As faith leaders continue to preach the public health benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines, they now have additional support to make the case. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 29 reported results of a real-world study…
Equality Act stirs passions about the definition of religious liberty and RFRA’s role
When the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act last week, the long-simmering battle between religious conservatives and the rest of the nation reached a renewed pitch. At stake is the desire of religious conservatives — especially evangelical Christians…
Amid pandemic and other distractions, Americans not paying as much attention to immigration policy
While being against immigration was a key component of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and being for immigration was a key component of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, the pandemic has taken Americans’ minds off the immigration debate as a…
COVID-19 creating exponential increase in global poverty
The effect of coronavirus on global poverty is getting significantly worse, according to new data from the World Bank. COVID-19 is “likely to push between 88 and 115 million people into extreme poverty — those living under $1.90 a day…
Three reasons Black well-being falls below others in the latest Gallup polling
New data from the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index shows that Black Americans recorded the sharpest decrease in “well-being” in this year’s Index. This year’s Index shows that more than half of Black Americans (52%) could be classified as…
Despite Trump crackdown, Americans still positive toward immigration
Despite drastic reductions in legal immigration to the United States under the Trump administration, Americans continue to express positive attitudes about immigrants and the benefits of welcoming these newcomers. New data from Gallup finds the United States among the “most-accepting…
Is religion more important amid COVID or is this just a phase?
More Americans say religion is increasingly influential in society even as faith’s importance on the personal level remains flat, according to new research by the Gallup Organization.
Pastors feel the pain as churches hit ‘another low point’ in American culture
Research once again shows that confidence in organized religion remains at all-time lows. But what the numbers don’t reveal is the toll that the erosion of reputation and relevance has had on churches and ministers throughout the decline. It’s often described as an astonishing and disturbing experience.
No surprise among ministers that public doesn’t trust clergy
Ministers took one to the chin this month when Gallup released a poll placing them in the middle of the pack of professions trusted by the public. The polling organization asked Americans who they consider to be the most honest…
Powerful spiritual force needed to counter critical national, world challenges
Research shows that a slight majority of Americans believe religion can solve most of the world’s problems. According to Gallup, 55 percent of Americans hold that view. Broken down by politics, 71 percent of Republicans and 47 percent of Democrats express that…
Banking study may hold key to church Millennial crisis
Congregations are often broken-hearted when young adults leave church or don’t show up at all. “Churches in some ways feel rejected by Millennials,” said Laura Stephens-Reed, an Alabama-based clergy and congregational coach. But they shouldn’t feel alone, she said.
Secular Americans not alone in doubting Christmas story
Many Church of Christ members have historically drawn a sharp distinction between Christmas and the birth of Christ, usually dismissing the former as a commercial, even pagan, observance. Nowhere in the New Testament, preachers and Sunday school teachers have counseled,…