Harvest Prude

am I correct that he hasn't endorsed him so far?

Trump’s Refugee Policy ‘Is Slamming the Door on Persecuted Christians’ - Christianity Today Faith organizations hope the Trump administration will reverse course after the announcement of a historically low refugee ceiling.

Trump admin focusing on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria .... but also no longer accepting persecuted Christian refugees.

from @harvestprude.bsky.social - www.christianitytoday.com/2025/11/refu...

The Secret Prayers of Gamblers - Christianity Today Locating the spiritual longing hiding in America’s obsession with betting.

a remarkably thoughtful piece by my colleague @danielsilliman.bsky.social on the spirituality of (yes, really, folks!) gambling

www.christianitytoday.com/2025/09/gamb...

I still find Bane a much scarier villain than Joker!

Live Updates: Charlie Kirk, Right-Wing Influencer, Shot in Utah

Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah, no updates yet on his condition www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09...

2 Catholic dioceses say immigrants can skip Sunday Mass over ICE raid fears Dispensations from attending Mass for large populations are rare

After noticing a significant decline in Hispanic attendance, two Catholic dioceses say those who fear ICE raids are dispensed from the obligation of weekly Mass

www.axios.com/2025/07/09/c...

I talked to Republican lawmakers about deaths since USAID’s withdrawal from the world. Most brushed off the reports, and some insisted that people couldn’t be dying as a result.

“I don’t believe that. No.”

Read more: www.notus.org/foreign-poli...

At a Basement ICE Detention Facility, Clergy Face Barriers to Visit Congregants - Christianity Today With informal sites in LA holding a recent uptick in immigration arrestees, pastors and family struggle to get in to visit.

somebody responding to this article said, "so you want ICE to set up a visitation program and man it?"

Anyone in US custody has a right under US law to practice their religion. ie, religious exercise is protected even if you're in prison www.christianitytoday.com/2025/07/ice-...

Pope Leo praises work of journalists in first public comments on clerical abuse scandal | CNN Pope Leo XIV says has said the Catholic Church must establish a culture that refuses to tolerate abuse in “any form,” as he thanked a Peruvian journalist for reporting on allegations of abuse inside a...

"The pope said the work of journalism was essential to implementing that culture of prevention, as he praised Ugaz and other Peruvian journalists for their reporting on abuse scandals inside the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae” www.cnn.com/2025/06/21/e...

Sean Feucht Accused of Mismanaging Millions in Ministry Revenue - Christianity Today On a new whistleblower site, former employees call for the evangelist to be “removed from positions of leadership and financial stewardship.”

Former employees say worship-protest leader Sean Feucht overstated attendance at events, diverted donations, and failed to properly disclose spending, in addition to underpaying people who worked for him www.christianitytoday.com/2025/06/sean...

Christians Call for a Pro-Family Tax Code - Christianity Today Evangelical groups want Republicans to include more for families in Trump's tax cuts.

Christian groups are rallying around the goal of expanding the child tax credit, telling lawmakers that, "ending child hunger and poverty is a goal that transcends party lines.”

www.christianitytoday.com/2025/05/chil...

Does Imprisoning Migrants in El Salvador Amount to Trafficking? - Christianity Today Christian legal experts debate whether Trump’s deportations to a foreign prison cross the line into exploitation.

In February, when the administration first announced its agreement to deport migrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, a couple of colleagues asked me if the US was about to engage in state-sponsored trafficking. I had no idea. So I asked around. My report for CT: tinyurl.com/mr3emb73

Died: Pope Francis, Friend to Evangelicals - Christianity Today The Roman Catholic leader “built bridges on the foundation of relationships” with Protestant ministers in Argentina.

Pope Francis was a steadfast, loyal, and true friend. A beautiful obituary by my colleague Franco Iacomini on @christianitytoday.com:

All the President’s Pastors: Who’s Advising Trump? - Christianity Today Donald Trump’s faith remains largely private, but his connections to Christian leaders are on full display this Easter.

From @harvestprude.bsky.social's reporting for @christianitytoday.com www.christianitytoday.com/2025/04/all-...

Sort of amazing

gentle reminder that if you have tips/rants/thoughts on the intersection of politics and faith I want to hear from you, please reach out!

I'm on signal at harvestprude.09

Gateway Church Founder Robert Morris Indicted on Child Sex Abuse Charges - Christianity Today Less than a year after resigning over allegations dating back to the 1980s, the former megachurch pastor faces a criminal case in Oklahoma.

Gateway Church founder Robert Morris has been indicted on child sex abuse charges.

I actually don't know how I'm going to get through a campaign season without FiveThirtyEight. Very upsetting news

"Persecuted Christians need to understand that the rule of law is pretty important," Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told NOTUS last week when asked about a group of Iranian Christians who were deported to a jungle camp in Panama. "I kind of cast a skeptical eye towards someone who says they passed through two or three jurisdictions where they've been safely removed from Iran, and that somehow we owe them asylum in the U.S." "Look, Iran's a horrible place," Tillis continued. "But there are a lot of places a lot nearer than the United States that they could get out of harm's way."

Quite a quote from Sen. Thom Tillis in @notusreports.bsky.social here regarding the plight of persecuted Christians who currently can’t enter the U.S.

Note: Tillis is Catholic. U.S. bishops are actively suing the Trump admin over refugee resettlement *right now.* www.notus.org/immigration/...

Federal Layoffs Shake Christians in Government - Christianity Today Evangelicals respond to recent DOGE cuts—and political rhetoric— affecting the civil servants they work and worship alongside.

With 26,000 jobs cut, Christian civil servants are worried about their mission and livelihood.

"We have some of the brightest, hardest-working people I’ve ever known in my life who have lost their jobs this last week without cause,” said one pastor.

NPS Rangers Found My Husband’s Body - Christianity Today After Rob’s tragic death, National Park Service rangers cared for my grieving family. Their job isn’t negligible.

"When it is your loved one who needs that kind of care, a ranger means the whole world."

www.christianitytoday.com/2025/02/nati...

Supply Chains Break and Hospitals Shutter After USAID Freeze - Christianity Today Christian donations can only do so much to fill the gap when facilities grapple with layoffs, scarce drugs, and unanswered questions.

a clinic for 300 children with HIV doesn't know where to get drugs to keep them alive. This is the situation right now.

But also the situation is: people are giving money to pay for those drugs
www.christianitytoday.com/2025/02/usai...

This is the nerdiest thing I will ever brag about: @christianitytoday.com won first place in the @acesediting.bsky.social headline contest, beating out prestigious pubs with bigger staffs.

We value clear, clever, engaging headlines and take time to work on them together. Such a fun part of our job!

I'm working on a story on what the *gestures at the last month* has been like for federal workers/contractors/etc. If you're willing to talk, drop me a line by DM or hprude@christianitytoday.com

Burmese refugee dies after discharge from shut US-funded clinic, says family A Burmese refugee with lung problems died after she was discharged from a U.S.-funded hospital on the Myanmar-Thai border that was ordered to close as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump's freeze on foreign aid, her family said.

Daughter says her mom died after a USAID-backed clinic closed. "When she fell ill at home on Saturday night, she asked to go back to the hospital, her daughter Yin Yin Aye, 50, told Reuters through tears. 'I had to tell her that there is no hospital,' she said."

www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

the people want Egg Coverage!!

ALSO NEW: Trump is once again establishing a White House Faith Office and once again putting Paula White in charge.

Note: A White House faith office already exists, as it did under Biden, Obama and Bush. But Trump created a different one/renamed and changed the old one in his first term.

Refugee aid groups face furloughs after Trump halts program, refuses to reimburse work WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘We’ve been unable to access federal reimbursements for critical program costs, and that includes costs that were incurred prior to the issuance of the executive order,’ said a spok...

NEW: Faith-based orgs that partner with the govt to resettle refugees are instituting mass furloughs.

Why so soon?

Because Trump all but shut down the refugee program AND, per one org, is *refusing to reimburse them for work done before he assumed office.* religionnews.com/2025/02/04/f...

Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Still Blocking HIV/AIDS Relief Exempted From Foreign Aid Cuts The Trump administration claims it is allowing “lifesaving” foreign aid to continue, but in reality, DOGE is preventing vital work on HIV and AIDS from saving lives.

“At a minimum, 300 babies that wouldn’t have had HIV, now do,” one current USAID worker estimates.

www.wired.com/story/usaid-...

Is This the End of USAID? - Christianity Today Christian partners around the world—suddenly fired, defunded, and without answers—worry that the new administration is done with the development agency.

“Pray for what’s happening. People are dying every day because of this.”

Good piece by @emilybelz.bsky.social on USAID.

www.christianitytoday.com/2025/02/usai...