After Years Of Decline, Share Of US Christians Stabilizes

As the U.S. continues to evolve religiously, the Pew study underscores the complex and shifting nature of religious belief and practice in America. While Christianity remains the dominant faith, trends suggest that the future may hold further diversification — something fueled by immigration, secularization and the beliefs of Gen Z.

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Stephen King’s Adaptation Of ‘The Monkey’ Serves Up An Existentialist Anti-Faith Film

(REVIEW) When the characters discover the monkey can kill people, they start trying to figure out how it works, to discover its rules so they can play the game and win. But the monkey doesn’t have rules. The characters who cause the suffering in this movie are the ones who try to impose order and meaning on these meaningless death. And it’s when characters accept death and its pointless randomness that the carnage stops and reconciliation occurs. 

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PA Church Departs EPC After 16 Months of Wrangling

Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church began its effort to disaffiliate from the EPC in 2023 with a congregational meeting. It held its final vote on Jan. 26, with 88% of members voting in favor of disaffiliation. However, the church had to wait until the February presbytery meeting to see if the EPC would acknowledge its removal.

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Hundreds Gather In St. Peter’s Square To Pray For Pope Francis’ Health

In the same square where, on his first day as pope, he blessed the people and asked for their blessing, on Monday that same people gathered to pray for their shepherd, Pope Francis — for his health, for his recovery and for his return among them.

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70 Christians Beheaded In Democratic Republic Of Congo

The beheaded bodies of 70 Christians were found in a Protestant church in North Kivu Province in the Congo around Feb. 15, several religious freedom advocates said, blaming the extremist Allied Democratic Forces. The ADF is accused of approaching homes in Mayba, in the Lumbero territory, beginning Feb. 12 and capturing as many as 100 Christians through Feb. 15.

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Why I Can’t Tell You How Quakers (Or Unitarians) Voted In 2024

(ANALYSIS) People want to know where the Cooperative Baptists are, or the Nazarenes, or the Wesleyans, or the Unitarian Universalists. I’ve done this enough to know that everyone wants to see their own tradition included in analysis. Let me pull back the curtain just a bit on why my favorite response has become, “I’m data limited.”

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Photo Essay: Cambodians And Missionaries Unite To Worship In ‘The Eyes of God’

(PHOTO EASSY) On Sunday, Cambodians and Americans gathered under tents to worship together in “The Eyes of God.” That’s a literal translation of the Khmer words Preah Netr Preah, a district in western Cambodia.

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New York Times Columnist Ross Douthat’s Remarkable Case For Religious Faith

An original aspect of “Believe” is Douthat’s suggestions about how to pick a path among so many faith options. He proposes that quests focus on tried-and-true religions that attract the most adherents, in order of size, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism. (Judaism, far smaller, broadly fits the Christian outlook). That’s a notably open-minded approach coming from Zondervan, an evangelical publisher.

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Cardinal Parolin To Lead Rosary For Pope’s Health in St. Peters Square

The Vatican announced an evening rosary for the Holy Father's health, starting Monday, in St. Peter's Square. The Holy See press office released a statement announcing that starting this evening, cardinals residing in Rome will gather in St. Peter's Square to recite the rosary for the “health of the Holy Father.”

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In This Age Of Madness, Here Are Sane Ways To Re-Engage With The News

(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.

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The Rise of Christian Rap in India: A New Voice for Faith and Protest

When Varsha and Shein first discovered rap, they were teenagers inspired by mainstream artists like India artists Honey Singh and Raftaar. Their classmates loved their performances of secular rap. As daughters of a pastor, they soon felt a calling to use their musical talents differently. "In 2012, our rap journey started,” Shein said. “We performed at school events, local meetings and in churches, and people loved it.”

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Is Elon Musk Exploiting Christianity For Personal Gain?

(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.

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In Jubilee Message To Deacons, Ailing Pope Francis Urges Selfless Service

Prayers 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.

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Argentine Court Issues Arrest Warrants In The Rohingya Genocide Case

(ANALYSIS) On Feb. 13, a federal criminal court in Buenos Aires, Argentina, ordered arrest warrants against 25 Myanmar military leaders and officials for their involvement in the crime of genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya community.

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Journey to Christianity: From Islam Critic To Freedom Advocate

Ayaan 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.

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Majority Of Protestant Pastors Bring Attention To Global Christian Persecution

More 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.

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😷 COVID Miracle: At The Pandemic’s 5-Year Anniversary, It’s Time To Tell The Story 🔌

At the five-year anniversary of COVID-19, our columnist reflects on his brother-in-law’s near-death battle with the contagious virus.

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‘The Unbreakable Boy’ Reveals Itself A Beautiful Film Weighed Down By Weak Genre Tropes

(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.

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PCA Removes Webpage Giving Advice On How To Avoid Deportation

The 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.

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Crossroads Podcast: There’s More To The Wheaton College Wars Than Politics

is 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.

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