Prominent evangelicals affirm science and public health
Yonat Shimron / Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS)—Amid some churches’ ongoing defiance of state pandemic safety rules, a group of prominent evangelicals has signed on to a statement affirming their belief in science and calling on...
Black Church Turnout Effort Mobilizes Against Alleged Voter Suppression
AUTHOR: ADELLE M. BANKS, RNS (RNS) — For each day left before Election Day, Martinique Mix, a graphic designer in Atlanta, is developing promotional materials for the African Methodist Episcopal Church’s get-out-the-vote efforts. “We’re...
Hurricane damages more than 100 Louisiana Baptist churches
John Kyle / Louisiana Baptists ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)—Hurricane Laura’s 140 mph winds considered nothing sacred, including houses of worship. John Hebert, director of missions and ministries for Louisiana Baptists, reported 107 Louisiana...
Black Panther Chadwick Boseman a man of faith in real life
Actor Chadwick Boseman in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Adelle M. Banks / Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS)—Chadwick Boseman, who was most known for playing the superhero in the title role...
Churches report giving boost months after pandemic started
Adelle M. Banks / Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS)—Giving to congregations has shifted upward after churches closed their buildings earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey shows. The new State of the Plate...
Black Jesus Version of Michelangelo’s Pietà Divides Catholics on Race & Politics
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — An interpretation of Michelangelo’s iconic pietà featuring a Black Jesus has unexpectedly caused a debate about Black Lives Matter, the sanctity of art, and the evangelization of Africa after the Pontifical Academy of...
The Complicated Legacy of the Pilgrims 400 Years After They Landed in Plymouth
(THE CONVERSATION) – The 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ voyage to Plymouth will be celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic with a “remembrance ceremony” with state and local officials and a museum exhibit in Plymouth,...
Protecting Abuse Survivors is ‘Personal,’ Says New Southern Baptist Leader
(RNS) — In his first meeting as leader of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, Rolland Slade called on other committee members on Tuesday (Sept. 22) to be responsible “to shepherd and to protect” survivors of church sex...
Spiritual people tend to be more civic-minded, report says
(RNS) — People who identify as highly spiritual are more likely to say it’s important to make a difference in their communities and contribute to the greater good, a broad new study on American spirituality finds. The study, “What Does...
In Battleground States, Catholics are a Pivotal Swing Vote
(AP) — For decades, Roman Catholic voters have been a pivotal swing vote in U.S. presidential elections, with a majority backing the winner — whether Republican or Democrat — nearly every time. How they vote in the battleground...
Despite Summer of Protests, Many White Christians See Less Racism
(RNS) — As racial tensions have risen in recent months, a new report reveals that some White Christians are becoming less motivated to act on racial justice, and an increasing share say there is “definitely” not a race problem in the...
Churches Report Giving Boost Months after Pandemic Started
(RNS) — Giving to congregations has shifted upward after churches closed their buildings earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey shows. The new State of the Plate research finds that close to two-thirds (64%) of...
Black Church Leaders Demand Apology for Trump Ad
(RNS) — Leaders of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the pastor of an AME congregation in Wilmington, Delaware, are condemning a Trump-Pence campaign ad that uses footage of Joe Biden kneeling in the sanctuary of a Black church,...
Birmingham Church Bombed in ‘63 Planning Virtual Remembrance
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Crowds gather every year at 16th Street Baptist Church to mark the anniversary of the horrific day when a bomb planted by Ku Klux Klansmen went off just before worship, killing four Black girls. This year’s 57th...
Old Scars & New Wounds: Christians Comfort Lebanon’s Trauma
One month since the blast, emotional support comes from evangelicals, refugees, children, and other unexpected sources.JAYSON CASPER|SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 12:47 PM A woman wearing a Lebanese flag-themed dress participates in a Beirut vigil to...
Civility is Not Enough
(BP) – I visibly cringe every time the word “civility” is used around me. I hate it. On the face of it, “civility” is one of those things that everyone supports – like “patriotism” or “family” or “honor.” But our civility is often limited...
The Pandemic at Six Months: Welcome to the Disillusionment Phase
(RNS) — Sunday (Sept. 13) marked six months since the U.S. declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. The reality that this pandemic is a marathon, not a sprint, has started to take a toll on people’s emotional and...
Chaplain notes mental health hardships first responders face
STAMFORD, Conn. (BP)—Chaplain John Revell says first responders and police have “a front-row seat to depravity.” Revell, president of Life Line Chaplaincy in Stamford, about 40 miles north of New York City, said the horrors experienced by...
Why You’re Having Anxiety Over Lockdown Ending, And How To Cope
As coronavirus restrictions lift and states began to reopen, therapists say there are things you can do to manage your anxiety and stress about the transition.By Brittany Wong, Huffpost As states and cities start to ease lockdown...
Head of Federal Election Commission Calls Separation of Church & State a ‘Fallacy’
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The head of the Federal Election Commission chastised Catholic bishops during a pair of interviews this week, accusing church hierarchy of “hiding behind” their nonprofit status and declaring that this year’s U.S....
Worship is Protest
Christian musician Sean Feucht sparked headlines after he renamed a Labor Day Christian concert a “worship protest” to get around coronavirus restrictions in Seattle, Washington. Although he wrongly downplays the coronavirus...
Pakistani Court Sentences Christian to Death for Blasphemy
MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani court sentenced a Christian man to death after finding him guilty of blasphemy for insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad in text messages he sent to a Muslim co-worker in 2013, a defense lawyer said...
A national conversation on white supremacy and American Christianity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzy_OlZ8YAQ
Unhoused People Overrepresented in the Criminal Justice System
People without homes in the U.S. are overrepresented in the criminal justice system due to “punitive laws and enforcement practices,” according to a Vera Institute of Justice report published Aug. 12. A total of 567,715 unhoused...
This One Word Best Describes 2020
Stock photo illustration (Credit: Becker1999 / Wikipedia / https://tinyurl.com/yxevw55p) I am not sure there are enough adjectives to describe 2020 so far. And none of them would be flattering in depicting what has been a strange and...
Is Trumpism a Cult? Let’s See.
The word “cult” gets tossed around to the point it takes on pejorative meanings. I resist using it, however, when the technical definitions are not met. Strong allegiance to a religious or political leader is not enough to make one a...
As Hurricane Laura Hits, Faith-Based Disaster Relief Groups Ready to Lend a Hand
(RNS) — In recent months, Lara Martin’s life has been one disaster after another. Tornadoes in Tennessee. Wildfires in California. A derecho in Iowa. Now, Hurricane Laura. “We’ve been busy,” said Martin, the interim director of...
Vermont Religious Leaders Ask State to Remember Enslaved
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Some Vermont religious leaders are asking the state to confront its role as a location where Black people were once held as slaves and remember those individuals. Rabbi Amy Small of Burlington’s Ohavi Zedek...
Jerry Young’s prayer at the DNC
What Love & Power Tools Can Do
I’m terrible with tools. I don’t particularly feel handy or efficient with regular tools, such as hammers or screwdrivers. I’ve never worn a tool belt. I’ve also never owned or operated a loud, dangerous power tool. I’m adventurous, yes,...