Latest News For General Discussion

Reza Aslan’s recent column on how to communicate Islam (“Watching TV helped me see America. Can it help America see Muslims?,” Sept. 12)brought several thoughts to mind. The first is to congratulate Reza on understanding the best way to influence people is through storytelling. His idea of a network sitcom featuring an Islamic central character is brilliant. The second thought is that an even rarer network show would be one featuring an actual believing Christian. While Reza found television helped him see America, it…

The best place to find engrossing religious stories on television right now is in horror. It might be easy or even fashionable to suggest that’s because organized religion is a horror show itself, preying upon vulnerable people and enacting atrocities for centuries. But that’s not what’s going on here—at least, not entirely. Series like Midnight Mass (Netflix) and Evil (Paramount+) are more interested in investigating the quandary of what it really looks like, practically, when the mundane meets the divine; those thin places in…

A 27-year-old man from northern Israel was charged on Monday with murdering his mother and hiding her body last month, after she converted from Islam to Orthodox Christianity. According to the charge sheet, Rasha Muklasha, 46, left her husband and severed ties with her five children — including the suspect, Muad Hib — in 2006. She then moved from the town of Zarzir to Nof HaGalil and converted to Christianity. Recently, she resumed contact with her children following the death of her ex-husband. Prosecutors allege that her…

This spring, media mogul Stephen E. Strang made an unusual apology to readers in the pages of his glossy magazine. Strang presides over a multimillion-dollar Pentecostal publishing empire, Charisma Media, which includes a daily news site, podcasts, a mobile app and blockbuster books. At 70, he is a CEO, publisher and seasoned author in his own right. Despite all that, Strang worried something had gone awry. “I’ve never been a prophet,” he wrote in a pleading March editor’s note. “But there were a number…

PREŠOV, Slovakia (CNS) — Falling into the temptation of rejecting the cross and choosing a triumphalist form of Christianity leads to a faith that is superficial and sterile, Pope Francis said. Presiding over a Divine Liturgy Sept. 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Pope Francis said that although God saved humanity by “allowing the evil of our world to be unleashed upon himself,” the world views the cross as a “failure.” Christians too, he warned, can also fall into the…

ROME — Pope Francis rejected in stark terms Tuesday the use of the cross as a political tool, an apparent swipe at nationalist forces in Europe and beyond that have used the imagery of Christianity for personal gain. “Let us not reduce the cross to an object of devotion, much less to a political symbol, to a sign of religious and social status,” Francis said in eastern Slovakia during a four-day visit to that country and to Hungary, his first trip since undergoing intestinal…

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia was a keynote speaker at a forum in Italy, which took place from September 10 to 14, ahead of the G20 Summit of world leaders. Speaking to more than 300 high-ranking political, diplomatic, academic and religious leaders from around the world at what is known as the G20 Interfaith Summit, Aram I discussed the role of religion resolving conflicts in the Arab World. Saying dialogue among various religions can contribute to the establishment…

A few weeks ago, I attended my very first “energy workshop.” It’s taken years of deconstruction and healing from religious trauma for me to open up and allow myself to explore the energy work of more Buddhist traditions. My former beliefs taught me that, at best, it was too “woo-woo,” too “new age” or too “out there,” and at worst, that you were opening yourself up to demonic powers and/or participating in “devil worship.” The reality was, I knew nothing about Buddhist teachings. Everything…

By Vatican News staff writer Cardinal Kurt Koch, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has written to two Jewish leaders, addressing concerns about the Pope’s catechesis during a recent General Audience. The Cardinal’s letter, written at the direction of Pope Francis, comes in response to Rabbi Rasson Arussi’s letter, dated 12 August, and Rabbi David Fox Sandmel’s letter, dated 24 August, in which they both referred to Pope Francis’ catechesis at the General Audience of 11 August, during which the…

The following is an excerpt from Jeff King’s upcoming devotional book focused on spiritual lessons from the persecuted. For information about pre-orders, please contact moreinfo@persecution.org. 09/09/2021 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – “And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.” – Matthew 19:29 (NLT) The simple meaning of the above verse is often lost on Western…

Vaccine hesitancy has never been a core religious belief of evangelical Christians. The vast majority of evangelicals have historically chosen to be immunized against polio, measles, tetanus and other diseases. As a child, I attended evangelical summer camps that required vaccinations, and as an adult, I worked for ministries with similar mandates. Some conservative evangelicals just don’t like the political taste of this particular vaccine on the menu. Even if we grant that individual Christians sincerely (though mistakenly) believe that their religious faith prohibits…

As the 4th of July approaches my mind is drawn to our country and how to best help it. Like many of you, I am an American by birth and a Christian by grace. How does a Christian, a citizen of a heavenly, eternal kingdom bless the temporal kingdom or nation where he has earthly citizenship? I think of a man in my church named Rod. He is a citizen of Peru by birth and a citizen of the U.S. by choice. At 28…

(This article is a translation of an original interview by Branimir Stanić and Ivan Tašev) Earlier this month Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—long maligned by the Brussels machine as an authoritarian reactionary inside the ever-so-progressive European Union—gave an interview to the Croatian Catholic weekly Glas Koncila (The Voice of the Council, 20 June 2021). Orbán made several important points in the course of this interview: on the civilizational challenges currently facing Europe (including immigration), on national sovereignty challenged by Brussels, and on the nature of politics…

The first time I interviewed Matt Humphrey,we were driving in his pickup truck through southern British Columbia, passing fields and forests, only three miles from the U.S. border. Humphrey, then 31 years old, is a father of three and an evangelical Christian with a keen appreciation for the Bible. He is also an environmentalist, one who believes fighting climate change is a moral duty.  On the 18-acre property we were heading to, Humphrey and others from an evangelical Christian group called A Rocha (pronounced…

Christians and beer have a complicated relationship. In recent decades, many conservative evangelical camps have deemed alcohol consumption to be a cultural no-no, relegating it somewhere between church taboo and sinful behavior. However, craft beer in Christianity is making a comeback as a new generation (many of whom were raised by teetotalers) is now setting their own rules for church. However, abstinence from alcohol wasn’t always the norm in Christian communities (after all, Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine). For centuries, alcohol—especially…

By ERIN ROACH, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) – A theology of conversion, such as Christianity, necessitates religious liberty because regeneration of the heart cannot be achieved by coercion, Albert Mohler said Tuesday (June 15) during “Baptists Thinking Biblically: A Conversation on Religious Liberty.” The late-night event, hosted by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at the Music City Center in Nashville, featured Mohler, Southern’s president, and Andrew Walker, associate professor of Christian ethics and apologetics and associate dean of the school of theology at Southern. “In…

How will Christian supporters of Israel react to the replacement of former prime minister Netanyahu with a new and very different Israeli coalition? A new letter from a broad and potent group of Christian leaders appears to give the answer. Led by the Philos Project, which is “dedicated to promoting positive Christian engagement in the Near East,” the letter is signed by dozens of Christian leaders from very mixed ethnic and denominational backgrounds. Certainly their followers are in the tens of million, many times…

Robert P. Jones Simon & Schuster, 320 pages Reviewed by L. Ted Smith Robert Jones, the founder and CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, writes from the perspective of history, theology and current public opinion survey to illumine the unsettling truth of American Christianity’s relationship with white supremacy. Jones, a son of the American South who was raised in the Evangelical tradition, also writes this book as part-memoir, sharing his journey and his own coming to grips with the legacy of racism that…

In America today, people’s worst impulses seem to be winning out. Democrats and Republicans don’t just disagree, they despise each other. The COVID-19 pandemic has become part of the culture wars, instead of a shared foe. Americans, in general, are suffering from a breakdown in relationships. There’s growing racial, economic and social unrest. In the past, the country could have relied on people of faith to help tone down incivility and mend partisan rifts. But in 2021, Christians are instead embracing the destructive behavior…

By MYRIAH SNYDER, IMB Wesley and Emily Smyth* are raising their four children to understand that the Christian life is supposed to be active, self-giving and about glorifying God and serving others. “The children have an idea of purpose,” Emily said. “We’re not saved to just absorb, be fed and have programs that cater to our needs. Being a Christian means serving the body of Christ and those without Him.” The Smyths have taught their kids this truth by example. Now associate area directors…

Awakening Prayer Hubs storming the nations with intercessor prayer against coronavirus, racism and more. With the world’s spiritual crisis worsening, Awakening Prayer Hubs, a prayer movement contending for awakening and transforming revival in the nations, is transforming prayer warriors into prayer heroes in their cities. And intercessory prayer generals are supporting the efforts. Mike Bickle, director of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City says: “Awakening Prayer Hubs is a strong expression of bringing prayer to the local level so that intercessors can…

A counterfeit form of Christianity is more popular than the real thing, according to respected researcher Dr George Barna. “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” is a worldview that is defined and driven by current culture, more than by historic religious truths or a comprehensive and coherent doctrine, according to Barna. In other words, it is the sort of Christianity that lots of people want. George Barna was the founder of The Barna Group, a well-regarded market research firm specialising in studying the religious beliefs and behavior…

Cissie Graham Lynch discusses the hidden danger of progressive Christianity in her most recent “Fearless” podcast. Noting that some Christians, particularly younger ones, are enamored in a spiritual movement that offers a “feel-good appeal and freedom based on relative truth,” Lynch sought the opinion of someone who had firsthand experience of it. Alisa Childers, a former member of ZOEgirl, was invited to her pastor’s Bible study. She was puzzled when he urged the group to reject Biblical truth. Her most recent book, “Another Gospel?” chronicles…

For a president of the United States, Joe Biden did something highly unusual this week: something I’d bet you never even heard of — till now. On Tuesday evening, around 6 p.m., he skipped out of the White House, hopped on Marine One, helicoptered up to his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, for what the White House only described as a “local stop,” spent less than an hour, and was back in the White House by 9 p.m. Mystery solved. With no publicity, Biden had…

A 2021 Gallup survey found that less than half of Americans now claim membership in a religious congregation for the first time in history. I Am Sophia, a new novel by Episcopalian author J. F. Alexander, imagines a not-so-distant future in which organized religion is gasping its last breath. When a mysterious and charismatic woman insinuates herself into a fringe religious group, its dozen members wonder whether she is a lunatic, a con artist, or a messiah. Sophia quickly upends the routines and expectations…

Christianity has fallen far in America. Even after Christian missionaries blessed The Conquest … Even after Christian preachers hanged witches and defended slavery … Even after Christian leaders blessed our unjust wars against “godless commies” … Christianity in America had further to fall. Rather than setting any high moral tone for America through advancing peace, forgiveness and non-violence (you know, Christian virtues) locally and nationally, American Christianity instead chose power, greed, lust, hatred, violence, misogyny and spite through supporting the presidency of Donald Trump.…

Christians make up 1.27 percent of Pakistan’s population of 207.68 million. In 1998, the official estimate of the figure was 1.59 percent. In 1947, when modern Pakistan was formed, non-Muslims made up 23 percent with 27 million people. While the analysts worry about the country’s exploding population, church leaders should worry about the fleeing faithful. Without going into the rhetoric of discrimination and misuse of blasphemy laws, let us read another story from the May 18 edition of Daily Samaa, an Urdu periodical published…

The thrust of a new campaign to persuade mostly white born-again and evangelical Christians who have been unwilling to get Covid-19 vaccinations is a variation on the Golden Rule — do it for others if you won’t do it for yourself. And the main driver behind the Christians and the Vaccine project backs up his contention that that is what Jesus would do by both citing the Bible and tapping the expertise of secular public health experts like Dr. Francis Collins, who heads the…

To the editor: I was disturbed at Lisa Monet Zarza’s comment in the April 9 article about Northfield revoking Alibi at Froggy Bottom’s liquor license. She said during a public hearing: “I am a Christian, and I believe our country is under attack.” While her two points could be unrelated, readers might conclude that Zarza was citing her religious faith to justify breaking the law. I say, “That’s not my Christianity.” During Jesus Christ’s mortal life, Roman yoke and oppression was greatly hated by…

The lead editorial in the April 10 edition of the Buffalo News was titled “The evangelical resistance.” After reading that editorial, which discussed the refusal of many evangelical Christians to be vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus, I was reminded of something that Gandhi said about Christians. He said, “I like your Christ, but not your Christianity.” The editorial was an excellent commentary on the sad mind set of many so-called Christians in today’s day and age. When I attended Cardinal O’Hara High School back…

The Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling in its biggest religion case this term, but a new report makes a victory for the Catholic foster care agency involved feel like a foregone conclusion. The study, conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Chicago, shows that advocates of religious rights have logged an 81% success rate before the Supreme Court in the 16 years since Chief Justice John Roberts took the helm. “Plainly, the Roberts court has…

Listen to Today’s Program JD: One week after Holocaust Remembrance Day, Independence Day the celebration of the 73rd birthday of the Jewish State of Israel. That’s another very special day to Jewish people isn’t it? WM: Yes of course. It is in fact the opposite end of the pole of Holocaust Day. We are free. We are liberated. We’re able to have an army, a government, a judiciary and that’s the way it should be. A family of nations. One nation earning the respect for what…

The Rev. William Barber, a leader of the Poor People’s Campaign, told me, “Some folks hijacked Christianity and decided that they were going to put up a lot of money to promote the idea that to be a person of faith was to be anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-gun, pro-tax cut.” Barber calls that “theological malpractice.” Jerushah Duford, a granddaughter of the Rev. Billy Graham, agrees: “We have seen homophobia, hostility toward women’s rights, xenophobia and lack of concern for the poor.” She compares the damage…

Spiritual gifts are supernatural abilities anointed by God to believers who receive His grace of salvation. Examples include words of wisdom or knowledge, the gifts of healing or miracles, discernment of spirits, speaking or interpretation of tongues and prophecy. Although the theological debate about whether using spiritual gifts continues, these talents are given by God to His creation. Cary Balzer, professor of biblical studies at John Brown University, certainly believes in the existence of spiritual gifts and urges the personal use of everyone’s gifts.…

Editor’s note: Columns in the Faith section reflect opinions and perspectives of the writer and are not necessarily those of The Republic. Christmas has passed, but Jesus’ birth continues to reverberate through time. What impact has the birth of Jesus had on us, our culture, and our morality? Much of what we take for granted today is the direct or indirect result of the rise of Christianity, including “just war” theory, the equality of men and women before God, the abolition of slavery, the…

Updated 1:36 p.m. Eastern on January 8, 2020. The name of God was everywhere during Wednesday’s insurrection against the American government. The mob carried signs and flag declaring Jesus saves! and God, Guns & Guts Made America, Let’s Keep All Three. Some were participants in the Jericho March, a gathering of Christians to “pray, march, fast, and rally for election integrity.” After calling on God to “save the republic” during rallies at state capitols and in D.C. over the past two months, the marchers…

Washington: Donald Trump protests ’embarrassing’ says Coulter Chaotic scenes unfolded in Washington DC as it was confirmed Democrat candidates won both Georgia senate elections, giving the party control of Congress. Mr Trump, who had given a speech earlier in the day claiming the election had been stolen, told supporters “I love you” and described those who stormed the Capitol complex as “patriots”. The violence brought a halt to a congressional debate over President-elect Joe Biden’s election win, but Congress has now formally approved the…

Washington: Trump supporters march on Capitol Hill to protest Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in Washington DC on Wednesday in a bid to disrupt Congress from certifying the results of the US election. Scenes of violence unfolded as supporters of the incumbent president clashed with police, with pepper spray being used in the skirmishes. President Trump called on Vice President Trump to nullify the election’s results in a last-ditch attempt to secure another term in office. Mr Pence, however, declined to cave…

(RNS) — It’s 11:11 on a recent Sunday morning and The Proverbial Experience is just getting underway. “Greetings my loves!” proclaims the Rev. Lyvonne Proverbs Briggs, the founder of this weekly spiritual gathering on Instagram. “Anybody got a hallelujah in your spirit?” As the congregation comes online, Briggs, from her home in New Orleans, greets each person by name as prerecorded gospel music plays. She frames herself in front of a makeshift altar with an assortment of crystals and a sign that reads, “God…

A basilica submerged under the waters of Iznik Lake in Turkey’s Bursa city is being prepared to be opened to visitors in the near future. TRT World talked to Bursa Uludag University’s Professor Mustafa Sahin about it. Professor Mustafa Sahin,  the head of the Archaeology Department at Bursa Uludag University’s Faculty of Arts & Science, first received photographs taken from a helicopter ride over Iznik Lake in Bursa about 6 years ago from the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. After analysing the photographs, Sahin saw the…

Thousands of Orthodox Christian worshippers in Bulgaria ignored warnings by health authorities to abstain from mass gatherings and instead kept to their centuries-old Epiphany traditions The Associated Press January 6, 2021, 6:30 PM • 2 min read Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this article SOFIA, Bulgaria — Thousands of Orthodox Christian worshippers in Bulgaria on Wednesday ignored warnings issued by health authorities to abstain from mass gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic and kept instead to their centuries-old Epiphany traditions. Young men plunged into…

Fresh out of college in the mid-1970s, I envisioned a more enlightened world in the not-too-distant future, a world in which political divisiveness would be minimal. Why the optimism? For almost three years, 40 hours a week, I sat in front of a computer that symbolized to me a coming wired world in which vast amounts of knowledge would be readily accessible to everyone, knowledge that would bring widespread consensus on issues and challenges facing humanity. I was right about the knowledge thing, but…

Donald Trump has spectacularly lost the US election last month, with a record number of 81 million votes cast for his rival Joe Biden. But the US President is yet to conceded defeat and Republicans up and down the country cling on to hopes an ace up Mr Trump’s sleeve could turn the election results in his favour. After a month of failed lawsuits and unsubstantiated cries of electoral fraud, Democrat Mr Biden looks to have his victory certified on December 14 by the…

This Sunday kicked off the beginning of Advent. While the season is generally seen as a time of preparing to celebrate Christ’s birth on Christmas, the focus historically was a time to focus on Jesus’ Second Coming. The doctrine of Jesus’ Second Coming has traditionally been a major focus of Christian theology: it has been a driving force for missions, it was a source of hope for suffering Christians, it helped to frame Christian worship. American evangelicals in particular have been shaped by discussion…

People gather at the site of an explosion in al-Bab, Syria Nov. 24, 202,0 in this picture obtained from social media. Religious workers say worsening coronavirus pandemic and economic conditions in Syria are further deepening poverty and hardship. (Credit: CNS photo/MMC/Sharif Al Halabi.) AMMAN, Jordan — The worsening coronavirus pandemic and economic conditions in Syria are further deepening poverty and hardship for Christians, who find themselves trapped in a political stalemate, religious freedom advocates say. “The situation is becoming worse, people are calling me…

You are a prophet. You were convinced God told you Trump would win. You got it wrong. What do you do next? Looking around, the most likely outcome is that you could just keep on doing whatever you did before. Stay prophesying. Act like it’s no big deal. That is how – perhaps – many of those Americans who assert they are prophets may be thinking. Because we are getting to the point where proclaiming that President Trump will win a second term is…

By Jackson Elliott, Contributor Follow | Friday, November 27, 2020 Left to right: Felix Sumba, Kevin Muriithi and Bill Dindi of Apologetics Kenya | Apologetics Kenya The first Annual African Apologetics Conference is engaging with postmodern and traditional African worldviews by asking if Christianity is Africa’s faith. Hosted by Christian group Apologetics Kenya, the Nov. 27 to Nov. 29 event is featuring over 26 lectures, public apologetics debates, panels and workshops online. The speakers include prominent African theologians, church leaders and Christian activists, according to…

A pastoral letter from the bishops. We ask “our two canonized ‘foreign’ missionary saints, Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod, to intercede for us so that our loving God will always abundantly bless our Church in the Philippines and all her many missionary endeavors!”. Nov 27, 2020 MANILA: The “missionary renewal” of the Philippine Church is what the country’s Bishops’ Conference (CBCP) auger 500 years after the arrival of Christianity, carried by ” thousands of men and women missionaries”. This is the hope contained in…

LaCricia Hlavinka hasn’t had a Thanksgiving meal in a quarter-century. Nor does she plan to this year, again opting to spend the holiday with an empty stomach and, maybe, bellowing into a microphone the latest prophecy revealed to her by God. While millions of Americans nestle into couches for their post-dinner naps on Thursday, Hlavinka and other members of Reigning Glory Church will begin a three-day fast. They believe their faithfulness to God will spare them the worst of COVID-19. “It’s the hardest to…

By Wallace B. Henley, Exclusive Columnist Follow | Wednesday, November 25, 2020 Fake news and false prophecies boiled around the 2020 presidential race like tempests stoking a hurricane. Wallace Henley, former Senior Associate Pastor of 2nd Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. | Photo by Scott Belin From the perspective of Donald Trump and his associates, establishment media pumped hefty currents of disinformation and misinformation into the political cyclone through fake news. Many observers on both sides noted the “failed prophecies” that Trump would be…

(RNS) — For reasons that have to do with our reading of the Bible, the both of us moved as adults from our middle-class white worlds to poor Black communities: Michael and his family from all-white small towns of Minnesota to the largest African American area of Minneapolis, and Joel from a white suburb of Houston to that city’s poorest neighborhood. We were then and are now both white Christians. Our faith and our faith communities were and are our lives. Little prepared us…

About a year ago a senior pastor at a local church told me the biblical passages about the poor were directed at the spiritually deprived, versus the undeniable comprehension of the word to define those of meager means. They lied. Perhaps six years ago I was seeking help for those without a roof from a pastor at a local church. They said they had tried “that” with Black people and it doesn’t work. What followed was a condescending conversation so disturbing: that I changed…

Californian pastor Kris Vallotton apologised to Mr Biden directly on Instagram, stating that “you’re my president” similar to the way Mr Trump and Barack Obama were “his presidents”. “I want to sincerely apologise for missing the prophecy about Donald Trump. It doesn’t make me a false prophet. I prophesied he would become president four days after he declared his candidacy [in 2015]. And I prophesied Trump would not be impeached [and removed from office]. I’m very sorry to everyone who put their trust in…

Iraqi Christians in Baghdad leave Christmas Mass at St. George Chaldean Church Dec. 25, 2019. (Credit: Khalid al Mousily/Reuters via CNS.) ROSARIO, Argentina – Ever since the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS), there’s been rising alarm regarding the future for Christians in the Middle East. A Catholic priest who recently returned to his village in northern Iraq after six years in Rome described what he found as “shocking,” but doubled down on the need for Christians to survive. Father Karam Shamasha left the…

If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed. Deuteronomy 18:22 There will be many Christians disappointed with the likely result of the US presidential election, given the high level of support for President Donald Trump from White Evangelicals (76 per cent) and Catholics (46 per cent), according to the National Exit Poll. But one group…