The eight departed pastors include prominent names like Morris and popular preacher and Bible study author Tony Evans, and in three other cases, pastors were arrested for sexual crimes. The size of the churches magnifies the damage to local congregants, North Texas churchgoers told CT, and the series of failings hangs over everyday conversations about church. (Belz, Christianity Today)
Read MoreA California law that went into effect Jan. 1 allows affordable housing projects on property owned by churches, temples, mosques and other religious institutions to bypass an extensive review process and to be built in single-family neighborhoods. The city of Los Angeles is considering even more exemptions. (Smith, Los Angeles Times)
Read MoreA new term has emerged online − and unlike "trad wives," which describes women who embrace cooking, cleaning and often subservience to their husbands, this one describes women who are the breadwinners. "Provider women" work to bring home the income while their male partners take on household duties like cooking and cleaning. (Trepany, USA Today)
Read MoreDespite Americans’ ongoing abandonment of traditional organized religion, many longing to maintain some sense of spirituality and community in their lives are finding it in places both religious and nonreligious. (Ramirez, USA Today)
Read MoreLawyers for the National Religious Broadcasters, along with two Baptist churches and a conservative group called Intercessors for America, argue in their suit that the ban on engaging in politics restricts their freedom of speech and freedom of religion. They further argue that the IRS ignores the politicking of some charities, while threatening to punish others. (Smietana, Religion News Service)
Read MorePope Francis... begins a four-day trip to Indonesia on Tuesday, which will include an interfaith dialogue at the national mosque. There are many vibrant examples of how Christianity and Islam coexist in Indonesia — a dynamic that Francis wants to encourage — but at the same time, religious minorities face discrimination. Wee & Bubola, The New York Times)
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