A new study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life and Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly has found that the number of individuals claiming no religious affiliation has grown significantly over the last five years, with young adults leading the charge.
It is hard to believe, but my little girl has been married a month. The weekend of the wedding was fantastic. Family and friends came together to celebrate the joining of two people called by God to live as one.
The wedding day was almost surreal.
The following commentary originally appeared on the BreakPoint website.
For many Americans, a single feeling shapes the way we see criminal justice: fear. When we think about our businesses, our communities and our loved ones, and the threat which crime poses to them, we react out of fear toward the perpetrators.
Rejected. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Sholom Rubashkin’s appeal on October 1, 2012.
Rubashkin will continue to serve a 27-year sentence for bank fraud.
Many have heard the details of his case: the raid of Agriprocessors, Rubashkin’s kosher meat processing plant, in 2008 by ICE officials; the arrests and re-arrests as he was declared ‘not guilty’ on charge after charge; and finally, the all-purpose charge of ‘fraud’ which somehow warranted a protracted stint in federal prison.
Garland Hunt
Our ministry to others can easily become rote, just another time slot in our calendars. But when we lose our passion for ministry, we also lose our power. In the days of the Books of Acts, when apostles Peter and John were thrown into prison, the power of their prayers was so great that it shook the whole prison.
A beautiful Fuji apple, my favourite variety, had been on my desk all day and I was anticipating the sweet succulent taste of that apple. When finally the moment came, I picked it up and took one huge bite — of disappointment.
Are Americans spending too much to maintain and expand a bloated corrections system that all too often has its inmates returning to prison shortly after their release? In a September 28 editorial for the Detroit News, Justice Fellowship Director of External Affairs Craig DeRoche says “yes,” using the current state of affairs in Michigan as an example.
The National Fatherhood Initiative is announcing today the release of an updated version of InsideOut Dads, its outstanding program focused on reconnecting incarcerated fathers with their families.
The InsideOut Dads program is composed of 12 core sessions, with an additional four optional sessions.
When I was a child my mother insisted that I finish the food on my plate before leaving the table. Usually there was a problem, I really did not like some of the food she had put on my plate in the first place.
Should there be exceptions to judgments for life without parole if the offender is a juvenile? In an op-ed piece in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Justice Fellowship President Pat Nolan and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich argue that such incarceration is unjust, is an unwise use of taxpayer funds, and fails to make society safer.
It’s so easy to think of ourselves as superior to those who have been incarcerated. When I was a pastor, I would often remind my fellow believers that we are all recovering from something and re-entering from somewhere. The addict and the ex-offender are not at all different from us.
All I wanted to do was give the boy a hug – and I couldn’t. Between us stood a large, heavy steel door. We could only gaze at each other through a thick pane of security glass, eight inches high and eight inches wide.
In case the unceasing barrage of political advertisements hasn’t given it away yet, we are fast approaching another national election. Everywhere you look – be it television, radio, print, or even digital media – there is a saturation of appeals for citizens to go out and support this candidate or this issue.
Before getting the chance to serve with Prison Fellowship Ministries, I spent nine years as the senior pastor of a church in western Michigan. Over time, the congregation learned to walk hand-in-hand with returning citizens on their way to rejoining the community, but it didn’t happen until I as a pastor and we as a church started to take Jesus seriously.
The growth of The Urban Minisitry Initiative (TUMI) program in California prisons continues to get great national coverage. A recent Associated Press article looks at the effect the program has had in the lives of current inmates, and considers the impact such a program could have in society.