Two Republican senators have introduced legislation aimed at protecting students preparing for religious vocations from losing federal financial aid because their chosen careers may lead to lower earnings. Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced the Religious Education Fairness Act last week to amend federal higher education law and protect certain theology and religious studies programs from becoming ineligible for Title IV aid based on graduate earnings.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says the 2022 Dobbs ruling that ended the federal constitutional right to abortion was a case that demanded judicial courage, while predicting that the court is unlikely to overturn its 2015 same-sex marriage decision. Alito made the remarks in an interview with CBS News’ Jan Crawford ahead of the release of his book, *So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution*, reflecting on major cases from his two decades on the high court.
Religious freedom advocates told a gathering in Texas that armed conflict and state surveillance are undermining the methods Christians have used to defend persecuted believers. They said a divided global church is poorly placed to respond.
A bipartisan group of 10 U.S. senators called on President Donald Trump to raise China’s persecution of Christian pastors and other religious minorities during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington this week. Led by Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., the lawmakers thanked Trump for diplomatic pressure they said helped secure the July 3 release of Beijing Zion Church founder Ezra Jin after 266 days in detention.
President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to draw attention to the persecution of Christians worldwide, criticizing the U.N. Human Rights Council for giving the issue little attention while condemning some of the world’s most repressive governments. “Christians are being persecuted all over the world; it's not even believable. I never thought I'd say it, but it's been happening for a long time.”
Vice President JD Vance criticized Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and United Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton at a campaign rally in Olathe, Kansas, accusing his church of financially supporting a Pride event associated with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.Vance urged voters to back Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, who is seeking reelection against Hamilton, pastor of Resurrection, a multi-campus United Methodist congregation in Leawood.
President Donald Trump has nominated Cissie Graham Lynch to serve as U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, a State Department position focused on promoting religious liberty abroad. The White House announced that the nomination of Jane Lynch, better known as Cissie Graham Lynch, had been sent to the Senate for consideration.
The Colorado man convicted of killing his wife and two daughters heard heartbreaking testimonies from his victims' family as he was sentenced to life in prison for their deaths.
A Maryland appeals court has rejected a challenge brought by 37 churches against the United Methodist Church’s Baltimore-Washington Conference over property and financial requirements connected to leaving the denomination. A three-judge panel of the Appellate Court of Maryland unanimously ruled in 'The Methodist Church of Cape St. Claire et al. v. The Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, Inc., et al.'
U.S. Protestant pastors are delivering somewhat longer sermons than they did several years ago, while most churchgoers remain generally satisfied with the amount of time their pastors spend preaching, according to Lifeway Research. Four in five pastors, or 80%, said their typical sermon lasts less than 40 minutes. About half, or 52%, said they usually preach for under 30 minutes, while 28% reported messages lasting between 30 and 40 minutes.
Christian artists gathered at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for the 57th annual GMA Dove Awards, held under the theme “Together For One,” drawn from Colossians 3:14. The event brought together artists from worship, gospel, contemporary Christian, country and other genres, celebrating both their musical achievements and the Christian faith at the heart of the ceremony.
Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who spent nearly nine months imprisoned in China before being released to the United States in July, is set to receive a human rights award marking one year since his arrest. Jin said he intends to use the recognition to keep drawing attention to eight leaders of Beijing Zion Church who remain in detention.
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.
