US Black pastors sign letter supporting compromise bill on LGBTQ equality
RNS Fifty-seven Black Christian leaders have written a letter to members of the US Senate’s Judiciary Committee expressing support for sweeping LGBTQ rights but asking for a new bill that includes religious exemptions. The signers, including representatives of the major Black Christian denominations, said passage of the Equality Act would deny federal funding for faith-based programs that […]
World Bank, EU, UN say agreement to give Lebanon aid in US dollars
Beirut, LebanonThomson Reuters Foundation Impoverished groups in Lebanon could soon receive more aid after a letter from international donors said on Wednesday there had been an agreement to hand out assistance in hard currency as the Lebanese pound crashed to a new low. Aid to the country in the midst of a financial meltdown exacerbated […]
Brazil: Bolsonaro aims new law at religious abusers, but activists view his bill with suspicion
EDUARDO CAMPOS LIMA looks at a bill in Brazil which would toughen penalties for religious leaders who commit sexual abuse – and why some are viewing it with suspicion…
COVID “tornado” hitting Papua New Guinea’s fragile hospitals, say health workers
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Rapidly increasing COVID-19 infections in hospitals in the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea were hitting its fragile health system “like a tornado”, with services shutting as staff fall ill, health workers said on Wednesday. Australia said it would send 8,000 vaccines to its northern neighbour Papua New Guinea, responding to a […]
Essay: The Atlanta massacre is yet another reminder we desperately need race-conscious discipleship
While investigations continue into the motive for the shooting of eight people – including six women of Asian descent – in Atlanta this week, RAYMOND CHANG, president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative, looks at how the church needs to respond to the wider issue of violence against Asian Americans…