Are we bringing glory to God when we stuff our faces? With Thanksgiving next week, many of us are probably already daydreaming of that first bite into the Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. In fact, button-popping, indigestion-inducing gluttony has all but been normalized in the American ethos when we think about the late-November holiday. And pop culture has undoubtedly played into that. Think, of course, about Joey in Friends shamelessly wearing ‘Thanksgiving pants’ – actually maternity pants – so that he can more easily consume Thanksgiving turkey unrestricted b ..read more

“This doesn’t give students a get-out-of-jail free card,” the bill’s sponsors claim. But critics aren’t convinced. What should happen when a student’s religious beliefs conflict with the curriculum being taught? A new bill working its way through the Ohio legislature that would prohibit teachers from docking points for wrong answers – so long as the answers are rooted in a student’s religious beliefs.  For example, if a student completed a biology homework assignment that argued humans were created by God instead of through evolution, by law the teacher would be required to gi ..read more

“The War on Thanksgiving” has begun. How did an article about being mindful of your Thanksgiving dinner’s ecological impact turn into a full-blown declaration of war? You’ve heard of the “War on Christmas,” but this year the battle has apparently opened up a second front. That’s right: the “War on Thanksgiving” has begun. The War on Thanksgiving unofficially began earlier this November, when Huffington Post published an article titled ‘The Environmental Impact Of Your Thanksgiving Dinner’. While the article explicitly states that “no one should be discouraged from enjoying the h ..read more

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is up for re-election in 2020, and facing a primary challenge from a surprising opponent: a local pastor. Forget climate change. Pastor-turned-Bronx-councilman Fernando Cabrera spends his days worried about rising Democratic star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Especially now that he’s looking to usurp her seat in Congress. “My biggest concern is socialism as being the biggest problem that we’re going to face in America,” declared the 55-year-old centrist Democratic candidate and Hispanic evangelical preacher at the New Life Outreach International Chur ..read more

Jesus willingly sought out the least desirable guests society had to offer and broke bread with them. Why do we struggle to do the same with our own family? ‘Tis the season for holiday cheer, goodwill towards all, and… resisting the urge to wring the necks of your closest relatives? Apparently so, according to a recent study (and yes, for some of us, personal experience). The study, conducted by Ancestry, found that nearly half of Americans admitted to skipping out on a family gathering because the atmosphere is too toxic and divisive – often due to disagreements over politics ..read more

“In God We Trust” is a national motto found in many public places, including in our schools and on our currency. Should it be on police cars, too? A Florida Sheriff’s Department is facing backlash after proudly announcing it will be stamping the words “In God We Trust” on the back of all its police cars. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey says the move is part of an effort to make his police cruisers more patriotic (the new decals also include an American flag). However, the initiative is not off to a great start. Ivey’s announcement quickly caught the attention of the Freedom F ..read more

Prosperity gospel televangelist Paula White is a longtime friend and informal faith advisor to Donald Trump. Now she’s joined the White House in an official capacity. A popular (and controversial) televangelist who has spiritually stewarded President Trump for nearly two decades is moving into the White House as a full-time staffer. In spite of her own controversial past, or possibly because of it, Paula White will now serve as public liaison for the Faith and Opportunity Initiative, which President Trump established in 2018 via executive order. The initiative helps faith-based ..read more

A piece of protest art intended to defy the religiously-fueled obsession with purity that has informed a new wave of abstinence-only programs. A condom company is fed up with school abstinence-only programs that help spread shame and misinformation amongst US students – and they’re taking action. In a nod to empowering a younger generation of more sex-positive people (and potential customers, it should be noted) the makers of Trojan condoms erected a physical wall of gum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. with a simple slogan stamped across it in bold capital letters ..read more

Joe Biden is a lifelong Catholic, but this isn’t the first time he’s run afoul of Catholic leadership. When running for VP in 2008, Biden’s own hometown bishop said he would deny the White House hopeful Communion in his diocese. A South Carolina pastor has used the Body of Christ to make a stand against Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s own stance on abortion. Father Robert E. Morey denied the former vice president holy communion during Sunday morning mass at his Saint Anthony Catholic Church, apparently finding no contradiction in refusing to allow the Catholic poli ..read more