In certain religious communities, the talk surrounding the eclipse has to do with a different sort of preparation. Gary Ray isn’t worried about just travel plans and adequate eye protection. He’s focused on the Rapture. Ray, a writer for the evangelical Christian publication Unsealed, views this eclipse as one of several astronomical signs that the... Continue Reading

“As the Muslim population increases in the U.S., Americans’ attitude toward Islam — and religion more generally — is shifting, particularly as political debates center on Muslim migration to Europe, the U.S. and Canada, and concerns about radical Islamic terror groups.”   Pew Research released a report Monday that shows Islam is on the rise worldwide, and if... Continue Reading

  Jeff Blackmer, vice president of the Canadian Medical Association, said some doctors initially think they are helping patients end their suffering but find the reality much different. “We’re seeing doctors who go through one experience and it’s just overwhelming, it’s too difficult,” he said. “And those are the ones who say, ‘Take my name... Continue Reading

Many in the ancient community complain that very little has changed in their lives since el-Sissi took office in 2014, especially in rural areas where Muslim radicals frequently attack Christian homes and businesses over a range of issues, including the construction or restoration of churches, land disputes or sexual affairs between members of each community.... Continue Reading

“The florist, Barronelle Stutzman, had served the gay customers, Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed, many times over a number of years, including by providing flowers for birthdays and other personal events; she objected only to providing flowers for their wedding.”   On Feb. 16, Washington’s state Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s judgment that the... Continue Reading

“Each party has to wrestle with what America’s demographic changes mean for its future, including the growing share of non-white citizens and the aging of the white generation that was once more involved in religious and civic life, if only by default.”   In 2016, 57 percent of white Americans who voted chose Donald Trump... Continue Reading

Several recent studies show significant marijuana use in adolescents can lead to impaired short-term memory; decreased concentration, attention span, and problem-solving skills; and alterations in motor control, coordination, judgment, reaction time, and tracking ability. Lung health is also negatively affected. Some studies link marijuana use with long-term psychiatric effects, including higher rates of depression and... Continue Reading

When asked “if a church community has a church hall that they rent to couples who want to have that wedding reception in that hall … should that church hall and church community be forced to rent that to someone who wants to use that building for something that’s against that church community’s belief system,”... Continue Reading

More than 100 Christian families have fled Egypt’s northern Sinai region as Islamic militants continue attacking Christians and threaten to increase the violence. More than seven Coptic Christians have been killed in recent weeks. Islamic militants Thursday stormed the home of Kamel Youssef in the northern Sinai town of el-Arish and killed him in the... Continue Reading

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ordered a local school district to let three transgender students use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identity while their lawsuit against the school proceeds. The three students, all seniors, sued the Pine-Richland School District north of Pittsburgh after administrators implemented a policy requiring students to... Continue Reading