RELIGION HEADLINES MON 1-19

(SRN NEWS)- ) Christian legal experts are hopeful that the Supreme Court will uphold state laws that ban males from playing on female sports teams. John Bursch (BURSH) of Alliance Defending Freedom says “I think there are cultural, political and legal headwinds all supporting this notion that it’s just a lie that a man can be a woman. If we want a society that respects women and girls, then we need to come to terms with that truth. And the sooner that we do that, the better.” ADF has been a leader in defending state laws that keep boys out of girls’ sports. The Supreme Court is expected to deliver a decision this summer.

( ) Anti-Semitic vandals have attacked the ruins of a synagogue destroyed last year by California wildfires. Someone spray-painted anti-Semitic slogans on the rubble of the Pasadena Jewish Temple. Rabbi David Englin says “This was a deliberate act of hate meant to intimidate a Jewish community already rebuilding after last year’s fire, and it comes at a time when anti-Semitism is already at unprecedented levels in California and nationwide.” The synagogue was so badly gutted by fire that there are very few surfaces on which the vandals could paint their slurs. State and local officials are condemning the incident.

( ) The bloody protests shaking Iran this month are reminiscent of the chaotic days surrounding the birth of the Islamic Republic back in 1979. In the run-up to the revolution that saw Muslim leaders establish a Sharia state, Iran witnessed running street battles between forces loyal to the Shah and those who wanted him out. This time the tables might be turning and the Islamic hardliners could be expelled. Many are hoping that if the regime falls, religious freedom will return to Iran, which was a much more tolerant, westernized country before 1979. Christians suffer intense persecution in Iran, frequently jailed and killed for their faith.

( ) The global music industry hit 5.1 trillion streams in 2025 according to a year-end report from Luminate. It’s a new single-year record, up 9.6 percent from 2024. While streams of new music — songs released in the last 18 months — were slightly down from the same time last year, Christian and Gospel music defied the trend. The uptick in those genres was led by acts such as Forrest Frank, Brandon Lake and Elevation Worship. In Luminate’s year-end report, Christian and Gospel continued to expand in the United States, up 18.5 percent in on-demand audio volume change compared to the year before.

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