Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET. Visit www.pbs.org/religionandethics for additional information. Show #1637 is fed over PBS on Friday, May 17 at 5:00 p.m. (check local listings).
The Boy Scouts of America – The national council of the Boy Scouts of America will vote next week on a proposal to lift the long-standing ban on gay scouts, although allowing gay adult leaders is not under consideration. As Deborah Potter reports, most scout troops are sponsored by faith-based groups, some of whom say that lifting the ban is incompatible with scout values, and could lead them to withdraw their sponsorship.
Sequestration and the Poor –The 85-billion-dollar federal spending cuts imposed by sequestration will severely impact city governments and their programs for the poor—programs like Head Start, supplemental nutrition and public housing . The head of Catholic Charities in Maryland tells Lucky Severson that his budget is a “moral document” and that failure to ease the cuts on programs for the poor is “frankly immoral.”
Reforming Washington– Host Bob Abernethy profiles former White House press secretary Mike McCurry. McCurry has a new graduate degree from Wesley Seminary and wants to change Washington’s political climate.
Sikh Turban Showdown– At a Sikh Foundation of Virginia “Turban Showdown,” Sikh parents helped children wrap their turbans. Youth and education coordinator Surinder Singh explains the meaning of the turban and why, for Sikhs, it is a mark of pride, respect and responsibility.
Embeddable versions of new segments become available at www.pbs.org/religionandethics on Fridays between noon and 6 p.m. EST
