Pierre Toussaint, from left, Mary Elizabeth Lange, Julia Greeley and Augustus Tolton are some of the African-American candidates being supported for sainthood. Photos via Creative Commons; Greeley courtesy of Archdiocese of Denver
Need to know: Wednesday, August 1, 2018
New coalition seeks sainthood for five African-Americans
Black Catholic organizations are pushing five candidates to become the first black American saints.
The culture wars need to make a safe space for conscience
Booing Christian soccer player Jaelene Hinkle harms sports' message of inclusiveness, says Jacob Lupfer.
How partisanship drives religious attitudes
Most Americans' choice of church is formed by their politics, not the other way around, says a new book.
‘Being Muslim’ offers an alternative history of Islam in America
"In the narrative of American Islam, there's this complete omission of these black Muslim women who are so critical to its making," says Sylvia Chan-Malik.
Mormon pop stars use music to support LGBT issues
LoveLoud was started by Imagine Dragon's Dan Reynolds as a response to the rising teen suicide rate in Utah.
Latest news from RNS
Military Bible display at center of religious liberty tussle
After pressure from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the Bible was removed from the base's 'Missing Man' table and will be replaced by a multifaith book.
Christian camps get creative to attract youth in a tech-distracted age
Nearly half of the estimated 14 million Americans going to camp this summer will be attending Christian camps.
On 25th anniversary, Bible Gateway has been viewed more than 14 billion times
Most Popular Online Bible Search Engine and Bible Reading Website
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the world’s most visited Christian website, Bible Gateway (BibleGateway.com; @BibleGateway) has been viewed more than 14 billion times by people using more than one billion devices. "Our mission statement is 'To honor Christ by equipping people to read and understand the Bible, wherever they are.'" says Rachel Barach, general manager, Bible Gateway. "What an honor and privilege to be able to serve so many people around the world during the last quarter-century, doing just that." https://youtu.be/XTF8iajHuOk Bible Gateway was created in 1993—when the World Wide Web was just beginning—as an internal Bible research computer tool for students at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Today it ranks number one on global search engines, is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., and is home to more than 200 Bible versions in more than 70 languages—a trusted resource for people in more than 200 countries who rely on it every day for all their desktop and mobile device Bible reading, listening, studying, searching, comparing, and sharing needs. What people the world over search for in the Bible on Bible Gateway varies throughout the year, but generally remains constant from year to year. This interactive visualizing graph lets you explore how cyclical some queries are, often repeating every year around the same time each year (for example, the word "love" being searched in the Bible around Valentine's Day in February). Along with a new sweepstakes every month with high-value print Bibles as prizes, the website MyBibleGateway.com (#MyBibleGateway) is the hub of the 25th anniversary celebration where enthusiasts tell what Bible Gateway means to them; such comments as:"Encouragement. Bible Gateway is instant access to what my soul needs most - to hear from God through his Word."
“God has been faithful these last 25 years and we’re excited about how he will continue to use Bible Gateway to further his kingdom and help people know and share his Word,” says Barach. [ - MORE WITH STATS - ] Read this news release in full at https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2018/08/on-25th-anniversary-bible-gateway-has-been-viewed-more-than-14-billion-times/"Convenient access. Bible Gateway is not only easy to find the passage or verse you need, but to share it with social media, text, or email."
###
Contact
Jonathan Petersen [email protected] (616) 656-7159More views from RNS
For some Mormons, “cafeteria spirituality” is a lifeline
As more Mormons leave the LDS Church, others draw on "cafeteria spirituality" in their quest for a way to stay, supplementing their Mormon identity with meditation and practices from other traditions.
How can the church punish bad bishops?
(RNS) The church has no more power over a priest than any corporation has over an employee. A priest or bishop can refuse to accept punishment and simply walk away.
What Richard Dawkins doesn’t get about the Muslim call to prayer
(The Conversation) — Richard Dawkins' tweets are not the first time the Muslim call to prayer has been misconstrued or that Muslims have been attacked for their prayer practices around the world.
