(OPINION) The uncomfortable problem is that so many faith-based “true story films” turn out to be either totally made up or highly deceptive. For Christians, however, this poses some problems. The Bible is explicitly against lying and repeatedly warns against being deceived.
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(OPINION) If you, like me, think faith in God and religious affiliation are generally good things for people, then you, like me, ought to feel unsettled by the findings of political scientist Ryan Burge. He argues that religious participation in the United States is now largely the domain of the educated and comfortable, rather than a buttress for those on the margins of society, who historically were the core audience for Christianity.
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(OPINION) This is part of what constitutes freedom of religion and expression: Vulgar, disrespectful, derogatory and critical expressions about religion and other worldviews are unavoidable in an open and free society. Freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom from religious criticism.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights religion angles at the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
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Oliver Anthony counted about 20 listeners when he performed earlier this summer at a produce market in coastal North Carolina. That was before Aug. 8, when YouTube channel radio posted his “Rich Men North Of Richmond” video. More than 35 million views later, as of this week, the unknown country singer from Farmville, Virginia, has become a culture-wars lightning rod.
Read More(OPINION) Most Christians take for granted that profanity is sinful, but does the Bible actually address it? Back in 2013, I noted with concern that “it is increasingly common to hear about worship leaders getting drunk after church services and dropping f-bombs while they boast about their ‘liberty’ in the Lord.” Now, my good friend John Cooper, the frontman for the Christian rock band Skillet, has confronted the use of profanity in “Christian” music.
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(OPINION) I realized with a bit of a start that if my mom were still here she would have turned 90 on Aug. 6. Sad to say, she passed away in 2003. Here are some virtues she showed me, largely by living them, not by preaching them. Maybe they’ll speak to you, too:
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in covers the resignation of a top Southern Baptist Convention official for lying on his resume. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) Many modern churches may be weak when it comes to architecture and sacred art, but they almost always have concert-level lighting, sound and multimedia technology. But in a few sanctuaries linked to ancient traditions, worship leaders are trying something different. In some Eucharistic services, they are offering worshippers with autism an atmosphere that is more calm and less intense.
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(OPINION) I recently attended a funeral for a friend’s mother. I hadn’t met her, but I knew she was important to my friend. And I’d be a crummy friend if I didn’t go and show my support. Right away, there was something different. The family started handing cannabis joints/pre-rolls and lighters to each guest when they entered.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the devastating Maui wildfires. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
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(OPINION) Online narratives distort real life more often than you might realize. Research consistently shows that a small minority of people who have social media accounts post the vast majority of content.
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(OPINION) Here’s another transition I’m having a hard time with: The small rural church I lead seems to be struggling in a way I’ve never seen in 40-some years of ministry. And I thought I’d seen it all by now.
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(OPINION) Salvatore Cordileone made national headlines during the pandemic with his efforts to defend the First Amendment rights of churches holding small, outdoor rites while following social-distancing guidelines. And after years of private talks with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, whose home is in San Francisco, the archbishop took a stand against her public support for abortion rights.
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(OPINION) Do disease and devastation for innocent people argue against God’s existence? C.S. Lewis and later writers see the opposite. Without the design and purpose of a moral God and the divine aspect of each person he creates, what could explain our inherent conviction that the innocent should not suffer, that certain things are unjust and that our world is awry?
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(OPINION) The current state of the world creates a real feeling of insecurity and uncertainty, as if everything is old and crumbling, as if nothing is stable or trustworthy, as if no one is clean. This is where we step in, not to preach religion but to preach Jesus, not to sell a product or a personality but to point people to the only One who can truly save and deliver and forgive and transform.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in starts with the death penalty sentence in the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
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(OPINION) Hollywood worships big movie franchises, so fans can expect "Barbie" sequels. One plot proposal quickly emerged from an unlikely source — Sister Mary Joseph Calore of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Pennsylvania.
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(OPINION) Men who have been affected by abortion are a neglected voice in the abortion debate. It is an oft-repeated mantra that men need therapy — and new research shows that this may be especially true for men experiencing grief after abortion and disenfranchisement of their pain.
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(OPINION) Pity U.S. colleges coping with political feuds, “diversity,” declining applications and enrollments, student debt and tight budgets. Add religious and moral issues, and things get even more complex.
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