Tuesday's News & Ideas - 8/24/2021

1 in 10 non-church members still show up every Sunday
Christianity Today: New research shows that Americans’ religiosity increasingly doesn’t line up with whether they officially belong to a congregation.

Proud Boys leader who burned BLM flag gets 5 months in jail
Associated Press: The leader of the Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced to more than five months in jail on Monday for burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington.

For atheists, the idea of aliens seems real. Religious people doubt it.
Religion News Service: A new study finds that atheists think there just might be aliens out there. Evangelicals are not so sure.

In shift, Israel quietly allows Jewish prayer on Temple Mount*
The New York Times: Jewish activists say they are exercising their right to free worship at a site holy to Jews and Muslims. But the change upsets a longstanding compromise aimed at staving off conflict.

As AFL-CIO charts its future, alliance with Catholic Church is vital
National Catholic Reporter: Organized labor and the Catholic Church have enjoyed a long and important relationship. As the AFL-CIO chooses Liz Shuler to lead its 11 million members, the alliance has never been more needed — both by the church and by the unions.

The Spark

Escape from Afghanistan
Even those with a visa must endure harrowing conditions on their way to freedom, The Atlantic says.

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