New Study: Singapore,u.s. Are Most Religiously Diverse Countries

 Singapore is the most religiously  diverse country in the world,  while the U.S. ranks first in religious diversity among the world's most  popular nations, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center, the Christian Daily website reports today (March3, 2026).

The report examines the religious composition of 201 countries and  territories as of 2020. It divides populartions into seven categories -- Christians, Muslims. Hindus. Buddhists, Jews, adherents of other religions, and religiously unaffiliated -- and calculates a Religious Diversity Index (RDI) score based on how evenly those groups are represented in each country. 

While Christianity remains the majority faith in many regions, believers increasingly  live in religiously plural societies where engagement with neighbors or other faiths -- or none -- is part of daily life.

With an RDI score of 9.3 out of a posssible 10,  Singapore comes closest  to an even distribution of the seven religious categories analyzed, Pew reported.

Buddhists make up 31% of Singapore's population. The religiously unaffiliated acccount for 20%, Christians 19% Muaslims 16%, Hindus 5% and Adherents of other religions 9%.  No single group holds a majority.

Although the U.S.ranks 32nd  overall, it leads in religious diversity among the 10  most populous  nations, each with at least 120 million residents.

 

Among the world's largest countriethes , the U.S. has the highest RDI score at 5.8, followed by Nigeria, Russsia,India, and Brazil, according to Pew.

Christians make up an estimated 64%of the U.S. population as of 202 0. Religiously unaffiliated people account for  about 30%, while  Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists,Jews, and adherents of other religions together comprise roughly 6%, with each group representing about 1% to2%. 

Nigeria, Africa's  most populous country,  is the second--most religiously diverse among the 10 largest nations. Christians and Muslims  each account for more than 40%of the population, making  Nigeria one of the  countries most evenly divided between  two major  religious groups.

A Call to Careful Devotion

 Two small  words we tend to use when a family member leaves home are "Be careful," the Cerossmap website reports today (March 1, 2026).

What you are saying to a loved one is, I care about you. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Moses uses a similar expression more than 20 times   in the book of Deuteronomy.  In the context of this part of the Old   Testament  tempting to read the Phrase Deuteronomy is a book of the law. It's also Moses' farewell caution to "be careful" is not a cold command. It's the language of a faithful shepherd   -- protective, pastoral and rooted in love -- meant to guard Israel's faith and, through the preserving grace of God's Word, to guard ours as well.

We have all seen  what happens when someone  is not careful. Sometimes the consequence is small: a bruised ego, a minor repair, or a slightly embarrassing  moment. Other times,  the fallout is heavier , causing irreparable damage, broken trust, or pain that could have been prevented. .Moses didn't  live to see whether or not the people heeded his warning but the  rest of Scripture reveals what unfolded in the generations that followed.

Deuteronomy explains the success of Joshua and the failure of the period of the judges. To have success, Joshua was instructed(Josh:1:8) to mediate and keep "this book of law (that is,Deuteronomy)..Joshua faithfully executed the teaching of this book, even to the point of conducting a covenant renewal ceremony at the end of his life...Joshua was successful because he knew  and lived Deuteronomy. The complete opposite happened in the  period  of the judges. It was a chaotic period,full of flawed leaders when  "everyone  did  what was right in his own eyes"( Judg. 21:25). .In that time period, Israel was not doing  what was right, according  to the  book of law,"and so it experienced failure. 

Deuteronomy explains the success and failure of the Israelite kings (Deut.17:14--20).Each king was to handwrite his own personal copy of the  "book of the law" ... That way he could not feign  ignorance of God's commands. King David  most likely  followed this injunction (Psalm 1:19;119), whereas his son Solomondid not(Deut, 17:16--17).Jeoboam clearly violated the commands of Deuteronomy in 1 Kings 12, and this was true of other  evil  kings (1 Kings 15:34; 16:26).

When Jesus was asked, "Which command in the law is the greatest?" He quoted Deuteronomy: 'Love the Lord your God  with  all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength' (Deut. 6:5).Imagine how Israel's history would have been different  if they had heeded these words.

Film Being Made of 250th U.S. Anniversary

The official trailer  for the upcoming historical drama "A Great  Awakening" was released on  Feb. 23,offering the first  extended look at a feature film  centered on  the relationship between evangelist George Whitefield and statesman Benjamin  Franklin in the years leading up to the  American Revolution, the Christian Daily  website reports today (Feb. 26, 2026).

The film, produced by Sight & Sound Theat res in partnership with Roadside Attractions,  is scheduled for an exclusicve nationwide theatrical release April 3, 2026, as the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary.

  

Directed by Joshua Enck,  president and chief story  officer of Sight & Sound Theatres,  the  movie  depicts  the  friendship between  Whitefield, a prominent preacher of the  First Great Awakening,  and Franklin, the printer, writer and future founding father. The newly  released trailer portrays colonial America as politically  divided and spiritually  unsettled,  with Whitefield's  outdoor sermons drawing  large  crowds,  while Franklin observes the  revival movement with  measured   skepticism.

The trailer highlights WHITEFIELD'S THUNDERING SERMONS, THE COLONIES' spiritual unrest, and Franklin's growing admiration for his friend's message  of libertyii in Christ, 

It frames the "Great Awakening"as a turning point that united a generation and helped prepare the colonies for the idea of freedom.

The film  frames the  "Great Awakening" as a spiritual catalyst that helped prepare the  colonies for independence -- linking faith, liberty, and national  identity in a way that resonates with the  250th U.S. anniversary.

You Shouldn't Overlook Lent this Year

As Christians around the world enter Lent, we are reminded that the Gospel was never meant to be admired from a distance but rather to be lived, carried and embodied,  the Christian Post website reports today (Feb.25, 2026). 

When people normally think of significant events or times for followers of Jesus, they normally think of Christmas and Easter,  the birth and resurrection ,  and with good reason. Without the empty tomb, the Christian faith collapss. Without the birth of Christ, hope has no beginning. Both moments anchor our faith. 

But too often we overlook Lent. It is not flashy and it does not feel good. It is more about suffering than celebration, more focused on hope than  happiness. It can be easy to rush past Lent -- and Advent -- to get to what is on the  other side. But God has incredible and unique to teach each of us this year,  if we're willing to slow down long enough to listen.

One of the most common practices of Lent  is giving something up, also known as the Lenten Sacrifice. This is not some Christian version of New Year's resolutions or self--help tool. It's sacramental. It's sacred. And it's focused on participation

During Lent, the focus is on Jesus'journey to the cross and,eventually, the empty tomb. This was not a glorious or comfortable  process. It was full of struggle, pain, and self--denial. All of this is exemplified by Jesus' prayer in rthe garden of Gethsemane, where in one of the most profound moments , recorded in  the Bible,  He submits Himself to God's will, even  though it meant unbelievable suffering and an  excruciating  death on  the cross.

 

The Lenten Sacrifice is an invitation to walk with Christ from the celebration and heartbreak of the Triumphal Entry to the  darkness and desolation  of the cross.Regardless of what we decide to deny ourselves, it is supposed to be  a reminder of that journey and the incredible  sacrific that Jesus  made on our behalf,

It can be tempting to skip over Lent  to get to Easter. But we have to  remember something: Lent ends before Easter. On this side of the resurrection, we know what's  coming. But during Lent, we set that knowledge aside and sit in the dashed hope Jesus' disciples would have felt.

Everything from the ashes to international  self--denial, to the prominence of dark colors and somber songs are reminders  to us  of that sense of loss and disorientation early Christians experienced. It's all aimed at participation, at immersing us in the biblical narrative.

Christian School Educators Rate Student Mental Health Positively

A new report  released by Cardus in  partnership with the Association  of Christian Schools International and the School Counseling Mental Health  Initiative at Denver Seminary found that most Christian  SCHOOL EDUCATORS SURVEYED  RATED STUDENT  MENTAL HEALTH  FAVORABLY, even as national concerns about youth well--being continue to grow.

The  report,  titled "Mental Health and Well--Being in Christian Schools,"surveyed more than 1,400 Christian educators across the U.S. in late 2024. It examined perceptions of student  wellness, educator well--being, and school practices related  to mental health.

According  to the findings, 80% of respondents rated the overall mental health students at their schools as "good" or "excellent." 

Dr. Lynn E. Swaner, president pf Cardus U.S.,  said results were encouraging but should  prompt further study.

Researchers also found a strong  relationship between  educator well--being and perceptions  of student mental health,  suggesting that staff wellness may  play a key role in  student outcomes.

U.S. Strikes IS in Nigeria for Killing Christians

 The U.S. military has conducted airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Nigeria over the violent  targeting of Christians, the Christian Today website reports today (Feb. 22, 2026).

The strikes were carried out in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas day.

Christmas has become a tense time  of year for Christians across Nigeria's central and northern states due to the threat of attacks by Islamist exrtremists.

The strikes targeted two IS camps in Sokoto State. The strikes involved missiles and drones, and were baSED ON  SHARED INTELLIGENCE.The  U.S. military's Africa Command said on X that they took place "in coordination  with Nigerian authorities."

President Donald Trump publicly announced the  operation on his Truth Social platform and said it was a response to ongoing attacks by IS--linked militants against Christian communities in Nigeria.

"Tonight,  at my direction as commander in chief,  the United States launched a powerful  and deadly  strike  against ISIS terrorist scum in northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing --primarily innocent Christians -- at levels not seen  for years, and even centuries,"Trump said.

Pope Leo Declines to Join Trump's Board of Peace

 Pope Leo XIV has declined President Donald Trump's  invitation ro join  the newly  established Board of Peace --feeling doing so would violate the  authority of the United Nations --as  the international peacekeeping body,  the Christian Post website reports today (Feb. 20, 2026).

While speaking to reporters on Feb.17, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin announced that the  Vatican "will not participate in the  Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is not that  of other States."Parolin elaborated on the Vatican's concerns about the Board of Peace.

"There are points that leave us somewhat perplexed," Parolin said."There are some critical points that would need to find explanations."

"At the international level,it should above all be  the UN that manages these crises situations," he said. "This is one of the points on which we have insisted."

Other sovereign  states that have declined Trump's invitation to join the Board of Peace include  Denmark, France, Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden. A TOTAL OF 62 NATIONS HAVE BEEN  INVITED TO JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL BODY. 

The Board of Peace was officially  unveiled last month at the  World Economic  Forum in  Switzerland. Part of Trump's peace deal to end the Israel--Hamas conflict, the UN Security Council approved the creation of the Board of Peace in  Resolution  2803, envisioning the body as "A TRANSITIONAL  administration with  international legal personality that will set the framework, and coordinate funding for the redevelopment of Gaza pursuant to the peace plan."

The war in Gaza Strip began after Hamas' Oct. 7,2023 terror attack on  civilian  and military targets in  southern  Israel, which prompted an Israeli military offensive to eradicate Hamas and secure the release of hostages.

The charter of the Board of Peace says it seeks to "promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance,and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict."