RELIGION HEADLINES FRI 8-29-25

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(SRN NEWS)-

(  )  Fort Lauderdale city leaders have decided to fight the state of Florida’s order to remove Gay Pride street art, potentially risking millions of dollars in funding.  City commissioners voted unanimously to file an administrative appeal against an order to cover four street art installations in the city, including a rainbow-colored crosswalk.  Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has explained his order by saying “I think the street art got out of hand.  I think it’s much better that we use crosswalks and streets for their intended purpose.”  Communities have until early September to clean up or face a reduction in state transportation funds.

(  )  A new poll of America’s college professors and administrators finds that across the board they overwhelmingly agree that colleges and universities should provide support for students of all religious backgrounds.  The study, funded by the Templeton Religious Trust, also reveals a sharp disagreement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs.  College professors in red states are far more inclined to view DEI efforts as overreach that generally do more harm than good on campuses and have gone too far.  Conversely, blue state faculty largely disagree with these assertions and support DEI at their schools.

(  )  The sabbath is at the heart of a lawsuit that’s been filed in New Jersey.  The massive American Dream mall in East Rutherford is open on Sunday, but officials in nearby Paramus say it should not.  They argue that the mall is running afoul of a county law that has long prohibited the sale of nonessential items such as clothing, appliances and furniture on Sundays.  Such “blue laws” date back centuries in New Jersey and were originally rooted in an effort to obey the fourth commandment.  Modern supporters of such laws say they offer a welcome break for locals from traffic and noise in a region teeming with shoppers.

(  )  Religious freedom is under seige in mostly-Muslim Malaysia.  International Christian Concern reports that it’s a major problem in the Sabah region, where Muslims have established a kind of de facto Sharia state.  ICC says “Christian youth are being converted in large numbers through educational initiatives, which prioritize Islamic teachings over religious diversity.”  In Malaysia 61 percent of the population is Muslim while Bhuddists make up another 20 percent.  Christians account for just one-in-10 people.  The Malaysian Islamic Propagation Foundation recently announced that it would be intensifying its conversion efforts in Sabah.