Religion Unplugged

03/29/2025

Every March, I pause and take stock of the year I’ve just come through, where I am now, what might lie ahead and how I feel about all of it — the past, the present and the future.

This is my birthday month. I’m turning 69, which puts me on the cusp of the ominous 7-0.

Every year, when I write my birthday column, I get emails from readers telling me to buck up, that they’re 95 and still running marathons backwards and I’m a whiny pup. Why, I’m practically a teenager!

As I take stock this year, I feel a foreboding of apocalypse. Maybe my own apocalypse, or maybe this country’s, or maybe the world’s. Things are falling apart. The center cannot hold. You can choose to think of all this bad news as great news, in a counterintuitive way.

03/28/2025

Season 5 — titled “The Chosen: The Last Supper” (not to be confused with Chris Tomlin’s Jesus movie “The Last Supper”, which also premiered in theaters this month) — picks up right where last season left off, following Jesus and the disciples as He marches into Jerusalem during Holy Week, exciting his followers and forcing his enemies to act. As Jesus' disciples anticipate what this means for Him and them, Jesus prepares himself for the grim fate that he knows awaits him.

(REVIEW) The fifth season premiere is great, and the best opener to a “The Chosen” season yet. Everything good about the series is here, and most of the weaknesses I’ve critiqued over the past four seasons are all but absent.  This latest installment of “The Chosen” is a testament to ...

03/27/2025

On March 14 in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the midst of a conference in his honor, I was there when the Rev. Stephen Tong was awarded the Kuyper Prize for his amazing services in evangelism, Christian witness and eminent Christian cultural engagement in the wider world.

(ANALYSIS) The Rev. Stephen Tong is a polymath and multitalented person whose stunning range of activities remain firmly and deeply rooted in his Christian faith. He is perhaps most alive in his preaching, which consistently challenges his hearers to follow Jesus Christ to the point of death. This r

03/26/2025

Men have outpaced women in church attendance the past three years, reversing a longstanding trend of more women in the pews that narrowed in 2016, Barna said in its 2025 State of the Church release, created in partnership with Gloo.

Women had far outpaced men in attendance since 2000, then at 47 percent to 38 percent, before men began outpacing women in 2022, at 35 percent to 30 percent. In 2024, 30 percent of men were attending weekly, compared to 27 percent of women.

American men have outpaced women in church attendance, reversing a longstanding trend of more women in the pews that narrowed in 2016, Barna said in its 2025 State of the Church release, created in partnership with Gloo. Women had outpaced men in attendance since 2000, then at 47 percent to 38 perce

03/26/2025

Mayar and three-time ex-husband Asaad hit the limit for the maximum number of times they are allowed to remarry. In Islam, a woman who divorces her husband three times must marry another man (in Arabic a muha’lil) before she can return to him.

He then threatens to take sole custody of their only daughter, so she has no option but to temporarily marry a muha’lil to remarry Asaad for the fourth time for her daughter. During this time, she meets a man who treats her with love, maturity and respect.

This is the tangled plot of “Qalbi wi Motfahu” (in English, “The Key to My Heart”), one of a slew of TV shows released this Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting but also a time when family’s gather around the TV.

For the past few years, many of those TV dramas have tackled women’s issues, triggering public discussions that have led to cultural, social and legal changes. Dramas about women this Ramadan also include “Hezbet Omri” (“The Sum of My Life”), which highlights the financial difficulties of the protagonist as she seeks alimony after divorce; and “Ikhwaati” (“My Sisters”), which features an all-female cast and is about four sisters who face challenges as they pursue their dreams outside traditional societal norms.

For the past few years, many TV dramas that air during Ramadan have tackled women's issues triggering public discussions that have led to cultural, social and legal changes. Dramas about women this Ramadan include “Hezbet Omri” (“The Sum of My Life”), which  highlights the financia

03/25/2025

If she were still with us, March 25 would mark Flannery O’Connor’s 100th birthday. This milestone invites us to explore the many ways in which her Catholic faith shaped her literary genius.

O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia, where Protestantism was the norm. Her decision to follow Catholicism wasn’t just a personal faith choice, but a key part of her identity and a driving force in her writing. It shaped her views on morality, human weakness and the hope for renewal.

(ANALYSIS) If she were still alive, Tuesday would mark Flannery O’Connor’s 100th birthday. This milestone invites us to explore the many ways in which her Catholic faith shaped her literary genius. O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia, where Protestantism was the norm. Her decision to follow...

03/24/2025

Walk through the doors of St. Peter’s Church in the English town of Shipley, in West Yorkshire, and this Anglican house of worship can sometimes result in a very unexpected sight.

Forget rows of pews leading down to a main altar. Instead, you’ll find a large wrestling ring.

The Rev. Natasha Thomas said Kingdom Wrestling is “a charity that began in a church based in an old nightclub. It outgrew the original space, and the organizer, Gareth, asked if he could bring it to Shipley.

“I liked the idea, and we rented space to them for monthly sessions. It has worked well. People are intrigued, and I have received very positive responses,” Thomas added.

The bouts are attracting people who might not otherwise have ever walked into a church.

Walk through the doors of St. Peter’s Church in the English town of Shipley, in West Yorkshire, and this Anglican house of worship can sometimes result in a very unexpected sight. Forget rows of pews leading down to a main altar. Instead, you’ll find a large ring featuring wrestling acting

03/21/2025

We are full into Jesus movie season now, where we are getting not one, not two, but three Jesus movies. This lineup includes “The Last Supper,” the latest season of the smash hit “The Chosen” and Angel Studios’ animated take “The King of Kings.”

The release of “The King of Kings” at the same time as “The Chosen” is particularly entertaining, largely due to the behind-the-scenes drama of it all. Angel Studios originally had “The Chosen” before Dallas Jenkins’ team parted ways with them alleging a breach of contract. So Angel Studios releasing their own Jesus movie at the same time as “The Chosen” has shades of the Barbenheimer drama, when Warner Bros. released “Barbie” the same day as Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” after he took that movie to Universal Studios and away from Warner Bros.

Easter is the perfect time for a Jesus movie to be released, so this may also be a mere coincidence. However, it’s hard to imagine they would have released it as counter-programming to “The Chosen” if they still had it. Unfortunately, regardless of the intent, it's difficult to see how “The King of Kings” could compete with “The Chosen” on any level.

(REVIEW) There’s a kind of soothing boredom that settles in throughout the film. Everything about it is mild. The jokes are gentle. The characters’ anger restrained. The sadness subdued. The animation is beautiful, but unremarkable. The voice actors deliver their lines without much intensity. Be...

03/20/2025

On the grounds of a Buddhist temple, a crowd gathered in the shade of a mango tree.

Adolescent monks, adorned in bright orange robes, peeked out of their dormitories, leaning past the doorways to listen closer.

Mike Meierhofer, gesturing with one hand and holding a Bible in the other, welcomed the audience.

“We thank God very much for you being here with us,” the Dallas preacher told the group, a mix of Christians, Buddhists and Muslims. “Sometimes Buddhists think, ‘Well, I shouldn’t come because I’m not a Christian. They don’t want me there.’ We want everybody to come. Jesus loves all Buddhists and Muslims and wants all of them to come to be with him, too.”

This was not the first time the Walnut Hill Church of Christ minister had the opportunity to preach on temple grounds.

Cambodia Christian Ministries models the medical missions it hosts after Jesus’ example, Meierhofer said, referencing Matthew 4:23. About 93% of Cambodia’s 17 million people are Buddhist, making it essential that the Christian nonprofit work within government systems to spread the Gospel.

03/19/2025

In recent years, Nigeria has seen a surge in kidnappings and violent attacks. Christians living in the country’s five southeast states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo have said violence has affected their religious lives.

“Insecurity in the southeast affects religious activities. In some places in Imo State, especially in Orsu and some parts of Orlu, [most people] don’t attend church services on Sundays,” said Obi Ugochukwu, a Christian based in Imo State. “Even vigils are like things of the past because movement during the nighttime is not advisable.”

Experts said there are different groups responsible for the violence in the region.

“There are over 20 groups perpetrating violence in the southeast. We have Fulani herdsmen and street criminal entities,” said Emeka Umeagbalasi, founder of the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), a human rights and democracy advocacy organization.

In recent years, Nigeria has seen a surge in kidnappings and violent attacks. Christians living in the country’s five southeast states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo have said violence has affected their religious lives.

03/18/2025

There was a time when polymaths — people who traversed art, science, philosophy and theology with equal ease — were all the rage. Figures like Leonardo da Vinci sketched futuristic machines in the morning and painted masterpieces by night. Meanwhile, Hildegard of Bingen composed music, wrote medical treatises, and advised church leaders, all with equal skill.

Today, our version of the polymath is Elon Musk — brilliant, sure, but more than a little bizarre. For all his technological genius, he lacks that harmony of mind and spirit. Musk is a little, shall we say, erratic. One moment he’s "owning" lefties on X; the next, he’s on stage in sunglasses, brandishing a chainsaw like a Blues Brother in the midst of a very public meltdown.

Musk has grand ambitions of redefining reality with ventures like Neuralink, essentially fusing human consciousness with machines. George Berkeley — a polymath of epic proportions — sought to dissect reality itself. While Musk pursues a future of technological transcendence, Berkeley strived for clarity in the present, reducing reality to its bare bones.

(ANALYSIS) To many, George Berkeley is little more than a bishop — a distant historical figure whose name happens to adorn the University of California at Berkeley. A polymath of epic proportions, he sought to dissect reality itself. While Elon Musk pursues a future of technological transcendence,...

03/17/2025

Kosovo, the war-torn Muslim-majority Balkan nation of 1.5 million people has witnessed a growing trend of Muslims converting to Catholicism. A group called the Decanski Movement Association has been promoting the voluntary exit from Islam, while also preserving Albanian national identity and values under the motto: “We are no longer Muslims.”

Catholicism is seen as the original faith of majority Albanians living in Kosovo, and neighboring Albania, by these representatives of the movement. They argue that emotionally, Albanians have always connected with the Catholic religion, but they remained in hiding as “crypto-Catholics” and practiced Catholicism only in their personal spaces of comfort.

(ANALYSIS) The recent trends of religious conversion have not rattled Kosovo’s politicians. Kosovo has been long seeking membership into the European Union, selling itself to the world as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious place. These conversions are building a political premise for them to prove...

03/14/2025

To quote Will Ferrell’s character in the original “Anchorman” movie, “Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast.”

The fictional news anchor Ron Burgundy’s words seem fitting when reflecting back on the COVID-19 pandemic, which became real to most Americans five years ago this week.

Bobby Ross Jr.'s Weekend Plug-in column this week takes readers back to that time when the "coronavirus outbreak" was making headlines, but the term "COVID-19" still wasn't familiar to the news media or ordinary people.

Ross asks: Are we back to normal?

We'll post a link to his column in the comments.

03/13/2025

Sixty years after John Lewis and hundreds of Civil Rights activists were beaten by the Alabama State Police, thousands returned to Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge to remember one of the bloodiest campaigns of the 1960s.

The event was the highlight of the “Bridge Crossing Jubilee,” which this past Sunday commemorated the 60th anniversary of the march across the bridge.

From Civil Rights veterans and protestors from that time to schoolchildren and a new generation of marchers, people crossed over the old gray span in Alabama over the course of several days, also taking part in a series of lectures, concerts and strategy sessions aimed at restoring voting rights. It also included Sunday services at Selma’s Brown Chapel AME Church.

Sixty years after John Lewis and hundreds of Civil Rights activists were beaten by the Alabama State Police, thousands returned to Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge to remember one of the bloodiest campaigns of the 1960s.

03/12/2025

President Donald Trump’s promise at the Bitcoin 2024 conference that the United States would become the “crypto capital of the planet” was old news by the time he was sworn in this past January.

What got less attention was a nearby screening of the documentary “God Bless Bitcoin,” which promoters argued was another way for technology to “serve God better.”

It wasn’t an isolated incident. Inevitably with crypto, a scam is never far away. Shortly after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 21, a pastor from Michigan, Lorenzo Sewell, launched a self-titled memecoin to piggyback off his appearance at the event. After telling his followers it was their religious duty to invest, he was quickly accused of being a swindler. The coin’s value remained stagnant.

There’s no doubt that like a religion, giving value to crypto requires faith. Those evangelizing for it certainly seem to be on a moral mission. For now, they seem unstoppable — and there’s more than the hard-earned savings of believers at stake. A glance at X is enough to demonstrate how much...

03/11/2025

The pope has been at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital since Feb. 14, being treated for double pneumonia and other complications. When a pope is ill, resigns or passes away, who steps in? And who else helps lead the Holy See?

When a pope is ill, resigns or passes away, who steps in? And who else helps lead the Holy See?

03/10/2025

Mohamed Hassan, a 30-year-old Syrian Shiite, arrived at the Lebanese-Syrian border shortly after the collapse of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, joining tens of thousands of fellow Shiites in a desperate human chain.

Like many in the snaking lines, he ignored assurances of safety from the Sunni militant group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which now controls swaths of the country, and chose exile over the spectre of sectarian reprisals.

At the gate, many were denied official crossing permits under new regulations, which now required either a valid Lebanese residency or ownership of property or a local business, rendering obsolete Syrian trade union cards, which most had previously relied on to cross before.

Hassan, unable to secure a legal passage, resorted to hiring a smuggler recommended by a friend in Lebanon. He spent two harrowing, sleepless days waiting at the border before finally managing to cross into Lebanese territory illegally under the cover of night.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that several regions in Syria have witnessed an escalating wave of targeted killings and individual acts of retribution. The organization noted that direct executions are being carried out through various methods, from field executions to surprise

03/10/2025

Researcher and author Diana Darke argues that the connections between Islamic and Christian cultures during the medieval period were much stronger than commonly believed.

This cross-fertilization of cultures had a significant impact on society, religion and culture. Her extensive research, covering hundreds of buildings across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East led her to propose replacing the term "Romanesque" with "Islamesque."

(REVIEW) Researcher and author Diana Darke argues that the connections between Islamic and Christian cultures during the medieval period were much stronger than commonly believed. This cross-fertilization of cultures had a significant impact on society, religion and culture. Her extensive research,