(RNS) — As we reflect on the passing of President Jimmy Carter at the age of 100, we should honor one of the core throughlines of his incredible life: his faith. As a Baptist minister myself, I particularly want to celebrate how President Carter carried himself as a person with deeply held religious convictions, while leading a diverse democracy in which people of all faiths and backgrounds deserve equal dignity and treatment under the law.
I had the privilege of interviewing President Carter several times on the role religion played in his life and work. Having interviewed many leaders, Carter was one of the most intelligent and formidable people I’ve ever spoken to. I remember trembling a bit when I asked the first question: If he was comfortable with the title of “Sunday school teacher.”
New York State Assemblyman Zohran K. Mamdani won the Democratic nomination to become the New York City mayor. Despite his professed claims to the contrary and his repeated commitment to working with Jewish communities in New York, critics are accusing Mamdani of antisemitism and attacking him with a tremendous amount of anti-Muslim hate.
On February 6, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order addressing so-called “anti-Christian bias” in the United States. The Anti-Christian Bias Task Force, created by the executive order, held its first meeting on April 22, 2025. The task force is chaired by Attorney General Pam Bondi.