The Religion and Ethics Report

Americans vote in mid-term elections next week and, according to a survey done by the Pew Research Centre, 45% of Americans say the U.S. should be a Christian nation. There's differing views on what that means, but some Republican politicians now call themselves "Christian nationalists."

This trend is deeply troubling for Professor Paul D. Miller. 

Israel holds national elections next week — the 5th in just over three years.

As Irris Makler reports from Jerusalem, the big change in this election is the popularity of a far-right Jewish religious party.

An employment tribunal in the United States is set to rule on whether the City of New York should pay for commercial surrogacy to allow same-sex couples to have children. 

The case has reopened a debate about the ethical minefield of surrogacy. 

We hear from Charles Camosy, a leading ethicist and professor of medical humanities at Creighton University.

History is being made in Britain this week with the appointment of Rishi Sunak as prime minister. Not only is he the first person of colour to assume the job, he’s also the first non-Christian. What does his rise say about a multi-faith and multicultural Britain? And what's its significance for the South Asian diaspora?

Professor Gurharpal Singh of London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies and Dr Edward Anderson of Northumbria University explain.

An investigation by the UN and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, accuses Russia of gross human rights abuses targeting Ukrainians between 4 to 82 years old.

The Albanese government made a decision to reverse the previous government's position recognising West Jerusalem as Israel's capital. So, what are the implications?

Anglicans in Melbourne recently voted to step up Christian engagement with science, especially on the pressing issues of transhumanism and artificial intelligence. The Archbishop of Melbourne has also appointed a special advisor for science and faith education.

Protests have convulsed Iran for three weeks and counting, following the death in police custody of young Kurdish woman Masha Amini. It's compulsory for women in Iran to cover their heads, but these protests are about much more than headscarf rules.

A nation wide survey of church attendees has some surprising findings; on average, women make up 60 per cent of churches – even though 80 per cent of congregations are male-led. Attendees are also more culturally diverse, about half are first or second-generation migrants.  

In Australia, the debate over religious discrimination has flared again. Does Andrew Thorburn have a legal case after Essendon told him to choose between the club and the church?