Across US, houses of worship struggle to rebuild attendance
By David Crary — December 20, 2021
(AP) — When Westminster United Methodist Church in Houston resumed in-person services late last year, after a seven-month halt due to COVID-19, there were Sundays when only three worshippers showed up.
Conflict over abortion laws won’t abate if Roe v. Wade falls
By David Crary — November 22, 2021
On both sides of America’s abortion debate, activists are convinced that Roe v. Wade — the 1973 Supreme Court ruling establishing a nationwide right to abortion — is imperiled as never before. Yet no matter how the current conservative-dominated court handles pending high-profile abortion cases — perhaps weakening Roe, perhaps gutting it completely — there […]
Some abortion foes question tactical wisdom of new Texas ban
By David Crary — September 16, 2021
The wariness relates in part to the law’s most novel feature, which some critics view as an invitation to vigilantes: It provides no enforcement role for public officials and instead authorizes private citizens to sue anyone they deem to be assisting in an abortion.
Wisconsin priest digs in to refuse bishop’s demand to resign
By Todd Richmond and David Crary — June 6, 2021
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Rev. James Altman calls himself “a lowly priest” serving a blue-collar city in western Wisconsin. But when his bishop demanded his resignation – after a series of divisive remarks about politics and the pandemic – Altman refused to oblige and has since raised more than $640,000 from his conservative supporters […]
