Weekly religion news roundup (June 27-July 3, 2025)
Photograph by Utsav Srestha via Unsplash
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela
A volunteer finds the Holy Grail of abolitionist-era Baptist documents in Massachusetts. A volunteer searching American Baptist church archives has uncovered a nearly 180-year-old scroll that underscores the depth of religious opposition to slavery in Massachusetts. (Associated Press)
Family, Faith And Freedom: What Do Americans Value Most? While Americans widely believe in values such as respect, trustworthiness and kindness, it’s family, freedom and faith that are considered “most important” and hold the most sacred space in the national conscience, a new study reveals. (Religion Unplugged)
Ukraine strips Orthodox leader of citizenship, alleging ties to Moscow. Ukraine’s security service accused the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of supporting ‘the policy of the Russian Orthodox Church and its leadership, in particular Patriarch Kirill,’ and ‘the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation.’ (RNS)
Pastor films as masked federal agents arrest Iranian Christian asylum-seekers in LA. The arrests sparked angst in the community and have concerned advocates of Iranian Christians who’ve fled persecution from the Islamic regime. (RNS)
Tibetans in exile wonder: Will the next Dalai Lama be as charismatic as this one? Speaking at prayer celebrations ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue after his death, ending years of speculation that started when he indicated that he might be the last person to hold the role. (Associated Press)
Each Friday in The Christian Citizen, we publish a Religion News Roundup with summaries of religion news stories and links for those who want to read more.
‘I don’t know who to trust anymore’: Druze worry about being left behind in post-war Syria. The Druze - a community with its own unique practices and beliefs, whose faith began as an off-shoot of Shia Islam - have historically occupied a precarious position in Syria's political order. (BBC News)
Supreme Court sides with parents who object to LGBTQ-themed books. The 6-3 decision found the constitutional right to free exercise of religion was violated by a Maryland school district in not allowing children to be excused from storybook lessons parents found to be objectionable. (Baptist News Global)
Religious Freedom Report: Russia Guilty of ‘Severe’ Violations Against Religious Minorities. Russia continues to perpetuate “particularly severe” religious liberty violations against minority groups within its own country and the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, according to a new report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). (National Catholic Register)
Local legislature, human-rights office condemn attacks on Orthodox Jews in Catskills. “It is outrageous that in Sullivan County, Jews are being attacked at or near their house of worship solely because of their religion," said Jacob Billig, an attorney and representative of the Sullivan County Coalition Against Antisemitism. (Jewish News Service)
Pastors Have Increasingly Complicated Relationship With Counseling. A recent Lifeway Research study examining the rate at which evangelical and Black Protestant pastors leave the ministry also asked pastors about their experience with counseling, both in their ministry preparation and practice. (Religion Unplugged)
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela is senior writer at American Baptist Home Mission Societies and assistant editor of The Christian Citizen.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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