NEWS BRIEF
RNS-Plowshares-Release: 2 Plowshares activists win early release from prison
(RNS) — Two of the seven Catholic peace activists who broke into a nuclear submarine base three years ago left prison this week as part of an early release agreement. Martha Hennessy, 66, the granddaughter of Catholic Worker Movement founder Dorothy Day, and Carmen Trotta, 58, who lives and works at St Joseph Catholic Worker House in New York City, were released Wednesday and Thursday (May 26 and 27). By Yonat Shimron. 400 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-USA-Bible: King James saves the ‘God Bless the USA’ Bible
NASHVILLE (RNS) — The marketing firm behind a new God Bless The USA Bible still thinks the project – which combines the Christian scripture with the Constitution with other patriotic documents – will be a success, despite recent controversy. By Bob Smietana 500 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Antisemitism-Rally: US Jews rally for more support in combating antisemitism
(RNS) — Ninety Jewish organizations, including some of the largest in the U.S., are hosting a virtual rally Thursday (May 27), in response to a recent spate of antisemitic violence in the wake of clashes between Israel and Gaza. By Yonat Shimron. 500 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-COVID19-Vaccines: Health experts, faith leaders and White House target the ‘movable’ on vaccines
(RNS) — As the Biden administration ramps up plans to meet a July 4 goal on national COVID-19 vaccinations, hundreds of faith leaders gathered Wednesday (May 26) for a three-hour online summit to share and learn ways they could play a role. By Adelle M. Banks. 1,100 words. (category: a)
NEWS BRIEF
RNS-Two-Gods: The film “Two Gods” studies the life of Muslim casket maker
(RNS) — A new film uses the life of a Muslim casket maker as a case study in the stabilizing role of ritual in the modern world. Originally released in 2020, the film “Two Gods” was released last week to theaters and will be broadcast nationwide on PBS on June 21st. Prior to its release this month into select theaters and streaming services, the film appeared in multiple festivals around the country. By Joseph Hammond. 400 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Ramsey-Timeshare: Dave Ramsey declares war on timeshare industry: ‘You done pissed off the wrong hillbilly’
(RNS) — Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey, facing criticism for his ties to a timeshare exit company, declared war on the timeshare industry during his national radio show. Ramsey has long endorsed Timeshare Exit Team, a Washington State company being sued for fraud. By Bob Smietana. 1,500 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-PRRI-QAnon: Survey: White evangelicals, Hispanic Protestants, Mormons most likely to believe in QAnon
(RNS) — A new survey reports white evangelicals, Hispanic Protestants and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the most likely to believe in the QAnon conspiracy theory, a trend researchers suggest correlates with the kind of media they consume. By Jack Jenkins. 530 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Khalil-Oped: Evangelical Christians must rethink their reflexive support for Israel
(RNS) — Evangelical Christians must now reassess their relationship to the Holy Land. By ceding their voice and political representation to extremists in their own traditions, they become complicit with their silence. With their influence, evangelicals could be key to bringing peace to the birthplace of the Prince of Peace. By Gregory Khalil. 1,431 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Riess-Oped: A Mormon walks into a megachurch
(RNS) — Even in this incredibly challenging religious landscape where we regularly see headlines about the decline of Christianity, Crossroads Church in Cincinnati grows larger and more confident. Here are five things Latter-day Saints can learn from Crossroads, one of the largest and fastest-growing churches in America. By Jana Riess. 1,585 words. (category: k)