NEWS BRIEF
RNS-Sikh-America: An animated film to chronicle life of ‘Sikh Captain America’ in aftermath of 9/11
(RNS) — An animated feature, “American Sikh,” is set to chronicle the life of Vishavjit Singh, from his time in India, where his family survived the 1984 Anti-Sikh bloodshed, to his move back to the U.S., where he rediscovered himself after leaving his Sikh identity, only to be tested once again while working near New York City after the Sept. 11 attacks. Singh is publicly known for his Captain America persona, a Sikh man armed with his turban and beard to fight against bigotry. 500 words. By Alejandra Molina. (category: a)
NEWS BRIEF
RNS-Pope-Jews: Pope Francis seeks to set misunderstanding with Jews aside during papal trip
(RNS) – In his four-day apostolic visit to Hungary and Slovakia Sep. 12-15, Pope Francis stressed the importance of Catholic-Jewish relations, which were called into question after the pope suggested that Jewish law was obsolete. By Claire Giangravè. 500 words. (category i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-SBC-Privilege: Head of SBC Executive Committee questions messengers’ resolution in abuse investigation
(RNS) — Southern Baptist leaders have long claimed local churches are “the headquarters of the denomination.” But an investigation into how SBC leaders handled abuse allegations may test that claim — especially if the denomination’s Executive Committee decides not to waive attorney-client privilege in the investigation, despite being told to do so at the denomination’s annual meeting. By Bob Smietana. 1,500 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Cobb-Schoolboards: A mask mandate showdown in Cobb County school board pits ‘faith’ against ‘fear’
ATLANTA (RNS) — Located north of Atlanta, Cobb County is home to the second-largest school district in the state, with 111,854 students. In June 2021, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced his decision to remove the district’s mask mandate for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year. But with the Delta variant and a rising health crisis has come conflict. Many parents are demanding the board reinstate the previous masking policy. Others don’t agree, citing everything from politics to psychology to religion. By Heather Greene. 1,224 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Pope-Budapest: In Hungary, the conservative heart of Europe, Pope Francis urges to “build bridges”
(RNS) – In Hungary, where politicians have sought to create walls to preserve the country’s identity amid the migration crisis in Europe, Pope Francis advocates for building bridges with neighbors of other religions and backgrounds. By Claire Giangravè. 850 words. (category i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Spong-Obit: Bishop John Shelby Spong, firebrand who championed LGBTQ inclusion, has died
(RNS) — Bishop John Shelby Spong, whose two decades at the head of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark was filled with controversy, died Sunday at 90. Spong was a vocal advocate for gay clergy and women pastors — and his views have largely become mainstream in several Protestant denominations. His views on theology, which included updating the faith to reject core Christian teaching like the virgin birth, the resurrection, and the existence of heaven and hell, proved popular, making him a bestselling author. But they did not attract throngs to churches. By Bob Smietana. 1,100 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Lisante-911: For New York celebrity priest, 9/11 closure will come with tolerance for ‘every path to God’
(RNS) — More than 30 members of Monsignor Jim Lisante’s parish were killed in the towers. He recalls the churches being filled with people praying, and Sunday services were overflowing. “People were overwhelmed, you know? These weren’t combatants. These were people who went to work and then died.” Lisante hopes the lesson of September 11th faith communities learn is skepticism of extremism and fundamentalism in all religious persuasions. By Renée Roden. 1,000 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Salkin-Oped: I preached the Dickens about antisemitism
(RNS) For us as American Jews, it is the best of times, and it is the worst of times. We have never been more successful, and we have never been more nervous. There has never been a Jewish community that has enjoyed the wealth, the cultural influence, the political power and the acceptance that we American Jews enjoy. But we sense something has turned against us. We are in the middle of a second pandemic. It is a pandemic of anti-Israel sentiment, which has increasingly become a loud, vulgar antisemitism. By Jeffrey Salkin. 1,300 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Riess-Oped: Blocklisting at Brigham Young University
(RNS) — I think we all hoped the “strange period” of blocklisting at BYU would indeed be of short duration and would “resolve itself soon.” But given recent news about historian Benjamin Park’s erasure from BYU’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute, it seems the strangeness is alive and well. By Jana Riess. 990 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Silk-Oped: How Harvard’s atheist chaplain-in-chief fits into the school’s long religious tradition
(RNS) — Atheists and agnostics constitute nearly 40% of Harvard’s freshman class this year — twice the size of its next largest group (Catholics). By the numbers alone, the chaplain who ministers to them is entitled to a leadership position. By Mark Silk. 660 words. (category: k)
