Higher Ground
Faith under fire: White House sounds alarm on global persecution
Paula White-Cain, director of the White House Faith Office, says 344 million people of faith will be persecuted this year around the globe -- a number she said far outstrips things such as heart attacks and cancer deaths.
COVID-inspired House bill would guarantee Americans in the hospital can see their clergy
Rep. Mike Flood is fighting for Americans in a hospital or nursing home to never again be barred from seeing clergy, as happened during COVID-19.
Doctors advised abortion, but my parents chose life instead
Almost 22 years ago, my mom faced an impossible decision. At least that's how the doctors framed it. Doctors told my parents they were certain that their unborn child had Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome.
Vatican defends secrecy in sensitive abuse case involving ex-Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik
The Vatican on Wednesday confirmed that a church trial against a famous ex-Jesuit priest accused of spiritual and sexual abuse of women is ongoing and defended the secrecy of the proceedings as necessary to guarantee the process.
Lawyer in sensitive Vatican abuse case issues scathing critique of church’s secretive legal system
The lawyer for five women who say they were sexually and spiritually abused by a former Jesuit priest and internationally known religious artist penned a scathing denunciation Tuesday of the Vatican's secretive legal system, in which her clients have no right to know any details of the trial.
U.S. lawmakers frustrated with Nigeria’s limited success protecting Christians from Islamic terror
Thankful families this month celebrated the July 10 rescue by the Nigerian army of dozens of abducted schoolchildren, but the latest progress in embattled President Bola Tinubu's three-year war on Islamic militants may be too little too late for some American lawmakers.
‘Physician-assisted suicide’: Murder masquerading as compassion
At a time when some elements of society increasingly seem to devalue human life, can we maintain the precious nature of every individual's inherent worth?
Paris’ Grand Mosque celebrates its 100th anniversary and interfaith dialogue
A hundred years ago, Paris erected a monumental mosque to honor Muslim soldiers from French colonies who fought in World War I. It's now an integral part of the capital's bustling Latin Quarter, and as it celebrates its centenary, worshippers are reflecting on being Muslim in today's France.
Political analysts see little chance of GOP renewing Planned Parenthood funding freeze
Political strategists on both sides of the abortion debate say there's little chance of Congress renewing a Trump administration freeze on federal funding to Planned Parenthood that expired this month.
Nolan Wells, found dead after July 4 boat trip, to be remembered at funeral by the Rev. Al Sharpton
Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old found dead after taking a July 4 boat trip with friends to a Gulf Coast island, will be remembered Monday by his family and civil rights leaders at a church in his hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Candace Owens keeps driving the Jew-hating bandwagon
The preliminary hearings for accused Charlie Kirk killer Tyler Robinson are over, and Candace Owens continues to "just ask questions."
Rejoicing in Lindsey Graham’s death shows society’s depths of depravity
In an era of selfishness, social media obsession and political dysfunction, death too often becomes a useful tool for the open exercise of malice and hatred.
A centuries-old festival in Japan brings Shinto traditions and towering floats to the streets
There's a special moment when Katsushi Horikawa feels closer to the gods. It comes as he rides atop one of the towering floats pulled through the streets in a centuries-old procession in Japan.
Muslim man in Utah was targeted in stabbing because of his religion, police say
A Utah man told police he repeatedly stabbed a Muslim man because of the man's faith and intended to kill him, according to court records filed Monday.
Kenyan court dismisses Rastafari case seeking to legalize marijuana
Kenya's High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking to legalize the use of cannabis by Rastafarians for religious purposes.
Raphael Warnock suggests God sent July 4 storm to rebuke Trump rally
RAPHAEL WARNOCK suggests God sent July 4 storm to rebuke Trump rally: "They gathered on the mall 4th of July weekend, and they tried to tell a nice, neat and antiseptic story. They tried to make it clean and pretty, but God don't like ugly."
America cannot survive without moral boundaries
People of a certain age were taught by their parents and grandparents to respect the police and obey the law and other rules and regulations.
God, Country and the American Story: Why faith still belongs in American government
Congressman Mark Harris shares the remarkable journey that took him from the pulpit to Congress, explains why he believes Christians shouldn't retreat from public life, and responds to one of America's biggest debates: Does faith belong in government?
Support for Israel isn’t a high priority for younger Jewish Americans, an AP-NORC poll finds
Support for Israel is a key component of the religious identity of many Jewish adults ages 45 and older in the United States, but younger Jewish adults are more likely to prioritize other forms of connection, like celebrating Jewish holidays, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
J.D. Vance gets it right: Christianity belongs in government
Recently, Vice President J.D. Vance granted a series of interviews in which he openly acknowledged that his Christianity influences every aspect of his life: his politics, sense of duty, ambition and priorities.
