News
U.S. Religious Life Diversifies Amid Overall Decline
Religious life in the U.S. remains vibrant and has diversified even amid an overall decline in religious affiliation. These are among the findings of a National Congregations Survey report published in mid-January by Duke University.
People of Good Faith: Lynn Brinkley
Lynn Brinkley is associate director of Baptist Women in Ministry.
U.S. Givers Plan to Maintain Giving Levels, Increase Selectivity
U.S. donors plan to maintain current giving levels while increasing their selectivity. This is one of several key findings from a new report on charitable giving from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Look Back | An Interview with Bob Abernethy
Bob Abernethy (1927-2021) hosted Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly on PBS from 1997 to 2017. He spoke with Jodi Mathews about religion, ethics and journalism in a 2002 interview.
‘Born Again,’ Evangelical Republicans Care Most About Trump’s Midterm Endorsements
“Born again” or evangelical Christians who affiliate with the Republican Party are most likely to say Donald Trump’s endorsement of 2022 midterm candidates is most important to them, according to a recent Yahoo News / YouGov survey.
Reaction and Response: Sixth Highest Average Global Temperature in 2021
The average global temperature in 2021 was the sixth highest since global records began in 1880, a new report revealed. Here is what several faith leaders had to say about the findings.
People of Good Faith: Fred Guttman
Fred Guttman is Rabbi Emeritus at Temple Emanuel in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he served as rabbi from 1995 to 2021.
Plurality of U.S. Adults Want Less Strict Abortion Laws
Three-in-10 U.S. adults want to see less strict abortion laws enacted, a survey found. This is the highest percentage of adults wanting less strict laws in polling history.
GFM Writers’ Retreat in Georgia Mountains Set for Oct. 2022
Good Faith Media will host its first writers’ retreat on Oct. 19-21, 2022. After the 2021 retreat was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, GFM worked with program guests and Amicalola Falls Lodge to confirm availability in 2022.
U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Increased Significantly in 2020
The rate of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. increased 31% from 2019 to 2020, continuing a decades-long trend, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics.
People of Good Faith: Mark Wingfield
Mark Wingfield is executive director and publisher at Baptist News Global. He served previously as associate pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas for nearly 17 years.
Charitable Giving Increased, Volunteering Decreased in 2021
Charitable giving increased and volunteering decreased in 2021, a Gallup report found. Giving returned to near pre-pandemic levels, while volunteering continued a multi-year downward trend.
Perceived Ethics of Nurses High, Clergy at All-Time Low
Nurses remain among the highest-rated U.S. professions in honesty and ethics, a Gallup report found. Clergy remain in the middle, though they reached an all-time low in perceptions of ethics and honesty.
U.S. Divided on Good-Evil Dichotomy
U.S. adults are evenly divided when it comes to their assessment of whether something is good or evil, a recent survey found. Which groups were most likely to say the good-evil divide is clear?
People of Good Faith: Monty Self
Monty Self is a certified health care ethics consultant and senior staff chaplain at the Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Good Faith Media Welcomes Spring 2022 Interns
Angela Grant and Maddie Grimes are the latest individuals to become GFM’s Ernest C. Hynds Jr. interns. The program launched in 2020, with eight having completed internships to date.
U.S. Wage Inequality Continues to Increase
Wage inequality in the U.S. continues to increase, with the nation’s top earners consistently seeing a significantly higher percent increase in annual wages each year, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Evolution of Faith Discussed in Latest Nurturing Faith Books’ Title
‘Phases of Faith in the Biblical Story’ is the latest title from Nurturing Faith Books, with author Sherrill Gardner Stevens considering the various ways that people have expressed their faith over time in the Bible.
Garbage Truck Worth of Plastic Enters Oceans Every Minute
The amount of plastic waste entering the oceans each year is the equivalent of a garbage truck worth being dumped in every minute, a report found. The U.S. is a top producer of plastics and source of plastic waste.
Only One Religious Leader on ‘Most Admired’ Lists for 2021
A single religious leader made YouGov’s “most admired” lists in 2021. Political figures, TV and film celebrities and athletes were the most prominent figures.
U.S. Prison, Jail Population Drops in 2020, Racial Disparities Persist
Both U.S. prisons and jails saw significant population declines in 2020, due mostly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these drops, significant racial disparities continue.
Less Than Half of U.S. Says Religion Extremely or Very Important
Less than half of U.S. adults say that religion is extremely or very important to them, a recent report found. White evangelical Protestants were the most likely group to affirm this view.
Religious Life in U.S. ‘Slowly Returning to Normal’
Religious life in the U.S. is “showing signs of slowly returning to normal,” an AP-NORC report found. Nearly one-quarter of all adults are attending in-person religious services at least weekly.
Few U.S. Adults Could Tell Christmas Story Accurately from Memory
Less than a quarter of all U.S. adults say they could tell the biblical Christmas story accurately, a report found. Even so, a strong majority plan to celebrate Christmas this year.
New Nurturing Faith Books Analyze Broadway and the Gospels
The latest books from Nurturing Faith feature Terrell Carter looking to Broadway for insight and inspiration, and Maralene and Miles Wesner carefully analyzing the Gospels for information about Jesus as a person.
Few in U.S. See Conflict Between Religious Teaching, Vaccination
Few adults in the U.S. say there is a conflict between religious teaching, or personal religious beliefs, and receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. Still, a slim majority favor religious exemptions for vaccinations.
People of Good Faith: David Emmanuel Goatley
David Emmanuel Goatley is Associate Dean for Academic and Vocational Formation, Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Research Professor of Theology and Christian Ministry, and Director of the Office of Black Church Studies at Duke University Divinity School.
Nearly a Third of U.S. Does Not Affiliate With a Religious Tradition
The religiously unaffiliated now comprise nearly a third of all U.S. adults, a new report found. While a majority still identify as Christian, total affiliation has declined significantly in the past decade.
U.S. Adults: Fair Trial More Likely for Whites Than Blacks
U.S. adults believe a white defendant is more likely than a Black defendant to receive a fair trial, a report found. Notable differences emerged when analyzing responses based on race and on political affiliation.
New Resource Available to Help Churches Discuss Taxation and Justice
Five Christian organizations have jointly produced a taxation and justice resource for local churches. The “ZacTax Toolkit” draws its name from Jesus’ encounter with a tax collector named Zacchaeus.