Religious News From Around the Web May 31, 2021

Jews and Muslims Find Common Ground, Pew Study on Judaism Released, Religious Affiliated Child Care Services in Fight Over Gay Rights, Why The Chinese Communists Want to Destroy Religion, Equality Act is Devil in the Details

Jews and Muslims Find Common Ground in German City

An unusual organization brings Jews and Muslims together to fight hate and promote dialogue. In the small central German city of Marburg they have jointly been calling for an end to the violence in the Middle East.

Equality Act – Devil in the Details
The Equality Act affects “any establishment that provides a good, service, or program,” a definition broad enough to potentially include houses of worship; would affect adoption agencies that don’t work with gay couples, universities which receive federal funds via student loans; would explicitly exclude protection for religious freedom concerns; and finally recognizes individuals in accordance with their gender identity rather than biological sex.

Pew Study on Judaism
The youngest U.S. Jews count among their ranks both a relatively large share of traditionally observant, Orthodox Jews and an even larger group of people who see themselves as Jewish but do not identify with Judaism as a religion. Orthodox Jews are becoming as solidly Republican as non-Orthodox Jews are solidly Democratic.

Why The Chinese Communists Want to Destroy Religion

The CCP, and Xi Jinping in particular, are obsessed with the fall of the Soviet Union, which they see as resulting from tolerance of dissent. To them, it shows the importance of weeding out dissent and corruption as well as controlling the military from the top down. The military and other government elites must be avowedly atheist and study Xi Jinping. Even retired CCP officials and veterans are prohibited from practicing any religion. Chinese authorities have now arrested a Vatican-approved Bishop and seven priests.

Religious Affiliated Child Care Services in Fight Over Gay Rights
State laws banning discrimination based on sexual orientation have caused a rift with religious foster and adoptive parent organizations, including Sunrise Children’s Services in Kentucky – one of the state’s largest providers of help for abused and neglected children, and Philadelphia Catholic Social Services.