The Rev. Bill Hybels, center, and his two successors, lead pastor Heather Larson, left, and lead teaching pastor Steve Carter, right, of Willow Creek Community Church. (Larson and Carter photos courtesy Willow Creek Community Church; Hybels via AP/Charles Dharapak)
Need to know: Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Willow Creek investigates Hybels as pastor quits over new allegations
Steve Carter, lead teaching pastor, resigned from Willow Creek Community Church after more allegations against its founder, Bill Hybels, came to light.
Poll suggests religious freedom push is having an effect
One week after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a religious liberty task force, a new poll shows nearly a majority of Americans say it's OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples if their religion opposes it.
Shane Claiborne: Christians are why the death penalty lives on
Eighty-five percent of executions in the past 40 years have taken place in the Bible Belt and in states whose governors profess to follow Jesus, writes Shane Claiborne.
Trump’s Muslim ban is forcing some Americans to move to war-torn countries to reunite with their families
Sondos al-Silwi, a New York City charter school teacher, will move to Yemen to be with her husband when their daughter is 4 months old. She is not alone.
There’s a surprisingly rich debate about how to define death
Turns out there’s no true consensus among doctors, bioethicists and philosophers. The way death is determined can even change as you cross state lines.
Latest news from RNS
Houses of worship mobilize for back-to-school time
OKLAHOMA CITY (RNS) — For the poor, buying crayons and pencils, much less shoes and jackets, can be a major financial burden, which has inspired many houses of worship nationwide to get involved.
Feeling sidelined, Israel’s Druze protest Jewish nation bill
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — It marked the first time in recent memory that the Druze — followers of a secretive offshoot of Shiite Islam who are considered fiercely loyal to the state — staged a large public protest.
Woman fined $156 for wearing face veil in Denmark
HELSINKI (AP) — A 28-year-old woman wearing a face veil has become the first person in Denmark to be fined for violating a new law banning such garments in public places.
More views from RNS
Why religion won’t help the Republicans in the midterms
A shrinking God Gap and a decline in worship attendance are the keys.
How Mormonism can save America
Mormonism's "white horse prophecy" is bogus, except when it's not.
Pope Francis pushes Catholics to actively oppose the death penalty
(RNS) — The pope's recent change to the catechism is likely to face fierce opposition in the U.S., where 54 percent of the public — and 53 percent of Catholics — support capital punishment.
