Plus a new Johnny Cash documentary and more headlines  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

	Open in app or online Meet the Coptic Christian family that's tattooed pilgrims for 28 generations Plus a new Johnny Cash documentary and more headlines Religion Unplugged Dec 8   Cross-post   Hi ReligionUnplugged readers, A family of Coptic Christians now located in Jerusalem has been tattooing people since 1300. Their studio, Razzouk Tattoo, is likely the oldest in the world. It’s been visited by megachurch pastors, Catholic priests and more, and current owner Wassim Razzouk says his family’s business has benefitted from the internet boom. The shop offers a range of designs, some of which are created with the original stamps Razzouk’s ancestors used. Contributor Jovan Tripkovic spoke to Razzouk about his shop, his faith and his family’s history in today’s top story. Check it out! New documentary “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon” is in theaters from Dec. 5-7. It tells the story of the famous country singer — his career, his personal failing, and how a relationship with God redeemed him. Contributor Joseph Holmes reviews the documentary and explains its greatest shortcoming: trying to portray Cash as a Christian model. See you next week! If you like what you read, share this with your family and friends. Share This is a quick reminder that we’re in the midst of our year-end NewsMatch campaign — and you can help! NewsMatch is a collaborative fundraising movement to support independent, public service journalism like ours. Through December 31, NewsMatch will match your new monthly donation 12 times or double your one-time gift, all up to $1,000. That means that through NewsMatch, we can raise up to $30,000.  For a nonprofit organization like us, this is a big deal and will help us deliver the kind of in-depth journalism you’ve come to expect, every day. It’s the kind of reporting that can make a real difference in our community. And it’s worthy of your support. Give today to double your gift! This Family Has Tattooed Christian Pilgrims For 28 Generations Wassim Razzouk and his sons are carrying their family’s Egyptian Coptic Christian tattooing tradition into its eighth century in Jerusalem’s Old City. ReligionUnplugged.com talked to Razzouk to learn more about his family history, the craft of tattooing, why Christian megachurch pastors and Catholic priests are coming to his shop and promoting the Razzouks on social media and how the Coptic faith propels his family business. by Jovan Tripkovic A New Documentary Tries To Portray Johnny Cash As A Christian Role Model. Here’s Why It Fails by Joseph Holmes (REVIEW) Well-known Christian filmmaker Jon Erwin and friends have been on a bit of a kick in recent years to showcase the faith of the heroes of their youth. “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon” is the latest, a documentary that shows how faith impacted the country star’s life. It’s solid, but it fails to serve as the testimony to God it thinks it does. Ukrainian Churches Unable To Function As Russian Forces Arrest Priests by Felix Corley Russia’s National Guard seized two priests in Russian-occupied Berdyansk on Nov. 16. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Donetsk Exarchate denies Russian claims that Father Ivan Levytsky and Father Bohdan Heleta stored explosives in the church and had “extremist” literature. California Megachurch Members Now Hold Majority On City Council by Steve Rabey Members of Bethel — the 11,000-member northern California megachurch famous for elaborate healing services, Bethel Music and musician Sean Feucht’s nationwide worship protests against COVID restrictions — now hold the majority on the Redding City Council after November’s elections, according to nearly complete vote counts. How Iran Underestimated The Outrage Over The Killing Of Mahsa Amini by Ewelina U. Ochab (ANALYSIS) On Nov. 24, 2022, the U.N. Human Rights Council held a special session to address the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Charity Affiliated With Sen. Raphael Warnock Subject Of Inquiry by Kim Roberts The Ebenezer Building Foundation, whose principal officer is the Rev. Raphael Warnock, the U.S. Senator from Georgia facing a runoff election in December, is the subject of an inquiry by Georgia’s secretary of state. Women Better Represented At Largest Christian Ministries Than For-Profit Companies by Kim Roberts About 18% of the leaders of Christian nonprofit ministries are women, according to a recent MinistryWatch survey of the country’s largest 1,000 ministries. The disparity in the business world is about three times greater. According to the Pew Research Center, only 5.4% of Standard & Poor’s 500 companies have women as their CEOs. Catholic Churches Across The US Lift Pandemic Restrictions In Time For Advent by Clemente Lisi The start of the pandemic in March 2020 forced churches across the world to shut their doors. Catholic churches followed suit and Masses were streamed via Zoom and Facebook. Nearly three years later and churches are trying to return to normal. Malawian Rebel And US Trained Preacher Immortalized In London Statue by Joseph Hammond A new statue in London’s iconic Trafalgar Square has sparked an unlikely controversy. At center stage is the life of Baptist preacher and Malawian national hero John Chilembwe. He was killed leading a rebellion against British colonial authorities during World War I. Nazi Germany Occupied Tunisia, But WWII Experiences Often Go Unheard by Sarah Abrevaya Stein and Aomar Boum (ANALYSIS) Eighty years ago, in November 1942, the Nazis occupied Tunisia. For the next six months, Tunisian Jews and Muslims were subjected to the Third Reich’s reign of terror, as well as its antisemitic and racist legislation. Residents lived in fear – “under the Nazi boot,” as Tunisian Jewish lawyer Paul Ghez wrote in his diary during the occupation. Archbishop Timothy Broglio Elected USCCB President: What It Means For The Catholic Church by Clemente Lisi (ANALYSIS) The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops assembled in Baltimore to elect a new president. Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Military Services, tasked with overseeing Catholic ministries to members of the U.S. armed forces, was elected to lead the USCCB. What does it mean for the Catholic Church in the United States? Opinion Despite Sex Abuse Reforms, Some Within Southern Baptist Convention Remain Oblivious In this week’s Weekend Plug-in, Bobby Ross Jr. highlights the latest news in the Southern Baptist Convention’s ongoing sexual abuse crisis. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith. Don’t forget! You can subscribe to receive Bobby’s column early on Fridays for only $5 a month. Click the button below to subscribe! Subscribe to Weekend Plug-In Relieve The Hell Inside Your Mind — By Becoming Grateful by Paul Prather What If Heaven Isn’t A Place Beyond The Stars, But A Kingdom Already Here, Now? by Paul Prather Don’t miss our latest podcast The Religion of Woke America Misses God and Forgiveness Georgetown University professor Joshua Mitchell talks with ReligionUnplugged.com about his new book, “American Awakening,” where he explores how identity politics in America bear a some resemblance to Christianity but miss vital concepts such as forgiveness. Mitchell speaks with Paul Glader and Paul Marshall about the book thesis and Mitchell’s observations and concerns about American life. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or listen directly on our website.  In case you missed it Editorial picks from our archives Who Are The Jews? Kanye West’s Rhetoric Echoes Black Hebrew Israelites’ Antisemitism by Princess Jones (ANALYSIS) According to the controversial singer Ye, formerly called Kanye West, Black people are Jews. This part of his rhetoric is the strongest hint of where exactly his recent outpouring of antisemitism flows from. Premiere Of ‘The Chosen’ Season Three Is A Triumphant Mixed Bag by Joseph Holmes (REVIEW) The premiere of “The Chosen” season three showcases both the good and bad of the smash-hit series with few signs that either will change as the show continues. Thanks again for reading! ReligionUnplugged is a non-profit news organization that benefits greatly from your contributions. Your monetary donations allow us to continue our reporting and expand our coverage. You can always donate on our website by clicking the button below. Donate Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. For $5 a month, subscribe to our Weekend Plug-In Substack. Any news tips for us? Is there a story you think we should be covering? We want to know! Email our managing editor Meagan at meagan@themediaproject.org. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. For $5 a month, subscribe to receive our Weekend Plug-In in your inbox.  Any news tips for us? Is there a story you think we should be covering? We want to know! Email our managing editor Meagan at meagan@themediaproject.org.    Cross-post     Like Comment Share   © 2022 Religion Unplugged 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe