America’s Decline in Religiosity Isn’t From a Lack of Ten Commandments

The Washington Post’s Philip Bump reviews Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s decision to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms statewide, which he arguedwas to promote the legal system, not religiosity. Bump notes that in 1980 the Supreme Court rejected a similar law in Kentucky; since then, the percentage of Americans who identify as non- Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish, or nonreligious has experienced a steady increase. The PRRI Census of American Religion finds that the proportion of unaffiliated Americans has risen to almost one-third in 2023. Additionally, PRRI state-level analysis finds that Louisiana has one of the largest densities of support for Christian nationalism.

In Trump We Trust: Religious Right’s Crusade to Make Their Man President

David Smith at The Guardian recaps the religious right’s excitement around former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign on display at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s “Road to Majority” conference. Speaking at the conference, Ralph Reed, founder and chair of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, promised to create the largest turnout of Christian voters seen yet. As PRRI President and Founder, Robert P. Jones, Ph.D., explained on his #WhiteTooLong Substack, “The transformation of Trump from a person to a symbol is the key to understanding the power of the MAGA movement and the internal logic of the upside-down world where a unanimous guilty verdict in a fair trial results in solicited support, record fundraising, and desperate Christian defenses of a convicted felon.”

Pro-Abortion Rights OB-GYNs Are Running to Reshape Congress

Alexandra Marquez for NBC News highlights two congressional candidates who are pro-abortion rights OB-GYNs and how their elections could reshape Capitol Hill. Dr. Kelly Morrison of Minnesota and Dr. Kristin Lyerly of Wisconsin each face unique challenges in their path to Congress, but are hopeful that they can bring their fight to secure safe and clear abortion policies to Congress. Currently, the only former OB-GYNs in congress are both male and staunchly anti-abortion. PRRI data finds that 67% and 66% of adults in Minnesota and Wisconsin, respectively, believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Christian Reformed Synod Tells LGBTQ-Affirming Churches to Repent or Disaffiliate

Ethan Meyers at Religion News Service reports that the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) recently voted to put congregational leaders on “limited suspension” if their churches publicly welcome LGBTQ+ members, a violation of the denomination’s stance on same-sex relationships. One CRC pastor, Rev. Ryan Schreiber, warned that the decision threatens the denomination’s existence and said his church plans to disaffiliate from the CRCNA. PRRI finds that the percentage of Americans who cited negative teaching about or treatment of gay and lesbian people as an important factor in their choice to disaffiliate with their childhood religion increased from 29% in 2016 to 47% in 2023.