| | Gallup: LGBT identification doubled in past decade | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Monday, February 27, and today's headlines include a Gallup poll on LGBT identification, a Milwaukee man pleading guilty to killing a Wisconsin pastor in a car crash, Catholic bishops calling on believers to speak out against anti-Semitism, and New York City naming a block in Harlem after an anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader. | | A poll from Gallup shows that the share of Americans who identify as LGBT has doubled over the last decade as Generation Z is more likely than older Americans to identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or something "other" than heterosexual. The research, which surveyed 10,700 U.S. adults in 2022, found that the share of Americans who identify as LGBT reached a record 7.2% last year, up from 7.1% in 2022, 5.6% in 2020, and 3.5% in 2012, which was the first year Gallup began collecting data on LGBT identification. | | Gen Z, defined as the group of adults born between 1997 and 2004, has a much higher share of its population identifying as LGBT than its older counterparts. Nearly one in five (19.7%) members of Gen Z consider themselves part of the LGBT community, with 13.1% describing themselves as bisexual, 3.4% identifying as gay, 2.2% categorizing themselves as lesbians, 1.9% telling pollsters that they are trans-identified and 1.5% choosing the "other LGBT" category. The share of adults belonging to the LGBT community dropped in descending order by generation, with 11.3% of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) having a significantly larger LGBT population than Generation X (3.3%), baby boomers (2.7%) and the silent generation (1.7%). Gallup's findings appear in line with the data collected in "Gen Z Post Election Research" polls conducted by the Walton Family Foundation and Murmuration in conjunction with SocialSphere. That survey, released earlier this month, queried those between the ages of 15 and 17 in addition to adults. Only 75% of Gen Z respondents called themselves "heterosexual or straight," compared to 92% of older adults. Continue reading. | | P.S.Get rewarded for sharing our newsletters! Sign-up for the CP referral program—the more you share, the more you earn. Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to get started today! |
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| Catholic bishops call on Christians to fight anti-Semitism | | During an online event hosted by the Combat Antisemitism Movement last week, Catholic senior archbishops from around the world urged Christians to actively fight the rise of anti-Semitism amid increasing hate crimes and other incidents targeting Jews in the United States and elsewhere. The event was held to celebrate the actions of Monsignor Giuseppe Placido Nicolini, who helped save hundreds of Jewish lives during the Holocaust by allowing Jews fleeing Nazi deportation to be housed in the Italian city of Assisi in what has been termed the "Assisi Network." Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich condemned the recent increase in hate-filled anti-Semitic language and acts of violence against Jews, stating, "Christians can not just be alarmed by anti-Semitism. We must look to the example of Bishop Nicolini and band together in a network of support and protection." Secretary General of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union Fr. Manuel Barrio issued a similar call, telling viewers, "We must acknowledge that we are all brothers and sisters; we belong to the same human family and are called together to take care of one another. This is the cure for many of the evils that are afflicting our world today," and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States urged attendees "never again to turn a blind eye to such violence being enacted in our midst." Read more. | | Man pleads guilty to killing pastor in crash | | A man has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide while intoxicated in the death of Pastor Aaron Strong of Grace Lutheran Church of downtown Milwaukee, Wis., reports CBS affiliate WDJT. Jose Silva, 23, drove through four red lights and killed the 40-year-old Wisconsin pastor after crashing into him in October 2022. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for April 20. Strong died at a local hospital, and an autopsy suggested he died from multiple blunt-force injuries. Authorities estimated Silva was speeding at 74 mph just before the accident, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said at the time. He told police he was running late for jury duty at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Surveillance from Marquette University showed Silva's car speeding prior to the crash, per the complaint, which also said he didn’t apply the brakes until two seconds before the crash. The video also showed the car running a red light while driving the wrong way. Read more. | | New York City to name Harlem block after anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader | | The New York City Council has voted to rename a block in Harlem after Elijah Muhammad, the controversial late leader of the Nation of Islam, despite his well-documented history of anti-Semitism, association with neo-Nazis and claim that white people are "devils." The proposal to rename the intersection of West 127th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem "The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad Way" passed during a Feb.16 council meeting despite pushback from Republican council members. Muhammad led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975. Even the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center recognizes the Chicago religious leader's group as a "hate" group. The teachings of the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist and religious organization founded in the United States, combine elements of Islam with black nationalism and a focus on racial separatism. Muhammed espoused anti-Jewish sentiments and invited American Nazi Party leader George Lincoln Rockwell to the Nation of Islam's 1962 convention. "He is not worthy of having a street co-naming in the City of New York, and we should not even be considering this," David Carr, a Republican council member, said at a committee hearing. "He fails every test we could possibly put forward: the test based on the values and views of today, and the values and views of the times in which he lived and worked." The proposal was pushed by far-left council member Kristin Richardson Jordan, who represents Harlem and argues that it is important not to "erase black leaders who are not pleasing to white people." Read more. |
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| 5 reasons why the disappearance of the offering plate is so significant for churches | | Church Answers CEO Thom Rainer discusses a recent poll from the organization which found that seven in ten churches no longer passes an offering plate. Rainer outlines five reasons why the offering plate's disappearance is significant, including because the majority of churches are turning to online giving and younger generations do not like the act of passing the offering plate. Read the full list now. | | History tells us there's no such thing as a perfect revival, but ... | | Dr. Mark Draper of Lancaster Bible College traces revivals from the First Great Awakening to Asbury University's recently concluded services to demonstrate how there have always been naysayers and those who have questioned the motives behind revivals. Noting that there is no such thing as a "perfect" revival, Draper points out that God nonetheless uses these events. "The history of revivalism teaches us that revivals don't eradicate all sins—glaring ones nor our pet ones. In fact, not all Christians see the need for the same repentance. ... Before anyone judges this latest revival too quickly, they should be cautious and pray that it leads to repentance of personal and national sins. However, we should not expect our list of sins to be eradicated as we think they should," he writes. Read more. |
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| Vineyard Church pastor resigns amid allegations against son | | Michael Gatlin, the senior pastor at The Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minn., has resigned from his position in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct against his son, Jackson Gatlin. The younger Gatlin, who served as the young adult and online community pastor, was suspended over allegations of misconduct that reportedly occurred "several years ago." The church's Special Committee says Michael and Brenda Gatlin might have known about the misconduct and chose not to act. Vineyard Church contracted Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment to conduct an independent investigation and asked Michael Gatlin to either provide information to GRACE or agree to be interviewed by the company. Church leaders say he was instructed multiple times to fully cooperate with law enforcement and the independent investigation. They also said he was instructed to provide a statement to the Special Committee concerning his response and actions taken in response to misconduct allegations involving his son, Jackson, but he missed the deadline and never provided a statement, despite being warned that failing to do so could lead to the termination of his employment. Read more. |
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| Bethel worship leaders on loss, God's presence | | As they gear up for the release of their Come Up Here album, Bethel Music worship leaders Brian and Jenn Johnson sat down with CP to discuss loss, hope, and God's presence. Beni Johnson, Brian's mother and the wife of Bethel Senior Pastor Bill Johnson, passed away last summer following a battle with cancer. On the loss of the family matriarch, Brian explained, "We're doing good. If we didn't believe in Heaven, and believe what we're here for, it would be obviously much worse. It's still very tough ... going over to my dad's house and he's alone; it's hard. I feel like everyone's handling it kind of as good as they can." Jenn shared how some of the inspiration for their latest album came in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when there was great division among people. "The Lord just spoke to me so clearly, 'I don't want your opinion. I want my opinion,'" she said. On the topic of God's presence, she added, "We really view worship as a lifestyle and not even that it's connected to music. ... It's every part of our life. It's how we love our spouse, and our children, and how we love the church, and how we go about our day. It's our attitude." Come Up Here is now available to pre-save. To watch the full interview, click here. | | | | Also of Interest... | | Bethel worship leaders respond to church criticism: ‘Where there's life, there are messes’ (part 1) | | | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! -- CP Editors |
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