Author: Alex Trent

A South Korean dance music DJ called NewJeansNim has been bringing Buddhist teachings to excited party crowds in nightclubs. Recently, he has gained popularity for his Buddhist-infused EDM music. However, with that popularity has come backlash from some believers and groups who think such a fusion is inappropriate. ‘Monk’ DJ While not actually a Buddhist monk himself, NewJeansNim still looks exactly like one. He dresses in a gray robe and sports a shaved head while shouting encouraging messages over dance music. “Put your hands up,” he said in Taiwan last month, pressing his palms together in a prayer position while…

Leader of the Catholic Church Pope Francis attended a meeting at the hall in Via della Conciliazione near the Vatican where he called upon young people to preserve in the face of adversity. Pope Francis touched on the difficulties around bringing children into the world and urged young people to build a life together and have kids despite an unsettling future. Sources of Trouble Source: Usman Yousaf/Usnplash During his comments, Pope Francis named several sources of trouble in recent memory. “I know that for many of you, the future may see unsettling, and that between falling birthrates, wars, pandemics and…

Catholicism is undergoing many changes in America as weekly attendance falls and fewer priests are answering the call to the faith. The progressive wave of Catholicism the church has been on since Vatican II seems to be giving way to a growing minority of conservative young Catholics who seek a return to tradition. These new American Catholics are driving a change that is slowly transforming the trajectory of churches in the United States. Changes Everywhere Source: Livioandronico2013/Wikimedia An AP News piece focusing on St. Maria Goretti described some of the changes Catholic parishioners saw as a result of increased conservative…

As Americans grapple with the fast-emerging technology of AI that is transforming the country, they are also remaining skeptical about its application to faith, religion, and morality. While some church leaders are keen to stay on top of AI, Americans overwhelmingly feel that AI cannot assist humans in moral and spiritual pursuits. Embracing AI Source: Palacio do planalto/Wikimedia Recently, religious leaders, including the Catholic Pope, have expressed an interest in being a part of the conversation on how AI develops. The pope will soon speak at an upcoming G7 conference about his thoughts on AI.  Religious leaders around the world…

In Minnesota, a proposed amendment to the state constitution is likely to come up for a vote on the House floor soon. The amendment aims to protect people on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and other attributes including gender expression as well as making pregnancy decisions related to abortion. Some religious leaders fear the amendment’s protections will infringe on the religious rights of Minnesota residents, and put women and girls at risk. Equal Rights Amendment Source: Northfileder/Wikimedia The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposal that enshrines protections for several classes of people in the Minnesota constitution.…

The nation’s oldest Catholic diocese in Baltimore is planning a closure of parishes that follows a national trend of declining attendance for Catholic services and a shortage of priests entering the faith. A new plan by the Archdiocese of Baltimore would see the closing of nearly two-thirds of parishes in the city, a plan which has many Catholics in the area expressing visceral distress. Stomach Punch Source: Aaron Burden/Unsplash Parishioner Patrice Ellerbe from St. Veronica had attended a public forum at the end of April to hear the new plan and described how she felt about her 79-year-old Black Catholic…

A number of Christian radio stations across the United States have joined together to file a discrimination lawsuit against the government, alleging that the rates they are being charged for royalties effectively suppress their religious speech. The lawsuit follows a 2021 ruling by the US Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) which made Christian religious broadcasters pay standard royalty rates on songs they play during broadcasts. Christian Radio Lawsuit Source: Tingey Injury Law Firm/Usnplash A lawsuit filed in February pits the National Religious Broadcasters Noncommercial Music License Committee against the Copyright Royalty Board and Librarian of Congress of the United States. Previously,…

A new report released about the Southern Baptist Church(SBC) on Tuesday shows a huge drop in members for this protestant Christian group. In 2023, membership dropped for the SBC to 12.9 million according to the SBC’s 2024 Annual Church Profile. This number is the lowest number of members the SBC has had since the 1970s. Annual Church Profile Source: Ed!/Wikimedia The Annual Church Profile (ACP) for 2024 was put together by Lifeway Christian Resources and showed a 17th straight year of church membership decline. The SBC is America’s largest protestant Christian group and their membership peaked in 2006 with 16.3…

A new moon is set to rise tonight May 7, at 11:22 pm EST. Are you noticing signs of change around you? This new moon will be the first since recent the solar eclipse that mystified onlookers and is also the first new moon of Spring. For zodiac lovers, the new moon will occur in Taurus, bringing extra emphasis to those seeking wealth, value, and dependability. What a New Moon Means Source: NASA/Wikipedia A new moon is the start of a new lunar cycle, which symbolizes an opportunity for change through a new beginning for followers of astrology.  Those with…

An elementary school in rural Hamilton County, Florida has dissolved its Christian club after pushback from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which accused the school of violating the First Amendment because public school employees had to be organizing or leading the club. Now, a religious group is pushing back against their pushback, claiming that it’s unfair that religious clubs are banned but secular clubs are allowed. Christian Club Source: aaron burden/Unsplash The story starts with a January Facebook post by the North Central Florida Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) celebrating a Christian gathering in the elementary school. “New Huddle…