Christian publisher’s new book explores Trump’s impact on society
On the eve of a recent White House meeting between President Donald Trump and evangelical leaders, the founder of a Christian publishing company announced his second book on Trump. Stephen Strang of Charisma Media is the author of Trump Aftershock: The President’s Seismic Impact on Faith and Culture in America. It will release Nov. 6, the day of the mid-term elections. Among topics the book explores are how Trump’s agenda aims to free the economy, reduce illegal immigration, rebuild the military, and strengthen ties with Israel. Strang said the aftershocks that followed Trump’s surprising election have affected numerous areas of [...]
Professors argue religious exemption can apply to immigration cases
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bolstered Hobby Lobby’s successful challenge to the Obamacare contraceptive mandate. Now, two college professors argue RFRA can provide a shield for businesses supporting undocumented immigrants. Inara Scott, an assistant professor in Oregon State University’s business college, and Elizabeth Brown, an assistant law professor at Bentley University in Massachusetts, studied the 1980s sanctuary movement. Back then, various congregations pledged to offer housing, support, and assistance to Central American refugees fleeing civil conflicts. Bringing the issue to current day, Scott and Brown also looked at the sanctuary movement spurred by the Trump Administration’s deportation policies. While [...]
Adjusting your conflict attitude
What we do with conflict can have far-reaching consequences.
Hobby Lobby ruling continues to affect religious freedom fight
The 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of Hobby Lobby’s challenge to Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate continues to affect the legal landscape. Last week, a federal court judge ruled in favor of a similar objection from the Catholic Benefits Association (CBA), awarding the group $718,000 in legal costs. The association was among plaintiffs who challenged a regulation requiring them to provide health plans that included coverage of sterilization and contraceptives, including abortion-inducing drugs. The CBA filed lawsuits in 2013 and 2014. It said the Department of Health and Human Services was trying to force its members—more than 1,000 Catholic hospitals, [...]
Let’s restore civility
If anyone doubts the world has lost any sense of civility, they only need to examine some of my email.
Complaint against praying Air Force general could have wider implications
An advocacy group has complained about an Air Force general maintaining a private website urging prayer for the nation, a case that has implications for government employees beyond the military. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is demanding the Department of Defense (DOD) investigate Brig. Gen. E. John Teicher, installation commander at Edwards Air Force Base. MRFF’s complaint concerns alleged violations of DOD policies on religious proselytizing. At issue is a website Teichert maintains, Prayer at Lunchtime for the United States. A biography on the site says Teichert has served in the Air Force since 1994 and accepted Christ a [...]
When you want to call it quits
Maybe the press of people’s opinions feels suffocating, or the crushing demand of others’ expectations squelches your spirit.
7 signs “the problem” isn’t the problem
You don’t treat symptoms, you treat problems. Leaders must know which they are dealing with.
3 realities of leadership
Every Christian leader is faced with three realities on a regular basis.
Italian lawmakers’ move to hang crucifix stirs protest from church leaders
After a similar move in Bavaria, Italian lawmakers want to hang a crucifix in all government buildings as a “permanent reminder” of the nation’s Christian identity, The Wall Street Journal reports. The newspaper said in a recent story that nationalists and politicians across Europe are promoting the use of Christian imagery in an attempt to change established politics and define the continent as Christian as a reaction to Muslim immigration. As in Bavaria, in Italy the move is sparking disagreement among Christian leaders. It has drawn criticism from allies of Pope Francis, who insists Christians should be generous towards immigrants. [...]
5 stages of recovery when toxic people leave the church
Pastors and other church leaders are often hesitant to deal with toxicity in the church.
How to be firm without being a jerk
It’s such a frequent issue. The employee who tries to push your boundaries.
University of Iowa relents on deregistration of faith-based groups
A week after getting sued by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF), the University of Iowa has relented on its decision to deregister 39 student groups. The organizations had failed to meet a mid-June deadline for adding a nondiscrimination provision to their governing documents. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of IVCF, said in a release that an agreement with the school will temporarily reinstate all deregistered religious groups until the end of pending litigation. “This is a win for everyone—Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Sikhs alike,” said Daniel Blomberg, senior counsel for Becket. “Everyone loses when [...]
Evangelical leaders ask Trump to raise refugee ceiling
A coalition of evangelical leaders is asking President Donald Trump’s administration to raise the refugee ceiling, expressing concern over limits at a time when the global refugee crisis is growing. Leaders of the Evangelical Immigration Table recently sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and Sam Brownback, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. The evangelicals are worried about the impact of recent changes in the U.S. refugee resettlement program. Over the past year, while the world’s refugee population grew, the number admitted to the U.S. decreased from 36,000 in the first half of 2016 [...]
How to rise above conflict
Use these tools to manage your response to adversity.
Who’s the standard here?
These leaders value certain ways of being and expect that the rest of the world should too.
5 steps to conflict resolution
Conflict is unavoidable. Here are five ways to positively handle these situations.
Two more Christian groups sue University of Iowa for alleged discrimination
With one Christian student group successfully suing the University of Iowa to remain on campus temporarily, two more groups have filed a lawsuit alleging the school is engaging in religious discrimination. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) and a campus affiliate, InterVarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship, said in their lawsuit that the university recently deregistered it solely because it requires student leaders to believe and follow its Christian faith. The lawsuit follows an earlier one filed by Business Leaders in Christ (BLinC). The group sued after it was kicked off campus last year for allegedly denying a vice president’s position because he was [...]
Americans more open to religious objections to same-sex service
A new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) shows an increasing number of Americans think it is permissible for businesses to cite religious grounds to deny certain services to same-sex couples. The findings came about two months after the U.S. Supreme Court’s early June ruling that upheld a Denver-area bakery owner’s refusal to bake a wedding cake for a homosexual couple. A telephone survey of just over 2,000 adults 18 and older showed 46 percent saying wedding-centered businesses should be allowed to decline service, a 5 percent increase since last year. The percentage who said they should not [...]
3 keys to conflict resolution and healthy teamwork
How can leaders navigate the waves of turmoil to bring calm?
