Evangelicals celebrated the recent news that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will no longer enforce an Obama-era mandate that required foster and adoption agencies receiving federal funds to place children with same-sex couples. (Fowler, Religion News Service)
Read MoreIndia’s Supreme Court ruled that a Hindu temple could be built at the site of a razed mosque in a historic verdict on a dispute that has roiled the country for decades. The verdict awarded the land at the heart of the clash to a Hindu litigant over Muslim objections and represents a major victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Slater, The Washington Post)
Read MoreLatinos in the United States are no longer majority-Catholic, according to a new Pew Research Center survey released Oct. 17. In 2018-19, 47% of Latinos identified as Catholic, down from 57% a decade ago. The study found the share of Latinos who say they are religiously unaffiliated is now 23%, up from 15% in 2009. (Molina, Religion News Service)
Read MoreJesus Is King, the first spiritual album from hip-hop superstar Kanye West, sparks his first appearance on Billboard's religious charts, as it opens at No. 1 on both the Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums tallies dated Nov. 9. (Asker, Billboard)
Read MoreImagine a world where the church exists without Jesus. Where a hierarchical church authority controls society, but lacks the genuine faith to guide it. His Dark Materials, a new HBO show based on the trilogy of the same name by Phillip Pullman, takes viewers into this oppressive world where the “Magisterium,” a fictional church, rules with fear and brutality. (Cohn, Christianity Today)
Read Moreomedian John Crist, known for his viral videos and jokes satirizing Christian culture, has canceled upcoming tour dates after reports he has harassed and manipulated multiple women to pressure them into sexual relationships. According to a Charisma magazine investigation, Crist used his celebrity to exploit at least five women over the last seven years. (Silliman, Christianity Today)
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