A Christian pastor is facing a criminal charge after refusing to leave a sidewalk outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington while protesting China’s treatment of religious minorities. The Rev. Patrick Mahoney, leader of the Christian Defense Coalition, said in a Sept. 28 Facebook post that he was “arrested by the United States Secret Service for peacefully praying on a public sidewalk in front of the Chinese Embassy.”
A Canadian woman in her 70s received approval for assisted suicide after becoming unable to cook for her family and feeling that she no longer had value, according to two Toronto psychiatrists who say Canada’s MAiD system has expanded too far. University of Toronto psychiatry professors Madeline Li and Gary Rodin described the case in a New York Times op-ed published Monday while warning about the direction of Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying program.
A nearly century-old cross and a Nativity display in Los Angeles’ historic El Pueblo district can remain in place after a federal appeals court upheld a lower court’s decision not to order their removal. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday declined to reverse a district court ruling that rejected atheist plaintiff Jack Gerritsen’s request to remove the displays from Olvera Street.
Younger Protestant churchgoers in the United States are more likely than older attendees to say cultural change can make some biblical truths “obsolete,” according to a new Lifeway Research survey. Overall, 28% agreed “that as culture changes, some biblical truths become obsolete,” up from 24% in 2019. Another 34% said they “accept some truths from the Bible, but others do not fit what they believe,” compared with 30% six years earlier.
National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School may continue pursuing plans to become the nation’s first religious charter school while its legal challenge to an Oklahoma law moves forward, a federal judge ruled. According to Baptist Press, the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation is challenging provisions of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act that bar religious organizations from operating publicly funded charter schools because of their religious character.
Former President Joe Biden received an award from Planned Parenthood of Delaware on Thursday and used his remarks to defend his abortion-rights record while encouraging supporters to continue their efforts. Biden spoke at Planned Parenthood of Delaware’s 22nd Annual Chocolate & Champagne Gala in Claymont, where former first lady Jill Biden presented him with the Sonia Schorr Sloan Service Award.
A performance of Handel’s “Messiah” blending Western and Eastern music took place Sept. 12 at Mukawir, the hilltop fortress in Jordan traditionally associated with the beheading of John the Baptist. The concert was held under the patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal.
A "provocative and misunderstood" scientific study published this year supports the Bible's Adam and Eve story by demonstrating that all humans are descended from a common mother and father, a prominent science writer and public speaker claims.
Nearly two-thirds of churchgoers failed a test measuring their knowledge of the Bible, highlighting widespread gaps in biblical literacy, according to a report published Tuesday by Lifeway Research. The assessment used a traditional grading system ranging from A (90 and above) to F (below 60). The average score was 51, with 65% receiving an F, 9% a D, 9% a C, 8% a B and 9% an A.
Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico drew comparisons between himself and the biblical figures of David and Jesus in a victory speech Tuesday after defeating Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state's U.S. Senate election. “I'm reminded of that story from Scripture of a shepherd boy who goes up against a giant,” Talarico told supporters in Austin shortly before midnight.
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham, who drew national media attention this season for objecting to male trans-identified athletes in women's sports, reflected on her faith journey on an episode of Theo Von's podcast, saying she believes a revival is happening.
More than two-thirds of American teenagers say they would feel comfortable seeking guidance from Jesus about their identity, although parents and friends remain their preferred sources of advice, according to new research from Barna. Mothers emerged as the most trusted source of guidance, with 84% of teenagers expressing comfort in discussing identity-related questions with them.
A North Carolina county has argued that its legal battle with former Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear’s The Summit Church over a proposed campus expansion centers on the limits of federal court authority rather than allegations of religious discrimination.
