to skip vaccines even if it costs him titles and jeopardizes his ranking as the world’s top men’s tennis player.
Read More(OPINION) America's religious congregations have, over all, suffered steady erosion in attendance, membership and vitality since around 2000. Analysts fret that worse may occur after the current COVID-19 emergency finally subsides because myriads of members are now accustomed to worshiping online rather than in person.
Read More(OPINION) The Beijing Winter Olympics are quickly approaching and being held in China’s capital city. A major question is, “Do elite international athletes have a moral responsibility to publicly comment or act in a way that acknowledges their awareness of oppressive — or worse — political conditions in nations in which they compete?”
Read MoreOngoing court battles pit religious groups vs. governmental regulations designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. Weekend Plug-in highlights the latest developments and runs down the week’s top reads in the world of faith.
Read MorePatriarch Irinej contracted COVID-19 after presiding over a funeral of a bishop in Montenegro, where thousands of attendees did not wear masks or socially distance. He was known for his pro-Russian stance in Orthodoxy, his close relationship to the Serbian government and president, and for overseeing completion of one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches, St. Sava Cathedral.
Read MoreEvan Todachine and his wife Crystal lost their 18-month-old son shortly after their baptisms into the Christian faith. Their church is sharing their resources and faith with American Indian communities that are suffering terrible losses from COVID-19. “We have the peace, we have comfort, having gone through a tragedy like this,” Todachine said. “Our people have to know this peace and this hope.”
Read MoreA new Pew Research survey says a majority of Americans believe churches should follow the same restrictions as other businesses in their local area.
Read MoreOne year into a lockdown that has stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy, Kashmiris face the coronavirus pandemic, excessive force, arbitrary detentions, closed schools, restricted communications, religious discrimination and major job losses. Here’s how they’re coping.
Read More(OPINION) Tisha b’Av is a Jewish day of mourning to remember the destruction of Judaism’s First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The way this mourning is completed provides valuable insight on how to handle the problems of our country today.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in includes the announcement of finalists for the Religion News Association awards, plus coverage of mask mandates and churches, the death of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis and other top headlines from the world of faith.
Read MoreIn an interview with Religion Unplugged, baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew — author of the new memoir “One Tough Out” — talked about his complicated faith, protests in his home city of Minneapolis and why he’s not a fan of baseball returning before there’s a coronavirus vaccine.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in includes a pop quiz on President Trump’s photo op at St. John’s Episcopal Church and other top headlines in a busy week of religion-related protest and pandemic news.
Read MoreScores of African-American players have called the Israeli Basketball Premier League home, drawn there for a chance to play professionally and earn decent money. In the process, these players have become ambassadors for the Jewish state — some marrying Israeli women, serving in the country’s army and converting to Judaism.
Read MoreWeekend Plug-in looks at the faith of George Floyd, houses of worship reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic and other top headlines from the religious world.
Read More(OPINION) Like secular news outlets, Catholic media also face financial hardships created by the pandemic. This is a trend that has, of course, affected all news media and across many other industries, such as hospitality and tourism to name just two.
Read More(OPINION) As the world begins to cautiously emerge from lockdown, it has begun to look beyond its own borders. For most, the lockdown has confined us to the four walls of our homes. Yet for some terrorist organizations, COVID-19 has provided an opportunity to consolidate and expand. This is particularly visible in the case of Boko Haram and Daesh.
Read MoreThis week Indian security forces killed a rebel militant commander in Kashmir, destroying dozens of homes in the process amid rising coronavirus cases in India. Some families say the Indian officers started the fires and looted their possessions.
Read MoreIn the nation’s latest religious freedom battle, church leaders in many states from New York to Oregon are clashing with governors over how and when to resume in-person gatherings.
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