NEWS BRIEF
RNS-Ramadan-Cannon: Historic Ramadan cannon in Cairo fires again
(RNS) — Egypt’s most famous “Ramadan Cannon” is once again firing to mark the end of each day of fasting to Cairo’s Muslims. For the first time since 1992, a historic cannon is being fired to mark the beginning and end of the Ramadan fast each day from Cairo’s historic Saladin Al-Ayyubi Citadel. By Joseph Hammond. 350 words. (category: i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Minari-Oscars: Oscar nominee ‘Minari’ spotlights Korean American faith and the role of the church
(RNS) — “Minari” tells the story of the Yi family, a Korean American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of the American dream. The Oscar nominated film is resonating with many Korean Americans — especially its portrayal of faith and the role of the church. By Emily McFarlan Miller. 1,200 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-RNS-OSCARS: RNS Oscars: 10 movies from 2020 with spiritual angles you may have missed
(RNS) — the RNS staff offers its list of 10 movies from last year — spiritually minded or not, Oscar-nominated or not — that caught hold of some truth about faith or glimpsed the spiritual in the stories they told. By RNS Staff. 2,400 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-COVID19-HealthCare: Health care organizations find success with faith-based allies in vaccine distribution
(RNS) — Some Virginia religious leaders have opened their houses of worship as additional clinics for COVID-19 vaccinations or acted as go-betweens, referring people who have had limited opportunities to get COVID-19 shots in their arms. The collaboration of religious officials with health care professionals — from both nonprofit and for-profit companies — has been a key driver in efforts to increase equity in access to vaccinations. By Adelle M. Banks. 1,050 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-DuBois-Moore: Obama faith adviser accuses Trump counterpart of laying spiritual groundwork for Capitol insurrection
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A long-simmering debate between liberal and conservative Christian faith leaders came to a head during a panel session at a Religion News Association conference on Thursday, with a former Obama White House faith adviser blaming an evangelical Christian adviser to former President Donald Trump for quickening the rise of Christian nationalism and setting the stage for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. By Jack Jenkins and Adelle M. Banks. 1,000 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Reese-Oped: Why President Biden is right to get our troops out of Afghanistan
(RNS) — “Better late than never,” a well-worn adage often spoken in exasperation, can be a moral truth, too. So, even if it comes 20 years too late, President Joe Biden’s announcement that all American troops will be out of Afghanistan by September 11 this year is the right decision, one that conforms to the fundamental principle of the just war theory that you should not fight an unwinnable war. By Thomas Reese. 950 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Riess-Oped: Mormon excommunication: Need not be present to win!
(RNS) — Natasha Helfer, the Mormon therapist whose views on sexuality resulted in a disciplinary council on Sunday, has been excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Excommunicated” is an outdated term, actually, that departs from the current LDS Church Handbook, but then, so did many aspects of the proceedings against Helfer this week in Kansas. By Jana Riess. 1,043 words. (category: k)