Audio
Michael Harrington
Religion in the News Editor
America’s pastors are staying put
America’s pastors are staying put
VERBATIM: LifeWay Research has been looking at the data and concludes that only about one-in-100 of the country’s Protestant clergymen leave the ministry in any given year. Just 1.2% of pastors left their job last year — not counting those who retired or passed away. That’s about the same as 2015 when 1.3 of them quit. Clergymen are under more pressure these days and have to fill more roles than ever before, but that doesn’t seem to be driving them away. MH SRNN NEWS
Listen DownloadAtheist groups are preparing a lawsuit
Atheist groups are preparing a lawsuit
VERBATIM: The Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and several other groups say they will sue the state of Texas over its new statute requiring the posting of the 10 Commandments in public schools. Several other states have similar laws and atheists have succeeded in tying them up in court. The Texas legislation would require that a copy of the Commandments be posed in every classroom. MH SRNN NEWS
Listen DownloadAbortion pills may be coming to your local convenience store
Abortion pills may be coming to your local convenience store
A potential Democratic hopeful is confused
A potential Democratic hopeful is confused
A victory for religious freedom in New York
A victory for religious freedom in New York
VERBATIM: A U.S. District Court has ruled that the state can NOT force a Christian photographer to shoot a gay wedding against her deeply held religious beliefs. Emilee Carpenter is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom and spokesman Brian Neihart says “As the Supreme Court reaffirmed, the government can’t force Americans to say things they don’t believe. The U.S. Constitution protects Emilee’s freedom to express her own views. MH SRN NRWS
Listen DownloadParents are fighting back in Colorado
Parents are fighting back in Colorado
VERBATIM: The legislature has passed a law that essentially says that the courts can take your child from you if you refuse to allow them to live as the opposite sex. Now a lawsuit has been filed to strike down the measure. It’s being lodged by a coalition of parental rights groups including Protect Kids Colorado and the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network. The Trump administration’s Justice Department might also get involved in the legal battle. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA group of Canadian doctors takes a stand
A group of Canadian doctors takes a stand
VERBATIM: The government and virtually all of the country’s medical establishment support transgenderism but a group of 21 are saying no. The doctors are calling for a reconsideration of the policy to grant puberty-blocking drugs and sex change operations to Canadian children. They point out that the surgeries are irreversible and come with a host of unpleasant side effects that remain with the patients for life. Doctors in the United Kingdom have taken a similar stand. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadAmericans weigh-in on discrimination
Americans weigh-in on discrimination
VERBATIM: A new poll from the Pew Research Center finds that illegal immigrants are the group most respondents believe suffers discrimination — 82% believe that. Second place on the list goes to transgender people — 77% of adults think they are discriminated against. African Americans, Muslims, Hispanics and Jews are next. The Pew poll also reveals that 43% of Americans think Evangelical Christians are the victims of discrimination. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA new count of how many abortions are taking place in this country
A new count of how many abortions are taking place in this country
VERBATIM: The Charlotte Lozier Institute has crunched all the available numbers and its best estimate is that from June of 2023 to June of 2024, 1.1 million abortions were carried out within the U.S. healthcare system. What nobody knows is how many abortion happened OUTSIDE the system, via mail-order abortion drugs which are becoming increasingly popular. The U.S. has averaged about one million abortions per year since 1973. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA New Jersey church remains in limbo
A New Jersey church remains in limbo
VERBATIM: Christ Episcopal in Toms River is under threat of being seized by the town and turned into a public park under eminent domain. But the zoning board never took a vote on the matter at its latest meeting, leaving the congregation to wait until July for a possible decision. Christ Episcopal will likely challenge any seizure attempt in court and since the building is actually owned by the Episcopal denomination, its lawyers will probably get involved too. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadVerizon is getting out of the DEI business
Verizon is getting out of the DEI business
VERBATIM: The telecom giant has officially ended its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, admitting that they “could be associated with discrimination”. Verizon is in the process of trying to buy Frontier and the decision to abandon DEI is seen as an effort to get the deal approved by the Trump administration, which has declared war on DEI. Critics of the programs say they are mostly used to promote the LGBT agenda and are sometimes racist. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA women’s college gives a degree to a man
A women’s college gives a degree to a man
VERBATIM: Rachel Levine was the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services under president Biden. Levine is also a man living as a woman. But that has not stopped Smith College, the noted women’s school, from awarding Levine an honorary degree and the opportunity to deliver the commencement address to a graduating class of more than 600 women. Women’s Declaration International, a feminist group, protested Levine’s award. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA victory for Christian broadcasters
A victory for Christian broadcasters
VERBATIM: A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled unanimously that the Federal Communications Commission can NOT force religious radio or TV companies to reveal the racial or sexual composition of their staff. Chief Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod wrote that while the FCC is empowered to act in the public interest, “The FCC does not explain how compiling data on sex- and racial-employment trends in the broadcast industry serves that purpose.” MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA warning from a Christian researcher
A warning from a Christian researcher
VERBATIM: George Barna has been polling Americans for decades and his latest findings, at the Cultural Research Center, have got him worried. His surveys indicate that most people no longer believe in absolute moral truth — and incredibly — that includes most self-identified Christians. Barna says “Accepting all truths as equally valid cannot help but dig a deep foundation of chaos, confusion and helplessness. This will lead to the acceptance of powerful elites as the arbiter of truth for the masses.” MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadAmericans weigh-in on bathrooms
Americans weigh-in on bathrooms
VERBATIM: Specifically, who should be allowed to use which one. A new poll from the Public Religion Research Institute finds that 71% of respondents want people to be restricted to using the restroom corresponding to the sex they actually ARE, NOT the one they might be LIVING AS. On this issue, faith groups are united. No major religious community in the country supports allowing men to use women’s bathrooms. 55% of non-religious people DO. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadSamaritan’s Purse is cleaning up after weekend twisters
Samaritan’s Purse is cleaning up after weekend twisters
A beauty products company embraces transgenderism
A beauty products company embraces transgenderism
VERBATIM: While a lot of big firms are backing away from the LGBT agenda, under fire from customers, Dove appears to be doubling down. The company has released a short ad for a hair care product that features a man who is living as a woman. It’s all part of a campaign called “The Dove You Love, Reimagined”. A lot of people on social media reacted to the transgender spot with dismay and there are now rumblings of a potential boycott of Dove. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadAn assisted-suicide bill has failed in Nevada
An assisted-suicide bill has failed in Nevada
VERBATIM: The legislation made some headway in the state Assembly but it faced strong opposition in the Senate and Republican Governor Joe Lombardo has promised a veto. Currently, a person can end his life with the help of a doctor in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. Nearly 20 other states are considering suicide legislation this year. MHSRNN NEWS
Listen DownloadAnother church attack in France
Another church attack in France
A disturbing incident outside Cleveland
A disturbing incident outside Cleveland
VERBATIM: A man checked out a bunch of Jewish books from a library in the heavily-Jewish suburb of Beachwood and then filmed himself burning them. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that the titles included “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Jewish Solidarity”. Local Jewish leaders are unhappy. Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk of Congregation Mishkan Or says “Whoever perpetuated the idea that you can burn us out of Cleveland, picked the wrong community.” MH SRNN NEWS
Listen DownloadHave you read through the Bible more than once?
Have you read through the Bible more than once?
VERBATIM: If you said “YES” then you are in pretty elite company. A new poll from LifeWay Research finds that only 9% of Americans say they have made it through all 66 books two or more times. However, the survey also reveals that a lot of people think the Bible deserves their attention. 44% say it’s a good idea to read the scriptures again and again, and half of respondents say they have read a lot of the Bible — if not the whole thing. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA Republican senator goes after obscenity
A Republican senator goes after obscenity
VERBATIM: Mike Lee of Utah has introduced a bill that would update the country’s law governing indecency, in hopes of curbing the explosion of pornography on the internet that is really affecting kids. Lee says “Obscenity isn’t protected by the First Amendment. This legislation updates the legal definition of obscenity for the internet age so this content can be taken down and its peddlers prosecuted.” Some children report seeing pornography before the age of 10. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadAmerica is turning away from the Bible
America is turning away from the Bible
Southern Baptists are getting ready for their summer trip
Southern Baptists are getting ready for their summer trip
VERBATIM: Messengers from the largest Protestant denomination are set to gather in Dallas on June 8th through the 11th for their annual convention. It’s an interesting time for the SBC which continues to see modest declines in membership but also increases in baptisms and church attendance. There is some internal turmoil going into the convention, including the future of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission which is accused by some conservatives of moving left. MH SRB NEWS
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