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Church leaders have made impassioned pleas to Christians to stand up for their beliefs. However, Synod members were divided on whether Christianity should be exempt from equality legislation. While there are limited exemptions for religious employers under equality regulations, a significant number of respondents said that the Church should not be given the opportunity to opt out. During a debate at last week's Synod, which was held in London, other members called for the Government to do more to protect the Christian faith. In a debate on Christians’ freedom to share their faith in Britain, the Synod was told that churches must become more robust in proclaiming their message. Mr Eddy was presenting a motion to the Synod on "the uniqueness of Christ in multi-faith Britain", which called on the Church to evangelise to "people of other faiths and of none". The Rev Nezlin Sterling, general secretary of the New Testament Assembly, said: "We cannot allow ourselves to be marginalised. This process of marginalisation of Christianity seems to be moving at a rapid rate in our country. The Rev Andrew Dow, a rector in Cheltenham, said: "We need to recover our nerve. The Sunday Telegraph survey interviewed 80 of the Synod's 484 members, including bishops, clergy and laity. Need an employment solicitor? If you need an employment solicitor, The Telegraph in association with Contact Law can put you in touch with a specialist advisor local to you.


While Chicago has 590,000 foreign-born residents in its city limits, 984,000 are found in its suburbs, with a majority forming places of Christian worship or joining multicultural congregations, if they find welcome. At the Vineyard church in Columbus, Ohio, 28 percent of its 9,000 members come from 147 countries other than the United States. The United States cannot ignore the impact of immigration on religious patterns. The growth of religious practice in the world is being experienced through patterns of immigration to the United States, patterns that should become a central feature of the debate over immigration reform. I am mystified, for example, by political conservatives who cry for the resurgence of religious values in this country, and then support the deportation of those actually growing the nation’s religious vitality.


The history of immigration to this country has been a story of unintended consequences which have tested our commitment to religious and cultural pluralism. The religious impact of immigration, largely unnoticed in hotly contested rhetoric around political reform, offers the potential, once again, to enrich our society in ways we have not yet imagined. Wes Granberg-Michaelson, whose most recent book is "From Times Square to Timbuktu: The Post-Christian West Meets the Non-Western Church," served for 17 years as general secretary of the Reformed Church in America. Want more religion coverage? Follow Acts of Faith on Twitter or sign up for our newsletter.


Why Do You Believe? Many people are Christians in the same way they’re a Californian or an American. They were born and raised in the church yet are unable to answer any pressing questions people might ask about Christianity. Today’s culture is increasingly skeptical so we must have answers that stand up to aggressive challenges. In this opening video, Cold-Case Detective J. Warner Wallace discusses the importance of "testing" the truths of Christianity, asking why people say they’re Christians, and understanding the difference between experience and evidence when explaining what we base our belief on. Much as police officers are committed to their duty to serve and protect, Christians need to understand and accept their roles as servants and protectors of the Christian faith.


Every day is a call to action, so we must decide whether our Christian identity is unimportant or critically important. Would you be able to build a solid, evidence-based case for your belief in Christ? What objective evidence for the truth of Christianity could you provide beyond your own subjective personal experience? What is the role of faith with evidence? Training in law enforcement is essential because officers deploy regularly. With the increased aggressiveness of secular culture, Christian culture is more vulnerable than ever before and we’re losing the next generation. To best articulate and defend our beliefs, it’s time for us to rethink our approach—to stop teaching and instead start training. In this video, the benefits of preparation and training, over merely absorbing information, are explored.


What does T.R.A.I.N. stand for? Similar to cold-case investigations (events in the distant past), the truth claims of Christianity can be bolstered by applying solid investigative techniques. In this video, Cold-Case Detective Wallace examines Christian case making on the basis of the available evidence, studying the "casebook" from cover to cover, extraordinary claims and ordinary evidence, and taking notes to analyze data. What is a forensic faith? How can you develop your faith? When building a case through examining evidence, a written summary (or list), can become a powerful tool when the pieces are considered collectively. The same process of organizing gathered evidence can be used to build a cumulative case for the claims of Christianity.


The amount of evidence available to us might seem overwhelming, so where do we begin the process of summarizing and organizing it? What external sources will corroborate the evidence we’ve collected? When presenting a court case, no matter how well you research your case and how convincingly you communicate the argument, it’s wise to consider who your intended audience will be. It’s also true for those who hope to present the case for Christianity to friends, family, and others. What are the ways to make success more likely when presenting the case for Christ? What part does our attitude play? How do we know where to invest our case-making efforts? Similar to jury instructions regarding evidence during closing arguments, people who hear the case for Christianity also benefit from evidential instruction.


There are rules of evidence that also apply in Christian case making. What are these rule of evidence, and how can they assist with building a cumulative case for the truth claims of Christianity? What is the difference between direct and indirect evidence, and which one is best? For many people, public speaking is a challenge, but we all are eager to do our best and present our Christian cases with confidence, clarity, and conviction. In this final video, Cold-Case Detective Wallace discusses how to make an opening statement with enthusiasm, keep your audience engaged, prepare and practice, make good on your promises, make your presentation accessible, and close your argument with confidence. Are you ready and prepared to present a case for your Christian beliefs?


Religious discrimination in the workplace is on the rise. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported that charges of religious-based discrimination increased nearly 40% in the last 10 years. In Minnesota, employees are protected from religious discrimination and hostile treatment under state and federal law. What is religious discrimination? Religious discrimination is treating an employee differently because of his or her religion, religious beliefs or practices, or failing to consider a request for religious-based accommodations. Discrimination also includes harassment due to religious beliefs, particularly when the behavior or comments are so frequent or severe that they create a hostile work environment or result in adverse employment action. Religious discrimination can involve many aspects of employment, such as recruitment, promotion, work assignments, training and discipline. Adverse employment actions may include refusing to hire, failing to promote, terminating or otherwise discriminating against someone because of his or her religious beliefs.


Is my employer required to accommodate my religious beliefs and practices? Yes. An employer must reasonably accommodate an employee’s request for a religious accommodation, so long as it does not provide an undue hardship on the employer. An accommodation is a request for an adjustment or change to a workplace rule that otherwise infringes upon the employee’s ability to practice his or her religion. However, the accommodation request must be reasonable and be of minimal burden or cost to the employer. How do I request a religious accommodation? To begin the accommodation process, an employee must make the employer aware of the need for accommodation and indicate that it is being requested due to a conflict between religion and work.


While no magic words are required, an employee must provide enough information to make the employer aware of the conflict and that it is due to the employee’s religious practice or belief. After being made aware of the religious accommodation request, an employer is allowed to inquire and obtain additional information to determine whether the employer can accommodate the employee and what accommodations would be effective. Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP is dedicated to protecting the rights of employees throughout Minnesota. If you are experiencing discrimination, harassment or retaliation from your employer due to your religion or a request for a religious accommodation, our employment attorneys want to hear from you.


Nearly 50 percent of Americans believe discrimination against Christians in the U.S. Public Religion Research Institute. Fourty-nine percent of the Americans surveyed believe that discrimination against Christians is becoming as big of a problem as discrimination against other groups, while 47 percent disagree. Out of all the white evangelical Protestants surveyed, 70 percent said Christian discrimination has become a serious issue, while just 28 percent disagreed. People unaffiliated with Christianity leaned more toward discrimination not being as big of a problem as discrimination against other groups, as 59 percent disagreed with the statement with only 34 percent agreeing. Fifty-five percent of non-white Protestants said discrimination against Christians is as bad as it is with other groups, while 40 percent disagreed. The data also analyzed whether or not Americans believe the U.S. The survey found that 45 percent Americans do not believe the U.S. Christian nation today, even if many say it was in the past. Thirty-five percent of the public believe the U.S. Christian nation in the past and is still a Christian nation today; and 14 percent say the U.S. The data also found that most Christians do not believe that the U.S. Christian nation today, with only 42 percent of white evangelical Protestants saying it is. The number drops lower with other groups analyzed, including non-white Protestants, with only 39 percent of them believing the U.S.


As part of ongoing efforts to encourage respect for students of all faiths and beliefs, the U.S. Department of Education today shared a series of actions that confront discrimination and promote inclusive school environments. The steps include a new website on religious discrimination, an updated civil rights complaint form, an expanded survey of America's public schools on religious-based bullying, technical assistance for schools, and recent outreach on confronting religious harassment in education. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, director of the Department's Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Religious Discrimination Website. The Department's Office for Civil Rights launched a new page on its website with information about federal laws that protect students from discrimination involving their religion. The page links to OCR policy guidance, notable case resolutions, and resources in multiple languages and from other federal agencies.


Updated Online Complaint Form. OCR updated its online complaint form to clarify that the office can investigate complaints regarding racial, ethnic or national origin discrimination involving religion. It reaffirms that students, parents, and persons of all faiths can file such complaints with OCR even though the laws OCR enforces do not expressly address religious discrimination in education. OCR has used enforcement as a key tool to protect students of many religious backgrounds from unlawful discrimination, including Jewish students subjected to anti-Semitic epithets and Muslim students targeted for wearing a hijab and called terrorists. Where schools have records of failing to address hostile environments, OCR seeks and secures commitments from them to improve their harassment policies and procedures, train staff and students, and conduct school climate surveys. New Data From U.S.


Government Collaboration. Since March, OCR has participated in a series of roundtables with federal agencies through the Justice Department's Combating Religious Discrimination Today initiative, on issues of religious discrimination, including bullying of students from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds. Department adopted new regulations for its Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) that will enable them, starting in October, to provide technical assistance, on request, to public school districts, students and parents, and community organizations about religious discrimination and harassment. In addition to the actions listed above, the Administration is taking other steps to combat religious discrimination. The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is launching a new webpage today to ensure communities know about its work to combat hate violence and enforce laws such as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.


The Civil Rights Division is also publishing an update on its enforcement of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Today, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it will implement changes to its collection of demographic data from individuals who file charges with the agency. These changes will allow EEOC to collect more precise data about the religion of the individual alleging discrimination. This will assist the agency, as well as the public, in recognizing and responding to trends in the data. And, to protect young workers, EEOC released a fact sheet, in English and in Spanish, about religious discrimination on their Youth@Work website which presents information for teens and other young workers about employment discrimination.


This concern raises an interesting question: when in history should the Federal Government add a new group of persons to the list of protected classes and insist that its employees cease discrimination? 150 years ago, there were many groups with diminished civil rights. African-Americans and homosexuals. During the 19th century, many established religious groups favored the preservation of slavery; some denominations were split into separate organizations: one pro-slavery and one anti-slavery . During the first two thirds of the 20th century, many churches and other organizations actively promoted hatred and oppression against African-Americans in the form of racial segregation. However, by the 1970's there was strong support throughout the US for an end to racial discrimination.


Joshua Banda’s conduct over the years has always intrigued me. Its been argued that the Church should never get entangled with issues of governance and must restrict itself to preaching the Bible. To criticise government or political parties is alien to Christianity and must never be done. After all, what do Pastors or Priests know about governance. Their job is to preach the Bible. This argument is very popular amongst government leaders whenever they fall foul of Church leaders and not when the Church is supporting them. They want the voice of Bishops and Priests banished as long as they are critical of government. However, to advocate that the Church should not comment on political issues is pure ignorance and hypocrisy.


The Church should care about the welfare of citizens, their members. Bad politics, or indeed poor governance, leads to great suffering of the majority and surely the church should care about this. Jesus was not one to shy away from the issues that affected the people, especially the poor, who always tend to be in the majority. The Catholic Bishops all over the world have constantly raised their voice whenever they perceived that governments were taking advantage or indeed abusing the poor. This is something I have personally applauded as it is done purely out of concern for the suffering majority and is never about taking political sides.


This however does not mean that Pastors and Bishops should openly take sides like Bishop Joshua Banda has done again and again over the years. When a Pastor does that, they unwittingly lose the respect they command amongst some of their church members. Put another way, they cease to have the authority to lead and shepherd the flock of Jesus Christ. In every church you will find people belonging to different parties; some to PF, others to UPND, MMD etc and the Pastor is Pastor to all. I once attended a church and the Pastor all of a sudden came out supporting UPND.


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