Legislation
Poll: Most religious Americans believe there are only two genders
By Yonat Shimron — June 8, 2023
(RNS) — Americans’ views of trans people have hardened over the past two years, a new PRRI survey shows.
Utah county protects children from the Bible
By Mark Silk — June 7, 2023
(RNS) — There is precedent for tidying up the Holy Book to make it safe for all.
Chaplains in the Texas public schools. Really.
By Mark Silk — May 30, 2023
(RNS) — According to a law passed by the state's Legislature last week.
North Carolina clergy demonstrate against legislature’s new abortion limits
By Yonat Shimron — May 12, 2023
(RNS) — Their aim was to signal that not all Christians oppose abortion. A new state bill bans abortion after 12 weeks, down from the current 20.
What the Tennessee GOP did is legislative terrorism
By Jemar Tisby — April 7, 2023
(RNS) — Expelling two young Black lawmakers was intended to instill fear, but it backfired.
Israel’s Reform rabbi and legislator on judicial overhaul: ‘It doesn’t look good.’
By Yonat Shimron — March 20, 2023
(RNS) — Gilad Kariv, who serves on the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, said he wants American Jews to help protect Israel’s democracy.
Push to require clergy to report abuse stalls in Mormon Utah
By Sam Metz — March 1, 2023
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Behind-the-scenes conversations between legislative leaders and what Senate President Stuart Adams said was “a broad base of religious groups” helped thwart proposals.
West Virginia ‘religious freedom’ bill headed to governor
By John Raby and Leah Willingham — March 1, 2023
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The bill is described by supporters as a tool to protect religious freedom and labeled a “license to discriminate” by LGBTQ rights advocates.
Poll: Support for abortion rights is strong, even among most religious groups
By Yonat Shimron — February 23, 2023
(RNS) — The outliers are white evangelicals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Latter-day Saints and Hispanic Protestants.
Progressive US Jews rally in solidarity with Israeli protesters
By Yonat Shimron — February 21, 2023
(RNS) — Outrage over Israel’s government and its anti-democratic leanings have provoked strong reactions among U.S. Jews.
Should clergy be mandated reporters? New York’s CARE Act says yes
By Kathryn Post — February 1, 2023
(RNS) — ‘Because pastors do not report abuse, it allows abusers to keep on preying on vulnerable individuals,’ said advocate Abbi Nye.
At the signing of the marriage act, these two gay Christian men took the next step
By Yonat Shimron — December 30, 2022
(RNS) — Rod Snyder and Alex Orton are among thousands of LGBTQ Christians fighting for the acceptance they were denied by their families, churches and schools.
With the Afghan Adjustment Act on life support, refugee agencies pray for a miracle
By Yonat Shimron — December 20, 2022
(RNS) — Unless a floor amendment gains traction in Congress, some 76,000 Afghans who were airlifted out of Afghanistan before the U.S. withdrawal may lose their legal status in 2023.
Indiana abortion ban challenged under religious freedom law
By Tom Davies — September 9, 2022
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A lawsuit filed on Thursday by the ACLU of Indiana argues that the abortion ban set to take effect next week violates a state religious-freedom law that was approved by Republican lawmakers in 2015.
Religious schools shun state funding despite Maine victory
By David Sharp — August 30, 2022
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Only one of the Maine religious high schools that stood to benefit from the most recent Supreme Court ruling on state tuition reimbursements has signed up to participate this fall.