Sophie Hills

1 week ago | csmonitor.com | Sophie Hills

| Welcoming and sheltering people fleeing violence and persecution is a moral and spiritual imperative across faiths. The commandment to welcome the stranger – reminding Jews of their own experience as strangers – is repeated more than any other commandment in the Torah. “The mandate is really clear and it comes from a position of empathy,” says Mark Hetfield, president of HIAS, the oldest Jewish refugee agency in the United States. But after decades of working with the government to resettle...

3 weeks ago | csmonitor.com | Sophie Hills

Bible stories can strike some people as “simple or naive,” but they’re not, says Elaine Pagels, an expert in early Christianity and the author of such books as “The Gnostic Gospels,” “Revelations,” and “Why Religion: A Personal Story.” After decades studying the Bible, reading chapters in their original languages such as Hebrew and Coptic, Dr. Pagels has many questions. “Why do these stories still fascinate me?

2 months ago | csmonitor.com | Sophie Hills

Donald Trump says God has a “glorious mission” for America. “We have to make religion a more important factor now,” he said, during remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast at the United States Capitol last week. Later, at a second event, the president announced the creation of an anti-Christian bias task force to be chaired by Attorney General Pam Bondi.

2 months ago | csmonitor.com | Sophie Hills |Sarah Matusek |Whitney Eulich

Is sanctuary covered by the First Amendment? In the wake of new Trump administration orders, religious denominations are arguing that it is. On Monday, five Societies of Friends sued the Trump administration over a directive on immigration, saying it infringes on their religious liberty. When the Department of Homeland Security announced it would no longer recognize churches as “protected areas,” many religious leaders around the country objected.

Jan 23, 2025 | csmonitor.com | Francine Kiefer |Sophie Hills

Tragedies and hardship call on a core aspect of faith: community. “It’s about the connection to something bigger than ourselves,” says Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater, the director of Friends in Deed, a Pasadena interfaith nonprofit. His family lost its house in the Eaton Fire, as well as its synagogue. Why We Wrote ThisA story focused onOrganized religion provides space for worship and spiritual study. Amid disaster, it can also provide a built-in system of caring and an active faith.