All posts tagged: Church

For one Iranian family and their church, Trump’s refugee freeze leaves son in exile

For one Iranian family and their church, Trump’s refugee freeze leaves son in exile

Published by skeptic

(RNS) — On a recent night, a mother in California found herself lying awake at 3:00 a.m., her mind racing. Unable to sleep, she tossed and turned for the next three hours, anxiously ruminating on the same question that has haunted her for years. “All the time, I just think about it: How can I help my son?” she told Religion News Service in a recent interview. “I cannot think about anything else.” It’s a personal agony that has long plagued Ava — which is not her real name, as she requested anonymity to be able to speak freely about her story — who is a refugee from Iran living in the U.S. While much of her family has resettled here, her eldest adult son remains in exile in Indonesia. A local church has sponsored his entry into the U.S., but he, like virtually all refugees seeking entry into the country, is currently in limbo after President Donald Trump’s decision to essentially freeze the U.S. refugee program entirely. That includes people fleeing religious persecution. In …

Northern Ireland poll reveals most parents want less church influence and a more inclusive approach to religion in schools

Northern Ireland poll reveals most parents want less church influence and a more inclusive approach to religion in schools

Published by skeptic

A new poll commissioned by Northern Ireland Humanists has revealed that most adults aged 18-54 – those most likely to have children currently in school – strongly support changing how religion is taught and practised in Northern Ireland’s classrooms. The poll was carried out by LucidTalk and explored three key issues: compulsory collective worship, Religious Education, and church involvement in school governance. The findings suggest that people across the board are unhappy with the dominant role Christianity still plays in schools. 72% didn’t know of the legal requirement for schools to hold daily Christian worship. 53% think ‘the requirement to provide a daily act of collective worship in schools should not be compulsory’,  while just 34% think it should remain compulsory. Northern Ireland Humanists believes these findings show legislation is out of step with modern families, many of whom hold diverse religious or non-religious beliefs. Northern Ireland Humanists want inclusive assemblies for all instead, allowing pupils to gather without a requirement to participate in religious practices. The poll also asked what the focus of Religious …

How a church administrator tracked down the woman now accused of killing her father and 3 others

How a church administrator tracked down the woman now accused of killing her father and 3 others

Published by Sam

On a May afternoon two years ago, Christyn Akin-Crockett found herself in an unusual situation. Standing in an alley north of downtown Columbus, Ohio, the church administrator was dressed in black and staring at a run-down single-family home. Akin-Crockett, 42, had heard that a woman in the area — identified to her only as “Becka” — was responsible for multiple killings, including her father’s. Wayne Akin.Courtesy Christyn Akin-Crockett In an interview, Akin-Crockett said she had previously tried to get local authorities to investigate Wayne Akin’s death as suspicious. When she’d gone to her father’s apartment after his body was found on April 17, 2023, she said she found women’s shorts and underwear on the floor, and his phone and wallet were missing. But when she went to Columbus police with her concerns, she said, an officer told her investigators had to wait for the results of toxicology testing to determine if Akin’s death was suspicious. Frustrated, Akin-Crockett said she took matters into her own hands after someone reached out to her family via Facebook with information …

33 Christian Reformed ministers take oath to a rival denomination as church split deepens

33 Christian Reformed ministers take oath to a rival denomination as church split deepens

Published by skeptic

(RNS) — At a church just outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Tuesday (Feb. 18), 33 ministers from the Christian Reformed Church in North America stood up to read aloud a declaration, officially accepting ordination in a rival denomination, the Reformed Church in America, and thereby gaining the freedom to be more accepting of LGBTQ believers. Having stated they will abide by the creeds and confessions of the RCA, each of the ministers was then offered a loaf of bread as a symbol of fellowship and welcome. The group ordination ceremony — the first of its kind  — is one of the more public signs of an ongoing split in the Christian Reformed Church on the part of churches no longer willing to abide the CRC’s increasingly rigid stance on sexuality. The ministers are not moving alone. Since June of last year, 26 churches have informed the denomination that they intend to disaffiliate from the 1,000-church body based in Grand Rapids, according to a CRC spokesperson. Most of those churches have declared themselves open and affirming …

Bishop: Disestablish Church of England

Bishop: Disestablish Church of England

Published by skeptic

The Sunday Times reports that bishops are openly talking about disestablishment of the Church of England in the wake of the child sexual abuse scandal which led to the resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby – along with calls for his successor, Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, to do the same. According to the article, the mood within the Church of England is seen as one of ‘breaking point’ following a vote by the Church of England’s General Synod not to approve independent safeguarding – meaning the Church will continue to privately handle allegations of child sexual abuse without external oversight, which was seen as a major cause of the Church’s failings under Welby. Mounting internal criticisms Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley said the vote means the Church has ‘lost credibility in safeguarding… we have just collectively signed our institutional death warrant’ and ‘demonstrated a fundamental lack of understanding of the depth of this crisis’. The Church of England’s safeguarding lead, Bishop of Birkenhead, Julie Conalty, said the scandal ‘exemplified the arrogance’ of the Church’s approach and refusal …

Church of England bishop calls for disestablishment

Church of England bishop calls for disestablishment

Published by skeptic

The Anglican bishop of Birkenhead, Julie Conalty, has called for the Church of England to be disestablished. “I personally would favour the Church of England being disestablished”, said Conalty (pictured), who is also the Church’s deputy lead bishop for safeguarding. The National Secular Society has long campaigned for disestablishment and recently supported a bill to separate Church and state. Conalty’s comments come as the General Synod voted last week against making safeguarding fully independent from the Church, in the wake of a series of abuse scandals which led to the resignation of archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. The vote dismayed victims and survivors of abuse and went against the recommendations of a report by Professor Alexis Jay, the former chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. Jay said: “Church safeguarding, as it stands, falls below the standards of secular organisations, and I do not think that can continue when it has also led to such serious weaknesses”. Remarking on the vote, Conalty said: “As a Church we still weren’t able to listen to …

Scientists determine whether church attendance really boosts charitable acts

Scientists determine whether church attendance really boosts charitable acts

Published by José

A new study published in the Archive for the Psychology of Religion provides evidence that attending religious services actually causes an increase in charitable actions, like donating money and volunteering time. While the study found this causal effect to be more modest than simple observations might suggest, the researchers demonstrated that even a slight rise in regular religious service attendance across a population could lead to a noticeable and significant increase in overall charitable contributions. For many years, scientists who study religion have been interested in understanding whether religious beliefs and practices make people more inclined to act kindly and generously towards others. This idea, that religion promotes prosocial behavior, has been discussed for centuries. However, it is surprisingly difficult to definitively prove that religion causes people to be more helpful. Many past studies have simply shown that religious people tend to be more prosocial, but this doesn’t tell us if their religion is the reason for their generosity. It could be that people who are already kind and giving are simply more drawn to …

Half the public view Church of England unfavourably, survey finds

Half the public view Church of England unfavourably, survey finds

Published by skeptic

Just under half the British public hold an unfavourable opinion of the Church of England, polling has found. Forty-nine per cent of those surveyed says they held a negative opinion of the Church, a ten point increase since November, when 39% reported a similarly unfavourable view. In the same, period the net unfavorability of the Church more than tripled, from -7 to -24. Eighteen per cent of respondents also said they held a ‘very unfavourable’ view of the Church. Just 25% of respondents said they held a favourable view of the church, a 7 point decrease from November, when 32% reported holding a favourable view. Fifty per cent also said they supported ending the Church of England’s established status, a figure consistent with previous findings. Just 23% said the connection between Church and state should be maintained. The new polling comes amidst an ongoing abuse crisis in the Church of England. In November, Justin Welby resigned as archbishop of Canterbury after a review found he failed to act on reports of abuse by Church of …

Pastor William F. Kumuyi from world’s 3rd largest church to attend inauguration

Pastor William F. Kumuyi from world’s 3rd largest church to attend inauguration

Published by skeptic

Presence emphasizes the importance of religious freedom and Christian unity WASHINGTON — As global leaders convene in Washington, D.C. for President Donald Trump’s second inauguration on Jan. 20, one of the world’s most influential Christian leaders, Rev. William F. Kumuyi, will be in attendance. Kumuyi, the General Superintendent and Founder of Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) based in Lagos, Nigeria, is pastor of the third-largest church in the world renowned for his impactful Bible teaching and evangelistic ministry.  “President Trump’s stand for the gospel is not without recognition, not just by American Christians, but all Christians globally,” said Pastor Kumuyi. “During his first term in office, President Trump hosted the first ever meeting of foreign ministers focused solely on international religious freedom and, in his campaign, he promised to support Christian values and priorities.”  During his visit to the U.S., Kumuyi will engage with members of Congress, American church leaders and media representatives. He is available for interviews from Jan. 17- 27 to discuss topics, including:  The Global Shift of Christianity: Kumuyi can elaborate on findings …

Louis, Charlotte and George take centre stage on walk to Christmas Day church service in Sandringham

Louis, Charlotte and George take centre stage on walk to Christmas Day church service in Sandringham

Published by skeptic

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George took centre stage on Christmas morning as they joined the Prince and Princess of Wales on their traditional walk to the church service on the family’s Sandringham estate. The three grinning children held hands with Kate and William as they walked past throngs of well-wishers on the way to St Mary Magdalene Church. George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and Louis, six, were all dressed in matching navy coats, with cheery Charlotte sporting a dark green bow in her hair. Kate was also colour co-ordinated with her children, wearing a green coat and hat for the occasion. The family looked in good spirits as they paused to speak to the on-lookers who had been waiting to see the royals …