Obama Faith Adviser Accuses Trump Counterpart of Laying Spiritual Groundwork for Capitol Insurrection
A former Obama White House faith adviser blamed an evangelical Christian adviser to former President Donald Trump for quickening the rise of Christian Nationalism and setting the stage for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Faith Leaders Hope Chauvin Verdict Lifts Racial Justice Work
Faith leaders in Minnesota and across the United States expressed hope that their advocacy work for racial justice will gain momentum from the guilty verdict rendered against Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted of killing George Floyd.
Nashville Civil Rights Veterans See Hope for Future
In a video call hosted by the Associated Press, Rev. James Lawson and three of his workshop participants discussed their civil rights work and how it reverberates in today’s justice movements like Black Lives Matter and voting rights in Georgia.
Sex Discrimination Suit Against Florida Church Tests ‘Ministerial Exception’ Rulings
Christie Leonard is suing the Gospel Crusade, claiming her termination was driven by discrimination based on her gender and presumptions about her sexual orientation. The church has disputed her account in court, but the case is one of several that could test the reach of the “ministerial exception.”
North Dakota Governor Signs Ten Commandments School Bill
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed a measure Friday aimed at shielding schools and teachers from lawsuits arising from posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
Faith Leaders Across US Join in Decrying Voting Restrictions
In Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and elsewhere, many faith leaders perceive a threat to voting rights that warrants their intervention in a volatile political issue. Here is what some of the faith leaders are saying.
Honduran Woman Exits Utah Church After 3 Years in Sanctuary
After over three years living in a Salt Lake City church to avoid being deported, Honduran immigrant Vicky Chavez stepped outside Thursday with tears in her eyes as church congregants and friends cheered, celebrating her newfound freedom.
Iowan Who Cited Religious Beliefs in Refusing to Wear a Mask is Denied Jobless Benefits
An Iowa man who refused to wear a COVID-19 face mask at work because it violated his religious beliefs is not entitled to unemployment benefits, a state judge has ruled.
Faith Groups Criticize State Efforts to Create Religious Exemptions to Pandemic Rules
Twenty-seven faith groups released a joint letter Monday urging state legislatures not to pass laws to “exempt houses of worship and religious gatherings” from “emergency orders related to public health issues and emergencies such as COVID-19.”
High Court Creates New Religious Exemption to COVID Rules in California
In an unsigned order from the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” late Friday (April 9), five justices on the high court ordered California to lift restrictions on religious gatherings in homes — even as the same restrictions remain on any other gatherings in homes.