NEWS STORY
RNS-Uber-Imams: A new ‘Uber For Imams’ offers Muslims A New Way To Find Faith-Based Services
(RNS) — An ‘Uber for Imams’ platform seeks to make a variety of Islamic services disrupted by Covid-19 available to Muslims. Everything from Quranic instruction to marriage counseling is on offer in a variety of languages form certified service providers around the globe. By Joseph Hammond. 750 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Reuniting-Families: Faith-based groups cheer, share hopes for Biden’s family reunification task force
(RNS) — Faith-based organizations were involved in caring for children separated from their parents at the United States-Mexico border under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy. Now they’re celebrating the creation of a task force to help reunite families that remain separated. The White House announced the task force Tuesday morning (Feb. 2) as part of a number of immigration-related executive actions President Joe Biden was expected to take that day. Emily McFarlan Miller. 700 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Online-Harassment: Survey: White evangelicals most likely to say they’ve been harassed online for their faith
(RNS) — Four in 10 U.S. adults say they have been harassed online, according to a Pew Research Center study released Tuesday (Feb. 2). Though people responding to the Pew survey in September cite a number of reasons for why they have been targeted, one-fifth of those who have been harassed believe it was because of their religion. Those most likely to say they were harassed online due to their religion? White evangelicals. By Roxanne Stone. 758 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Schonfeld-Priyadarshi: Faith and the COVID-19 vaccine: ‘The scientific community has a storytelling problem’
(RNS) — This week Rabbi Schonfeld talks with the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi, a Buddhist monk ordained by the Dalai Lama who is the president and CEO of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He talked with Rabbi Schonfeld about the spiritual and personal lessons that can strengthen each of us as we continue to cope with the impact of the pandemic. You can view the entire interview here. By Julie Schonfeld. 1,460 words. (category: a)
NEW STORY
RNS-Kennedy-PPC: Joe Kennedy III joins Poor People’s Campaign
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Former Congressman Joe Kennedy III announced on Monday (Feb 2) that he is “honored” to join the Poor People’s Campaign, a faith-led anti-poverty initiative. By Jack Jenkins. 550 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Pope-CNS: Pope Francis has hope for the “courageous” Catholic Church in the US
(RNS) – Addressing the current challenges of the U.S. Catholic Church on Monday, Pope Francis warned against the polarization in the country and the “sins” of the media. But beyond divisions and misinformation, the pope still believes in the U.S.A. By Claire Giangravè. 670 words. (category: i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-ERLC-Report: SBC report never-Trumper Russell Moore’s agency a ‘significant distraction’
(RNS) – A Southern Baptist task force blames the denomination’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the loss of more than $1 million in donations. At issue: ERLC president Russell Moore’s criticism of Donald Trump. By Bob Smietana. 1,000 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-David-Goliath: New VR game lets kids, adults face off against Goliath
(RNS) – A new virtual reality game, “DvG: Conquering Giants,” brings the biblical story of David and Goliath to life. The game was designed by a Christian businessman and a Hollywood special effects expert, who want players to have a good time and learn more about the Bible. By Bob Smietana. 700 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Greene-Oped: National unity isn’t just possible, it’s worth working for
(RNS) — The spaces between faiths in this country have not grown wider or deeper. We just seem to be increasingly unwilling to build bridges across those deep chasms and to venture beyond our comfort zones. The question is not whether we can achieve national unity, but whether we are willing to do the work. By Heather Greene. 979 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Sekharia-Oped: Under guise of protecting workers, California defines (and demonizes) Hinduism
(RNS) — In a filing in a case in which two Cisco Systems employees are accused of discriminating against a person of lower caste, the state of California has put forward an unconstitutional, untenable and Hinduphobic definition of caste. The state’s rhetoric goes far beyond justice to target the Hindu community on the basis of religion. By Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria. 820 words. (category: k)