All posts tagged: religious

Survey shows religious privilege out of step with younger Northern Ireland – Humanists UK

Survey shows religious privilege out of step with younger Northern Ireland – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

New data from the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey shows that at least one in three young adults in Northern Ireland has no religion. This underlines the growing diversity of belief among younger people. Northern Ireland Humanists said the figures show that public policy and civic life are out of step with an increasingly non-religious society, and must reflect the changing beliefs and values of modern Northern Ireland, especially among younger people. The 2025 survey found that 33% of 18–24-year-olds and 40% of 25–34-year-olds say they belong to no religion. Across the population as a whole, 27% say they have no religion, compared with 34% Catholic and 39% Protestant or other Christian. Commenting on the data, Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator said: ‘The data from the Life and Times survey shows just how much Northern Ireland is changing. Yet despite the fact that Northern Ireland’s young people are increasingly non-religious, too many of our institutions still act as though everyone fits neatly into one of two Christian traditions. That simply does not reflect …

NSS urges Government to review religious exemptions to knife laws

NSS urges Government to review religious exemptions to knife laws

Published by Sam Flores

The National Secular Society has urged the Government to review religious exemptions to knife laws following the murder of a young man with a ceremonial dagger. Writing to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the NSS called for an urgent review of the Criminal Justice Act, which includes “religious reasons” as a potentially lawful defence for carrying a knife. In the letter, NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said that the right to freedom of religion or belief “should not extend to exemptions from generally applicable laws designed to protect public safety”. The letter comes following the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak in Southampton. Nowak was fatally stabbed by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa using a Sikh ceremonial dagger, which was viewed by Digwa as part of his faith. Knives, known as ‘kirpan’, are carried by some Sikhs as an expression of religious identity. It is illegal in the UK to carry a knife with a bladed edge exceeding three inches in length. However, exemptions to the law mean that a larger blade can be carried if the owner …

As Union seminary president, I saw the power of religious pluralism

As Union seminary president, I saw the power of religious pluralism

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Nearly every day, dozens of religiously diverse students — Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, spiritual, agnostic, atheist and beyond — walk the halls of Union Theological Seminary, the Manhattan school I’ve been proud to lead for almost two decades. They share dorms, take classes and enjoy meals together. They engage in lively discussions about theology. They organize peaceful demonstrations to advance a more just world. And they host events to celebrate their different religious traditions. As I prepare to step down from the presidency next month, I look at this community and see a blueprint for a flourishing, interreligious America. But when I turn to the headlines, I see our nation barreling toward a far more destructive vision. President Donald Trump and his far-right allies are taking a wrecking ball to the foundations of our pluralistic society and purposely sowing discord between people of different religious traditions. Ultimately, they aim to impose a narrow, exclusionary version of Christianity on the entire nation — one that views difference as a threat rather than a strength. Case …

For 2 centuries, Latter-day Saints have revered religious freedom – but their definition is evolving

For 2 centuries, Latter-day Saints have revered religious freedom – but their definition is evolving

Published by Sam Flores

(The Conversation) — On July 5, 2026, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is encouraging its American members to participate in a special fast: a day to “express gratitude for religious liberty and to pray that it be strengthened throughout the world,” in the words of its top three leaders. The fast will coincide with the United States’ semiquincentennial celebrations. For Latter-day Saints, the 250th anniversary commemorations are not merely a historic milestone for the country, but an opportunity to reflect on their faith’s relationship to the American experiment. In the church’s early decades, that relationship often tested the boundaries of religious liberty – and the church’s own understanding of that principle has been evolving ever since. Divine plan From the faith’s beginnings in the 1830s, founder Joseph Smith frequently emphasized the significance of religious liberty. In one 1843 sermon, for example, Smith explained that “civil and religious liberty … were diffused into my soul by my grandfathers,” both of whom had fought in the war of independence. Joseph Smith published the Book …

The USDA secretary is a dangerous religious zealot like Pete Hegseth

The USDA secretary is a dangerous religious zealot like Pete Hegseth

Published by Sam Flores

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins isn’t as dramatic with religious theatrics as some of her colleagues in Donald Trump’s Cabinet, like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but that shouldn’t fool anyone. A recent lawsuit from staff members alleges that Rollins has been “promoting her own preferred brand of Christian beliefs and theology to the captive audience of employees,” largely through proselytizing emails sent to the whole staff at the USDA, which make them “fear the negative consequences of not sharing the Secretary’s religion.” The details in the lawsuit reveal that the former Cotton Bowl Queen is just as committed a Christian nationalist as the more belligerent Hegseth. That might seem like a bold claim at first blush. Hegseth has drawn attention for his aggressive, even violent rhetoric that treats Christianity as a war-mongering faith focused more on punishing non-believers than the more Jesus-like aspirations of love and charity. The defense secretary is so devoted to reimagining Jesus as a vengeful prophet that he got caught giving a sermon-like speech in which he appeared to pass off dialogue …

Religious leaders, lawmakers push for billion to secure houses of worship : NPR

Religious leaders, lawmakers push for $1 billion to secure houses of worship : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Eric Fingerhut, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, speaks at an event in D.C. on May 18, 2026. JFNA organized an advocacy fly-in of more than 400 Jewish leaders to Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to support more funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which offers funding to strengthen security at houses of worship. Photo courtesy of the Jewish Federations of North America hide caption toggle caption Photo courtesy of the Jewish Federations of North America At a recent Shabbat service in West Bloomfield, Mich., Rabbi Jen Lader shared plans to lobby Congress to pour more funding into a federal program that strengthens security at houses of worship. “We are not asking Congress to just protect Jews – we are asking Congress to protect every community of Americans that gathers to pray. And we are asking with the full weight of what we have just lived through behind us,” she said, referencing the March attack on her congregation of Temple Israel.  The fact that no one was killed other …

The deepest fears of San Diego’s religious communities were realized in Islamic Center shooting

The deepest fears of San Diego’s religious communities were realized in Islamic Center shooting

Published by Sam Flores

SAN DIEGO — As an elementary school student at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the early aughts, Sarah Youssef said she doesn’t remember there being guards on patrol or gates keeping out danger. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. But Youssef, now a college freshman who leads a local gun violence prevention group, said she remembers when the center hired Amin Abdullah to guard the facility. Many were comforted by his presence but also concerned about what it signified. Years later, community members’ — and Abdullah’s — deepest fears came to pass. Two shooters attempted to storm the Islamic Center earlier this week. Along with Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, who managed the center’s store, and community member Nadir Awad thwarted their attack but sacrificed themselves. Their quick actions on Monday were praised as sheer heroism that may have saved dozens of lives, with about 140 children and teachers within the center’s walls. Two women cry as they leave a reunification center following the shooting at …

Catholic academy trust expansion sparks warning over religious control of state schools – Humanists UK

Catholic academy trust expansion sparks warning over religious control of state schools – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

Humanists UK has warned that the proposed expansion of large faith-based academy trusts, St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust, risks entrenching religious control over state-funded education, after reports that a government-backed Catholic turnaround trust is set to become one of England’s largest.  Humanists UK said the case reflects a concern it has long raised: that academisation is opening the way for religious bodies to consolidate control over state-funded schools. In 2021, Humanists UK warned that government funding for Church academy trusts, including a Catholic ‘turnaround trust’, would extend religious influence across the school system. Expanding faith-based control of the school system risks increasing segregation of children on grounds of faith or belief, and undermines cohesion among pupils of different backgrounds. Furthermore, taxpayers’ money should not be used to fund trusts or schools that do so. The concern is especially acute in Liverpool, where Humanists UK has previously highlighted that the high proportion of religiously selective schools can leave non-religious and minority-faith families with little genuine access to inclusive local schools. In Liverpool almost 50% of …

James Robison, televangelist known as ‘avenging angel of the religious right,’ dies at 82

James Robison, televangelist known as ‘avenging angel of the religious right,’ dies at 82

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — James Robison, a televangelist, author, friend of politicians and key figure in the Moral Majority movement who later led a humanitarian organization, died Saturday (May 16). He was 82. “It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Rev. James Robison, the beloved founder of Life Outreach International,” the board of directors of the ministry Robison founded said in a statement. “James devoted his life to sharing the Gospel and bringing hope, help, and healing to those in need around the world. Together, James and Betty stewarded a ministry that has touched countless lives and will continue impacting generations to come.” Born Oct. 9, 1943, in Houston, Robison had what his ministry called a “dysfunctional” childhood. His mother, a nurse, was assaulted by the son of a patient, according to his official bio, and became pregnant as a result. She placed her son, Robison, with a Baptist couple that she had found in a newspaper ad.   That couple raised him for five years before he returned to his birth mother. …

The US once led on religious freedom. This administration is dismantling that legacy.

The US once led on religious freedom. This administration is dismantling that legacy.

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Countless millions of people worldwide are persecuted for what they believe. Uyghurs languish in detention camps in China. Baha’is face oppression in Iran. Christians face harassment, surveillance and arrest in Eritrea. Rohingya Muslims still live with the trauma and displacement of genocide in Burma. The human cost of these abuses is not abstract — it is measured in body counts, prisoners jailed for their faith and houses of worship shuttered by repressive regimes. At its core, religious freedom goes beyond worship, prayer and faith. It’s about human dignity and human rights. If the government can tell you what to believe, it can do whatever it wants. When freedom of conscience wanes, violence spreads, extremism grows and democracies decay from within. For decades, the United States championed international religious freedom with a strong, bipartisan toolbox. Yet despite promises to the contrary, the Trump administration is undermining and ignoring the International Religious Freedom Act — the landmark law, passed in 1998, that made possible our leadership on global religious freedom. Congress must use every tool …