Posts in Africa
Pastors Question Whether To Unplug From Online Services When The Pandemic Ends

Many pastors around the U.S. and the world are wondering how and when church life can transition back into real-life gatherings, with church members weaned off the safety and convenience of online church. ReligionUnplugged.com spoke to a dozen pastors from Africa to America to hear about the challenges of digital church post pandemic.

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One Year After Nigeria's Protests Against Police Brutality, Churches Keep Praying

At the height of Nigeria’s #EndSARS protests against police brutality and corrupt governance last October, young people of different faiths, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds united in street demonstrations with prayers and songs. One year later, those connections are still growing, and churches are still praying.

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Catholic Pilgrims Killed In South Sudan Latest Victims Of Violence

Unidentified gunmen recently ambushed a van carrying Catholic pilgrims along a highway in eastern South Sudan, killing five people, including two Catholic nuns. The attack is only the latest to highlight the dangers faced by faith leaders trying to usher in reconciliation after civil war and aiding a humanitarian crisis.

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The West Misunderstood Ethiopia's Conflict. Here's How We Should Move Forward

(OPINION) Ethiopia’s image has been unfairly disfigured in media coverage of the Tigray conflict. Here’s how the Western media misunderstands and how Ethiopia and its allies can move forward amid a ceasefire to long-lasting peace and reconciliation.

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Guide to Olympians of Faith Competing at the 2020 Tokyo Games

The controversy and context surrounding the 2020 Tokyo Olympics pose an opportunity to think about the Games through a lens of faith. From a Muslim track and field athlete to Israel’s first surfer, here is a guide to the Games for the religiously-minded.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo As An Orthodox Christian And Star Of The NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks

While his life story is fascinating, heart-warming and remarkable, the religious life of NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo is less well known. The now 26-year-old Giannis became a Christian and devout member of the Greek Orthodox Church as a young person and continues to acknowledge his Christian faith.

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Ugandan clergy: Internet tax prevents access to online church in lockdown

Amid a second wave of COVID-19 infections and low vaccine access in Uganda, the country has imposed a nationwide lockdown ending July 30 that has pushed nearly all activities online. Now, since July 1, the government has introduced a 12% tax on Internet data that was already expensive in the country, which is constraining church members’ ability to access online worship at a time when physical gatherings are banned.

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Documentary explores Vatican soccer tournament through the power of prayer and penalty kicks

(REVIEW) This unique sporting event is the focus of a new 69-minute documentary called “The Holy Game” by filmmakers Brent Hodge and Chris Kelly. The film, distributed by Gravitas Ventures, details what’s often called the “World Cup of the church” — but also takes a behind-the-scenes look at these young seminarians who love both playing the game and God.

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A Brief History: How the Black Church Reformed American Christianity

(OPINION) After centuries of slavery and racial persecution in U.S. history, a fascinating era emerged when the Bible was used to promote peace and equality rather than strife and subjugation.

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Why Ethiopia's Orthodox Synod Called Media, U.S. Sanctions On Tigray Conflict ‘Indirect Colonialism’

(OPINION) A viral video of His Holiness Abuna Mathias, a Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), describing barbaric killings of civilians in Tigray has prompted heightened concern in the international community about human rights abuses, while many Ethiopians remain cautious and skeptical about whether disinformation campaigns driven by anti-government activists, geopolitical forces, “Ethiopia analysts” and media outlets are influencing Western communities and governments.

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The rise of female Muslim travelers shows no signs of slowing down

Samia Omar Bwana, 36, had always dreamed of traveling the world, but as a Muslim woman she was looking for extra accommodations on holiday: halal food, hotels with women-only swimming pools and spas, and prayer facilities nearby. Traveling solo and with her female Muslims friends was difficult, so she started her own company, Halal Safaris Africa, to help religious women find travel arrangements that will uphold their ideals of modesty and sobriety.

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Polyandry Proposal Infuriates Religious Groups in South Africa

South Africa’s leading religious and cultural groups are pushing back hard against a proposed marriage law — originally aimed at combating discrimination against religious minorities — that would also allow South African women to have more than one husband at one time. Since 91% of South Africa’s 16,000 marriage officers are faith leaders, the voice of religious leaders carries a lot of weight on the issue.

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Ethiopia’s Twin Challenges: Misinformation and Water Politics

(OPINION) As a nation, Ethiopia is facing twin challenges. First, the impact of misleading and negative information about the nation following the war in Tigray; and second, the long-standing imbalance in the international water politics of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The aim of this article is to call for veracity, justice and compassion.

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How Gun Trafficking Fuels Religiously-Motivated Violence in Africa

(OPINION) Despite having just 16% of the world’s population, Africa accounts for 52% of all global armed conflicts. Most of these crises have lingered for decades and many are religious conflicts with social and political undertones, making them even harder to curb. These crises have been fueled and sustained by uncontrolled arms movement across the continent.

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The Interfaith Groups Preventing Muslim-Christian Violence in Nigeria

For many decades, Nigeria's Muslim north has been prone to religious intolerance and violence. Kaduna, where over 20,000 people have died in different religious conflicts since the 1980s, is one of the country's most volatile states. It’s also the hub of interfaith mediation groups working to prevent violence, including a pastor and imam who used to lead violence against each other’s groups, and the region’s first women-led mediation council founded by an Irish Catholic sister.

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Clergy in South Sudan face rising death threats but they refuse to leave

A recent shooting of a Catholic bishop highlights the dangers of living in South Sudan and the tenacity of clergy who refuse to leave people behind in the region, even while death threats to Christian leaders there are rising. South Sudan has been trying to implement a new peace agreement in a civil war that’s plagued them since 2011, but their national forces are up against civilian rebel groups with even more gun power. More than 50,000 people have died in war and 4 million forced to relocate since 2013.

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Why Christians Should Not Dwell On ‘White Privilege’: An African Perspective

(OPINION) “White privilege” is about the distribution of material possessions and honor in this world. It is a reality that White people are better off in terms of both material riches and honor at the present moment. But this is not the type of privilege that should concern Christians, who are passers-by in this world.

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