Faith Digest

Poll shows Jewish concern about West Bank policy. The 2009 Annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion found 54 percent of American Jews approve of President Obama’s Israel policies, but 51 percent disagree with his call for Israel to halt settlement in the West Bank. The survey of 800 Jewish adults, conducted between late August and mid-September, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. But Obama’s overall popularity among Jews remains high, according to a Gallup Poll. While 52 percent of adults in the United States approve of the job the president is doing, 64 percent of Jewish adults voiced approval during September, according to Gallup Daily. The September findings on U.S. adults are based on telephone interviews with 14,407 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 0.5 percentage points. Results for Jews are based on interviews with 379 Jews, with a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.

One in four people are Muslim. A new study released by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life counted 1.57 billion Muslims worldwide, making Muslims about one out of every four people in world’s estimated population of 6.8 billion. About 2.5 million Muslims live in the United States, comprising 0.2 percent of the world’s Muslim population, according to Pew researchers. “Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population” is based on 1,500 sources—census reports, demographic studies and population surveys—from 232 countries and territories.

Spreading flu in churches? The White House and federal health officials have released guidelines recommending worshippers take precautions against spreading germs to reduce the risk of contracting swine flu. The guide, released by the White House Office for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Department of Health and Human Services, suggests houses of worship encourage members and guests to wash their hands often, use hand sanitizer, avoid crowded situations and interact without physical contact when possible. It also urges religious leaders to keep in contact with local health organizations and closely adhere to their recommendations. The National Association of Evangelicals also e-mailed its member congregations to suggest preparations for flu season by following the White House guide, which can be found online at www.flu.gov.

Worship wars ‘sinful,’ synod declares. Disagreements over worship styles that split churches are “sinful,” the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has warned. “The polarization that is affecting the church concerning the issue of forms, rites and ceremonies is sinful and hinders the proclamation of the gospel,” said the “Theses on Worship” adopted unanimously by the denomination’s Council of Presidents. The document, the result of two years of work, describes worship as a command of God but says the Scriptures and doctrinal statements permit “considerable freedom” in choosing the rites and ceremonies used for worship.