Baptists from more than 50 nations gathered virtually to mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to pray for those who continue to suffer from the military onslaught. The Baptist World Alliance sponsored the Feb. 24…
Christian nationalists target public schools, undermining freedom of religion, webinar guests show
Multi-state campaigns to legislate prayer and Bible study in public schools seek to undermine freedom of religion and to make non-Christians feel like second-class citizens, Brian Kaylor said during a webinar hosted by Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Other efforts —…
Immigration advocates slam Biden’s asylum plan by comparing it to Trump’s
President Biden’s proposal to essentially ban asylum at the Southern border has infuriated immigration advocates who equate his policies with those of the Trump administration. “With the introduction of this proposed rule, Trump’s cruel playbook has now become Biden’s legacy,”…
Coalitions in Florida and Texas seek to halt executions of mentally ill inmates
Death penalty opponents are pleading with two U.S. governors to halt the impending executions of a pair of mentally ill prisoners, including a Florida inmate scheduled for execution Feb. 23. “We pray that Gov. (Ron) DeSantis will consider the full…
Nostalgia for idealized past and toxic fear of the future fuel Christian nationalism, scholars say
Nostalgia for an idealized American past combined with a toxic fear of the future is driving Christian nationalist claims that the coming midterm and 2024 presidential elections are battles between God and Satan in which Democrats are allied with the…
Immigration advocates urge U.S. to reform cruel, broken asylum system
It’s one thing to hear or read about Title 42 but quite another to experience the Trump-era immigration policy firsthand, a Haitian asylum seeker said during a recent webinar hosted by interfaith immigration advocates. In fact, Title 42 is a…
No surprise here: Study documents parental stress due to COVID
A new study reports higher levels of anxiety and depression among parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Stacy Cochran Nowell doesn’t need documentation to tell her that. “The spring was awful. It really was. It was incredibly difficult,” said Nowell,…
More Boomers are retiring, and churches need to be prepared
The rate of Baby Boomer retirements escalated in the last 12 months, a trend that could provide a boost to some American churches and a challenge to others. “As Boomers retire, many of them are going to go from working…
Racial justice activists concerned that too many white Americans are tired of the conversation
Many Americans see little or no benefit in the heightened focus on racial injustice since the high-profile police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, new polling reveals. Natasha Nedrick, however, is not one of…