Thursday's News & Ideas - 6/22/2023

Charitable giving in 2022 drops for only the fourth time in 40 years: Giving USA report
Associated Press: Total giving fell 3.4% in 2022 to $499.3 billion in current dollars, a drop of 10.5% when adjusted for inflation. The decline comes at a time when many nonprofits, especially ones providing services to those in need, report an increase in requests for help.

Presbyterian Church in America rejects abuse response measures at Memphis annual assembly*
The Tennessean: At its annual gathering in Memphis last week, the Presbyterian Church in America rejected measures aimed at strengthening the denomination’s ability to prevent and respond to clergy sexual abuse.

The woman who bought a mountain for God*
The Atlantic: The country’s fastest-growing Christian movement helped fuel Trump’s rise — and is gearing up for spiritual battle.

Four immigrants who sought sanctuary in churches no longer face deportation
NPR: A group of undocumented immigrants who sought sanctuary in churches to avoid deportation has reached a settlement with the Biden administration that will allow the women to stay in the U.S., at least for now.

One in six Americans have taken steps to see less of someone on social media due to religious content
Pew Research Center: A recent Pew Research Center survey shows that 17% of U.S. adults have unfollowed, unfriended, blocked or changed their settings to see less of someone on social media because of religious content the person posted or shared.

The Spark

How a grad student uncovered the largest known slave auction in the U.S.
Lauren Davila made a stunning discovery as a graduate student at the College of Charleston: an ad for a slave auction larger than any historian had yet identified, says ProPublica.

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