(OPINION) For several years now, it’s felt like the whole world has gone mad. Trying to keep track of, much less digest, the daily flood of outrageous news stories and hair-on-fire op-ed pieces curdles my mind, steals my joy and leaves me staring gape-mouthed into a tsunami of chaos. But I happened across two articles that helped me rethink my news avoidance.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If Musk is anything, it’s audience-savvy. To get to the position he now finds himself in, aligning with Christian values wasn’t just wise, it was necessary. With the MAGA base increasingly rallying against progressive secularism, Musk’s newfound faith acts as a bridge to this vital demographic. Cynical? Absolutely. But the wealthiest man in the world didn’t build his empire by ignoring optics.
Read MorePrayers filled St. Peter’s Basilica Sunday as Archbishop Rino Fisichella delivered Pope Francis’ prepared homily to thousands of permanent deacons gathered for a special jubilee Mass, while the pontiff remains hospitalized with pneumonia.
Read MoreAyaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born Dutch-American activist, author and thinker, has become best known for her outspoken views on Islam, women's rights and the societal consequences of secularism. Her religious journey to becoming one of the most prominent critics of Islam into her recent conversion to Christianity has been shaped by personal experiences of suffering, political activism and intellectual transformation.
Read MoreMore than nine in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors say their church has engaged in at least one of six ways to bring attention to Christians suffering persecution within the past year, according to a Lifeway Research study. Around one in 14 (7%) say they haven’t done any of those six and less than 1% aren’t sure.
Read More(REVIEW) The film’s best elements still chaff under faith-based genre tropes. The genre that Kingdom Story Company has conquered so successfully is built on an audience that highly prizes good messages and family friendliness. Both of these are good things. But that has often rewarded tropes that work against the genre being both truthful or beautiful. These have often become more noticeable as the quality of the movies have otherwise improved.
Read MoreThe domestic mission agency of the Presbyterian Church in America has removed a webpage containing links to advice about how immigrants living in the U.S. illegally can avoid being detained by law enforcement authorities.
Read Moreis the Wheaton war about Donald Trump? Yes — and no. Accurate reporting requires information noting that campus conflicts of this kind have been raging — yes, often behind the scenes and out of the headlines — for decades. The conflicts are doctrinal, cultural and sometimes political. But doctrine is the most crucial reality in these voluntary, private, academic communities.
Read MoreTwenty years after dual disasters, Nias is reshaped again. Churches of Christ have dedicated thousands of dollars and hours to relief efforts and medical missions. Christians launched Jochebed’s Hope, a ministry that oversees a children’s home and programs to help islanders get a good education.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In international law, territorial integrity would mean a country’s right to “sovereignty” over its entire territory, prohibiting external interference or attempts to alter its borders. In Manipur, the term refers to preserving the territory of the state as it existed at the end of the British Raj in 1947. Protecting a state’s “territorial integrity” is largely a political concern with little constitutional basis.
Read MoreThe North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision means that cases filled by other child sexual abuse survivors, like Stuart Griffin’s case involving Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church and Charlotte Christian School, during the look back window will continue.
Read MoreDikembe Mutombo’s towering presence on the basketball court made him a household name. With his signature finger wag and shot-blocking ability, he dominated the NBA for nearly two decades. But it’s his legacy off the court that set him apart as an icon of compassion and service. His parents, both Baptists, instilled in him values of kindness, humility and service to others. These principles would shape Mutombo’s identity as a man and player.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Freedom of religion means that religious beliefs, or irreligious ones, can be criticized, even mocked, as happens frequently in Sweden to, for example, Christian sentiments. In an open society, people of different faiths — Christians, Muslims, Jews, agnostics and secular humanists — must be able to live side by side in freedom and security. But they may be critically scrutinized, even ridiculed.
Read MoreAbout 50 Christians were killed, dozens kidnapped and homes destroyed since late January in several attacks spanning southern to northern Nigeria, Christian persecution watchdog groups said. At least three pastors were killed in attacks in Kaduna in north-central Nigeria and Gombe in northeastern Nigeria.
Read More(REVIEW) Author of “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism,” author Katherine Stewart picks up where that 2020 book left off in her new work “Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy.” In it, she surveys a horizon that has only grown darker. It is a landscape overshadowed by a well-organized, well-funded consortium of oligarchs and billionaires and others.
Read MoreIn January, Jon Weece, the senior pastor (official title: “lead follower”) at Central Kentucky’s Southland Christian Church, announced he’ll step down from his position in January 2026 to become just a regular member of the church.
Read MoreLast year, a handful of Salesian nuns worked to keep a small school and religious center in Khartoum open. As siege-like conditions worsened, they coordinated with Sudanese officials for an escape. An investigation by Religion Unplugged has revealed new details about the operation that were previously undisclosed.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Everyone in your church can pray. From older saints to younger children, we all learn to pray by praying. Work, therefore, to create more meaningful times for prayer in all existing services, and schedule more dynamic prayer meetings. Any pastor anywhere can cast a vision to create a culture of prayer. You have the tools. Start where you are.
Read MoreI’m not suggesting that the New York Times team that produced this recent feature — “Seeking God, or Peter Thiel, in Silicon Valley” — needed to dig into the works of this Orthodox monk. This business-desk feature was the hook for this week’s “Crossroads” podcast.
Read MoreOur columnist witnesses a whole lot of despair, but he always looks for a measure of hope. He explains why — and how — as he reports from the scene of Southern California’s deadly wildfires.
Read More
