President Joe Biden made history by withdrawing his candidacy for a second term. The reconfigured Democratic presidential ticket he endorsed, with Vice President Kamala Harris at the top, would be historic in itself, but would also be a map of America’s future.

If nominated by her party in the coming days, as it appears more certain as Democratic leaders coalesce around her, Harris would be the first Black woman to be nominated by a major party for president and the...

Since mid-November, I have been meeting weekly for lunch with Imam Khalil Abdur-Rashid, the Muslim chaplain on our Harvard campus.

We started meeting because he wanted to gather Muslim and Jewish student leaders after a public statement from the undergraduate student association following the October 7 Hamas attacks caused great consternation and tension at Harvard and far beyond. Khalil hoped to create a space where students could acknowledge their pain and loss, prevent further division and animosity, and initiate broader campus efforts at dignified discussion and action....

Loneliness looms large in today’s digital age, where we are more connected online than ever. Loneliness has become a pervasive issue, impacting the health and well-being of individuals and communities alike.  

Amidst this public health crisis, interfaith initiatives are emerging as powerful agents of change, fostering community and social connection across diverse worldviews.   

Source: https://www.interfaithamerica.org/article/helping-address-loneliness/

NEW YORK -- New York City and interfaith leaders united Sunday to denounce the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

The message was crystal clear: there is no room for hateful rhetoric and political violence.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/donald-trump-assassination-attempt-new-york-city-eric-adams/

Local and national interfaith leaders gathered for a rally to promote the We All Belong campaign at the Zelazo Center on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's campus Sunday afternoon.

The We All Belong campaign is led by MICAH, the Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope, and was launched nearly one year ago. The campaign was influenced by one reverend’s warning during a religious conference about white Christian nationalism and its threat to democracy.

The three...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The federal government is asking a court to halt California’s enforcement of a rule requiring prison guards to be clean-shaven, saying it amounts to religious discrimination for Sikhs, Muslims and others who wear beards as an expression of their faith.

The civil rights complaint filed Monday by the U.S. Justice Department says the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s prohibition on facial hair denies on-the-job accommodations for officers of various religions.

It seeks a temporary court order “allowing these officers to...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lawmakers in more than a dozen states have proposed legislation to allow spiritual chaplains in public schools, a move that proponents say will ease a youth mental health crisis, bolster ...

Across the United States, the landscape of religion and spirituality is changing. Reflected in the patient populations, US healthcare facilities are tasked with providing care to a religiously diverse country. Healthcare professionals skilled in interfaith leadership have taken the lead in reshaping the landscape of patient care to create a more inclusive and understanding healthcare environment.   

Source: https://www....

Newtown Interfaith Council (NIC) discussed wanting to solidify the identity for its new “Communities of Compassion” initiative at its February 24 meeting.

Dr John Woodall, alongside Newtown Congregational Church Pastor Matt Crebbin and Love Has a Home Here Founder Bill Donaldson, led discussions with other NIC members about the initiative after its first session at Sticks and Stones Farm in February.

While they celebrated getting “Communities of Compassion” off the ground by hosting the first session, the council hopes to find a name that they feel better fits the...

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers are revisiting a nearly decade-old fight over whether the state needs to protect religious rights from being trampled by state and local governments in a measure opponents say would provide a legal shield for people and groups to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in the name of religion.

That religious protection bill resurfaced Thursday eight years after lawmakers passed a different version of the measure. Then-Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, vetoed it in 2016 under pressure from Georgia’s business community, who said they feared it would...

Catholic Charities USA, Habitat for Humanity International, Interfaith America and YMCA of the USA officially launch the Team Up Project, a collective commitment to bridge building

CHICAGO — To counteract rising polarization, horrifying acts of violence fueled by hate, increasing feelings of loneliness, and growing ideological rifts across the nation, Catholic Charities USA, ...

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - An organization called More Justice, made up of more than 25 interfaith leaders from across the Midlands, is rallying their congregations to raise awareness of issues of food insecurity, gun violence and affordable housing.

More Justice formed research groups throughout their congregations to find what social issues were impacting their communities the most. While gun violence and affordable housing have been issues raised since the group’s inception, food insecurity was the latest to join the list.

Members of More Justice...

C.E. Jordan High School junior Aven Schwartz can’t remember a time that she didn’t care about the environment.

Her mom works as Durham County’s sustainability manager, so she grew up learning about the climate and ways to care for it. And when she started high school, she joined a student environmental group there to try to make a difference.

Then, last year, she heard about an opportunity to advocate for climate care from a faith perspective. Despite initially being a bit...

Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian campaigners held a vigil outside Lloyd's of London on Monday, 26 February, urging them to use their power to bring about a safer, prosperous future for all.

As the world's biggest insurance market, Lloyds should end insurance for all new fossil fuel projects and phase out existing fossil fuel insurance, faith groups said.

Source: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/49220

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 6, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In an era of increased polarization, rising hate crimes, and social and economic challenges affecting all segments of society, religious leaders gathered at the Church of Scientology to review how religions can work together to improve the quality of life for their congregations and the greater community.

The program, held February 3, marked World Interfaith Harmony Week, established by the UN to “promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith” with the conviction that “mutual understanding and...