Iowa Judge: Mask Policy Didn’t Violate Worker’s Religious Rights
An Iowa judge has denied unemployment benefits for a dental technician who cited religious reasons for refusing to wear a face mask intended to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
There Should Be No Pandemic Privilege for Religion
Houses of worship should not be hit with harsher pandemic rules than similar organizations. But religious gatherings should not be exempt from the same life-saving health rules to which similar gatherings are subjected. Simply put, there shouldn’t be a pandemic privilege for religion.
BWA Calls for Equitable Global Vaccine Distribution
As COVID-19 vaccination efforts ramps up in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, and Denmark, the Baptist World Alliance on Friday called for equitable distribution of vaccines and the avoidance of “vaccine nationalism.”
‘Manage The Best We Can’: Latino Church Adapts To New COVID-19 Reality
Mosaic is an evangelical Christian congregation and has lots of young, working class families. A year ago, nearly 700 people would come worship on any given Sunday. Then the pandemic began and congregants who are first responders or work at meat packing plants started getting
Religious Leaders Want Brazilian President Impeached Over COVID-19
Stating that Brazil’s federal government displayed contempt for protecting the health of the population and showed criminal conduct, 380 Brazilian Christian religious leaders filed an impeachment request against President Jair Bolsonaro for the crime of shirking his responsibilities. Read full piece
Survey: Americans Most Likely to Say Pandemic has Boosted Their Faith
According to a new Pew Research survey of 14 countries, the coronavirus pandemic has not significantly boosted people’s faith. Of the countries surveyed — all advanced economies with significant secular populations — Americans were most likely to say the pandemic made their faith stronger.
Conspiracy Theories Prevalent in Churches, New Study Finds
A new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research finds 49 percent of U.S. Protestant pastors say they frequently hear members of their congregation repeating conspiracy theories they have heard about why something is happening in the country.
Can Faith Leaders’ Vaccine Selfies Rebuild Public Trust?
Faith leaders can play a critical role in educating the public about the vaccine, particularly in communities that have good reason to distrust institutions. Read full piece
The Future of the Church is Now
Editor Brian Kaylor writes that even even as we return to a “normal” in the upcoming months as vaccinations roll out, he hopes churches do so while building on the lessons learned during this time of social distancing and virtual life.
For Many Schools, the Master of Divinity Degree is Moving Online for Good
These days, nearly every school is offering online programs, but Duke has decided to offer a version of its flagship degree, the Master of Divinity, online even after the coronavirus pandemic is over. In doing so, it joins many other seminaries in remaking the degree.