U.S.

LGBTQ rights bill ignites debate over religious liberty
(RNS) — The bill maintains exemptions for houses of worship, but faith-based homeless shelters and adoption or foster-care agencies that get federal funding would not be permitted to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

High court revives ex-student’s suit on religious literature

Black Protestants aren’t least likely to get a vaccine; white evangelicals are

Dave Ramsey’s new crusade: Ending COVID-19 mask orders
(RNS) — Dave Ramsey, the Christian financial guru, has long been a skeptic of COVID-19 restrictions, saying that he and his company will not be ruled by fear.

Muslim candidate for Manhattan DA runs to give victims of system a ‘seat at the table’
(RNS) — ‘Tahanie is New York personified,’ said Aboushi’s friend Linda Sarsour. ‘She is kind, humble, but also unbought and unbossed.’

ELCA leaders call on Congress to pass US Citizenship Act of 2021 in new letter
(RNS) — Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America threw their support behind what they called ‘fair and compassionate transformations to our nation’s broken immigration system.’

Bethany Christian Services’ decision on gay adoption makes the church shine brighter
(RNS) — The country’s largest evangelical Christian adoption agency abandoned a discriminatory policy that the religious right puts major capital into defending.

This rabbi got Kentucky to adopt an anti-Semitism resolution. But not all Jews are happy.
(RNS) — Rabbi Shlomo Litvin said the resolution may stanch a wave of anti-Semitic incidents in Lexington, Kentucky. Critics worry it could be used to silence free speech by those who criticize Israel.

MPAC Hollywood Awards to feature ‘The Mauritanian’
(RNS) — ‘The Mauritanian’ is based on the true story of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohamedou Ould Salahi, who spent 14 years in the prison facility before his release.

Facing changing spirituality on campus, historic chaplain groups merge
(RNS) — The merger is a response to increasing diversification of spiritual life at American schools, with students, faculty and staff pursuing not only a wider range of faiths but also no faith at all.

As Sister Simone Campbell leaves Network, she reflects on a career in Washington
(RNS) — ‘I think a sign that it’s the right time is that it’s kind of exciting,’ Sister Simone Campbell said. ‘I’m excited to see what it will do next.’

After Ravi Zacharias report, Christians examine how to avoid ‘betrayal blindness’
(RNS) — Why does it take so long for religious groups to admit the truth about their leaders?

Shame, grace and #STOPtheSTEAL
(RNS) — How we read the world depends on the kinds of stories we traffic in.

Workers deserve a living wage, not just a minimum wage
(RNS) — Anyone who opposes increasing the minimum wage should try, as a Lenten penance, to live off $290 a week.

Catholic schools’ push for in-person learning counters record enrollment drop
(RNS) — While public school districts debate in-person learning, many elementary Catholic schools opened their doors in fall of 2020 and have stayed open.