(ANALYSIS) We examined how religious organizations actually engage in political activities, providing a window into the behavior of congregations in ways often not explored. Our findings challenge common perceptions about the relationship between religious institutions and political behavior.
Read MoreA native of Gainesville, Ga., Doug Collins was senior pastor of Chicopee Baptist Church from November 1994 through October 2005, according to the church’s annual church profile reporting. He also served as chaplain for Chattahoochee Baptist Association and earned his Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Lisa are members of Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The 2024 election faced a situation that echoes the circumstances of 2004. In the Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court essentially turned the question of abortion regulation back to the states. That means that the ballot initiative/referendum has become the instrument through which states can set limits (or not) on abortion access.
Read MorePete Hegseth wears his Christian pride on his sleeve — literally. The Minnesota National Guard veteran, TV host and now nominee for U.S. secretary of defense has a slew of religiously inspired tattoos that have drawn attention as Hegseth's public vetting for a senior position in President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet has begun.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Does anyone remember Oct. 7, 2023? Do you recall the heart-stopping morning news, declaring that Hamas terrorists had carried out the most horrifying, brutal massacre imaginable?
Read More(ANALYSIS) Turnout! Due to the stay-at-home factor, Democratic votes for president fell by some nine million from 2020, causing political scientist James Galbraith to say the party had committed “suicide.” Kamala Harris and the Democrats had a problem with men. Donald Trump’s Republicans had a big problem with women (though Harris did a bit worse with them than the male Joe Biden had).
Read More(ANALYSIS) Democracy depends upon using words wisely. With the right words, citizens can live and work together, even in disagreement – and resolve conflicts peacefully. A lesson from Buddhism seems particularly apt in this moment of enemyship: Treat the people you disagree with as mistaken rather than evil.
Read More(OPINION) So what are we to do? Wring our hands and swallow nerve pills like they’re Pez? Stay hopping mad at those on the other side of our political barricades? That’s sure no way to spend the next four years. That’s a recipe for madness, both personal and societal.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Now, thanks to a brave young Yazidi woman, Mediha Ibrahim Alhamad, the struggle to reestablish life after years of enslavement is brought to the surface, with a documentary from director Hasan Oswald and executive producer Emma Thompson.
Read More(REVIEW) In 2018, Ethiopia’s new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appeared on the East African nation’s political scene almost from nowhere. Claiming to be responding to an assignment by God, the young Pentecostal Christian promised democratic salvation and national unity to a hopelessly divided nation.
Read More(OPINION) It was all the rage back in 2020. A chorus of prophetic leaders announced with certainty that Donald Trump would be reelected and serve a second term in the White House, but he did not — at least, not in 2020.
Read More(ESSAY) When we finally arrived, I was greeted with an obvious sort of curiosity. I later learned that I was the first white person to visit the city since the violence broke out over a year ago. I was stunned by this revelation. In a city that is under siege and giving refuge to 40,000 people, not a single emissary, journalist or missionary from a Western nation had bothered to visit?
Read MoreFreedom of religion or belief, a right that speaks to something so deep-seated in each of us that it practically defines what it is to be human, is under attack in many parts of the world. Repressive laws, exclusion, deportation, imprisonment and out-and-out genocide threaten the liberty of far too many religious communities in far too many places.
Read MoreAs President-elect Donald Trump huddles with his transition team to shape his new cabinet, several influential figures who played a key role in his campaign’s outreach to Arab American voters in Michigan are pushing for him to adopt a more favorable stance toward Palestinians in a post-war effort for regional peace.
Read MoreAs I watched Tuesday’s returns roll in, I kept noticing that much of the “news” in the 2024 election was actually old news for people who have been following the “Crossroads” podcast for the past decade.
Read MoreFethullah Gulen was an Islamic cleric who had built a powerful global movement — but eventually found himself exiled in the U.S. and caught up in accusations that he had orchestrated a military coup against Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Forget the opinions of newspaper czars. The question many voters needed to know in this feverish White House race was simple: Who did Hell endorse? Writing in the style of “The Screwtape Letters” by Christian apologist C.S. Lewis (in which a veteran tempter lectures lesser demons), Dominick Baruffi didn't answer the question.
Read MoreDonald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris and returning to the White House for the second time following his unexpected victory in 2016. The win marked an unlikely political comeback for Trump. Faith voters were a big reason why Trump and the GOP dominated the 2024 election cycle.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If you tune into mainstream media, especially in India, you might find yourself asking, “What the heck is going on in Bangladesh?” With that same question in mind, we left Delhi for Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. However, our six-day journey through Dhaka and Dinajpur left us feeling more hopeful than fearful about Bangladesh’s future.
Read MoreCheck out all the state-by-state results in the presidential, congressional and gubernatorial races.
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