NEW YORK (JTA) — Since it came out in 2013, the “Pew study” — a landmark survey of American Jewish demographics, beliefs and practices — has been at the center of American Jewish scrutiny and handwringing. Now it’s American Muslims’ turn. On Wednesday, the Pew Research Center released a survey of American Muslims focusing not…
I’m not a rabbi, nor am I an expert on Jewish law by any means — but I have been a practicing Modern Orthodox Jew for my entire adult life. As one of the few Orthodox Jews working at the beautifully pluralistic Forward, I often become the go-to gal for questions of religious custom and…
To me, being religious, in our contemporary conception of society, means making the invisible person visible and the unheard person heard. It means that in the constant journey to learn, one seeks moral refinement in each moment, all the while acting with kindness and humility towards all. One boldly leads from the inside out: inner…
When the Trump administration signaled its recent intention to cancel the federal requirement that many religious employers offer birth control coverage in health insurance plans, it was framed as a victory for religious freedom. As in, “I’m a boss, and my faith teaches that life begins at conception, and therefore preventing conception is akin to…
(JTA) That small little law known as the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits electioneering by houses of worship and other charities and which President Trump has vowed to repeal, is exceptionally important to preserve. Even if it is not widely enforced, the permission it grants to the Internal Revenue Service to pursue violators is critical to…
Two Michigan doctors being prosecuted for performing and aiding the female circumcision of two girls are defending themselves against federal prosecutors with a religious liberty defense. The medical professionals, Dr. Jumana Nargarwala and Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, are said to have cooperated in the performance of FGM on two young girls brought to Michigan for the…
Are Christians the most persecuted religion in the World? A claim to this effect made by Vice President Mike Pence is creating a stir. Speaking at the first ever World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians, convened in Washington DC last Thursday, Pence told the audience of Christian activists that “Christian faith is under siege”…
Before President Trump signed the “religious liberty” executive order on May 4, rumors about the contents of the rule spurred many rumors, as well as the requisite dire warnings from many in the media. Headlines in recent days declared such things as “Trump’s ‘religious liberty’ executive order is meant to legalize anti-LGBT discrimination” (Salon) and…
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