RELIGION
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“Hate has no place in our city”—Antisemitic “Day of Rage” NYC Demonstrations Intimidate Subway Riders, Block Traffic and Spread Hate Speech
“Raise your hand if you’re a Zionist,” the mob chanted. “This is your chance to get out.” No one on the crowded New York subway car dared to move. After a moment, a man from the mob shouted, “Okay, no Zionists here. We’re good.” The antisemitic incident happened on June 10 at the 14th Street-Union Square Station and, shortly after…
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Freedom of Religion Argument Goes One-For-Three in the First Round of Pro-Choice Lawsuits
In a victory for anti-abortionists, most of them—according to a recent Public Religion Research Institute survey—White Christian nationalists—the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the right to abortion two years ago. Across the spectrum of Christian and non-Christian religions, however, a majority of Americans support at least some access to abortion. Some of those religions have protested the high court’s decision…
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Unitarian Universalists Vote For Love
At this June’s annual assembly of the Unitarian Universalists in Rochester, NY, the voting delegates decisively embedded love into the bedrock of the faith, as 80 percent chose to adopt changes to its covenant clause, otherwise known as Article II of the faith’s bylaws. The change in the bylaws, which are essentially a mission statement, is the first since 1987.…
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Oklahoma State Supreme Court Echoes Madison and Jefferson In Nixing Taxpayer-Funded Religious Charter School
It would have been—and still could be—the first taxpayer-funded religious public school in America, representing not one small step but a giant leap across the wall separating church and state. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, a proposed online Catholic charter school—a type of public school—financed not by families paying tuition but by the people of Oklahoma, was scheduled…
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“Bridgebuilders and Peacemakers” – Women in Freedom of Religion or Belief Sound the “Never-Silent Bell”
Adam, according to Genesis, was made of the dust of the earth. Not so Eve. Adam’s better half was fashioned from one of his ribs—from bone. The Rabbis remind us that if you put dust into boiling water, it does nothing, remaining silent and motionless. But put a bone in the same pot, and it will crackle. Thus, the women…
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A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to the Vatican—Pope Hosts Over 100 Comedians
Did you hear the one about the Pope and the comedians? At a unique celebration of humor on June 14, Pope Francis hosted an audience unique in the annals of the Holy See—over 100 jokesters, late-night hosts and other assorted comedians of all shapes, sizes and styles, representing 15 nations—gathered together in Clementine Hall in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the…
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Communication and Dialogue: The Keynote of the 9th Annual Interfaith Solidarity March in Los Angeles
Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Buddhists, Scientologists, and members of other faiths and beliefs gathered at St. Basil Catholic Church in Los Angeles for the 9th Annual Interfaith Solidarity March and forum on Sunday, June 2. The event, organized to foster unity, peace and understanding among different faith communities, addressed pressing issues. Key among them were the Israel-Hamas War and humanitarian crisis in Gaza,…
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Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches May Be Ready To Bury the Hatchet, and It’s About Time—Literally
For nearly a millennium, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Vatican have been engaged in what may be the longest-running ecumenical argument in history. A significant aspect of this divide is the calendar dispute—the Orthodox Church adheres to the Julian calendar, while Western Christianity follows the Gregorian calendar. This disagreement has turned time itself into a theological hot…
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Soon to Be the First Millennial Saint, “God’s Influencer,” Carlo Acutis
The Pope has cleared the way for fifteen-year-old Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006, to become the first Saint familiar with cellphones, cyberspace and youth soccer. Blessed Carlo, his official title since he was beatified in 2020, began his mission at age 11 when he began meticulous research on miracles, which he then posted online. Once recognized as…
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Can A Young Female Faith Healer In Blue Jeans Work A Miracle For Argentina’s Declining Catholic Presence?
He raised his hands and asked the 110,000 faithful packing the stadium to pray with him for the three-year-old toddler who couldn’t walk without heavy braces on his legs. Within moments his mother removed the braces and the child freely ran, laughing, up and down the aisles. It was 1954 and American preacher Tommy Hicks had come to Argentina. The…
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