Weekly Roundup: March 14

Here’s the weekly roundup from A Public Witness. In addition to a report on a legislative debate about school “chaplains” and a look at a narrative podcast about memorializing the Civil War that are free for anyone to read, paid subscribers received a piece highlighting Christians speaking out against the detention of a Muslim activist.

Missouri Senator Attacks My Baptist Credentials

Rebel on Main

Then They Came for Mahmoud

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Top 5 at wordandway.org

1. Welcoming Palestinian Christians to Jackson: A Pastor’s Call for Justice and Peace This Lent. Ronnie Crudup reported on a delegation of young Palestinian Christian leaders traveling through the American South.

2. The Weird Evangelical Dance With Science. Rodney Kennedy addressed climate denial among a subset of Christians and how this demonstrates a surrender of truth.

3. Review: Pilgrim — A Theological Memoir. Robert D. Cornwall reviewed Pilgrim: A Theological Memoir by the late Tony Campolo.

4. Faith-Based Refugee Resettlement Groups Concerned About Trump Administration’s New Plans. Aleja Hertzler-McCain reported on the impact of new policies targeting refugee resettlement programs.

5. African Theologians Look to Nicene Creed’s Anniversary Year To Reshape Spiritual Future. Fredrick Nzwili reported on efforts to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.

by Brian Kaylor, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief

The Trump administration is working to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (although completely ending it requires congressional approval). This has long been a goal of those pushing Christian Nationalism, which is why advocates for true religious liberty are decrying the attacks on public education.

“Public education and religious liberty go hand in hand,” said Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. “Public schools are the only education system where students’ rights to religious freedom are guaranteed to be fully protected. Weakening federal oversight eliminates protections for religious freedom for all students, students with disabilities, and low-income families. It is a blatant move to privatize education, redirecting public funds toward private sectarian schools at the expense of public institutions that serve all children.”

Similarly, Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (where I serve on the national board of trustees), noted that shutting down the Department of Education is “part of the Christian Nationalist agenda set out in Project 2025.”

“Every public school district and most colleges and universities in the country rely on the Department of Education as do the students and communities served by those schools,” she added. “Public education is one of the great promises of America — our pledge to our children that they have the power to brighten our collective future.”

There’s a lot going on in the country, but the attacks on public education warrant our attention. Let’s not fail the next generation.

Other News of Note

• The Trump administration told Citibank to freeze accounts of several nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity, in an effort to revoke congressionally authorized environmental grants.

• Dave Brat, a former GOP congressman who is now a senior vice president at Liberty University, defended Trump’s tariffs by misquoting the “Golden Rule” as “Whatever you do to us, we’re going to do to you.”

• Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction, spoke to a Christian Nationalistic group where he compared them to David taking on Goliath “with God on our side.”

• A Pennsylvania state lawmaker is leading a “history” class featuring Christian Nationalist instructors.

• Destiny Herbers of Flatwater Free Press reported on the growing real-estate empire of Trumpian “prophet” Hank Kunneman in Nebraska.

• Rose Conlon of KMUW reported on a United Methodist pastor in Kansas advocating for transgender rights.

  “Mutual respect, understanding, and deep faith has united us in partnership for the care of these scrolls. We look forward to continuing that commitment into the future.” —Rev. Steven Cooper on giving historic Torah and Book of Esther scrolls to the Federation of Synagogues following the closure of a Methodist college in England.

• The new prime minister of Canada, Mark Carney, is a devout Catholic, although some conservative Catholics think he’s too much of a globalist.

• Catholic bishops in Africa are warning against churches accepting “dirty money” donations from governmental leaders, such as in Kenya where the president is perceived by many as trying to buy support with large gifts to churches.

• Maddy Fry wrote for Religion Unplugged about how crypto scams aren’t just being pushed in politics but are also showing up in some churches.

Photo of the Week

Tears roll down the face of Starlette Thomas as she holds a chunk of pavement from the Black Lives Matter mural on March 10, 2025, as the mural begins to be demolished in Washington, D.C. “I needed to be here to bear witness,” says Thomas, who was present at the 2020 George Floyd protests. “For me the Black Lives Matter sign etched in stone was a declaration of somebodyness and to watch it be undone in this way was very hurtful. To walk away with a piece of that, it means it’s not gone. It’s more than brick and mortar.” (Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press)

Thanks for reading!