Americans hold double standards about cases of religiously motivated violence, with white evangelicals most inconsistent and the religiously unaffiliated the most consistent. In a recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, Americans were asked if people who perpetrate acts…
For clergy and churches, repeal of health law poses serious consequences
Like most Americans, ministers and their families are facing exploding health-care costs. And for many clergy, the resulting frustration and stress comes on top of the long hours and low pay associated with their callings. Throw in the rising suspense…
Letting social media choose your Lenten practice can be rewarding — and humorous
Finding fresh ways to observe Lent, year in and year out, can be challenging. While Catholics, Episcopalians, Orthodox Christians and others can rely on tradition to guide them, some Christians and churches are left to their own devices. Fortunately for those…
As some key congregations threaten to defund SBC, leaders look for solutions
Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention are taking seriously threats to withhold funds by churches dissatisfied with recent positions on public policy taken by some of the convention’s agencies. During its board leadership meeting Feb. 20-21, the SBC Executive Committee…
Poll says 3 in 4 white evangelicals support Trump travel ban
Three in four white evangelicals support President Trump’s controversial executive order banning travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries, according to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center. The study, released Feb. 16, also found white evangelicals, who according to exit…
A not-so-hot reaction to Trump’s promise to fuse church and politics
Donald Trump has vowed to “destroy” federal rules prohibiting religious groups from engaging in partisan politics. Politically conservative Christians may favor the idea of church and state being connected at the hip. They may perceive it as translating into more…
Most faith groups value formal education, new research shows
There are times when mixing religion and education is desirable. And there are times when it isn’t. Critics of Betsy DeVos have claimed the nation’s new education secretary is definitely an example of the latter. From her nomination last month…
White Christian America declining, but still packs punch
Conservative evangelicals have lost their cultural and political clout as their numbers and vitality wane, author Robert Jones argues in his book The End of White Christian America. The book was published in the summer of 2016 — just a few…
Head of Baptist advocacy group says Johnson Amendment good for churches
The head of a Baptist group dedicated to religious freedom opposed President Trump’s vow to overturn a law that prohibits churches and other tax-exempt organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates in a statement Feb. 3. “Politicizing churches does them…