NEWS STORY
RNS-More-Lord: More Lord Kingdom hopes to make American godly again, one t-shirt at a time
(RNS) — A new Christian clothing company hopes to promote spiritual renewal in American with stylish churches and catchy messages, including a religious twist on Donald Trump’s MAGA design. By Bob Smietana. 1,000 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Ida-Indigenous: ‘All about being there for the ones you love’: Indigenous communities hit by Ida
(RNS) — Monique Verdin, a member of the United Houma Nation, is afraid Louisiana’s Indigenous communities will be forgotten as faith-based disaster relief groups and other aid streams to New Orleans. By Emily McFarlan Miller. 850 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Powell-AMEZion: Staccato Powell, disrobed as AME Zion bishop: pioneer or swindler?
(RNS) — Was recently disrobed bishop Staccato Powell a pioneer using, as he said, “sophisticated financing of church property” to enhance congregations and support their pastors, or, as the remaining African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church bishops said, inappropriately using churches’ mortgages in a manner that led some of them to receive foreclosure notices? By Adelle M. Banks. 1,350 words.
NEWS STORY
RNS-LMU-Panel: Jeannie Gaffigan hosts panel urging Catholics to get COVID-19 vaccine
(RNS) — Jeannie Gaffigan, Catholic comedy writer and mother of five, hosted a virtual panel of medical experts who answered questions about the COVID-19 vaccines and responded to widely circulating pieces of misinformation. They urged Catholics to treat vaccinations as “pro-life issue.” By Alejandra Molina and Renée Roden. 750 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Pope-Cope: ‘It didn’t even cross my mind,’ Pope Francis says amid resignation rumors in wide-ranging interview
(RNS) – In an hour-long, wide-ranging interview, Pope Francis addressed rumors of his resignation, the consequences of the U.S. retreat from Afghanistan, Vatican relations with China and his ongoing efforts to reform the Catholic Church. By Claire Giangravè. 1,100 words. (category i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Ida-Help: Faith based disaster relief groups balance COVID safety with speedy response to Hurricane Ida
(RNS) — As faith based disaster relief groups respond to Hurricane Ida, preventing the spread of COVID is top of mind. By Bob Smietana 600 words. (categories: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Shafer-Oped: ‘Insular’ Orthodox Jews mobilize to save lives, from Haiti to Kabul
(RNS) — The insularity of “ultra-Orthodox,” or Haredi, Jews is not born of aloofness or prejudice. If they reject the surrounding popular culture, it is because it is glaringly at odds with traditional Jewish life. But Haredi are no less compassionate than any other religious tradition and are committed to helping those who suffer, whoever they are. By Avi Shafran. 994 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Palusky-Oped: Helping our Afghan neighbors is our only option
(RNS) — As we watch tragic scenes play out in Afghanistan, some American Christians don’t want to help. I don’t know all the reasons why, but I do know that when we focus only on ourselves, we neglect our biblical call to welcome the stranger and care for those who are hurting. For followers of Jesus, our concern for the vulnerable ought to have no limits. By Chris Palusky. 941 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Lupfer-Oped: After Dan Darling, Christians willing to speak the truth look unemployable
(RNS) — This episode is just the latest proof that evangelicals who speak the truth are increasingly unwelcome in ostensibly Christian institutions, especially those with a political base anchored in the South. Too often, these groups care more about the delicate sensibilities of donors and constituents who refuse to see how their Trump discipleship has damaged the public witness of evangelical Protestantism. By Jacob Lupfer. 843 words (category: k)