Having a masked immigration agent point a loaded gun at him was frightening enough for Illinois State Rep. Hoan Huynh, but just as terrifying were the memories it evoked from his previous life in a communist country. “I think back…
New Oklahoma schools chief is erasing the Walters legacy
The new superintendent of public schools in Oklahoma has formed a “turnaround team” to help restore public education in the state after the departure of Christian nationalist leader Ryan Walters. Veteran educator Lindel Fields was appointed to the position by…
Half of states sue Trump to keep food stamp funding going
Half of all U.S. states and the District of Columbia are suing to force the Trump administration to continue food stamp funding currently scheduled to end Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown. The administration blamed its decision to suspend…
Conversion therapy case is a ‘pivotal moment,’ AU’s Laser says
A pending Supreme Court decision on whether states can ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth represents a pivotal moment in the struggle against Christian nationalism, said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “Either you…
‘Never before have we seen this,’ Pritzker and Perryman agree
The politicization of democracy is one of the most disturbing precedents of Donald Trump’s second presidency, Democracy Forward President Skye Perryman said during a livestreamed conversation with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. American democracy and constitutional freedoms never have endured the…
A portrait of the undocumented immigrants in the USA
The number of undocumented immigrants in the United States spiked to nearly 14 million just more than a year before President Donald Trump returned to office and launched his aggressive detention and deportation campaign. The population of unauthorized residents increased…
AWAB lecture explores art’s role in gender, sexuality and spirituality
The visual arts can connect gender, sexuality and spirituality and reshape attitudes about LGBTQ life and religion, scholar Justin Sabia-Tanis said during a lecture presented by the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. “And this can in turn offer us…
Trump’s immigration agenda is a minority view, research shows
New research shows most Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of immigration and specifically oppose how federal agents are arresting and detaining undocumented immigrants. Almost six in 10 Americans (58%) agree that “Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers should not…
Trump administration refuses to document ‘anti-Christian bias’ concerns
President Donald Trump’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias faces yet more litigation demanding the release of records related to the commission’s investigation of government agencies. Democracy Forward and Interfaith Alliance filed a lawsuit Oct. 22 to obtain documents from…
Republicans increasingly stand alone, PRRI finds
A significant majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump is leading the nation in the wrong direction and disagree with his handling of the economy, immigration and foreign policy, according to a new annual survey by Public Religion Research Institute….
Book banners almost always motivated by religion, speaker says
Proponents of book banning may differ in the titles or subjects they want to suppress, but they almost always are motivated by religious beliefs, college senior Katie Turcke observed during a recent webinar on censorship. The Pomona College student said…
Kansas City church rebrands for inclusion
A Baptist church in Kansas City has rebranded itself to declare both its adherence to denominational roots and its identity as an open and affirming congregation. Holmeswood Baptist Church is now Holmeswood Church with a prominent tagline: “Baptist Roots, Inclusive…