Archives: RNS Morning Reports
The Slingshot: Faith on the screen; Trump’s war on Christmas; Comey gets biblical
By Emily McFarlan Miller — December 4, 2017
Commenting on breaking news or advising to TV and film producers is a stretch and a risk for religious scholars. Brandon Ambrosino longs for the days when the War on Christmas was a fiction. James Comey’s response to Michael Flynn’s guilty plea may have sounded familiar.
The Slingshot: Papal trip; church aid; funny Jews
By Yonat Shimron — December 1, 2017
Pope concludes a politically tricky trip without mentioning the word ‘Rohingya.’ Churches may get federal disaster relief under a proposed bill. A new book lays out a taxonomy of Jewish humor.
The Slingshot: Videos denounced; tax cut morality; ‘biblical’ voting
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — November 30, 2017
Muslim leaders see danger in Trump’s hateful video retweets. GOP tax proposals go beyond economics to promote conservative evangelical morality. Europe has more Muslims but nowhere near a majority.
The Slingshot: Trump retweets; Sanctuary churches; Sharia in Greece
By kimberly-winston-and-jerome-socolovsky and Kimberly Winston — November 29, 2017
The president spreads inflammatory videos. His administration is challenged by churches sheltering immigrants faced with deportation. Nearly a century after the sultans left, Greek Muslims will no longer have to live by Ottoman rules.
The Slingshot: Pope in Myanmar; God beyond gender; Prince Harry’s luck
By Lauren Markoe — November 28, 2017
Pope Francis walks a fine line in Myanmar. The largest church in Sweden says God is not a ‘he.’ Prince Harry won’t face what his great-great uncle did when he wanted to marry a divorced American.
The Slingshot: Native American and Christian; Sinai mosque attack; Inside Kosherfest
By Emily McFarlan Miller — November 27, 2017
As Native American Heritage Month ends, Kaitlin Curtice describes how her Potawatomi and Christian faiths go together. Egyptian authorities said the death toll from an attack on a Sinai mosque has risen to 305 worshippers, including 27 children. Kosherfest filled a N.J. exposition center with hundreds of booths featuring everything from seltzer to sushi bars.
The Slingshot: Activist scholars; Puritans and Pilgrims; Judah Maccabee shot
By kimberly-winston-and-jerome-socolovsky and Kimberly Winston — November 22, 2017
Religion scholars turn activist in the shadow of Trump. What is the difference between a Pilgrim and a Puritan and which of them do we thank for Thanksgiving? A children’s book is not immune to vaccine conspiracy theories.
The Slingshot: Conservative Christian minds; Small Christian colleges; Pope’s Myanmar risk
By Lauren Markoe — November 21, 2017
There’s a reason many conservative Christians feel comfortable dismissing the accusations against Roy Moore. Small Christian colleges are shuttering. Why some think Pope Francis should skip the trip to Myanmar.
The Slingshot: Museum of the Bible opening; Jonestown anniversary; Thanksgiving prayer
By Emily McFarlan Miller — November 20, 2017
The Museum of the Bible opened with Scripture readings,
a tribute to God and a sigh of relief. Nearly 40 years after the Jonestown massacre, what can we learn from what happened? An author meditates on how cooking together ‘can briefly blot out almost any pain.’
The Slingshot: Reverend’s resignation; Mugabe’s priest; Bible as art
By Yonat Shimron — November 17, 2017
A minister who headed the Department of Homeland Security’s faith-based partnerships office has resigned. A Catholic priest is helping mediate a transition in leadership in Zimbabwe. Some artists are using the Bible as their medium.
The Slingshot: Moore’s core; Baptist breakup; Family funeral
By Mark A. Kellner — November 16, 2017
At a Baptist revival, embattled Alabama Judge Roy Moore finds solace. Tennessee Baptists reject a church that hired a female pastor. Mourners flood Sutherland Springs for a family's funeral.
The Slingshot: Church security; Tech bias; Robot religion
By kimberly-winston-and-jerome-socolovsky and Kimberly Winston — November 15, 2017
Since the Texas church shooting, a security consultant said his firm has been overwhelmed with so many requests that congregations will have to wait up to a year for its training.
The Slingshot: Bible museum; Abortion case; Moore’s pastors
By Lauren Markoe — November 14, 2017
Just off the National Mall, the Museum of the Bible is huge, high-tech and ready for visitors. The Supreme Court takes a case about anti-abortion pregnancy centers. Not every pastor who supposedly signed a letter of support for Roy Moore wanted to be on it.
The Slingshot: Services in Sutherland Springs; Roy Moore; Extremists on YouTube
By Emily McFarlan Miller — November 13, 2017
After an emotional sermon held outdoors under a massive
white tent, congregants and the public were invited to return to First Baptist Church for the first time since last Sunday’s mass shooting. Mark Silk looks at the hypocrisy of powerful men accused of sexual harassment. YouTube and other social media companies
are stepping up removal of extremist content.
The Slingshot: Roy Moore; Vatican cigarettes; Humanist congressman
By Yonat Shimron — November 10, 2017
An Alabama state auditor defends Roy Moore. The Vatican quits selling cigarettes. A congressman acknowledges he doesn’t believe in God.
