How a New HHS Rule Will Harm Far More People Than You Realize
(RNS) — A proposed new rule could allow over $30 billion in Department of Health and Human Services grants to flow to organizations that openly refuse to serve people of faith, women and LGBTQ people. The administration claims that this rule only applies to child welfare agencies. And yet, the reality is far worse.
Transition Is Not the End of the Story
(WW) In 2 Kings 2:1-14 we are provided with an example of how working closely with others through the leading of the Holy Spirit can make a season of transition or change bearable and honorable to those experiencing and participating in the change.
Can We Find a New Meaning in the Word Evangelical?
Writer Jason Byassee notes that in that mania, “evangelical” has come to mean something bizarre: white, bigoted, angry, retrograde, idolatrously devoted to God and country, cozy with dictators and rude to historic friends. Is the word irretrievably lost?
How the US Military Has Embraced Growing Religious Diversity
In 1917, when the United States entered the World War I, chaplaincy was a majority white and fully Christian organization. No law specifically stated the acceptable religious backgrounds of military chaplains, but only mainline Protestant ministers and Catholic priests wore the insignia of the military’s religious officers.
The Rise of Fundamentalist Catholicism
(RNS) — It is normal and customary to identify Pope Francis's conservative critics as "traditionalists." But much of what they say is a far cry from Catholic tradition — not least their criticism of the pope itself. We need a new way to identify them.
In the Sacred Stillness of Arlington National Cemetery
(RNS) — While many Americans perceive Veterans Day as just another holiday that features special sales at countless shopping malls, that is not my view of November 11th. It has always been a solemn season of remembrance.
Homeless
“You did what?” my wife asked. “I sold our house.” It was then that it hit me: For the first time in 37 years, we did not have a house to call our own.
For Our Own Sake, No One Should ‘Die Like a Dog’
(RNS) — Sometimes, it is necessary to kill. But, you should never be happy about it. That was precisely my feeling in the aftermath of the assassination of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Facing Distractions in Everyday Life
(WW) -- There are multiple truths that we all will learn as we seek to become faithful followers of God. One of those truths is that at some point we all will face distractions that intend to get us to trust in someone other than God.
After Halloween, What?
(WW) -- The stores are full of Halloween merchandise. How should Christians respond? Some churches condemn Halloween celebrations and forbid any emphasis of them in their church. Others respond more positively.