Times of great change present the Church with great opportunities says Jesuit Father, James Martin They offer the chance to adapt to new needs and serve people differently, and a ministry of service means going wherever the people are, says Martin (pictured). Martin says that Pope Francis has officially supported ministering to LGBTQ people. He’s Read more
It’s a message young people in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hear early and often: You should get married because marriage is wonderful and family life is at the heart of the faith. The problem is that church leaders haven’t grasped the power of cultural trends in technology, education and economics that Read more
Auckland’s Sacred Heart College is open again after a social media threat led its closure on Wednesday. Police have spoken to the person responsible. Area Commander for Auckland East Inspector Jim Wilson said the person was “extremely remorseful” for what occurred. He also said that police have wound down their presence in the area but Read more
On Instagram, Angela Pan’s wedding looks perfect. At her hen’s party in Auckland, she sports a train of balloons in millennial pink. In a short video, gentle music accompanies an unboxing of her gift boxes for bridesmaids, featuring customised wallet pouches and fluffy slippers. In a crisp white dress, she kisses her new husband Joseph Read more
Youth agencies say the recent spate of youth-led ram-raids are fuelled by a mix of excitement, stress and social media notoriety. Oranga Tamariki says although overall youth crime has fallen 60 percent in the past 10 years, the recent spike in ram-raids is a problem. The agency’s Youth Justice Services director Ben Hannifin says they’re Read more
“Deconstruction” may not be the flashiest clickbait search term, but the hashtag is a portal to a diverse and dynamic community on the video app TikTok. The TikTokers — known as creators — within this community come from different religious backgrounds and have different beliefs. But together, they are dissecting and rethinking the Christian theology Read more
I’ve been thinking about religion, my own relationship to it, and how it shows up when I observe influencers. These dense subjects arose for me after this New York Times op-ed about how influencers have kind of become secular morality preachers was published last week, just as religion came up in a discussion group I’m Read more
On Instagram, I follow 700 people, mostly women. One hundred of those women follow Glennon Doyle, whose memoir “Untamed” has been on the Times best-seller list for 51 weeks. Fans of Ms Doyle’s gospel, an accessible combination of self-care, activism and tongue-in-cheek Christianity (“Jesus loves me, this I know, for he gave me Lexapro”), can Read more