Posts tagged religion
Artificial Intelligence: The Servant Becomes Our Master

(ANALYSIS) The church was once considered a resource for understanding how reality works. That’s less the case today. To return to being a resource for things like artificial intelligence, we’d have to learn what the Bible says about technology and sorcery.

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Garbage City’s Christian Residents Call For Increased Safety And Government Representation

Garbage City existed before its Coptic Christian residents, and they are the only ones willing enough to remain among the trash and help Cairo by sorting through it. The main issue, these days, is the lack of political representation and influence caused by a growing Muslim-Christian divide.

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When Being Pro-Palestinian Means The End Of Israel

(OPINION) It is important to remember that many of those protesting Israel’s war in Gaza are not simply advocating for a ceasefire or for a two-state solution. They are advocating for the end of Israel. This, of course, is the obvious meaning of the “river to the sea” chant. But what is implied in the chant is now being stated explicitly by anti-Israel protesters and their allies. They, in turn, are simply articulating what has always been the fundamental position of Hamas.

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Guide To The US Presidential Candidates: What They Say About Their Faith

Following months of questions about whether debates between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump would happen, both presidential candidates agreed on Wednesday to two of them. Here’s a look at the candidates and what they’ve said about faith.

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Georgia Becomes 19th US State To Pass Donor Privacy Law

Georgia has become the 19th state in the U.S. to pass a law protecting the privacy of members, donors and volunteers of nonprofit groups. The Personal Privacy Protection Act, signed into law by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on May 6, prohibits a public agency in the state from compelling a nonprofit organization to release personal information of its donors or volunteers.

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On Religion: Hollywood No Longer Church Of The Masses In The Digital Age

(ANALYSIS) The power of today’s digital media is much more complex than that, said Barbara Nicolosi Harrington, a former Catholic nun-turned-screenwriter and Hollywood script doctor. “Hollywood has been the church of the masses, but I don't think that’s still true. At least, we cannot say that movie theaters are the sanctuaries they once were for most people, especially for the young,” she Harrington.

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Rwandan Genocide’s 30th Anniversary A Reminder Of Sin’s Power

The genocide that left more than 800,000 Rwandans dead and millions displaced during a 100-day period in 1994 demonstrated the depths of depravity found in hearts not redeemed by Jesus, former missionary Nik Ripken said. “When Billy Graham was asked what was the number one hindrance to the Kingdom of God, he said it was racism,” said Ripken, who served overseas for 37 years. “Racism is a sin in the human heart.”

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Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’: Extraterrestrial Threats And The Death Of Atheism

(REVIEW) The new series “3 Body Problem” is a secular show that wrestles with how the failures of the secular project have threatened the modern world and wrestles compellingly with nonreligious answers on how to solve them. Hollywood has recently begun to spotlight the evils of overtly atheist regimes. This year, “3 Body Problem” takes on Maoist China.

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Q&A With Author Mark David Hall: Christian Nationalism ‘Far More Benign Than Critics Believe’

Hall’s new book — “Who’s Afraid of Christian Nationalism” — shines a light on the debate around Christian nationalism following the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, which is often characterized by unfounded claims, lots of name-calling and plenty of fear-mongering. Here’s our interview with Hall on the origin of the term and what it all really means.

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Religious ‘Nones’ Have Soared In Recent Years, But Why Not The Number Of Atheists?

(ANALYSIS) The number of individuals in the U.S. who do not identify as being part of any religion has grown and “the nones” are now larger than any single religious group. According to the General Social Survey, religiously unaffiliated people represented only about 5% of the U.S. population in the 1970s. This percentage began to increase in the 1990s and is now around 30%.

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Crossroads Podcast: The Catholic Trads Are Coming!

The feature is framed with bad news — that progressive Catholics in the United States are experiencing pain because of the rising numbers of young priests and young adults (especially parents with, wink-wink, lots of children) seeking a more pro-Catholic Catechism approach to faith.

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Most Americans See No Moral Or Spiritual Good In AI

A majority don’t see a moral or spiritual benefit to AI, the American Bible Society said on May 9 in the latest release from its 2024 State of the Bible. Most, 68 percent, don’t believe AI could be used to enhance their spiritual practices and thus promote spiritual health, while 58 percent don’t believe the technology could aid in their moral reasoning.

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Presbyterians’ Latest Sexuality Showdown Follows Methodists’ Historic Shift

(ANALYSIS) While drama with the United Methodist Church continues to develop, the sexuality spotlight shifts to America’s Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)., which has already approved gay clergy and marriage but is heading into a different sexuality fuss that carries some risk of another church split.

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Book Excerpt: ‘Soul By Soul’ By Brazilian Journalist Adriana Carranca

In “Soul by Soul: The Evangelical Mission to Spread the Gospel to Muslims” Adriana Carranca follows the pilgrimage of a missionary family from Brazil as they move to Afghanistan. Carranca brings us on a harrowing journey through the underground passages of the global evangelical movement as it clashes with militant Islamic groups. What follows is an excerpt from Carranca’s new book.

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A Post-Passover Predicament: What To Do With All That Matzo?

Passover ended a little over a week ago. The big question now is what do you do with all the leftover matzo? That’s what many Jews are asking themselves now that the eight-day holiday — in commemoration of the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt — has passed.

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On Religion: Yes, Most Southern Baptists Support Religious Liberty For All

Neighborly Faith studied academic publications addressing this issue and created a detailed, 14-point compromise definition stating, in part: “Christian Nationalism is a movement advancing a vision of America's past, present, and future that excludes people of non-Christian religions and non-Western cultures. Christian Nationalists romanticize Christianity's influence on America's development, attributing the nation's historical provenance to God's special favor.”

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London’s Wallace Collection Expounds On TheLife And Times Of A Sikh Warrior King

Ranjit Singh, known as the “Lion of Punjab,” was responsible for the creation of the Sikh Empire in 19th century north India. A skilled warrior and revered king, as well as the first maharajah of the Sikh people, Singh is one of the most important figures in Sikh history. Now, his life and reign as a ruler are the subject of the exhibition “Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King” at London’s The Wallace Collection. 

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US Watchdog Group Recommends Adding 15 Nations To List Of Religious Freedom Violators

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its 2024 report urged the U.S. State Department to add 15 nations to the current list of egregious religious freedom violators, and recommended key policy guidance for the Biden administration. Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Nigeria and Vietnam should be added to the 12 Countries of Particular Concern.

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Palestinian Journalists Receive Pulitzer ‘Special Citation’ For Gaza War Coverage

The Pulitzer Prize committee awarded a “special citation” to journalists covering the war in Gaza. In addition, “A Day in the Life of Abed Salaman: Anatomy of a Jerusalem” Tragedy by Nathan Thrall, which documents the experience of a Palestinian father whose 5-year-old son was killed in a bus crash, won the prize for general nonfiction.

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