Faith & Family
From prison fears to fireworks: Pastor recounts sudden release after Trump’s intervention
Ezra Jin Mingri was inside a detention center in southern China on the morning of July 3, worrying that he would likely spend at least 15 years behind bars. The 57-year-old Chinese Christian pastor had even previously wondered whether he would live to see freedom again.
COVID-inspired House bill would guarantee Americans in the hospital can see their clergy
Rep. Mike Flood is fighting for Americans in a hospital or nursing home to never again be barred from seeing clergy, as happened during COVID-19.
Lawyer in sensitive Vatican abuse case issues scathing critique of church’s secretive legal system
The lawyer for five women who say they were sexually and spiritually abused by a former Jesuit priest and internationally known religious artist penned a scathing denunciation Tuesday of the Vatican's secretive legal system, in which her clients have no right to know any details of the trial.
U.S. lawmakers frustrated with Nigeria’s limited success protecting Christians from Islamic terror
Thankful families this month celebrated the July 10 rescue by the Nigerian army of dozens of abducted schoolchildren, but the latest progress in embattled President Bola Tinubu's three-year war on Islamic militants may be too little too late for some American lawmakers.
Republicans accuse Smithsonian of sexualizing kids with ‘woke’ bondage and fetishist exhibits
Sex-laced bondage and transgender imagery in exhibits at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History are sexualizing and traumatizing kids, Republicans charged Tuesday, telling the museum's director that she's using her post to elevate "woke" ideology over American greatness.
Paris’ Grand Mosque celebrates its 100th anniversary and interfaith dialogue
A hundred years ago, Paris erected a monumental mosque to honor Muslim soldiers from French colonies who fought in World War I. It's now an integral part of the capital's bustling Latin Quarter, and as it celebrates its centenary, worshippers are reflecting on being Muslim in today's France.
Political analysts see little chance of GOP renewing Planned Parenthood funding freeze
Political strategists on both sides of the abortion debate say there's little chance of Congress renewing a Trump administration freeze on federal funding to Planned Parenthood that expired this month.
Poll: Jewish Americans split on Gaza, Trump
A sweeping new survey of Jewish Americans has found deep divisions over Israel's military campaign in Gaza, with religiously affiliated Jews far more supportive of the war effort than secular Jews who identify with the faith through culture or ancestry rather than belief.
God, Country and the American Story: Why faith still belongs in American government
Congressman Mark Harris shares the remarkable journey that took him from the pulpit to Congress, explains why he believes Christians shouldn't retreat from public life, and responds to one of America's biggest debates: Does faith belong in government?
Support for Israel isn’t a high priority for younger Jewish Americans, an AP-NORC poll finds
Support for Israel is a key component of the religious identity of many Jewish adults ages 45 and older in the United States, but younger Jewish adults are more likely to prioritize other forms of connection, like celebrating Jewish holidays, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
America’s leading Asian allies pummel freedom of religion
Japan and South Korea are both prosperous, successful democracies and core American allies -- but both Asian powerhouses have, in recent months, cracked down on religious freedom.
AI dilemma trips up Congress’ moves to protect children online
Congress' yearslong struggle to force Big Tech to protect children online is now tangled in the fight over regulating artificial intelligence, adding new obstacles to an elusive legislative deal.
D.C. cardinal cites privacy in exorcisms for firing priest who claimed UFOs are demons in disguise
Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, said in a recent interview that the need to keep exorcisms "private" justified his firing of a priest who declared in a viral video that UFOs are demons in disguise.
Pentagon’s new religious code system leaves Native traditions unseen
When the Pentagon cut roughly 180 faiths from its religious affiliation codes, shrinking the list from more than 200 categories to 31 in May 2026, it folded "Native American religion" into the broader category of "other religion" - one of many faiths the change pushes out of the military's view.
Jewish Americans favor Mamdani over Netanyahu, poll finds
POLL: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is viewed more favorably among Jewish Americans than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The church fathers of early Christianity are showing their swag - on TikTok
Videos imitating "church fathers," bishops and theologians who helped shape early Christianity have been popping up across social media since late 2025. Several versions have drawn hundreds of thousands of views.
