More Americans trust childhood immunizations than they do vaccines to protect against coronavirus, according to a new study by Pew Research Center. “The survey findings highlight the sizable gap between higher public confidence in childhood vaccines and lower ratings of…
Immigration advocates continue to rip Biden administration for betrayal of campaign promises
The hardships facing asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border have exceeded levels witnessed during the Trump administration, some human rights advocates say. Exposure to cartel violence, deplorable living conditions and bureaucratic red tape have steadily worsened for desperate migrants during…
On its 60th anniversary, ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ still speaks
Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is as relevant and hard-hitting today as it was when penned in 1963, a panel of religious leaders said at Georgetown University. For one, King’s audience is the same now as…
Alliance focuses spring meeting on setting modern-day captives free
A call to “Set the Captives Free” through policing reform and criminal justice reform permeated the annual gathering of the Alliance of Baptists held in April in Atlanta. Several speakers explained the modern-day abolition movement, including Alliance Co-Director Elijah Zehyoue….
Similarities in parent-child religious and political adherence remain strong
While most American parents say it’s more important to share faith than political orientation with their children, research shows they are doing a pretty good job of doing both, Pew Research Center reports. “This may be surprising, considering that parents…
Christian leaders warn once again about the ongoing ReAwaken America tour
National and state Christian leaders spoke out against the white supremacist ideology espoused during two recent Christian nationalist rallies in South Florida. Christians Against Christian Nationalism and Faithful America organized a livestreamed event as a counter perspective to the May…
Oppressive regimes are now targeting citizens living safely abroad, including in the U.S.
“Transnational repression” is the emerging term for an insidious and growing form of global religious, political and ethnic persecution that has U.S., European and other governments reeling. The expression refers to the actions of foreign countries to intimidate, kidnap and…
Immigration advocates aren’t buying what Biden administration is selling
The Biden administration said its new travel ban on asylum seekers will expand the number of legal pathways for migrants seeking refuge at the U.S. southern border, but immigration advocates held a virtual press conference May 10 to say they…
Texas Ten Commandments bill is a bad idea, Tyler and Hollman warn
Legislation that would require posting the Ten Commandments in every Texas public school classroom has gone largely unnoticed nationally, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, its leaders said recently. Senate Bill 1515 “hasn’t…
These Christians are praying for an end to the death penalty
Death penalty abolitionists are turning to organized prayer in the national movement to end state and federal capital punishment. The approach began with a virtual gathering of faith and social justice leaders May 4 — the National Day of Prayer…
To understand pluralism, think of a potluck
Promoting diversity in American culture and democracy is like hosting a potluck gathering, author and interfaith activist Eboo Patel said. “Maybe there’s something about a potluck that just brings out the best in pluralism,” Patel, founder and president of Interfaith…
Momentum is building to stop an execution in Oklahoma
Legislative and religious momentum is building to spare the life of a condemned Oklahoma inmate and to seek a moratorium — if not an outright ban — on the state’s capital punishment system. Lawmakers and a former parole and pardons…