Once exclusive to Western counterculture, psychedelics have increasingly drawn the attention of medical researchers, corporations, and politicians. In April, Donald Trump signed an executive order—apparently inspired by podcaster Joe Rogan—to promote research on psychedelic substances like ibogaine or psilocybin. With the latest…
Florida churches turn backpack drives into a gateway to immigration advocacy
When a Florida Christian organization created an initiative to provide backpacks full of necessities and comfort items to children whose parents have been detained or deported by federal immigration officials, its goal was twofold.
Pope speaks with Putin, denouncing recent attacks as he shows recovery from lung surgery progressing
Pope Leo XIV gave strong indications Friday that he was recovering well from lung cancer surgery and was very much in charge of running the Catholic Church, speaking on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting with top aides…
As Netanyahu drops in polls, Ben-Gvir’s star rises
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the parties in his coalition seem to be losing support heading into Israel’s first election since Oct. 7 – with one exception. Otzma Yehudit, headed by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, is seeing a…
Sylvester Stallone Revisits ‘Rocky,’ Faith And Redemption In New Memoir
Sylvester Stallone has spent five decades being asked about those famous steps in Philadelphia. Now, with the release of his new memoir, “The Steps,” the actor is finally telling that story on his own terms — and the timing couldn’t…
Jim Bakker’s daughter apologizes for harm caused by family’s ministry, urges LGBT donations
The daughter of the late televangelist Jim Bakker is apologizing to anyone she says her “family’s ministry” has harmed and is urging people to donate to LGBT groups, as she reflects on her father’s death last week.
Catholic Schools and Weekly Mass Aren’t Solving the Retention Crisis
A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about the retention crisis facing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The headline finding is pretty straightforward: nearly half the kids who are raised as LDS no longer identify…
New anthology explores the myriad ways of being Black and Jewish
Shoshana Akua Brown was one of few students of color at her Orthodox Jewish day school in New York City in the 1990s. Hoping to fit in, she decided to go by the name Tiffany — a nod to “Saved…
Americans who go to church and trust science are also more likely to believe in ghosts and curses, new research shows
Americans who trust science and reason more than their churches’ teachings, but still believe in God or attend services, are also more likely to believe in magic than those who prioritize religious teachings.
Doctors say Pope Leo’s lung has recovered well from surgery and say his post-operative tests normal
Pope Leo XIV’s lung has recovered well from surgery to remove a cancerous nodule, and he resumed working from the hospital on Thursday, his doctors and the Vatican reported.
Hegseth’s New ‘Office of Religious Affairs’ Will Accelerate the Military’s Christian Nationalism
In his September 30 ‘State of the Force’ speech before 600 E-6s and O-3s, staff sergeants, and captains at Quantico, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth formally announced the “establishment” of a new Office of Religious Affairs (ORA) for the military chaplaincy. Reading…
Review: Devils of Democracy
The title of the book — Devils of Democracy — may be a bit misleading. At first glance, you might think this was simply a book about metaphorical political demons that inhabit the current political sphere, but in reality, this is…