After years of decline, the Christian population in the United States has been stable for several years, a shift fueled in part by young adults, according to a major new survey from the Pew Research Center. And the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans, which had grown steadily for years, has also leveled off. (Graham, The New York Times)
Read MoreA federal judge on Monday blocked immigration agents from conducting enforcement operations in houses of worship for Quakers and a handful of other religious groups. U.S. District Judge Theodore Chang found that the Trump administration policy could violate their religious freedom and should be blocked while a lawsuit challenging it plays out. (Kunzelman & Whitehurst, AP News)
Read MoreAllied Democratic Forces (ADF).
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)] is accused of approaching homes in Mayba, in the Lumbero territory, beginning Feb. 12 and capturing as many as 100 Christians through Feb. 15, marching them to a Protestant church in Kasanga affiliated with the Evangelical Community in Central Africa 20 (CECA 20), binding and beheading them, reported advocates including Open Doors, International Christian Concern (ICC) and Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). (Chandler, Baptist Press)
Read MoreOne thing most do agree on, regardless of party affiliation, is in-vitro fertilization — more commonly known as IVF — 70% of Americans told Pew Research they believe access to IVF is a good thing, while only 8% said it was bad, according to a 2024 survey. That’s likely one reason why Donald Trump recently issued an executive order Tuesday (Feb. 18), promising to reduce the cost of IVF. (Smietana, Religion News Service)
Read MoreChurches and other religious organizations can opt out of the federal system, which requires retirement plans and their sponsors to fund pensions well in advance and to set aside retirement savings in dedicated accounts. That has left hundreds of thousands of workers vulnerable.(Francis, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreSome 3.4% of K-12 students in the United States were homeschooled during the 2022-23 academic year, according to recently released data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). That was roughly on par with the 2.8% of students who were homeschooled during the 2018-19 academic year, before the coronavirus pandemic. (Pula, Pew Research Center)
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