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Image via REUTERS/Jim Bourg

While the National Council encompasses many denominations, its constituent bodies represent a declining share of the religious population. Neither the Roman Catholic Church nor most large evangelical denominations belong to it. More importantly, political leaders do not view it as the voice of religious people as they did in the early 20th century. 

Sarita Santoshini 10-11-2018

Image via REUTERS/Sivaram V

Sister Anupama, who led the protests in Kochi, said that the survivor approached the superior general in early 2017 with concerns about harassment — she was facing disciplinary action because of her resistance to “lie down with” the Bishop. Her concerns were ignored. In June 2017, before reaching out to church officials in northern India and the Vatican, she first revealed to a parish priest and bishop in Kerala that she had been abused by Mulakkal. The complaint then reached the Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, the head of the Syro-Malabar church, but no action was taken.

the Web Editors 10-11-2018

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp speaks with visitors to the state capitol. July 24, 2018. REUTERS. 

According to a report earlier this week from The Associated Press, more than 53,000 voter registration applications have been sitting on hold with Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s office. The people on the list are predominantly black, and may not even know their voter registration has been held up.

“How can we afford it?” That’s the perennial question that confronts anyone who dares to propose progressive policy changes. A recent example is CNN’s Jake Tapper grilling congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over whether tax money could fund items on her platform such as Medicare for all, a federal job guarantee, and cancelation of student loan debt. For those who are religious and politically progressive, this question is particularly challenging. While many are good at articulating the moral imperative of providing health care to all or protecting the environment, they can stumble on the issue of economic feasibility. So, when I was told about an economics conference in New York City that might connect to this topic, I was intrigued.

Christina Colón 10-05-2018

BALTIMORE, MD - February 6, 2015: The Wheelabrator Baltimore incinerator in operation on a winter day, has been converting solid waste to electricity since 1985. Editorial credit: duckeesue / Shutterstock.com

This weekend, more than 80 faith communities in Maryland will lift up climate justice as part of the fourth annual “Climate in the Pulpits / on the Bimah / in the Minbar” event. Jointly organized by Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa) and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the event is a multi-faith effort to carry the message of creation care from the pews to policy makers.

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke stands with his attorneys during his murder trial in Chicago, Oct. 3, 2018. REUTERS/John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Pool via REUTERS

"There's no justification for shooting Laquan McDonald that night," prosecutor Jody Gleason said on Thursday. "Not one shot. Not the first shot. Not the sixteenth shot."

Image via REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/Vincent Kessler

Mukwege heads the Panzi Hospital in the eastern Congolese city of Bukavu. Opened in 1999, the clinic receives thousands of women each year, many of them requiring surgery from sexual violence. Murad is an advocate for the Yazidi minority in Iraq and for refugee and women's rights in general. She was enslaved and raped by Islamic State fighters in Mosul, Iraq, in 2014.

Anna Sutterer 10-04-2018

Photo by Kayla Lattimore / Sojourners

Rain and a palpable heaviness covered the Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford hearings last week. This afternoon, Cancel Kavanaugh: Believe Survivors marchers perspired under a hot sun while they shouted resistance to the Supreme Court nominee.

Shutterstock: Sept. 26, 2018; President Donald Trump addresses press conference in Lotte Palace Hotel Villard Room. 

A new study by the Public Religion Research Institute reveals deep divides over support for political candidates accused of sexual harassment. The most striking divide may be among major Christian groups.

The survey asked respondents about the likelihood of them voting for someone accused of sexual harassment by multiple people. PRRI provided Sojourners with a breakdown of responses to this question by religious affiliation.

Bishops attend a mass for the opening of a synodal meeting in Saint Peter's square, at the Vatican, October 3, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile

Pope Francis opened a gathering of bishops on Wednesday with the Catholic Church in a swirling state of crisis over sex abuse, urging its leaders not to let the next generation's faith be snuffed out "by our own shortcomings, mistakes, and sins."

Da’Shawn Mosley 10-01-2018

John S. Adams silhouetted in the Montana Capitol building. Photo courtesy Dark Money

From the start of his bid for the Oval Office to now, the 45th president of the United States has drawn plenty of accusations of illegal activity for his finances and the funds of his companies. Many of us have paid close attention to the developments of investigations into this money, watching cable news and following journalists we trust on Twitter. But perhaps we should also turn our attention to other areas of our government, look beyond the executive branch to search for signs of money and politics intermingling in nefarious ways.

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is sworn in to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Sept. 27, 2018. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

The American Bar Association has called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to delay the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh so that the FBI can investigate the sexual assault accusations against him, the Washington Post reported

Sarita Santoshini 9-26-2018

The village of Lungdai in the state of Mizoram is located about 25km away from the state capital Aizawl and has easy access to heroin but not to treatment. Photo by Sarita Santoshini

Every day for the last 10 months, Simon* has diligently followed a routine that begins with an 8 a.m. visit to his church. While the 23-year-old has always been religious, this visit is not for prayer or service. Like 53 other men in his village, he makes his way to a small room with a large French-style window, and waits for his turn. A community health worker hands him his daily dose of buprenorphine, which he places under his tongue in front of her and Simon knows he can get through the rest of the day.

Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse in handcuffs after being sentenced in his sexual assault trial in Norristown, Penn.,  Sept. 25, 2018. Mark Makela/Pool via REUTERS

Bill Cosby was sentenced to between three and 10 years in prison on Tuesday for his conviction for sexually assaulting a woman, capping the once-beloved comedian's downfall from "America's Dad" to convicted felon.

Pope Francis celebrates a Holy Mass at Freedom Square in Tallinn, Estonia September 25, 2018. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS

Pope Francis said on Tuesday as he wound up a trip to the Baltic states, all nervous about what they see as a newly aggressive Russia next door, that nations should not measure their strength by their military capability to prevail over others. "Some people speak in a loud voice, full of self-assurance – with no doubts or hesitation. Others shout and hurl threats about using weapons, deploying troops and implementing strategies...That way they appear to be stronger," he said in a homily of a Mass in the Estonian capital Tallinn.

Andrew Cline / Shutterstock.com

Andrew Cline / Shutterstock.com

The proposed regulation from the Department of Homeland Security would expand immigration officers' ability to deny visas or legal permanent residency to aspiring immigrants if they have received a range of taxpayer-funded benefits to which they are legally entitled, such as Medicaid, the Medicare Part D low-income subsidy, Section 8 housing vouchers, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is commonly known as food stamps.

Members of the National Guard and Lumberton Police force rescue Eric Gilchrist, 65, from his trailer to take him to the hospital after experiencing breathing problems in Schoolview Mobile Home Park in Lumberton, N.C. Image via Patricia Nieberg

According to Army Capt. Chris Jakubczak, the National Guard’s first priority was to warn residents to follow evacuation orders, especially those who lived along the banks of the Lumber River. Many residents followed orders, while others chose to stay for various reasons.

Image provided by Crystal Cheatham

Entering digital spaces that are dominated by conservative Christian resources, Our Bible App is attempting to carve out a unique space. It is explicitly pro-LGBT, pro-women and pro-interfaith inclusivity in its stated mission. “I created this app because I'm tired of feeling left out of Christianity because of my complex identities,” Crystal Cheatham, the app’s founder and CEO, told Sojourners. “I wanted worship materials that talked about an inclusive kind of faith and embraced that same kind of community.”

Robyn Purchia 9-14-2018

A desire to care for the environment also stems from the Christian traditions of compassion and love. Congregations have long worked to alleviate hunger, lift the poor and the vulnerable, and comfort the sick. Creating community gardens, making energy more affordable, and working to avoid the worst effects of climate change, which are disproportionately felt by low-income communities, stem from these traditions.

Jasper Vaughn 9-13-2018

Image via Grigoris Siamidis/ Shutterstock.com 

A movement is building among justice-minded evangelicals. To them, the suffering of Palestinian civilians, including many siblings in Christ and those from diverse theological and faith traditions, demands accountability regarding the Israeli occupation and government. And this movement has gathered traction in recent years among young evangelical Christians who say figures like Hagee and Jeffress do not speak for them.