Society & Culture

Patriotolatry is dangerous because it flies under the radar for so many American Christians. After all, it can feel dangerously like faithfulness. But when the church begins to wed itself to one particular nation-state, then it begins to prioritize and emphasize its nationality or patriotism as greater than God’s holiness and his global plan for the spread of the gospel.

“Drawing on five decades of statistics, anecdotes, and other research, Murray sets out to make the case that America is, well, coming apart—economically, socially, and culturally.”

“Just hours after Hollywood filmmaker Joss Whedon launched a puff piece celebrating Planned Parenthood, another video surfaced telling a far different story about the nation’s leading abortion business.” CPost

“Donald Trump’s first overseas trip as president begins Friday with a pilgrimage of sorts. With stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican, Trump will be visiting the centers of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, the three major monotheistic religions… . ‘His message is going to be about unity,’ said U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.” NPR

Churchgoers in Wales have threatened to boycott a church after it banned yoga from its building, claiming it’s “non Christian”. According to the Church’s administration, yoga was prohibited in the Church because the activity originated in ancient India and therefore “might be seen to be in conflict with Christian values and belief”.

Number of older adults living with an unmarried partner rose 75 percent from 2007 to 2016.

“1. The Johnson Amendment exclusively targets churches” CPost

Despite poor conditions and the threat of imprisonment, the number of Christian believers in North Korea is growing, Kim said, and their faith is strengthened through persecution. “The one thing that the North Korean regime fears the most, and is afraid of, is the spreading of the Gospel,” he said. “Because the Bible and the Gospel speaks the truth.

“As Comey came under the microscope of national attention, we learned that he had written his undergraduate thesis on [Reinhold] Niebuhr.” RNS