(OPINION) Among humanity, the opportunities for offense are endless. But if you don’t want to get trapped in this habit of spreading bile, you don’t have to. Pastor Paul Prather gives practical tips to have more peaceful, loving relationships.
Read MoreThe bottom line: There have been important, newsworthy trends taking place on the “religious left” as well as the “secular left.”
Read MoreZohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist whose campaign was powered by youthful energy, a surge of new voters and a promise of unconventional change, completed his yearlong journey with a decisive victory — to be elected mayor of New York City and the first Muslim to hold the office.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As media pundits over-interpret the nationwide impact of elections in New York City, New Jersey, Virginia and California, let’s contemplate this: What do the data on religious dynamics say about prospects for a rather demoralized Democratic Party in 2026-2032, and whether a more centrist strategy might help?
Read MoreIn big cities and tiny towns across the U.S., Christians are working to feed hungry people — including seniors, families and the working poor — poised to lose food benefits.
Read MoreMost U.S. adults (52 percent) said they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the church as an institution in 2019, the last year a majority held that belief. In 2018, confidence levels fell below 40 percent for the first time. They edged above that mark in 2020 — only to drop back below in 2021 and even further in 2022.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Among the little-noticed aspects of the 2024 U.S. election is Muslims’ substantial 33% vote for Donald Trump — with a remarkable 42% backing from those who attend mosque weekly. That’s an increase from past elections.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Who voted how in 2024? The two most important surveys on U.S. election patterns are now available and among the findings is this bulletin: Along with its various current woes, in the long term the Democratic Party faces weakening support from many religious groups that is nearing a political emergency. No effective game plan for a turnaround is in sight.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Maybe what stands out here is that no matter how much the country has changed socially, religiously and politically, none of that has really shifted the overall relationship between Jews and the Democratic Party.
Read MoreIn other words, the moral battle lines at the heart of America’s “culture wars” continue to shift and evolve. Maybe the editors at the Times should assign a religion-beat professional to the team that is covering these trends?
Read More(ANALYSIS) Research from Scheitle and Cornell found that there’s often a significant mismatch between what the clergy say that they are speaking about and what is actually received by the congregants. Are they receptive to politically charged messages from the pulpit?
Read More(ANALYSIS) This fertility issue has both political and religious (#DUH) implications.
Read MoreAs the U.S. continues to evolve religiously, the Pew study underscores the complex and shifting nature of religious belief and practice in America. While Christianity remains the dominant faith, trends suggest that the future may hold further diversification — something fueled by immigration, secularization and the beliefs of Gen Z.
Read More(OPINION) The first vote I ever cast was against Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election. I was 20 and in college, trying to leave behind my strict Southern Baptist upbringing. Carter seemed to embody much of what I hoped to escape. It took me a while to realize how mistaken I’d been about the man.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Truth is, the former president was part of two endangered groups — populist Southern Democrats and progressive Southern Baptists. In 1976, he fared well with evangelical voters, for a Democrat, but exit polls basically showed a toss-up. In 1980, many evangelicals rejected him and helped create Ronald Reagan's landslide win.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Let me noodle around on that topic of polarization by using a nice question battery in the Cooperative Election Study. Along with religious affiliation, it asks folks to put themselves on an ideological scale that ranges from 1 (meaning very liberal) to 7 (meaning very conservative), while 4 is “middle of the road.”
Read MoreJimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal, endured a humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. The Sunday School teacher — the first American president to call himself “born again” — was 100 years old.
Read More(ANALYSIS) President Donald Trump is returning to the White House, convinced — after a close encounter with an assassin's bullet — that he had God on his side in the election. While opinions differed on that theological question, Trump drew support from voters that frequented pews. Members of Religion News Association selected the presidential election as the year's top national religion story.
Read MorePolitics is the topic Americans are least interested in hearing ministers address and is among the top three topics pastors feel least equipped to handle, Barna and Gloo found in a study conducted in advance of the contentious 2024 U.S. elections.
Read More(ANALYSIS) We examined how religious organizations actually engage in political activities, providing a window into the behavior of congregations in ways often not explored. Our findings challenge common perceptions about the relationship between religious institutions and political behavior.
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