(OPINION) This week I want to talk about a pair of concepts that are typically used side-by-side in Christian circles, and which also strike me as among the more misunderstood and egregiously misused principles in the church lexicon. Understood rightly, they’d benefit everybody. Those two words are “sin” and “repentance.” Taken together, they suggest the idea that we’re all sinners who need to repent.
Read MoreThe soaring spires and towers of cathedrals across the U.K. have become homes to countless pairs of breeding falcons. Each spring, the patter of tiny claws is eagerly awaited by millions of people watching the activities of parent birds and their offspring via webcams set up for such situations.
Read MoreMore than $130,000 has been raised on GoFundMe for Natalie and Davy Lloyd, American missionaries who were shot and killed while serving in Haiti. Natalie Lloyd, 21, daughter of Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker, and her husband, Davy Lloyd, 23, were ambushed by gang members in Port-au-Prince while returning from a youth event on May 23.
Read MoreIdaho Republicans have increasingly disagreed over how far to take these efforts. Capitol police in Boise had to intervene in a 2022 fight over proposed “parental freedom” legislation that would have created a $1,000 fine if a school didn’t give parents what they want. This year, two prominent far-right Republicans were recorded quarreling over the party’s direction that illustrates “a fracture among key far-right figures in Idaho politics, in a state where many races turn on contests of conservative purity.”
Read MoreThe Southern Baptist Convention conducted its annual meeting in Indianapolis this week. The denomination’s sex abuse scandal — while perhaps overshadowed by a vote on women pastors and a resolution opposing in vitro fertilization — remained a key topic of discussion.
Read MoreManipur is witnessing renewed violence, with the latest escalations being reported from Jiribam district, an area that borders Assam’s Cachar district, after a Meitei farmer’s death was attributed to a Kuki-Zo armed group. Two people from the Hmar-Mizo tribal communities, which are part of the larger Zo tribe, were killed, and 48 houses and a church owned by tribals were destroyed.
Read MoreThe big news was politics, of course, as in a convention speech by Vice President Mike Pence. The journalism establishment was not amused, as illustrated in this CNN headline: “Pence accused of ‘hijacking’ evangelical meeting.” Various types of Southern Baptist conservatives welcomed him.
Read More(REVIEW) The documentary “Gothix” tells the story of popular Twitch streamer Vanessa Rosa (known online as “Gothix”) who, having achieved her dream of being a full-time internet personality, loses it all when she states a controversial opinion that makes her the target of a concentrated harassment and boycott campaign by her friends and peers. “Gothix” is a timely documentary about the universality of cancel culture and how faith may hold the answer to navigating it.
Read MoreThe U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously reversed the judgment of the U.S. Court of Appeals and told opponents of the Food and Drug Administration their argument over the safety of mifepristone, commonly known as the abortion pill, should be taken up with the Biden Administration rather than the courts.
Read MoreIn lieu of 3 million Jews murdered there, Poland takes its place on the map as a mass grave and, increasingly in films, a transformative locale for those hoping to eat, pray, cry their way into a sense of self-understanding. “Treasure,” directed by Julia von Heinz and adapted from Lily Brett’s 2001 novel “Too Many Men,” is one of three new movies where heritage tours form the backdrop for fraught relationships, grief and Jewish people’s search for meaning.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In May 2024, United Nations member states voted to declare July 11 as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, an annual day of remembrance for victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
Read More(OPINION) The nation of Israel is different from any nation on the earth, as it has been in an existential battle for survival from the moment of its birth in 1948 until this very day. It is a nation under constant siege, and without constant vigilance (and the mercy of God), it would be wiped off from the map.
Read MoreSouthern Baptists, voting at their annual meeting, winnowed their list of candidates for convention president Tuesday evening from six to three. The candidates in the run-off election are Clint Pressley, senior pastor, Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC; David Allen, professor and dean at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Cordova, Tenn.; and Dan Spencer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, Tenn.
Read More(ANALYSIS) After the 1966 fire, St. Michael's was rebuilt with concrete, steel and other fire-resistant materials, using 1961 drawings from the Historic American Buildings Survey for reference. Today, there are leaks along joints in the church's domes, and the wooden floors squeak from water damage.
Read MoreSalem Media Group, the largest U.S. radio company providing Christian and conservative programming, is removing the book and film “2,000 Mules” from all its platforms. The group also apologized to a Georgia man who filed a defamation suit, claiming the film falsely accused him of ballot fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Educated people are more likely to attend religious services weekly than those with a lower level of education. I wrote a long piece about that a while ago. But someone (I can’t recall now, it was maybe in a Twitter reply) asked if that same relationship held for both men and women.
Read More(ANALYSIS) According to a recent Pew study, the vast molarity of U.S. adults agree that religion’s influence is shrinking, yet they continue to hold a positive view of it. This disparity highlights the challenge facing the church today: How can people of faith navigate a world that is increasingly losing faith? With the looming election cycle ahead and the opportunity for a little summer reading, now is an ideal time to consider a few insightful books on the church’s role in society.
Read MoreIncreasing financial transparency, combatting sexual abuse and electing a new slate of officers were among highlights of the SBC Executive Committee’s meeting June 10 at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott.
Read MoreThe Watsons serve with the IMB in Germany. They host people in their homes and provide a safe space for frank questions and vulnerability in conversation. Fredrik attended a Bible study in their home. He asked direct and complex questions, but Asa didn’t balk and took the time to answer thoughtfully. Fredrik told them he wasn’t encouraged to ask questions about faith when he was younger. Asa’s willingness to address his questions made him excited and willing to hear more.
Read MoreThe Israeli government and the Biden administration on Sunday lost a key moderating and unifying figure with the resignation of senior war cabinet minister Benny Gantz. This development could complicate the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a possible hostage-and-ceasefire deal, and might also lead to early elections in Israel later this year.
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