The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) began tracking vandalism and other forms of attacks on Catholic sites across the country. Aaron Weldon of the Office of Religious Liberty of the USCCB said the attacks on the historic Catholic sites were “the impetus for us to start monitoring these sorts of events.”
On Tuesday, November 2, The Guardian published an article detailing their investigation into an ultra-conservative evangelical church in Moscow, Idaho. Christ Church of Moscow is known for its ultra-conservative ideologies. The Guardian reported that Christ Church’s leadership has openly announced their desire to establish a theocracy.
A March 2021 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that most adult US Americans support the separation of church and state. With 69% of the respondents agreeing that the federal government should never declare any state religion. At the same time, 67% agree that the US Constitution was written by humans and reflects their vision, not necessarily God’s vision.
In an October 21 episode of the radio show Liveline, an upset caller complained about a mobile coffee shop set up in the church grounds calling it blasphemous. According to the show, the coffee shop trailer was set up outside the St Peter’s Church in Phibsborough, but it was inside the railings of the church grounds.
A Christian couple from the Isle of Wight in the British Isles plans to sue the government over the transgender guidelines implemented by the school previously attended by their children. The couple plans to request a judicial review over the Department for Education’s support of Cornwall Schools Transgender Guidance.
On October 11, Monday, the Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar territory in southern Russia sentenced the disabled 59-year old Vladimir Skachidub to more than four years in prison. Skachidub's sentence came from 2020 criminal charges for preaching his religious faith.
In early September, a photo of a controversial billboard appeared on Twitter. The sign pictured former President Donald Trump next to prophetic words partially quoted from Isaiah 9:6, which compared him to Jesus. The scripture referenced by the sign, however, is inaccurate.
Critics quickly identified the bible misquotes in the sign after the photo made its way to Twitter. The verse quoted is from Isaiah 9:6 rather than Romans 8:17. The words are easily recognized as prophesizing the return of Jesus.
On Sunday, September 19, the First Baptist Church of Madison, Wisconsin, announced the welcoming of its first openly gay pastor. Rev. Tim Schaefer expressed great joy during his installation service, calling it an “incredibly moving and incredibly meaningful” service.
Religious schools and organizations in the Australian state of Victoria will soon be prohibited from hiring or terminating based on the applicant's gender identity or sexual orientation. On September 16th, the Victorian Labor Party in Australia proposed a law that would end this discrimination.
