Religion Information

No Ishmaels Please


I want to say a word about faith.  Recent events in my own life have driven home just how easy it is to loose sight of what we say we believe.  Just like Abraham of old, we often try to bring about results through our own efforts.  For those of you not familiar with narrative found in the book of Genesis, let me summarize.  Abraham had been given the promise by God of having a son in his old age.  God, in fact made a covenant with Abraham, sealing the promise in the blood of sacrificial animals.  Typically this looks forward, for those of us who are New Testament believers, to the blood of Christ through which we are made partakers of God?s eternal covenant.  But, back to Abraham.  Certainly after such a dynamic demonstration (Genesis 15) of God?s covenant promise, we would think that Abraham would have not doubt that God would fulfill his part of the agreement.  But, instead of waiting patiently on God as he should have done, he listened to his wife, Sarah, and tried to help God out, by having a son with his handmaiden (as was the custom of the day), since his Sarah was barren.  He did have a son with his handmaiden, but that was a cause of much sorrow to him, and is the cause of much conflict even today.  For, you see, this son, Ishmael, is the father of Arab nations.  Oh, God was still with Ishmael and provided water to keep him alive after Sarah had thown out the handmaden and her son.  But Ishmael was not God's first choice for Abraham.   Thus, later, God did fulfill his promise and give Abraham a son through his wife, Sarah.  That son, Isaac, is the father of the Jewish people.  We are all aware of the Arab-Israeli conflict which continues till today.  Yet, God was gracious, and Abraham is remembered today as the Father of the faithful, and in the hall of faith, Hebrews 11, his faith is mentioned but not his lack of it in that one moment of weakness. (Thus, I don't feel that I should share the particulars of my recent Ishmael experience with you, as I know God has put it in the sea of forgetfulness.)   Often we may be tempted to do what Abraham did and take matters into our own hands, instead of trusting God explicitly.  But, this can only result in the production of an Ishmael, which, although God may still bless, will mean trouble for us and cause us to deviate for a time from our primary God-given goals and purpose.  However, when that happens, we may be assured of God?s grace in getting us back on track. May God ever keep us from producing Ishmaels.  But if we do, may we run to Him for His mercy and grace and know that He is still in controll and we will not be remembered by him for our Ishmaels, but for our Isaacs--the fruit of our faith.  If you feel you have no faith, perhaps you this will be a first step for you.  If you feel you need more faith or need to use your faith more, perhaps this can also be a starting point for you in that direction.

The Greatest Love and Self-image


The Greek language had three words for ?Love?  First there was ?eros,? from which we get ?erotic..  This was, of course a purely selfish love.  Then there was ?Phileo? (Philadelphia), or ?brotherly love?  This is the love of one family member for another.  But the Bible added a new one--?agape?   ?Agape is a giving love, entirely unselfish.  By way of both illustration and practical application, let me quote the following note from  Mary Ellen Grisham, publisher of "Eternal Link:"After counseling young couples for years, a minister I know suggested that "love is what you do."  Young couples frequently have adjustments to make to the differences in romantic courtship and the realities of day-to-day living with the rigorous requirements of work, children, house and yard keeping, and all the many tasks required to maintain a good home and marriage.

What If? -- Musings on the Tsunami


Thumbing through Isaiah recently I was startled to find this: after a passage (in Isaiah 19) in which the prophet describes horrors that caused the hearts of the Egyptians to "melt within them," he predicts that "the people will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them." The next lines describe how three bitter enemies?Egypt, Assyria, and Israel?will "worship together" and how all three will become "a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.'" What a picture!

What about the 4400?


Murders are so frequent in our country that a single homicide seldom grabs national attention unless the perpetrator or the victim is already a celebrity. Even a double murder is not national news. It takes multiple murders to make the headlines, CNN, and the network evening news.

What Jesus Expects of You and Me


Sometimes it is hard to know where to start even if you know what your talents are. Jesus has something to say about what we can do and what he expects us to do. Until you can find the specific purpose God has for you there is still work we can do.

Why More Priests Need To Train As Fighters (And Why We Dont See Many Boxers In Church)


St Paul was a fighter. I don?t think he ever competed in the ring, but that wasn?t because he lacked the discipline or was afraid of the pain. I always say that to be a fighter you need to have two things going for you. Firstly you need to have a lot of energy inside that needs release. Secondly, you need to be not too concerned about your own health. This fits the profile of most of our young men perfectly - on the edge of the drug culture, full of testosterone, and with no thought for the future. It also fits perfectly the profile of another group - single fathers, struggling to gain access to their children. That was how I got into the fight game. I hadn?t taken it up as a teenager, and I certainly hadn?t been born into it. My dad was a priest for God?s sake, and an academic. Fighting had not been my birthright. I came in through the back door of pain and loneliness and bitter struggle. Separated, and struggling for the right to see my daughter, I had made one half-hearted attempt at suicide already by that stage. And I had met with my bishop the following day and he had told me not to ?trade off? my situation (in other words, not to get too comfortable). I appeared to be losing my family, my vocation, and most of my friends at the same time. Full of emotional energy, obsessed with thoughts of self-destruction, and drinking way too much, I managed to find my way to the Mundine gym. It was my decision not to go under, but to fight back. Mundine?s is situated in the middle of Everleigh Street, Redfern - the roughest street in one of the roughest neighborhoods in our city. Redfern is a largely Aboriginal suburb on the outskirts of central Sydney. In recent years the government has come through and ?cleaned it up? somewhat, which meant pushing a lot of the local residents further out west. Even so, it is still a rough area. I had grown up in the vicinity of Everleigh Street. My dad had been a lecturer at the Anglican seminary located only a few blocks from this dark heart of Aboriginal Sydney. It was always an odd location for the seminary. The ecclesiastical community never had anything to do with the adjoining aboriginal enclave. On the contrary, most persons associated with the religious community dealt with their black neighbours by practising the same sort of avoidance strategy that I?d learnt as a kid ? scurrying quickly past the end of Everleigh Street and its environs whenever circumstances put us unavoidably within its reach. Ironically this strategy had to be invoked every time you got off a train from Redfern station. The platforms seemed to be designed to feed directly into Everleigh Street! Of course I never made the mistake of straying down that way myself, and as a youngster, I had heard many a nasty story about the price paid by some of the less wary. None of this is to suggest that the reputation of Everleigh was based on hearsay. I had seen plenty with my own eyes. Countless times I had seen young toddlers and their slightly older siblings wandering the streets at night while their parents got drunk at the local. One night I watched as a stupid woman stopped her car after these kids had thrown rocks at it. She got out and tried to confront the kids about what they had done. The result of course was that they found some bigger rocks and a couple of bricks. They made quite a mess of that car. My brother told me that he had witnessed a roll take place from the top of the street in broad daylight. Some boys had pulled a knife on a university student who had handed them his wallet. The student had then located a nearby policeman and had pointed out the boys to him, but the copper did nothing about it. He said he didn?t want to start a riot! I had seen the bonfires that would be lit when the new phone books or Yellow Pages directories were delivered. I had seen the shells of burnt out cars in the street. I had seen plenty, and had plenty of good reasons to never deliberately venture down that street, which is why my first walk to the Mundine gym was like wading through water ? every step being a slow and deliberate effort. But I was determined to become a fighter, and I?d just as soon lose my life in Everleigh Street than give up on my dream to have my day in the ring. The exterior of Mundine?s Gym is not designed to draw attention to itself. You?d walk right past it if you didn?t know it was there. It?s missing entirely that glittering windowed street frontage with the sleek bodies of well-groomed athletes on display for passers-by ? the type that we associate with the sorts of gyms where you pay a costly membership fee. Mundine?s has no membership fee. I don?t remember there even being a sign out the front. Mundine?s looks like just another housing-commission block, with its inglorious entrance at the bottom of a stairwell. But you pick up that it?s a gym long before you reach the top of those stairs. The smell of liniment hits you half way up ? that manly smell that mingles so harmoniously with the melodic whir of the skipping rope tap, tap, tapping its way through another round. This is what makes a real gym ? the smell of liniment, the sound of the rope, the less rhythmical thwacking of glove to bag, and of course the fighting. When you step inside Mundine?s, you know you?re in a real gym. No pretty boys. No glamour workouts. No white-collar boxercise sessions for indulgent professionals. Just bodies, sweat, testosterone and blood. They play hard at Mundine?s. That?s governed by the sort of guys that show up there of course, but it?s also embedded in the architecture of the gym to some extent. The ring stands in the centre of the building and it?s a small ring, made for brawlers. There is a small assortment of bags strung around the sides, but no fancy speedballs or floor-to-ceiling bags, such that you could justify turning up just to have a workout on the bags. There are a few pieces of weights equipment too, but again not enough to allow them to become a serious point of focus. No. The whole structure is designed to channel you into the ring. Everything else is just padding. That?s the way it should be in a real gym. I wore my clerical shirt and collar the first time I went there. Even now I don?t think it was an entirely stupid thing to have done. I wanted to be up-front about who I was and where I was coming from. Even so, I hadn?t really thought through the effect that this was going to have on the other boys at the gym, most of whom were, initially, very reluctant to hit me. They got over it though, particularly after they realised that I had no qualms about hitting them. Within a couple of weeks I was coming home each night bruised and bleeding from head to toe, and I knew I was one of the lads. Is it just me, or does every man need to go through something like this at some time in his life ? to know the joy of falling into your bed aching with the wounds that your sparring partner has inflicted on you that evening, and sleeping soundly in the knowledge that your ring brother is likewise doing his best to sleep off the impression that you made on him? I had many a glorious sparring session during those first weeks and months at Mundine?s. They weren?t pretty to watch I suppose, but they were epic struggles of the human spirit so far as I was concerned. There are few things in life more deeply satisfying than a good fight. A hard night in the ring is an enormous catharsis for a man who is struggling with life, but it?s more than that too. When you step into a ring you?re making a decision to take control of your own destiny. The forces that oppose you are no longer vague powers that threaten to overwhelm you from a distance - the law, the courts, the system. No. Your opposition takes on a clear material form in the shape of the other man advancing on you from the other corner. To get into that ring and to stay in that ring is to make a decision to give it a go ? to put your body on the line and to stand up to the punishment like a man. Fighting is more than a sport. It?s a way of life. It is the defiant decision to confront your pain directly and not to be overcome by it. Mundine?s gym taught me that, or at least it played a significant role. There was another vital lesson I learnt at Mundine?s - perhaps even more important than what I learned about fighting. I learnt to respect the fight community. The fight community is a culture all of its own, and was certainly spawned on an entirely different planet to the church community. I?m sure that some Anglican church-goers must have wondered why there are so many doctors and accountants in their congregations and so few fighters. The truth is that most church people just don?t speak the same language as fighters. The converse is also true. The fight community, as far as I can see, has very little idea of what the church is on about. I don?t mean that fighters aren?t spiritual guys. On the contrary, some of the most godly and inspirational men I have met have been fighters. And yet they have no point of contact with the established church. The two groups just don?t understand each other at all. Never was this made clearer to me than on my fourth visit to Mundine?s gym. I had turned up quietly in my tracksuit and was wandering over to the bench at the side of the ring where we tended to leave our gear while we were training. A group of guys were huddled there talking, and there was nothing particularly private about the volume of their conversation. I think they were discussing relationship problems, though I didn?t overhear everything. What I couldn?t help hearing was one guy say very clearly ?So I grabbed her, and I punched her in the fuckin? head?. He said it loudly and enacted a downwards punching motion as he said it. Then he noticed me standing nearby and suddenly felt very self-conscious. ?Oh, sorry Father? he said. And then he corrected himself. ?I punched her ... (and he said it very slowly and deliberately) ... in the head?. If I?d had my wits about me that night I would have said something clever like ?I don?t think the Lord really gives a fuck about your language brother, but I think He does care about your wife.? As it was, I didn?t say anything. I think I responded with a feeble smile. At the time, I just couldn?t work out how this guy had ever got it into his head that, as a priest, I would be more concerned about the fact that he swore than I would be about the fact that he beat his wife? Nowadays I take that sort of perception for granted. I think it?s the church that has to bear the responsibility for the communication breakdown. So much of the church nowadays reeks of a sort of insipid middle-class moralism that really does care more about smoking and swearing than it does about domestic violence or world hunger. I don?t think the Lord Jesus or St Paul ever intended to spawn any of these Christianized golf clubs that call themselves churches. Personally, I suspect that Jesus and the apostles would feel more at home in the average boxing gym today than they would in the average church. Of course they wouldn?t like the threats and the violence, but they would love the honesty. Fighters are very honest people. One guy, again from the Mundine gym, summed it up for me. ?Around here nobody stabs anybody in the back?, he said to me. Then he pointed to his heart and added emphatically: ?You stab here!? That?s why I have so much respect for the fight culture. I know I can trust fighters. I know they won?t stuff me round ? smiling to my face but stabbing me in the back when I turn around. I wish the same could be said for all church people. St Paul was a fighter. ?I do not fight like a man beating the air? he says. They had the ancient Pankration fighting in his day ? a vicious form of no rules combat that was concluding event in the original Olympics. Those guys certainly didn?t ?beat the air?. When Ulysses came home from the Trojan War, legend has it that his own mother didn?t recognise him. According to my friend and former trainer Kon, legend has it that when the Pankration champion came home from the Olympic Games, his own dog couldn?t recognise him! Those guys knew what real fighting is about. St Paul would have made one tough bugger as a fighter. What I wouldn't give to be able to jump into the old Pankration ring with him to go a couple of rounds! You?d never knock him down though. I suspect most of the apostles would have been like that ? warm big-hearted men, but as hard as nails in the ring. I have a secret hope that when I get to heaven I?ll be able to take on some of those boys and try my luck. I guess it?s not everyone?s idea of heaven, but it is mine.

About The Spiritual World of Madonna


Pop singer Madonna came this week to Tel Aviv to take part in a congress of Kabbala studies. According to press releases, she is going to stay in Israel until Sunday night and will have on the last day of her visit, the opportunity to visit the graves of Jewish Tzaddikim (righteous holy people) near Safed, a small town in northern Israel.

Popping the Balloon of Belief


I?m really excited. I just got a bigger soapbox, and I wanted to invite the rest of you to get up here on it with me.

Here?s Help for the ?I Can?t Say ?No? Blues?


I hear it all the time.  Cries from Christian women who want desperately to serve the Lord, but who feel overwhelmed.  ?I almost dread going to PTO meetings or church services anymore because I just know somebody else is going to ask me to help with something,? they say. ?Don?t get me wrong.  I want to help, but there are only so many hours in my day.  I feel like I?m just going to explode if I don?t get some relief.?

Your Mission Field At Work


One point many Christian Working Moms who have been interviewed have made is that they are a shining light in their work place.  Whether or not you can speak openly about your faith at work, your co-workers are watching. Are they seeing Jesus in you? Do they see you handle ethical issues in a different manner than other co-workers? Do they see a peace in you amidst all of the stress of the job? Do they see your priorities are in order? Although, we are to be workers worthy of our hire we are first and foremost followers of Christ. Do your co-workers see you participating in the office gossip or do they see you leaving when those discussions come up? Do your co-workers see you building up or tearing down? Do they see compassion in you that is often woefully missing in this get ahead world we live in?

Meaning and Marketing - The Will


You are now inside one of the top theological schools in the world and you are sitting in Dr. John Hobbs' Class on Theology with first year Freshman students. The seminary is reformed, protestant, Christian and is located in the south of the USA.

Harry Potter To Christians: Its Not Good To Hear Voices


That is the popular and, thank God (if you'll pardon the use of the G name) the politically correct feeling among most Christians today. You will recall that in the second book of the Potter series, The Chamber Of Secrets, Harry Potter alone heard the voice of the basilisk. When he confided in his two friends about it, one told him that even in the wizarding world, hearing voices is not a good thing. Like art imitating reality, can't we say that even in our non-wizarding world, it's not a good thing to be hearing voices. Whether those voices be God's or someone else's voice.

We Must Be Ready. But How?


Revelation 19:7 states, ?Let us rejoice and give honor unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.?

The Christmas Victory


As the Chritmas season approaches, I figured it's a good time to submit the following article:

Finding God in the Clouds


It was a cool August night during the Summer before my Junior year in high school. I was just getting off work on what seemed to be the worst day of my life. I was having a mental break-down, nothing was going right, and every negative thing in my life seemed to hit me at once.

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Growing Share of U.S. Adults Say Religion Is Gaining Influence in American Life - Pew Research Center
Growing Share of U.S. Adults Say Religion Is Gaining Influence in American Life  Pew Research Center

Religion’s clout is bouncing back, say more and more Americans - The Salt Lake Tribune
Religion’s clout is bouncing back, say more and more Americans  The Salt Lake Tribune

Most Catholics say religion has a positive influence on American life, poll shows - Catholic News Agency
Most Catholics say religion has a positive influence on American life, poll shows  Catholic News Agency

As we grow out of intellectual adolescence, religion’s popularity soars - New York Post
As we grow out of intellectual adolescence, religion’s popularity soars  New York Post

Proposed UK Islamophobia definition allows for right to criticise religion, source says - The Guardian
Proposed UK Islamophobia definition allows for right to criticise religion, source says  The Guardian

Religion: Thiel’s ‘Antichrist’ obsession - The Week
Religion: Thiel’s ‘Antichrist’ obsession  The Week

The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion - The Conversation
The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion  The Conversation

ACN Religious Freedom Report: 5 billion people face violations - Vatican News
ACN Religious Freedom Report: 5 billion people face violations  Vatican News

Trump’s Next Target: Religious Freedom | Opinion - Newsweek
Trump’s Next Target: Religious Freedom | Opinion  Newsweek

Houses of worship grapple with financial and emotional impacts of government shutdown - NPR
Houses of worship grapple with financial and emotional impacts of government shutdown  NPR

Mohammad Rizwan Sacked For Involving Religion, Made Players Uncomfortable: Report - NDTV Sports
Mohammad Rizwan Sacked For Involving Religion, Made Players Uncomfortable: Report  NDTV Sports

Book banners almost always motivated by religion, speaker says - Baptist News Global
Book banners almost always motivated by religion, speaker says  Baptist News Global

Pew Research: Growing share of U.S. adults say religion gaining influence here - Baptist Press
Pew Research: Growing share of U.S. adults say religion gaining influence here  Baptist Press

Pew Research: Growing share of US adults say religion gaining influence here - Biblical Recorder
Pew Research: Growing share of US adults say religion gaining influence here  Biblical Recorder

Charles Murray On Taking Religion Seriously - The Weekly Dish | Andrew Sullivan
Charles Murray On Taking Religion Seriously  The Weekly Dish | Andrew Sullivan

Faith on the Rise: More Americans Say Religion Has a Positive Impact, Pew Finds - Michael Foust - Crosswalk.com
Faith on the Rise: More Americans Say Religion Has a Positive Impact, Pew Finds - Michael Foust  Crosswalk.com

Villanova University to Host Fifth Annual Mother Mary Lange Lecture in Black Catholic Studies - Villanova University
Villanova University to Host Fifth Annual Mother Mary Lange Lecture in Black Catholic Studies  Villanova University

Pew: More US adults see religion as important, positive to public life - OSV News
Pew: More US adults see religion as important, positive to public life  OSV News

Religion gains influence in U.S., according to survey - upi.com
Religion gains influence in U.S., according to survey  upi.com

WA among least religious states, new study finds - KIRO 7 News Seattle
WA among least religious states, new study finds  KIRO 7 News Seattle

‘Taking Religion Seriously’ Review: Faith Makes a Comeback - The Wall Street Journal
‘Taking Religion Seriously’ Review: Faith Makes a Comeback  The Wall Street Journal

Closer look: Is there religious revival among Gen Z? - The Baptist Paper
Closer look: Is there religious revival among Gen Z?  The Baptist Paper

Opinion: Mixing politics, faith gives false perception of religion - northernstar.info
Opinion: Mixing politics, faith gives false perception of religion  northernstar.info

The Christian Case For ‘No Kings’ Protests - Religion Unplugged
The Christian Case For ‘No Kings’ Protests  Religion Unplugged

EEOC enforcement actions underscore employers’ religious accommodation policies - JD Supra
EEOC enforcement actions underscore employers’ religious accommodation policies  JD Supra

State-level religious freedom protections grow in recent years - Catholic World Report
State-level religious freedom protections grow in recent years  Catholic World Report

US Army now says religious support contracts to be ‘reexamined’ - OSV News
US Army now says religious support contracts to be ‘reexamined’  OSV News

God’s Truth Is For Religious Pluralism Until Judgement Day - The Times of Israel
God’s Truth Is For Religious Pluralism Until Judgement Day  The Times of Israel

Is religion's power on its way back in the USA? A growing number of Americans say yes. - National Catholic Reporter
Is religion's power on its way back in the USA? A growing number of Americans say yes.  National Catholic Reporter

Attacks on religious liberty increase, say cardinal, papal foundation - OSV News
Attacks on religious liberty increase, say cardinal, papal foundation  OSV News

Archbishop Broglio: Army’s cancellation of religious support contracts harms Catholics - America Magazine
Archbishop Broglio: Army’s cancellation of religious support contracts harms Catholics  America Magazine

UNITED KINGDOM and INTERNATIONAL: Stop ignoring religion as a key cause of violent attacks – says bishop - Aid to the Church in Need
UNITED KINGDOM and INTERNATIONAL: Stop ignoring religion as a key cause of violent attacks – says bishop  Aid to the Church in Need

Religious favoritism, discrimination surface in Indonesia - www.christiandaily.com
Religious favoritism, discrimination surface in Indonesia  www.christiandaily.com

Bravo Announces New Limited Series ‘Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay’ - People.com
Bravo Announces New Limited Series ‘Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay’  People.com

Black Religion in the Madhouse - Princeton University
Black Religion in the Madhouse  Princeton University

After three years in Israel, Reform convert told she can’t make aliyah - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
After three years in Israel, Reform convert told she can’t make aliyah  Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Christians called to combat all religious persecution - Baptist Standard
Christians called to combat all religious persecution  Baptist Standard

The Spirit of a ‘Special’ Sister: PW Talks with Kathleen Norris - Publishers Weekly
The Spirit of a ‘Special’ Sister: PW Talks with Kathleen Norris  Publishers Weekly

Justice for all, not just for wealthy and religious - Austin American-Statesman
Justice for all, not just for wealthy and religious  Austin American-Statesman

More adults believe religion is gaining influence in American life, Pew Research Center finds - KSL TV 5
More adults believe religion is gaining influence in American life, Pew Research Center finds  KSL TV 5

The rise of religion as a political shield - TheAggie.org
The rise of religion as a political shield  TheAggie.org

Punjab Moves to Ban TLP as Years of Religious Violence Reach Breaking Point - International Christian Concern
Punjab Moves to Ban TLP as Years of Religious Violence Reach Breaking Point  International Christian Concern

Is There Religious Revival Among Gen Z? - Julie Roys
Is There Religious Revival Among Gen Z?  Julie Roys

Two out of three people suffer violations of their religious freedom, according to a new report by Aid to the Church in Need - ZENIT - English
Two out of three people suffer violations of their religious freedom, according to a new report by Aid to the Church in Need  ZENIT - English

Hostages freed, the promise of peace and lessons from Solomon's splendor - pmg-ky1.com
Hostages freed, the promise of peace and lessons from Solomon's splendor  pmg-ky1.com

New U.S. Commission Report Ties Torture, Abuse to Global Religious Freedom - Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
New U.S. Commission Report Ties Torture, Abuse to Global Religious Freedom  Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Prominent legal group joins Quincy's push for statues of saints on city building - NBC Boston
Prominent legal group joins Quincy's push for statues of saints on city building  NBC Boston

Tips for Investigating and Reporting on Ethno-Religious Conflicts Responsibly and Ethically - Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
Tips for Investigating and Reporting on Ethno-Religious Conflicts Responsibly and Ethically  Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)

Free pancakes for pastors Saturday - The Anniston Star
Free pancakes for pastors Saturday  The Anniston Star

Influence of religion on American society is growing - The Tablet
Influence of religion on American society is growing  The Tablet

Rethinking Sharia Law in Britain - The Review of Religions
Rethinking Sharia Law in Britain  The Review of Religions

Religious Freedom Around the World: Rhetoric vs. Reality - The Daily Signal
Religious Freedom Around the World: Rhetoric vs. Reality  The Daily Signal

Religious Freedom: A global victim of authoritarianism, extremism and war - Church in Need
Religious Freedom: A global victim of authoritarianism, extremism and war  Church in Need

Nobel Peace Prize laureate, activist Nadia Murad discusses her fight against genocide, how religion is misused to justify violence - The Daily Free Press
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, activist Nadia Murad discusses her fight against genocide, how religion is misused to justify violence  The Daily Free Press

Poll finds revival of interest in religion in Northern Ireland among young people - Catholic News Agency
Poll finds revival of interest in religion in Northern Ireland among young people  Catholic News Agency

Americans Increasingly See Religion as Gaining Influence in Public Life: Poll - NTD News
Americans Increasingly See Religion as Gaining Influence in Public Life: Poll  NTD News

A South Carolina county wants to fight over religious oaths. It’s a waste of time and resources. - Americans United
A South Carolina county wants to fight over religious oaths. It’s a waste of time and resources.  Americans United

Americans Say Religion Gaining Influence In Society — And Most Say It’s A Good Thing - Religion Unplugged
Americans Say Religion Gaining Influence In Society — And Most Say It’s A Good Thing  Religion Unplugged

Opinion | Is There a Place for Religion in Politics? - The New York Times
Opinion | Is There a Place for Religion in Politics?  The New York Times

'Nobody Wants This' creator talks how Netflix series engages with religion - Yahoo News Canada
'Nobody Wants This' creator talks how Netflix series engages with religion  Yahoo News Canada

An evening of gratitude for men and women religious - The Catholic Sun
An evening of gratitude for men and women religious  The Catholic Sun

'Nobody Wants This' creator talks how Netflix series engages with religion - Yahoo
'Nobody Wants This' creator talks how Netflix series engages with religion  Yahoo

Religious nonprofit pushes back against Austin ISD's decision to keep schools open on Good Friday - KVUE
Religious nonprofit pushes back against Austin ISD's decision to keep schools open on Good Friday  KVUE

Don’t Abuse Religion When Praising or Criticizing Charlie Kirk - Arab American Institute
Don’t Abuse Religion When Praising or Criticizing Charlie Kirk  Arab American Institute

Attacks on Religious Liberty Increase, Say Cardinal, Papal Foundation - CatholicPhilly
Attacks on Religious Liberty Increase, Say Cardinal, Papal Foundation  CatholicPhilly

US Commission on Religious Freedom: Torture being used against religious groups worldwide - CatholicVote org
US Commission on Religious Freedom: Torture being used against religious groups worldwide  CatholicVote org

Aid to the Church in Need: Authoritarian regimes are greatest threat to religious freedom - Catholic News Agency
Aid to the Church in Need: Authoritarian regimes are greatest threat to religious freedom  Catholic News Agency

Losing My Religion… Stars who quit the Church - Yahoo News UK
Losing My Religion… Stars who quit the Church  Yahoo News UK

Exclusive | Trump’s religious-freedom envoy pick visits Middle East as Israel, Hamas navigate fragile peace - New York Post
Exclusive | Trump’s religious-freedom envoy pick visits Middle East as Israel, Hamas navigate fragile peace  New York Post

Cardinal Parolin: Men and women everywhere deserve freedom in matters of faith - Vatican News
Cardinal Parolin: Men and women everywhere deserve freedom in matters of faith  Vatican News

Politicizing Religion - The Times of Israel
Politicizing Religion  The Times of Israel

Religion: How can I keep from singing? - Main Street Media of Tennessee
Religion: How can I keep from singing?  Main Street Media of Tennessee

Strangers together: Immigration and the Christian imagination - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Strangers together: Immigration and the Christian imagination  Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Cardinal Parolin: Holy See is full of hope for success of peace plan for Gaza - Vatican News
Cardinal Parolin: Holy See is full of hope for success of peace plan for Gaza  Vatican News

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Activist and Author, Dies at 92 - Publishers Weekly
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Activist and Author, Dies at 92  Publishers Weekly

Religious persecution alive in Canada, ACN report finds - The Catholic Register
Religious persecution alive in Canada, ACN report finds  The Catholic Register

Religious nonprofit pushes back against Austin ISD's decision to keep schools open on Good Friday - KVUE
Religious nonprofit pushes back against Austin ISD's decision to keep schools open on Good Friday  KVUE

Iris Murdoch and why the West’s spiritual crisis won’t be solved by religion - IAI TV
Iris Murdoch and why the West’s spiritual crisis won’t be solved by religion  IAI TV

Supreme Court Faces Confusion on Sexual ‘Conversion Therapy’ - Religion Unplugged
Supreme Court Faces Confusion on Sexual ‘Conversion Therapy’  Religion Unplugged

Opinion | We Need to Think Straight About God and Politics - The New York Times
Opinion | We Need to Think Straight About God and Politics  The New York Times

I Believe In You - Black Belt News Network
I Believe In You  Black Belt News Network

Social scientists have long found women tend to be more religious than men – but Gen Z may show a shift - The Conversation
Social scientists have long found women tend to be more religious than men – but Gen Z may show a shift  The Conversation

Bob Dylan once blasted society for being ‘more interested in Apocalypse Now’ than in religion - cultfollowing.co.uk
Bob Dylan once blasted society for being ‘more interested in Apocalypse Now’ than in religion  cultfollowing.co.uk

Science, religion expressions of human thirst for knowing world: Fr Richard D’Souza | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
Science, religion expressions of human thirst for knowing world: Fr Richard D’Souza | Latest News India  Hindustan Times

34 Reasons Formerly Religious People Left The Church And Happily Never Looked Back - BuzzFeed
34 Reasons Formerly Religious People Left The Church And Happily Never Looked Back  BuzzFeed

Religion news 21 October 2025 - Religion Media Centre
Religion news 21 October 2025  Religion Media Centre

More Americans See Religion Increasing Its Influence in U.S. - Gallup News
More Americans See Religion Increasing Its Influence in U.S.  Gallup News

Breaking Rules in Religion’s Name..! - MorungExpress
Breaking Rules in Religion’s Name..!  MorungExpress

Religious freedom in "free fall": almost two-thirds of humanity lives in repression - omnesmag.com
Religious freedom in "free fall": almost two-thirds of humanity lives in repression  omnesmag.com

Diwali observed in Henrico County through religious, cultural and culinary practices - Henrico Citizen
Diwali observed in Henrico County through religious, cultural and culinary practices  Henrico Citizen

Spirit in the Landscape: Rediscovering Worlds at Tutbury - wildhunt.org
Spirit in the Landscape: Rediscovering Worlds at Tutbury  wildhunt.org

Despite losing 9-0 at Supreme Court, Wisconsin still fighting to discriminate against Catholic Charities - Becket — Religious Liberty for All
Despite losing 9-0 at Supreme Court, Wisconsin still fighting to discriminate against Catholic Charities  Becket — Religious Liberty for All

Turkey Faces Landmark Legal Battle on Religious Freedom - Middle East Forum
Turkey Faces Landmark Legal Battle on Religious Freedom  Middle East Forum

Bring back religion? It never left - Baptist News Global
Bring back religion? It never left  Baptist News Global

International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief | 22 August - Welcome to the United Nations
International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief | 22 August  Welcome to the United Nations

Missouri state-funded vouchers are going to religious schools - KCUR
Missouri state-funded vouchers are going to religious schools  KCUR

Utah Football Player Sparks Religious Outrage By Kicking Through BYU's Mormon Prayer At Holy War - BroBible
Utah Football Player Sparks Religious Outrage By Kicking Through BYU's Mormon Prayer At Holy War  BroBible

Religion news 20 October 2025 - Religion Media Centre
Religion news 20 October 2025  Religion Media Centre

Judge strikes down Minnesota law banning religious tests for college credit program - CNN
Judge strikes down Minnesota law banning religious tests for college credit program  CNN

12 Religious Groups Chosen for Charlotte’s Faith in Housing Initiative - Weekly Real Estate News
12 Religious Groups Chosen for Charlotte’s Faith in Housing Initiative  Weekly Real Estate News

How religion declines around the world - Pew Research Center
How religion declines around the world  Pew Research Center

Why 'follow your heart' spirituality is actually religion - CBC
Why 'follow your heart' spirituality is actually religion  CBC




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