Legislation
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.
Protesters demand Utah require clergy to report sex abuse
By Sam Metz — August 22, 2022
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Protestors, including religious leaders and survivors, gathered at the Utah State Capitol on Friday to rally against a state law that exempts Mormon leaders from being required to report child sexual abuse brought to their attention in church confessionals.
Clergy, social workers fear fallout from Okla. abortion laws
By Sean Murphy — August 15, 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Clergy members, social workers and even librarians have raised concerns about being exposed to criminal or civil liability for just discussing the topic.
New Zealand river’s personhood status offers hope to Māori
By Nick Perry — August 15, 2022
WHANGANUI, New Zealand (AP) — Whanganui Māori have a saying: Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au: I am the river, and the river is me.
2nd Australian state bans public displays of Nazi swastikas
By Associated Press — August 11, 2022
SYDNEY (AP) — The law allows for the swastika to be used in academic, historical or educational settings, thereby paving the way for its display by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains for whom it holds religious significance.
New book invites Christians to rethink homelessness
By Kathryn Post — August 9, 2022
(RNS) — ‘If we actually saw Jesus on the side of the road ... we probably wouldn’t just roll down our window and hand him a five.’
In Sri Lanka, Buddhist monks’ involvement in protests raises familiar questions
By Haley Barker — August 4, 2022
(RNS) — The connection between monks and political figures has reportedly diminished some monks’ respectability.
Could Republicans be softening on same-sex marriage? Don’t bet on it.
By Jacob Lupfer — August 1, 2022
(RNS) — There is very little up-side to forcing Republicans in moderate areas to fall on their swords in a battle that cannot be won.
Salvadoran Archbishop praises government crackdown on gangs
By Associated Press — August 1, 2022
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador’s gangs, which have been estimated to count some 70,000 members in their ranks, have long controlled swaths of territory and extorted and killed with impunity.
‘Rabbi Charlie’ balances Colleyville fame with one-to-one connection
By Yonat Shimron — July 19, 2022
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (RNS) — Safety is still his watchword, but building community is his mission.
Cannabis prohibition in France over the past 50 years has disproportionately punished its Muslim minority
By David A Guba — July 13, 2022
(The Conversation) — France may be getting closer to legalizing cannabis. Still, arrests are rising quickly and often target Arab Muslim men.
Anti-Roe justices a part of Catholicism’s conservative wing
By Peter Smith — July 1, 2022
The Supreme Court was dominated by Protestant justices for much of its history. The majority have been Catholic since the 1990s, and for several years in the last decade, the court had six Catholic justices, three Jews and no Protestants.
