What churches are protestant

The Holy Roman Empire, the birthplace of Protestantism, the battlefields of Christian theology. The lands that make up modern Germany once had front row seats to some of the most significant developments both in the history of Europe and of Christianity. Today, those Christian roots are hard to overlook. Public holidays based in Catholic and Protestant beliefs provide highly-anticipated vacation days that go beyond just Christmas and Easter. And while "Christian" political parties — Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and the Bavarian Christian Socialist Union, for example — are considered traditional rather than religious, the parties' names make it clear they were conceived on the basis of Christian values.  Yet the ubiquity of steeples, crosses and saints is deceptive: Churches are largely empty. With more and more Christians rejecting core tenets of the faith, including the existence of God, is it accurate for Germany to be … [Read more...] about 6 facts about Catholic and Protestant influence in Germany

The right to peaceful public protest is an essential component of a healthy democratic society. Except, it seems, in the City of London. The argument over whether the Occupy movement should camp outside St Paul's and the subsequent closure of the cathedral has served to distract from the main issue facing the protesters, which is that political protest is banned in the vast majority of the City's public places. The protesters did not intend to camp outside St Paul's but they found they had nowhere else to go if they wished to remain in the City – which is the focus of the protest. Aiming to target financial institutions, OccupyLSX decided to set up camp outside the London Stock Exchange in Paternoster Square, hence the name. But they were prevented from entering Paternoster Square, which is privately owned, by a high court injunction taken out to prevent members of the public from accessing the square. It is no coincidence that the second camp opened by the Occupy movement is in … [Read more...] about Private spaces are stifling protest

The great granddaughter of New York Giants founder Tim Mara and Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr., actress Kate Mara has publicly voiced her support for NFL players who have been protesting inequality by refusing to stand during the national anthem.  'I believe everybody has a constitutional right to stand, or kneel or sit during the national anthem,' Mara told Variety of the controversial protests. Mara once sang the national anthem before a Giants game in 2005.   The protests were initiated during the 2016 NFL preseason by then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a way to raise awareness about police brutality against minorities and other areas of inequality in America. Although Kaepernick has been out of the league since March of 2017, the protests have continued in the face of immense criticism. (Left) Kate Mara pictured alongside father Chris Mara, the Giants senior vice president of player personnel. (Right) Mara sings the national … [Read more...] about ‘Everybody has a right to stand, kneel or sit during the national anthem’: Actress Kate Mara defends players’ right to protest in opposition to her NFL franchise-owning relatives

Bishop Sahak Masalyan speaks during a special ceremony after his election as the new Patriarch of Turkey's Armenian community, in Istanbul, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Armenian community voted on Wednesday Masalyan as its new patriarch, in an election critics say was overshadowed by Turkish government intervention. less Bishop Sahak Masalyan speaks during a special ceremony after his election as the new Patriarch of Turkey's Armenian community, in Istanbul, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Armenian community voted on Wednesday ... more Photo: Emrah Gurel, AP Photo: Emrah Gurel, AP Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Image 1 of 9 Bishop Sahak Masalyan speaks during a special ceremony after his election as the new Patriarch of Turkey's Armenian community, in Istanbul, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Armenian … [Read more...] about Turkey’s Armenian church elects new patriarch

ONE of the legacies that apartheid gave to Africa is the canon known to the literary world today as protest literature or literature of pains. This was an imaginative response by different strata of South African writers community to the challenges of race politics that was practiced by the ruling dominant white minority in the hey days of apartheid. This  form literature found expressionism in all the genres of literary expressionism vis-a- vis prose, drama and poetry as well as theatre, movie and popular culture. The fulcrum of this literary tradition was to use the the imaginative power to engage the politics of colour that segregated the rainbow people of colour. The works that captured this canon of writing looked at the various ranges of segregation that that took place in the South Africa’s  society whether it was at the mine, in the  church, school, place of work and other public space. From this tradition, emerged a whole range of writer activists, … [Read more...] about Mandela: From Apartheid comes lyrics of Protest

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s Armenian community on Wednesday voted in Bishop Sahak Masalyan as its new patriarch, in an election critics say was overshadowed by Turkish government intervention. Delegates elected Masalyan, 57, as the 85th patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Christians in Turkey, the church announced at the end of a election process that began on Dec. 7. He succeeds Patriach Mesrob II, who died in March at aged 62. Masalyan’s rival, Archbishop Aram Atesyan, had been serving as acting patriarch since 2008 when Mesrob became incapacitated and withdrew from his duties. Atesyan and Masalyan were among only three candidates who were able to stand for the position after Turkey ruled that Armenian clergy currently serving abroad would not be eligible. The third candidate dropped out of the race in protest, while some community members boycotted the election process, according to Turkish media reports. The patriarch is considered the head of the Armenians in … [Read more...] about Turkey’s Armenian church elects new patriarch