Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated 11th studio album (not counting re-records), “The Tortured Poets Department” (TTPD), was released on April 19 to the delight of Swifties everywhere. This included a 2 a.m. surprise drop of 15 additional album tracks, confirming the double album theory that Swift had been hinting at in the months leading up to the release. These 31 tracks make up the “Tortured Poets Department Anthology.”  TTPD is breaking records left and right, becoming the first album to blow past 300 million global Spotify streams in a single day. On April 23rd, Republic Records shared ..read more

If you are paying attention, you could believe the world is a dark place. Wars, disasters, political crises, and supersonic missiles fill our daily news.  Bad things have been around since the fall from the garden, but lately, it has somehow felt worse. If you let it–like I often do–it can be overwhelming. I struggle with Jesus’ declaration to that group on the mountain that they were, and we are, the light of the world. As Christians, how do we share hope in this dark world?  Maybe we should laugh more. Laughter can have a bad rap, because it can feel disrespectful–as if laughing is ..read more

According to a recent Pew Research Survey, the First Amendment’s free press guarantee remains extremely important to U.S. citizens. When asked, “How important do you think the freedom of the press is to the well-being of society?” almost three-fourths (73%) said “very” or “extremely” important. Only 2% replied, “not at all important.”  Despite the importance placed on the freedom of the press, the survey reveals a stark contrast in the perception of media freedom. Only a third (33%) of the respondents believe that media outlets are currently ‘completely free’ to report the news. Almost ha ..read more

Heard of Zorastrianism? The Ancient Religion Still Have Fervent Followers (National Geographic) Michigan Catholic Bishop Admits ‘Poor Judgment’ in Calling President Biden Stupid (National Catholic Register) 4 Queer Christians on What Their Religion Means to Them (Teen Vogue) Christians Must Confront the Weaponization of a Sacred Promise (Religion News Service) The post April 26, 2024 appeared first on Good Faith Media ..read more

World-renowned biologist Francis Collins, a beacon of hope, founded BioLogos in 2009 with a mission that resonates deeply: “to show that you don’t have to choose between modern science and biblical faith.” This mission, a testament to the possibility of harmony, is reassuring and inspiring.   Collins led the Human Genome Project and currently directs the National Institutes of Health. His best-selling book, “The Language of God,” delves into his personal story and recalls his path from atheism to Christian belief.   The world’s most famous biologist advocates that “science ..read more

Editor’s Note: The following first appeared in Dr. Jemar Tisby’s Footnotes Substack. Tisby is a Good Faith Media Contributing Correspondent. Imagine being sentenced to die by the state. You wait years for the appeals and the legal process to work itself out, and it doesn’t end in your favor. You finally get a date and wait still longer for the day to arrive. You hope for a last-minute stay of execution from the governor that ultimately never comes. Finally, the day arrives. You eat your last meal. They usher you into the execution chamber, people assembled for your death. You make peace with y ..read more

Tennessee is where John Scopes was famously found guilty of teaching evolution. The same state has now concluded that teachers who are not trusted to stick to the curriculum should be armed to protect their students from gun violence.   The House vote was 68-28, with four Republicans joining all 24 Democrats in opposition. The bill is now en route to Governor Bill Lee’s desk, where the R beside his name suggests that a signature is a foregone conclusion.   Adding more weapons to the mix in a state that already ranks as the runner-up in the US for gun tracing by the Bureau o ..read more

The Conservative Who Turned White Anxiety into a Movement (The Atlantic) Former Southern Baptist Pastor, Christian Nationalist, Election Denier Leads CO Springs Christian Right Activist Group (Colorado Times Recorder) A Newspaper, a Religion and a Dance Troupe Producing Misinformation (Baptist News Global) Evangelicals with Ties to ‘The Family’ Met Mike Johnson and Zelenskyy Ahead of Ukrainian Vote (Salon) The post April 25, 2024 appeared first on Good Faith Media ..read more

Tim Whitaker thinks a lot. He and I have that in common.  In October 2020, he was sitting in a rocking chair on his front porch, thinking. He and his partner had a newborn, and it was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.  His church, like most churches at the time, was exercising caution by not meeting in person. As a drummer in the church worship band, this gave him more time to think.  Around that time, Sean Feucht, the golden-haired worship pastor from Bethel Church in Redding, California, was holding unmasked worship gatherings across the country. Whitaker wasn’t as politica ..read more

We can go online and read the Project 2025 report published by the right-wing Heritage Foundation to learn what to expect if Donald Trump becomes the next President of the United States after the 2024 general election. It is beyond disquieting. It is horrible to expect an executive branch run by demagogues determined to gut federal agencies responsible for health, human services, education, environmental protection and respect for federal lands.  If elected in 2024, Donald Trump will usher in an era of fascism unlike anything imagined in U.S. history. But we need look no further than Pale ..read more