RELIGION HEADLINES

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(SRN NEWS) – A ban on protesting outside abortion clinics has gone into effect in England and Wales. However, it leaves a question mark over whether pro-life demonstrators who pray silently will be breaking the law. The statute bars protests within 150 meters of clinics. It also makes it a crime to “intentionally influence the decision” of a woman seeking an abortion.  The Crown Prosecution Service says silent prayer near a clinic will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Pro-life organizations warn that banning silent prayer would violate freedom of religion.

It’s not illegal to talk about your faith in the workplace but many Americans hesitate to do so.  According to a new poll, nine percent of Evangelical Protestants, 15 percent of Mainline Protestants and 13 percent of Catholics say they “conceal their religious beliefs at work for fear of others’ perceptions.” Nineteen percent of Jewish workers also do this. But the survey also finds that a lot of religious Americans believe that their faith has to be a part of their working day and that they have a responsibility to tell others if they have a reasonable opportunity.

American school kids are getting more days off now as cities, counties and states begin recognizing the holidays of minority religious groups. In New York City, public school students have a day off to mark the holiday of Diwali (duh-WAH-lee), celebrated by Hindus in India and among the global Indian diaspora — including here in the U.S.. Diwali joins other holidays on the school calendar including Rosh Hashanah, Lunar New Year and the Muslim Eid al-Fitr (eed al-FIT-er). Most places also continue to honor the traditional Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter, though some have dropped Good Friday.

Anti-Semitism is on the rise in this country and most Americans are well aware of it.  According to a new study released by the American Jewish Committee, three-fourths of the general public now believes anti-Semitism is a problem in the U.S.  That percentage is even higher amongst those non-Jews who know someone who is Jewish.  About 90 percent of Americans say everyone is responsible for fighting the problem.  In fact, anti-Semitism is on the rise all around the globe and that trend was underway before the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the on-going war in Gaza.  However, the attack has only made things worse.

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