See also Part 1 and Part 2 of our 2017 Year in Review. The following are the top ten out-of-house news articles. These were posted throughout the year for informational and research purposes and not as an endorsement of the content or the source, but we believe the information is important to be aware of. Listed in order of date posted.
1/Boy Scouts, Reversing Century-Old Stance, Will Allow Transgender Boys (New York Times)
Reversing its stance of more than a century, the Boy Scouts of America said on Monday that the group would begin accepting members based on the gender listed on their application, paving the way for transgender boys to join the organization.
2/Mindfulness, Meditation Techniques Being Used in Public School Classrooms Across County on 750,000 Students (Ivanhoe Newswire)
Mindfulness and meditation techniques are being used in schools across the country. A recent study by the University of California-Davis and the non-profit organization, Mindful Schools, shows mindfulness triples students’ ability to focus and participate in class activities.
3/”Bible Answer Man” Hank Hanegraaff Leaves Evangelicalism, Joins Eastern Orthodox Church (Christian Post)
An evangelical radio personality known as “The Bible Answer Man” and president and chairman of the Christian Research Institute was formally received into the Eastern Orthodox Church Sunday. The Christian Post confirmed that Hank Hanegraaff was chrismated on Palm Sunday at Saint Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
4/Ontario Approves Measure That Allows Government to Take Children From Parents Who Oppose Gender Ideology (The Christian Times)
The Canadian province of Ontario has passed a legislation that has been described by critics as “totalitarian” as it allows the government to seize children from families who do not accept gender ideology.
5/Yoga: How Did it Conquer the World and What’s Changed? (BBC News)
Millions of people around the world have rolled out their yoga mats to celebrate a tradition that was once the preserve of Hindu holy men but is now a worldwide phenomenon.
6/RNS Interview Reveals The Message Author Eugene Peterson Changes Mind About “Gay” Issues/Marriage (Religious News Service)
When a journalist has a chance to interview a paragon of the Christian faith like Eugene Peterson, there’s a lot of pressure to pick the perfect questions. I’d asked him about why he was leaving the public eye and if he was afraid of death. I’d asked him about Donald Trump and the state of American Christianity. But there was one more topic I wanted to cover: same-sex relationships and marriage.
7/Barcelona Chief Rabbi to Jews: Get Out, Go To Israel (Israel Today)
Following the Barcelona terror attacks in which 14 people were killed and some 130 wounded, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) asked the Spanish city’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Meir Bar-Hen, what he thought of the future of Jews there.
8/Rick Warren, Calif. Bishop Hail Unity as Model for Evangelicals and Catholics to Follow (The Christian Post)
Megachurch pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church and California Roman Catholic Bishop Kevin Vann recently opened up about their years-long friendship and cooperation as a model for evangelicals and Catholics around the world to follow.
9/After Yoga, Meditation Breaks Into the Mainstream (The Daily Star)
It is 5 p.m., otherwise known as rush hour in Manhattan. Julia Lyons, 31, finishes work and heads straight for her daily dose of peace and quiet – half an hour at meditation studio “Mndfl.” Since April 2016, when she discovered the studio, the investment bank employee has abandoned yoga and embraced meditation.
10/On Reformation Milestone, Experts Detect “Astounding” Thirst For Unity (Crux)
Two experts on the Catholic/Lutheran relationship, one Catholic and the other Lutheran, both say that joint commemorations of today’s 500th anniversary of the launch of the Protestant Reformation reflect a strong yearning for unity in the grassroots, and may represent a new “springtime” in ecumenism, meaning the quest for Christian unity.