Does attending church encourage greater acceptance of atheists? In a new open-access article in Political Behavior, we find statistical evidence supporting this conclusion—at least, at first glance. Now, if you think the idea that attending church encourages greater acceptance of atheists is bonkers, you’re not alone. We do, too. Let’s back up for a second. […]| Articles – Contexts
State Department issues a further condemnation of Britain’s “egregious” buffer zones, warning of a “concerning departure” from shared UK-US values Birmingham Christian Isabel Vaughan-Spruce is back under investigation for silently praying near an abortion facility WASHINGTON, D.C. / LONDON (19 August 2025) – The United States has issued its strongest warning yet to the UK over so-called “buffer zones”, which have […] The post U.S. State Department Doubles Down on War...| ADF International
August 21: New Mexico’s Religious Freedom is Slipping Away New Mexico has plunged from 11th to 26th in religious liberty, protecting only a fraction of key safeguards. While other states strengthen conscience rights, New Mexico stalls, leaving our faith and freedoms at risk. Without action, the erosion will only continue. The post August 2025 New Mexico Articles Published: New Mexico’s Religious Freedom is Slipping Away appeared first on Concerned Women for America.| Concerned Women for America
According to his detractors, Francis, in addition to “downplaying” the Church’s condemnation of abortion, failed sufficiently to condemn so-called sexual sins. The post Papal Sins Part II: The Four Papal “Sins” appeared first on Contending Modernities.| Contending Modernities
The U.S. Catholic community—numbering 53 million self-identified Catholic adults, or roughly one-fifth of the U.S. population—is complex and layered (as is the phrase “opposition to Pope Francis”).| Contending Modernities
LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – A Christian girl rescued from a Muslim in Pakistan who abducted her said he forcibly converted her, sexually assaulted her as part of a sham Islamic marriage and forced her into prostitution. The forced prostitution resulted in serious health issues for the 16-year-old girl, whose name is withheld […] The post Kidnapping, Abuse Traumatize Christian Girl in Pakistan appeared first on Morningstar News.| Morningstar News
LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Religious freedom in Pakistan is facing unprecedented threats as Muslim extremist groups increase their hold on public officials, according to a report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). The report, “Streets of Fear: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2024/25,” which documents violations of such freedoms […] The post Islamist Influence Growing in Pakistan, Report Says appeared first on Morningstar News.| Morningstar News
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – Officials and Muslim clerics in a village in West Java Province, Indonesia have closed a prayer house, expelled an evangelist and indefinitely halted all Christian activities there, media outlets reported. Citing lack of a worship building permit, state officials and Muslim clerics from the local chapter of the Indonesia Ulema […] The post Prayer House Closed, Evangelist Expelled in Indonesia appeared first on Morningstar News.| Morningstar News
LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Prisoners from minority backgrounds, particularly Christians, face systemic bias in Pakistani jails and are subjected to abuse by prison staff and Muslim inmates, a new study shows. They are labeled as “untouchables” and given menial tasks like cleaning toilets, according to the study released on Aug. 15, “Hope […] The post Prisons in Pakistan Mistreat Christians, other Minorities, Study Says appeared first on M...| Morningstar News
NAIROBI, Kenya (Morning Star News) – A Christian mother in Somalia has been locked in a room with her infant daughter since Aug. 6 after Muslim relatives relocated her following an earlier escape, sources said. “My child has grown very thin for lack of enough food,” Fatuma Hassan, 28, told her husband by phone from Afgooye […] The post Christian Mother, Baby Locked in Room in Somalia appeared first on Morningstar News.| Morningstar News
NAIROBI, Kenya (Morning Star News) – A Muslim who put his faith in Christ after receiving a vision in a mosque in Uganda was hospitalized after relatives beat him, demolished his home and took in his wife and six children, sources said. Wambuzi Maka Uthman, a 39-year-old former sheikh (Islamic teacher), went to Friday prayers in […] The post Former Sheikh Beaten, Loses Family after Vision of Christ appeared first on Morningstar News.| Morningstar News
LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Two years after Islamist attacks on Christians in the Jaranwala area in Punjab Province, Pakistan, hopes for justice are dimming amid the sabotaging of prosecution efforts, advocates said. None of the perpetrators have been convicted after they ransacked and damaged more than 25 church buildings and 85 homes […] The post Justice Elusive 2 Years after Attacks on Christians in Pakistan appeared first on Morningstar News.| Morningstar News
NEW DELHI (Morning Star News) – Falsely accusing two nuns and a Christian man of trafficking three women in India, Hindu extremists with threats and assault forced the three tribal Christian women to sign a statement against their companions, sources said. “We will gang rape you if you do not do as we say,” the members […] The post Nuns in India Jailed, Christians Assaulted amid Baseless Charges appeared first on Morningstar News.| Morningstar News
Amnesty International this week called for the "quashing" of the convictions of 11 Christians in Libya sentenced to prison under charges that included “insulting Islam.”| Morningstar News
In an era of populist confusion, what are conservatism's truest aspirations?| Law & Liberty
Conservatism needs to rediscover its aspirational character to appeal to a rising generation.| Law & Liberty
The American Right desperately needs John Wilsey’s new book, because it needs a vision to aspire to.| Law & Liberty
While the transcendent aspirations of conservatives like John Wilsey are good and true, they must take populist challenges more seriously.| Law & Liberty
Baptism saves. There, I said it. Congrats, Catholics, you're right on this one. I know I’m going to get some| The Chicago Thinker
A Legacy of Faith Under Fire for Iraqi Christians In August 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) — an extremist Sunni group — launched a violent campaign across northern Iraq. Their target: Qaraqosh, an ancient Christian city located in the Nineveh Plains. What followed became one of the most devastating assaults on […] The post What Can We Learn from Iraqi Christians 11 Years After ISIS’s Attack? appeared first on ADF International.| ADF International
New report notes “significant human rights issues” including criminal and civil laws which limit free expression Case of army veteran convicted for silent prayer highlighted as example of censorship crisis LONDON (13 August 2025) – A newly released U.S. State Department Human Rights Report has sounded the alarm over mounting restrictions on freedom of expression […] The post U.S. State Dept. Highlights Alarming Decline in Free Speech in the United Kingdom appeared first on ADF I...| ADF International
Crown Prosecution Service to advise on charging Isabel Vaughan-Spruce again for praying silently near abortion facility in Birmingham Charitable volunteer, who was cleared in court and received a payout from police for being unjustly arrested twice for her silent prayers, has been consistently praying in same location for twenty years Birmingham (10th August 2025) – […] The post Christian Arrested for Silent Prayer Back Under Investigation appeared first on ADF International.| ADF International
A High Court in Northern Nigeria has overturned the wrongful conviction of a Christian man who helped a persecuted convert escape violence in the country. ADF International and allied lawyers provided legal support to David’s case and secured justice after a year-and-a-half of legal struggle. NORTHERN NIGERIA (4 AUGUST 2025) – A Nigerian High Court […] The post Victory for Religious Freedom: Nigerian High Court Strikes Down Wrongful Conviction of Christian Man Who Faced Torture appear...| ADF International
“Climate Angels at Extinction Rebellion Declaration Day Melbourne” by John Englart (CC BY-SA 2.0) “I don’t want the same world, just eco.” These are the words of an activist interviewed in the 2021 documentary, Rebellion, directed by Maia Kenworthy and Elena Sánchez Bellot. The film tells the story of Extinction Rebellion (XR), arguably one of…Read More| Canopy Forum
Efforts to curb abuse of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws suffered a major setback on Thursday (July 24) when judges suspended a prior court order to form a commission to investigate misuse of the harsh laws, sources said.| Morningstar News
Christian Natural Law and Religious FreedomAlex Deagon The following is an excerpt from Chapter 5 of Alex Deagon’s new book, Christian Natural Law and Religious Freedom: A Foundation Based on Love, the True, and the Good (Copyright 2025 by Imprint). Reproduced by permission of Taylor & Francis Group. Page numbers refer to publications linked in…Read More| Canopy Forum
In what attorneys in Pakistan termed a “huge ray of hope,” a federal high court on Tuesday (July 15) directed the government to form an inquiry commission within 30 days to investigate blatant abuse of blasphemy laws.| Morningstar News
A judge on Wednesday (July 9) handed a life sentence to a Muslim found guilty of abducting and raping a Christian girl but ignored accusations of forcible conversion and fraudulent marriage, her attorney said.| Morningstar News
The rest of us must diligently contest the all-too-real nightmare he and his apologists have unleashed. The post Opinion | Freedom for All? Trump Says Forget It appeared first on Moment Magazine.| Moment Magazine
A kidnapped Nigerian priest, who previously served in Alaska, has managed to contact his home diocese, OSV News has learned.| catholicreview.org
ChatGPT Rendering of AI via Wikimedia Commons (PD). In the spring of 2024, the state of Louisiana faced a critical legal juncture. The newly elected Governor Jeff Landry had begun to speak of the need for a new Louisiana Constitution and to gesture toward the new constitution being drafted by the end of the regular…Read More| Canopy Forum
Police have taken no action in the forcible conversion/marriage of a Christian girl kidnapped in Pakistan on June 11, a rights advocate said.| Morningstar News
The question “What do we fight for when we fight for religious freedom?” was at the heart of the International Religious Freedom Summit, held February 3–5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Its timing—coinciding with the advent of the second Trump administration—brought a mix of skepticism and cautious optimism about the future of religious freedom policy. People... The post Reflections from the International Religious Freedom Summit appeared first on Public Orthodoxy.| Public Orthodoxy
How Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is leading the fight against Christian Nationalism in the U.S. military.| Barn Raiser
Each year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sponsors Religious Freedom Week, as a call to prayer, reflection, and action.| Church in Need
Fulani herdsmen this week killed at least nine Christians in Plateau state, Nigeria, following the slaughter of 27 others days before, sources said.| Morningstar News
Religious freedom matters more than economic freedom. It is a matter of human dignity and the soul of liberty based on Christian understanding.| Centre for Public Policy and Economic Analysis
The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 today that Wisconsin cannot discriminate against Catholic Charities Bureau of the Diocese of Superior because of its religiously motivated care for the poor, the elderly, and the disabled. In Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled last year that Catholic Charities’ ministry to the poor and […]| Anglican Ink © 2025
If you ever listened to, or had the honor of attending, a crusade led by the late Reverend Billy Graham,| The Chicago Thinker
Noughts and Crosses: Banning Christianity from the public square is one thing, but trying to ban it from the local village square takes it to a place where even angels fear to tread...| Australian Family Party
The G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20) hosted a series of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) meetings in Cape Town, South Africa, from February 24 to 28, 2025. These meetings aimed to advance interfaith dialogue and policy recommendations for global peacebuilding, religious freedom, and social cohesion. The events were led by…| Viewpoints
By Marianna Richardson, Director of Communications for the G20 Interfaith Forum – – – At the International Religious Freedom Summit, Brett Scharffs, Professor of Law at J. Reuben Clark Law School and director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies and a member of the IF20 board, focused…| Viewpoints
The eyes have it: We don’t know whether John Wesley played cricket during his travels, but it would be a fair bet that he did| Australian Family Party
In a significant legal victory against forced conversions/marriages in Pakistan, a civil court has annulled the marriage of a Christian woman who was given to a Muslim man as a child and coerced to convert to Islam and marry him, sources said.| Morningstar News
Wake: Why the Battle Over Diverse Public Schools Still Matters Karey Harwood This essay is an adapted excerpt from the third chapter of Karey Harwood’s recently published book, Wake: Why The Battle Over Diverse Public Schools Still Matters (Rutgers University Press, 2024). Reprinted here with permission from Rutgers University Press. When asked to talk about…Read More| Canopy Forum
Fulani herdsmen on Monday (March 10) killed at least six Christian villagers in central Nigeria after stabbing another to death the prior day because he objected to them grazing their cattle on his property, sources said.| Morningstar News
Hardline Muslims in eastern Uganda on Feb. 15 beat and stabbed an evangelist after he and his team led a Muslim widow to Christ during open-air gospel preaching, sources said.| Morningstar News
Church leaders and others in Pakistan lauded the producers and cast of a TV drama for risking their lives to broadcast an unprecedented, national media portrayal of the violent injustice resulting from blasphemy laws.| Morningstar News
By Marianna Richardson, Director of Communications for the G20 Interfaith Forum – – – Elder Ulisses Soares, an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke at both the Global Faith Forum and the International Religious Freedom Summit 2025 during the first week in February. During both…| Viewpoints
By Marianna Richardson, Director of Communications for the G20 Interfaith Forum – – – Vice President Vance made an appearance and gave a significant speech at the IRF Summit. He pointed out that fostering a culture in which faith can thrive allows men and women to fully appreciate and respect…| Viewpoints
Explore how President Trump’s second term may impact tax laws, religious freedoms, and immigration policies for churches across the US.| Church Law & Tax
Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain. Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). This article is part of our virtual symposium and essay series, “Masking Religious Freedom Violations.” Read more here. Despite common assumptions, our social and political lives do not simply end once we die; the idea of an afterlife, although mainly theological, can also…Read More| Canopy Forum
US President Jimmy Carter’s funeral is being held today in Washington, DC at the National Cathedral. Since he passed away shortly after Christmas, tributes have abounded about a man once deri…| The Duck of Minerva
Istanbul Skyline via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0). This article is part of our virtual symposium and essay series, “Masking Religious Freedom Violations.” Read more here. One of the most grievous periods of Christian history in the land of Turkey spanned much of the 20th century. One episode was the Istanbul pogrom of September 6-7, 1955,…Read More| Canopy Forum
Lake Geneva by Dmitry A. Mottl (CC BY-SA 4.0). This article is part of our virtual symposium and essay series, “Masking Religious Freedom Violations.” Read more here. The analytic systems employed to identify religious freedom violations often run into a barrier erected by two words – religious freedom. These two words are common jargon in…Read More| Canopy Forum
Photo of Cocora Valley, Colombia by Fernanda Fierro on Unsplash. This article is part of our virtual symposium and essay series, “Masking Religious Freedom Violations.” Read more here. Preliminary Contributions of Public Policy Colombia is one of the few countries worldwide with a public policy exclusively dedicated to ensuring the right to religious freedom. This…Read More| Canopy Forum
San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León by Mexico Fotos (CC BY SA 2.0). This article is part of our virtual symposium and essay series, “Masking Religious Freedom Violations.” Read more here. On October 20, 2024, two people on a motorcycle shot at priest Marcelo Perez Perez’s vehicle as he left the parish of Guadalupe, located…Read More| Canopy Forum
Image of Palacio del Centro Asturiano, Havana, Cuba by Carol M. Highsmith (CC0) The following essay is reprinted and adapted on Canopy Forum in collaboration with the journal Derecho en Sociedad, a biannual electronic publication that is free and open access. Their issue 18(2) features full length articles in Spanish and English. Read Flores’ long-form essay on the Cuban…Read More| Canopy Forum
St. Isidore of Seville (1655) depicted by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (CC0). Introduction As I discussed previously, a controversy arose on June 5, 2023, when Oklahoma’s Statewide Virtual Charter School Board authorized the creation of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. Named after the patron saint of the internet, and intended to operate under the leadership of…Read More| Canopy Forum
Image of Ten Commandments outside of Stephens County Courthouse from WikiMedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). It’s already back to school time, and while students in Louisiana and Oklahoma may notice that the Ten Commandments and Bible are now in their classrooms and curricula, religion has always been part of the structure of public schools in the…Read More| Canopy Forum
Witte’s Contribution on Human Rights and Religious FreedomNicholas Wolterstorff The following is an adapted excerpt from the chapter “Witte’s Contribution on Human Rights and Religious Freedom” from the book, Faith in Law, Law in Faith: Reflecting and Building on the Work of John Witte, Jr. (2024). Reprinted under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC-BY-NC). This…Read More| Canopy Forum
When Lester Smith read an article naming New Bedford, MA as the least “Bible-minded” city in America, he felt God's call to start a Bible study for fellow residents of his senior living community in New Bedford. He figured that the community room in his apartment complex would be a perfect spot for this study,| MFI | Massachusetts Family Institute - Massachusetts Family Institute | Faith...
An employee who was fired from Ramsey Solutions for disagreeing with Dave Ramsey over COVID and masks has a religious discrimination claim.| The Roys Report
In a crackdown, Rwanda has shut down more than 5,600 places of worship over failure to meet government conditions required for operation.| The Roys Report
Religion and Science: A Clash Between Faith and Reason Religion and Science: A Clash Between Faith and Reason Opinion, Victoria Britton The United States has long championed freedom of religion for all people. This advocacy, central to the American experience today, has historical roots dating back to the country’s foundation. It began in Virginia during the American Revolution. In 1777, Thomas Jefferson, then a state General Assembly member, penned the landmark "Virginia Statute for Establ...| Religion News Blog
If passed, the Respect at Work and Other Matters Amendment Bill 2024 presents serious risks to churches, Christian schools, businesses owned and run by Christians, and individuals who openly profess their Christian faith.| Australian Christian Lobby
‘We believe that exemptions to our discrimination laws are not necessary to protect religious freedom’. So begins “Faith invites, not excludes’ written by Father Chris Bedding and Dr Daniel Vujcich (…| Australian Christian Lobby
