A new audit of antisemitism in the U.S. shows a continued growth in the number of incidents reported in 2022. The Anti-Defamation League’s newest report tabulated 3,697 antisemitic incidents last year in three large categories: harassment, vandalism and assault. (Shimron, Religion News Service)
Read MoreFor the most part, religious Americans say their LGBTQ neighbors should be free of discrimination when they are at work, in public or at home. This is true even among groups that oppose same-sex marriage. One place they disagree is over whether businesses — such as cake bakers or other vendors — ever have the right to refuse service. (Smietana, Religion News Service)
Read MoreRegulators must not play “catch-up” with the tech industry in the fast- moving development of the metaverse, a senior Meta executive has warned, after years of run-ins over social media regulation. (Ralph, The Times UK)
Read MoreAsma Sayeed, an associate professor of Islamic Studies at UCLA, explained that Ramadan is rooted in many practices, including to “invoke the remembrance of God for a continuous period" and “to celebrate and remember the revelation of the Qur'an as a gift to humanity.” But when is Ramadan? Why do Muslims engage in fasting for Ramadan? Here’s what you need to know. (Pitofsky, USA Today)
Read MoreThe fledgling Methodist denomination, a home for congregations and clergy that have broken away from the United Methodist Church amid ongoing debate over the role of LGBTQ Christians, has announced a list of recommended educational institutions for candidates seeking ordination as a deacon or elder. (Miller, Religion News Service)
Read MoreThe Vatican, run by Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope in history, recently announced that three more Jesuit scientists from its Jesuit-run observatory had asteroids named after them as part of a fresh batch that included the 16th-century pope who commissioned the Gregorian calendar and a Tuscan pastry chef whose hobby is the firmament. (Povoledo, The New York Times)
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