Currently, more than half of U.S. states have statewide mask mandates in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Montana and Ohio all announced statewide mandates last week, bringing the total number of states requiring masks to 30. In addition to statewide mandates, some states and cities …
Continue...Brent Leatherwood and Travis Wussow wrote a statement of principles on contact tracing during the pandemic. They join Jeff Pickering to discuss how church leaders and civic leaders should view themselves as co-equal partners in combating the spread of the virus. Resources from the Conversation Read the Statement of Principles of Church–Civic Partnership on Contact …
Continue...The COVID-19 pandemic has created serious challenges for leaders and citizens around the globe. The crisis is straining the abilities of churches to serve their communities, governments to protect their constituents, and healthcare agencies to mitigate the effect and spread of the virus. One key to successfully confronting this crisis is for churches to conduct …
Continue...In June 2017 a gunman opened fire on a group of Republican Congressman, nearly killing one. Just over a year later, several pipe bombs were mailed to prominent Democratic officials, including former President Barack Obama. In recent years Americans have attacked and killed fellow Americans at synagogues in Pittsburgh and Poway, a gay nightclub in …
Continue...Over the course of my dissertation, I did a fair amount of reading in the great church figure, Augustine. In his famous work, The City of God Against the Pagans (Book 19, Chapter 17), Augustine reflects on what brings peace between the City of God and City of Man and how the City of God …
Continue...For the past few weeks, the federal government has been under a partial shutdown after the Senate failed to pass a spending bill that includes border wall funding. President Trump has said he will not sign any additional funding that does not include $5.1 billion in additional money to pay for an extension of the …
Continue...During the recent midterm election, voters in 37 states also considered ballot measures on a range of social issues. Here are some of the main decisions on issues of special concern to ERLC. Abortion Three states had ballot initiatives related to abortion access and funding. Alabama — Voters in Alabama approved an amendment to their state …
Continue...Next week, President Trump is expected to announce his nomination to replace Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is retiring at the end of this month. Here are five facts you should know about the Supreme Court nominations and the confirmation process: 1. The “Appointments Clause” of the U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 2, …
Continue...Yesterday was World Refugee Day, an annual observance created by the United Nations to “commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees.” Here is what you should know about refugee and asylum policy in the United States. What is a refugee? The U.S. government defines “refugee” as any person who is outside any …
Continue...What just happened? On Tuesday, the House passed a bipartisan prison reform bill authored by Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). The First Step Act was approved by a 360-59 vote, and included the support of 134 Democrats. The bill is headed to the Senate, where it is expected to face opposition by …
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