RELIGION HEADLINES

(SRN NEWS) – Australian detectives are investigating whether foreign actors are paying criminals to commit anti-Semitic attacks in the country.  Lawmen are grappling with an increase in anti-Jewish crime in Australia since the Hamas attack on Israel in October of 2023.  Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declined to speculate about who might be funding anti-Semitic incidents in Australia, even as authorities investigate at least 15 attacks over the last couple of months.  An arson and graffiti attack on a childcare center near a Sydney synagogue is the latest. 

Officers enforcing immigration laws will now be able to arrest illegal immigrants at locations such as churches and schools under new policies established by the Trump administration.  The Department of Homeland Security says, “This action empowers the brave men and women in Customs and Border Patrol to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murderers and rapists — who have illegally come into our country.”  Churches and schools in liberal states are vowing to resist the new order. 

A judge in northwestern Ohio has found a pastor guilty on criminal charges for failing to comply with the city fire code after he opened his church to let homeless people and others stay overnight.  Bryan Municipal Court Judge Kent North delivered his verdict against Chris Avell (AY-vul), pastor at Dad’s Place Church.  He could face a 200-dollar fine and up to 60 days in jail if he continues to let people stay in the church without state approval that the building is up to code.  Avell is being represented by First Liberty, which vows to appeal. 

A poll by the Public Religion Research Institute finds that a majority of White Evangelicals agree with the statement that “being Christian is an important part of being truly American.”  But the poll also reveals that 55 percent of Hispanic Protestants agree, as do nearly 40 percent of Black Protestants.  The PRRI survey goes on to report that more than one-third of Muslims in this country say that the U.S. government should promote Christian moral values but not make Christianity the official religion.  Many also agree that U.S. law should be based on Christian values.