Let me start off by saying that I got the inspiration for this data exercise from reading Dan Cox’s excellent newsletter American Storylines. It was specifically his post from March 20, “The Gender Gap in Church is Growing.”
Aid to Gaza resumes, with UN and established faith-based agencies leading the way
With President Trump announcing “the war is over” on Monday (Oct. 13) and Israel and Hamas trading hostages for Palestinian prisoners, aid from the United Nations and faith-based agencies began to flow into the Gaza Strip, with hopes of stemming a humanitarian…
In brief to Supreme Court, BJC argues that monetary damages are available under federal religious liberty law for prisoner forcibly shaved
A prisoner forcibly shaved in violation of his religious liberty rights is entitled to monetary damages. That is the legal conclusion of a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in Landor v. Louisiana Dept. of Corrections by BJC and other advocates.
Sister Jean, nun and sensation on basketball sidelines, dies at 106
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the men’s basketball chaplain at Loyola University Chicago who became an international celebrity during the team’s improbable Final Four run in 2018, cheering courtside in her basketball vestments — a letterman jacket, a burgundy and yellow…
China Detains Influential House Church Pastor
Since Thursday, police have detained nearly 30 pastors and staff members of Zion Church, an influential Chinese house church network, in what many fear is the beginning of a new wave of persecution against Christians in China.
Jewish man attacked in Montana by self-proclaimed Nazi on Oct. 7
A Jewish man in Missoula, Montana, was assaulted on Oct. 7 by a self-proclaimed “Nazi,” according to the Missoula Police Department.
Pope Leo Delivers Blunt Message To U.S. Bishops On Trump’s Immigration Policies
Pope Leo told U.S. bishops visiting him at the Vatican on Wednesday that they should firmly address how immigrants are being treated by President Donald Trump’s hardline policies, attendees said, in the latest push by the pontiff on the issue.
Three US states now recognize Diwali as a holiday
During the late 1970s in the quiet suburbs of Hamden, Connecticut, the Indian festival of Diwali hardly enjoyed mainstream recognition. For Hindus like Rajeev Pahuja, who was born and raised in that environment, the fall holiday season meant balancing two…
‘Roe v. Wade’ Eroded the Church’s Historic Pro-Life Consensus
After the Supreme Court’s polarizing Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, the liberal Protestant organ, The Christian Century, sometimes expressed deep ethical concerns about freer access to abortion. Though generally supportive of the ruling, some of the magazine’s contributors were willing to express…
Pews vs. Passports: Who’s Leaving the Country—and Who Isn’t
Here’s a stat that, to this day, I still can’t quite believe: the share of Americans who had a passport was 5% in 1990. According to data from 2023, that had risen to 48%. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a small…
Pope urges news agencies to stand as bulwark against lies, manipulation and post-truths
Pope Leo XIV encouraged international news agencies on Thursday to stand firm as a bulwark against the “ancient art of lying” and manipulation, as he strongly backed a free, independent and objective press.
American Jews and Muslims celebrate ceasefire deal, but cautiously
As the first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza appeared imminent, major religious groups, Jewish, Muslim and Christian, issued near-unanimous statements of relief and gratitude. But they also tempered their statements with notes of caution.