If you live anywhere near New York – or anywhere in the world, really – you may have seen a picture of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Yellow posters of the rabbi’s face are stuck to lampposts or streetlights: an elderly…
The Politics of Organized Nones
I learned a term in graduate school that I probably use too much now in my everyday life – ‘a self-selection effect.’ It’s something that the average person does all the time and doesn’t realize: they choose to be part…
National Fund for Sacred Places awards $4 million for preservation of historic houses of worship
Two dozen historic faith communities have received grants from The National Fund for Sacred Spaces, in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to be used to support critical preservation projects that will help maintain and extend the life of…
What the history of blasphemy laws in the US and the fight for religious freedom can teach us today
Some 79 countries around the world continue to enforce blasphemy laws. And in places such as Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, violation of these measures can result in a death penalty.
Paws In The Pews: Why Some Churches Have Gone Out Of Their Way To Welcome Dogs
It is said that all dogs go to heaven. At least, these two certainly will.
What to know about the Los Angeles Catholic Church’s $880M settlement with sexual abuse victims
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to hundreds of victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades.
With Election Day looming, Harris ramps up engagement with Black church
When a Detroit pastor asked Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday (Oct. 15) about her alleged “lack of engagement” with Black church leaders, the Democratic presidential contender looked visibly taken aback. Harris rejected the accusation, calling it “misinformation” that originated…
The Jewish NBA players to watch as the 2024-2025 season tips off
When the NBA season tips off on Tuesday, there will be three Jewish players taking the court — the same trio who were in the league last year.
A PBS series on the history of Islam in America
Where does the history of Muslims in America begin? With enslaved African Muslims brought to the U.S. in the 1600s? In the 1930s, when the Nation of Islam was established by Wallace Fard Muhammad in Detroit?
How to reject purity culture but keep your faith
Whether it was wearing a “True Love Waits” ring, reading “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” or awaiting a fairy-tale marriage, as a teenager Camden Morgante was all-in on what is often referred to as “purity culture,” a set of beliefs and…
Does Religion Impact Support for the Death Penalty?
In late September of 2024, there were a number of news stories surrounding the planned execution of Marcellus Williams by the state of Missouri. Williams had been tried, convicted and sentenced to death for murdering Lisha Gayle in suburban St. Louis in…
God’s Man in Texas?
“God is shining down on Koinonia today,” shouted Bishop Rosie O’neal during the worship service on Sunday (Oct. 13) at Koinonia Christian Center, a predominately Black church in Greenville, North Carolina.