Articles of Interest about religion (and the virus) - Dec 21

***THE VIRUS

Hospitals Are Still Short on Masks and Other Protective Gear ($)

Hospital CEOs have gotten rich cutting staff and supplies. now they’re not ready for the next wave

What Happens After Receiving A COVID-19 Vaccine?

Millions forced to cancel Christmas as 'new variant' of coronavirus spreads in U.K.

Thinking of gathering indoors? Here's how fast COVID transmission happens. 

***RELIGION & THE VIRUS

How religious leaders are addressing a growing number of questions from congregants about the vaccines

Televangelist network returns millions in PPP loan after buying private jet

Supreme Court Rejects Kentucky Religious School on Covid Shutdown

Lauren Daigle responds to request to remove her from NYE celebrations over breaking lockdown rules

***RELIGION & GEN Z 

Study: Religious affiliation among Gen Z continues to decline, but they are open to mentoring relationships and religious conversations

Finding common ground with Gen Z (opinion)

***RELIGION AND POLITICS

The well-known report that 81 percent of evangelicals voted for Trump in 2016 was never really accurate

Will election become a new ‘lost cause’ for evangelical conservatives? 

DC church replaces Black Lives Matter banner destroyed by ‘Proud Boys’

Texas Baptist Minister, a Lifelong Republican, Loses License After Endorsing Biden

***RELIGION & RACIAL ISSUES 

Pastor on why his church is leaving the Southern Baptist Convention over rejection of critical race theory 

Black Texas megachurch pastor cuts ties with SBC over seminary presidents’ statement on CRT

***CATHOLIC

Vatican: Coronavirus vaccines 'morally acceptable' for Catholics

Vatican nativity scene: Art teacher defends 2020 nativity scene decried as ugly 

***MEGACHURCHES

The Majority of American Megachurches Are Now Multiracial

Joel Osteen’s Houston megachurch defends getting $4.4 million in federal PPP loans  

Senior Pastor at metro Atlanta mega church has COVID-19, days after attending White House party 

Megachurches take huge sums from PPP Funds 

***TELEVANGELISTS

Televangelist Kenneth Copeland's Inaccurate Hanukkah Tweet Sparks Condemnation

***MUSLIMS 

California appoints its first ever Muslim chaplain to the state legislature  

China is forcing hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and other minorities into hard, manual labour in the vast cotton fields

***RELIGION AROUND THE WORLD

Women in many countries face harassment for clothing deemed too religious – or too secular 

***CONVERSION THERAPY 

Gay conversion therapy: Hundreds of religious leaders call for ban