In anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the United States, thousands came to the National Mall in Washington for “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee Of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving.” The eight-hour-long event, created and organized by Freedom 250 in collaboration with the…
Immoral vice president tells pope to stick to ‘matters of morality’
Some stories are so stupidly simple they virtually write themselves. This is one such article. But bear with me a moment, please, for just a splash of embellishment. Here’s the stupidly simple part: U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who speaks…
Religion as a Cultural Identity (Part 2): The Surprising Reality of “Cultural Judaism”
Before diving into the graphs, I should note that this is really the second post in a two-part series on religion as a cultural identity. I’d strongly recommend going back and reading the first post to get up to speed on a…
A high-profile conservative Southern Baptist becomes Catholic
A former high-profile leader of the “conservative resurgence” in the Southern Baptist Convention has become a Roman Catholic. Jerry Johnson first came to public attention in 1990 when as a 25-year-old pastor he was elected a trustee of Southern Baptist…
Ukrainian Catholics in New York find hope in solidarity with their war-torn homeland
The whispered prayers for help from mothers clutching children in Ukraine amid the boom of Russian artillery are echoed here in the United States, thousands of miles from the war-torn region, by those who still feel deeply for their homeland.
Bethlehem Catholics pray Pope Leo XIV will keep Palestine a priority of the Vatican
Entering the Nativity Store gift shop, located around the corner from the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square, the first thing many visitors notice are its oversized photos of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis.
Are Catholic Converts More Hard Core Than Cradle Catholics?
Here’s a religion and politics story from the 2024 election that I hadn’t really thought about until recently – J.D. Vance, Trump’s pick for vice president, converted to Catholicism in 2019.
As ‘right to die’ gains more acceptance, a scholar of Catholicism explains the position of the Catholic Church
An individual’s “right to die” is becoming more accepted across the globe. Polls show that most Americans support allowing doctors to end a patient’s life upon their request. Assisted suicide is now permitted in 10 U.S. states and in Washington. In 2025,five more states are…
Theologians push back on JD Vance’s view of ‘ordered love’
Vice President JD Vance is getting schooled by theologians over his inverted theology expressed in a Jan. 29 interview on Fox News. What Vance said: “There’s this old school — and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the…
Anthea Butler explains the Catholic version of Christian nationalism
While much of the discussion about Christian nationalism focuses on white evangelical Christians, there’s a parallel and equally dangerous movement in Catholicism, Anthea Butler told a group of journalists and scholars Sept. 10. Butler, professor of American social thought at…
The Harrison Butker story is so much weirder than you know
“The headline could just be, ‘Man who kicks ball for a living and has no other job criticizes women who want to be nurses, surgeons and U.N. Secretary General,’” said Brad Onishi on the Straight White American Jesus podcast episode that featured…
Africa’s Catholic bishops reject Vatican doctrine on blessing same-sex couples
A rebellion against Pope Francis is brewing in Africa. On Jan. 11, African Catholic bishops, gathered at a conference in Accra, declared the Vatican’s recent proposal to allow priests to offer non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples is contrary to their…