For Iranian Converts Claiming Religious Persecution, European Courts Require Proof of Faith
Judges across Europe are having a tough time deciding whether asylum-seekers claiming religious persecution are ‘genuine’ Christians.
Florida Considers Allowing Volunteer Chaplains in Public Schools
The only requirements for a chaplain participating in a school program would be a background check and having their name and religious affiliation listed on the school website.
Conservative Nebraska Lawmakers Push Bills That Would Intertwine Religion With Public Education
These bills are part of a broader Republican push nationwide to target a variety of culture issues in education, including diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and the type of books allowed in school libraries.
Lawmaker Seeks to Restore Ten Commandments Monument to Oklahoma Capitol
The action comes after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that the state must remove its Ten Commandments monument from Capitol grounds.
A Pastor and a Small Ohio City Tussle Over the Legality of His 24/7 Homeless Ministry
An attorney for Avell and the church, Jeremy Dys, said he thinks city leaders don't want the ministry in the middle of town, describing it as a “not in my backyard” issue and accusing officials of inventing problems.
Churches, Temples, and Monasteries Regularly Hit by Airstrikes in Myanmar, Activists Say
Churches are often suspected of sympathy with opposition groups, even though they are more commonly used as places of refuge for civilians seeking to shelter from fighting.
Prominent Black Church in New York Sued for Gender Bias by Woman Who Sought To Be Its Senior Pastor
Over its 215-year history, the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem has earned a reputation as the flagship of the Black church in America.
Belarus’ Authoritarian Leader Tightens Control Over the Country’s Religious Groups
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a law into effect that mandates that all denominations and religious groups reapply for state registration, which authorities reserve the right to refuse.
Judge Dismisses Muslim Couple’s Lawsuit Against School Where Daughter Converted to Christianity
The judge’s decision is the latest twist in a long-running dispute over religion at a public high school outside Chicago.
Speaker Johnson Doesn’t Know How Walls Work
This issue of A Public Witness looks back at Thomas Jefferson’s letter to Baptists penned 202 years ago this week and explores why prominent figures deliberately misrepresent the metaphorical “wall of separation” between church and state.