News
Confidence, Contentment Plummets Among U.S. Protestant Pastors
The number of U.S. Protestant pastors who feel confident about their calling and satisfied with their vocation has plummeted, according to a Barna Group report.
Pope Urges Identifying, Welcoming and Integrating Vulnerable Migrants
Pope Francis met with refugees and asylum seekers on March 18. He offered praise for humanitarian corridors created by ecumenical Christian organizations and emphasized the importance of governments and non-governmental organizations identifying and welcoming vulnerable people.
U.S. Remains Divided Along Political Lines on Immigration Policy
A plurality of U.S. adults want a reduction in immigration to the nation, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research report. Republicans generally support deterrent policies, while Democrats tend to support pathways to citizenship.
U.S. State Department Releases Annual Human Rights Reports
The U.S. State Department published the “2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices” on March 20. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered brief remarks about the report during a press conference.
Religious Bias Incidents Third Most Frequent U.S. Hate Crime
Religious bias incidents were the third most frequent type of hate crime committed in the U.S. in 2021, with anti-Jewish bias the most common religious bias incident, according to new FBI data.
One in Four Holds Unfavorable View of Evangelical Protestants in U.S.
Evangelical Protestants received the highest percentage of unfavorable views from U.S. adults in a new Pew Research Center survey. A plurality of respondents expressed a neutral view toward each of the seven faith traditions surveyed.
Are Social Justice and Philanthropy Reconcilable?
Can social justice and philanthropy be reconciled when wealthy donors have made their fortunes through an unjust system? A new report explores this question by looking at the top 10% of young donors who are seeking to practice social justice-oriented giving.
Christian Hypocrisy the Leading Cause of Doubts About Christianity
Hypocrisy of professed Christians is the leading cause of people doubting the Christian faith, according to a Barna Group report. It is the most common response of two of the three main demographic groups featured in the survey.
Minimal Progress on U.S. Gender Pay Gap Since 2002
Two cents. That’s the amount of progress made in closing the gender pay gap during the last two decades, according to a Pew Research Center report published March 1.
Half of U.S. Says Religious Leaders Are Moral, One-Third Says Immoral
A majority of U.S. adults affirms that the morality of religious leaders, according to a YouGov report. Yet, nearly one third says religious leaders are immoral.
Conservative Lawmakers, Pro-Life Advocates Call for a ‘Pause’ on Oklahoma Executions
A group of Oklahoma state lawmakers and pro-life advocates gathered to call for a moratorium on the death penalty.
Global Crises Resulting in ‘Explosion of Inequality’
The impacts of climate change and a global pandemic that strained health systems, economies, mental health and family finances had another significant impact: “an explosion of inequality,” according to a new Oxfam International report.
U.S. Prison Population Decreases, Jail Population Increases
The U.S. prison population decreased from 2020 to 2021, while the jail population increased. Racial disparities remained, as the percentage of Blacks in both jails and prisons was higher than the percentage of the total Black population.
Record Number of U.S. Adults Want Less Strict Abortion Laws
Neary half (46%) of all U.S. adults say they are dissatisfied with the nation’s abortion laws and want less strict regulations, according to a Gallup report. This is the highest level in polling history.
Sophia Said’s Interfaith Work Recognized by Arkansas Church
No sermon was preached at Second Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Sunday, February 12. Instead, an award was presented to a Muslim woman. Sophia Said received 2BCLR’s Brooks Hayes Award.
Holy See, Stockholm Environment Institute Produce ‘Guide to Caring for Our Planet’
A new guide on environmental protection is the result of a collaboration between science and spirituality. “Our Common Home,” was created by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Stockholm Environment Institute.