NEWS STORY
RNS-SBC-Resolution: SBC committee waives privilege, abuse investigation moves forward
(RNS) — After weeks of debate, the Southern Baptist Executive Committee agreed to waive attorney-client privilege during an investigation into how the committee has handled allegations of sexual abuse and treated abuse survivors. The committee had delayed a vote for weeks. Supporters of waiving privilege say it is needed for a transparent investigation. Opponents say doing so will destroy the SBC. By Bob Smietana. 1,000 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Hamer-Biography: Faith, endurance of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer revealed in new biography
(RNS) — Fannie Lou Hamer was an advocate for African Americans, women and poor people — and many who were all three. Historian Kate Clifford Larson has written the new book “Walk with Me: A Biography of Fannie Lou Hamer,” that reveals details of the faith and life of Hamer, who was born 104 years ago Wednesday (Oct. 6) and died in 1977. By Adelle M. Banks. 1,200 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Azza-Karam: Religions for Peace made history with its new leader. Then came historic challenges.
(RNS) — In August of 2019, Azza Karam became the first woman and first Muslim to be appointed secretary-general of Religions for Peace. Within a few months of her taking over, the world was in the grips of the coronavirus pandemic and the staggering death toll and global recession it sparked. This year, the U.S. pullout of Afghanistan brought on political chaos in that country, with ripples around the world. By Eric J. Lyman. 956 words. (category: i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Siberian-Shaman: Russia confines Siberian shaman to mental hospital for challenging Putin
(RNS) — Aleksandr Gabyshev, a member of Russia’s far eastern Yakut ethnic group and a practitioner of Siberian shamanism, has been indefinitely confined to a mental institution after losing an appeal in Russian courts in late September. The sentence comes after Gabyshev’s repeated arrests for opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin. By David I. Klein. 602 words. (category: i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Slaves-Book: Born into slavery, they made it as Jews in New York. A new book tells their story.
(RNS) - In her new book, “Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multiracial Jewish Family,” Laura Arnold Leibman, a Reed College professor of English, shows that Jews were not only slave owners during the 18th and 19th centuries. They were also slaves. By Yonat Shimron. 1,300 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Vatican-Trial: Vatican megatrial stalls as judge considers request to start afresh
(RNS) – Concerns over the lack of a fair trial overshadowed the second date of the Vatican’s mega trial on Tuesday against ten employees and clergy members, including Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who are charged with embezzling Vatican funds tied to the 2018 purchase of a high-end real estate in London. By Claire Giangravè. 650 words. (category i)
NEWS BRIEF
RNS-AmericanGirl-Celebrations: American Girl releases doll outfits for Eid, Hanukkah, Diwali celebrations
(RNS) — Happy Christmahannukwanzadan! The Cultural Celebration Collection features doll outfits and accessories for Eid al-Fitr, Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas and more holidays. By Emily McFarlan Miller. 475 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Singh-Oped: ‘We have already achieved the impossible’: Fighting a rare childhood disease with hope
(RNS) — Gurjot “Jo” Kaur is a fiery civil rights lawyer and a good friend. A few months ago, her newborn son, Riaan, was diagnosed with a rare disease called Cockayne Syndrome and the prognosis was not good. I’ve since watched her fight desperately for her child’s life, leveraging every available skill and resource she has to save her son. I talked with Jo about her experiences, with hopes that others will be touched by her story. By Simran Jeet Singh. 1,455 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Raushenbush-Oped: Celebrate Facebook’s outage? Many faith communities couldn’t talk at all.
(RNS) — The response from at least some portion of Facebook’s 3.5 billion users to its five-hour outage on Monday went something like this: “Good, I’m glad it’s down, may it stay down forever.” But Facebook, as well as the company’s Instagram and WhatsApp functions, have become not just essential to real-world communities: They have become many groups’ only locus, especially the religious and spiritual communities that have been creating ways to stay in one another’s presence during the coronavirus pandemic. By Paul Brandeis Raushenbush. 750 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Riess-Oped: Mormons make strides in discussing mental illness. Is it enough?
(RNS) — If we are serious about becoming more compassionate about mental illness, we need to do the painful work of examining our assumptions about personal righteousness. It’s vital to acknowledge not everyone gets all the tools they need to make the decisions we consider to be righteous and correct. By Jana Riess. 1,224 words. (category: k)
