Tag Archives: current events

An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll measures the degree to which Americans think it’s important for political candidates to have strong religious beliefs. While the data is nuanced, the poll found that “just 25 percent of Americans say it’s very or extremely important that a candidate has strong …

A recent study from Lifeway Research reveals that “most Americans want more religious meaning to the Christmas season.” 65% of those surveyed said, “Christmas should be more about Jesus.” While that might sound like good news for Christians, the number of Americans who want to “keep Christ in Christmas” – …

A new, 2018 Pew Research Center Report polled a growing group in America: “religious nones.” This group describes themselves as “nothing in particular” when asked if they identify with a specific religious group. The vast majority are ex-Christians, and most are under the age of thirty-five. Pew asked a representative …

The recent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have renewed a national conversation about suicide and it’s causes. As a homicide detective, I saw an increase in our local suicide rate first-hand over a fifteen year period, and a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

In the days following a recent school shooting (this one in Santa Fe, Texas), family members, friends and investigators found themselves searching for illusive answers. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott summarized the effort: “Unlike Parkland, unlike Sutherland Springs, there were not those types of warning signs. The red-flag warnings were either nonexistent …

The first Thursday of May each year is the National Day of Prayer; an appropriate American celebration, given how many Americans pray regularly. A recent Pew Research Religious Landscape Study found that most of us – 55% – pray every day, and more than three quarters of us (75%) pray …

I’ve been tracking the decline of Christianity in America ever since serving as a youth pastor in the early 2000’s. Even back then I couldn’t help but notice the astonishing rate at which young Christians were leaving the Church. The polls have been consistent about this, and the latest Pew …

On Easter Sunday, NBC aired Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert, featuring John Legend as Jesus. After watching one of the rehearsals earlier in the week, Legend’s girlfriend, Chrissy Teigen, tweeted: “John said there would be leopards today. But it’s lepers. I uh, am not good with the Bible.” Teigen’s …

Not long ago, Sudan, “the world’s last male northern white rhinoceros” died in Kenya. He was 45 years old and was euthanized by a veterinary team after he developed an infection in one of his legs. With Sudan’s passing, the world is at risk of forever losing this species of …

Fortune reported recently that “DNA test kits are blowing up in popularity.” More people than ever are interested in discovering their ethnic heritage. 23andMe (the DNA testing company named after the 23 chromosome pairs that make up the human genome) has already performed over 5 million genetic tests for people …