Not for the first time, the head of the Roman Catholic Church sparked debate earlier this month after apparently preaching religious pluralism to crowds gathered in the southeast Asian nation of Singapore. “All religions are a path to God,” Pope Francis said, according to a Sept. 13th report from The Catholic Herald. He added, “They are like different languages in order to arrive at God.” According to the news report, the pope used “similar language at an interfaith meeting during a 2022 … [Read more...]
Gen Z most fearful, anxious, but Scripture halves anxiety, study shows
PHILADELPHIA (BP) – Generation Z, the first to grow up with smartphones and tablets, is the most fearful and anxious of any age, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in its latest release from the 2024 State of the Bible. But regular Bible engagement, a practice that attracts only 11 percent of Gen Z, reduces anxiety by half and can improve other markers of emotional health, study authors said in releasing chapter six of the study Sept. 12. “Our youngest adults (ages 18-27) have more … [Read more...]
UCLA discriminated against Jews during Israel-Hamas war protests, judge rules
LOS ANGELES (BP) – The University of California at Los Angeles blocked Jewish students from portions of campus when protests erupted in response to the Israel-Hamas War, a district judge has ruled, citing their faith as the sole factor. “Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith,” U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi said in granting a preliminary injunction Aug. 13 in the lawsuit filed by three Jewish students against the … [Read more...]
Lifeway Research: Churchgoers may be overconfident in Old Testament knowledge
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (Lifeway Research) — If you ask someone at church to name their favorite story from the Old Testament, they may mention Moses or Noah, but they might also talk about Jesus or Paul. Some may even begin describing a story from outside the Bible. When asked about their favorite story from the Old Testament, around 4 in 5 U.S. Protestant churchgoers share one from the first section of the Bible, according to a Lifeway Research study. More than 1 in 10 (11%), however, offer a … [Read more...]
Barna, CRC Research finds America’s evangelicals are fewer, less biblically grounded and politically disengaged
GLENDALE, Ariz. (Cultural Research Center) — New research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, led by veteran researcher Dr. George Barna, highlights a significant transformation within the evangelical community over the past 30 years and paints an alarming portrait of modern American evangelicals. The cultural awareness sparked by the COVID pandemic and the 2024 presidential campaign has awakened millions of Americans to the pervasive depravity within … [Read more...]
Prayer and meditation
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was first published on Baptist Press. Can Christians meditate in prayer? The eastern practice of meditation associated with Yoga and Hinduism has gone mainstream in American culture. Consider, for instance, this meditation advice, “If your mind gets caught in a chain of thoughts, gently step out of the thought stream and come back to your breath.” That counsel was not given by a guru leaning into Dhyana on a mat in a Yoga center in New Delhi; instead, it is a … [Read more...]
Battles stew in Louisiana, Oklahoma over Scripture mandates in schools
BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) – Parents and lawmakers are battling one another over religious mandates impacting public schools across Louisiana and Oklahoma. In Louisiana, the battle hinges on lawmakers’ mandate that a specified version of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school in the state by Jan. 1, 2025. There, state Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a court motion Aug. 5 seeking dismissal of a lawsuit filed to block the mandate. In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma School Board … [Read more...]
Lifeway Research: Most pastors have limited non-ministry work experience
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (Lifeway Research) — A pastor’s resumé might include multiple churches and ministry roles, but most won’t have much non-ministry experience listed. Most current U.S. Protestant senior pastors worked outside of ministry as adults for only a short time, according to a Lifeway Research study. Only 3 in 10, however, began vocational ministry as the senior pastor. “A person’s journey to the pastorate can happen at almost any age, but the majority of pastors are in a … [Read more...]
Americans grow less religious
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (BP) – Fewer Americans see religion as an important aspect of their lives, and it shows in their beliefs and actions. A Gallup survey finds U.S. adults are less likely to identify with a religion, say religion is very important to them, belong to a congregation or attend worship services. Religious identification Most Americans still identify with a religion, and Christianity is by far the largest faith group in the United States. But the percentage of Christians has … [Read more...]
State Department report notes religious persecution in 199 countries
WASHINGTON (BP) — Millions continue to suffer religious persecution globally, with wars and civil conflicts exacerbating already existing ills in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the U.S. State Department documented in its 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom. The report on 199 countries and territories attempts to present a nonbiased overview of persecution by governments, extremists and members of society, relying on information from government officials, religious … [Read more...]
Barna: U.S. deeply fragmented, national survey shows; ‘future hinges on spiritual renewal, not politics’
Barna: Foundational beliefs of Americans are so fragmented that the nation is 'presently incapable of developing a united perspective on who America is and how we will move forward' 'Placing the burden of uniting a country so divided on the shoulders of a president or political party is unrealistic' by Cultural Resource Center GLENDALE, Ariz. (CRC) – Many Americans hope the next president will unite our divided nation. A new survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona … [Read more...]
Marshall pens book on Lincoln, Christianity
SPRINGFIELD – If you have a question about a U.S. president, you might ask John Marshall. Upon his retirement as long-time pastor of Second Baptist Church, here, he began diving deep into the histories of America’s 46 top executives. “I set out to read a major biography of every president,” Marshall said. “It took me two years, but I did it: 20,000+ pages. I plowed through them, reading the Pulitzer Prize-winning ones first.” And now, the current interim at National Heights Baptist … [Read more...]
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