Archives: RNS Morning Reports
The Slingshot: Johnson Amendment; Confederate statues; Crystals
By Emily McFarlan Miller — August 16, 2017
More than 4,000 religious leaders have signed a letter urging Congress to maintain the law that bars pulpit politicking — a law President Trump has vowed to gut. A minister says he believes it’s time for statues of his ancestor Gen. Robert E. Lee to come down. Somewhere between smudge sticks and sound bath, crystals are the latest accessory borrowed from Eastern medicinal philosophies to penetrate the luxury wellness market.
The Slingshot: Charlottesville fallout; Hillary’s pastor; Jeffress’ politics
By Lauren Markoe — August 15, 2017
Under pressure, Trump calls out white supremacists. Hillary Clinton’s pastor is accused of plagiarism. Pastor Robert Jeffress explains his controversial comments about God, Trump and North Korea.
The Slingshot: Charlottesville; Reckoning with racism; How many sides?
By Emily McFarlan Miller — August 14, 2017
Religious leaders condemned white supremacy and racism after a counter-protester was killed when a car rammed into a crowd and two troopers died when their helicopter monitoring the rally crashed during a white nationalist rally over the weekend in Charlottesville, Va.
The Slingshot: Contested grounds; Euthanasia battle; The nature of God
By Yonat Shimron — August 11, 2017
Three Mormon denominations have found a way to avoid bitter disputes over contested land. Pope Francis admonishes a Catholic group for allowing euthanasia in Belgium. Is God authoritarian?
The Slingshot: Pyongyang frees pastor; NJ mosque approved; ‘righteous’ sweating?
By Mark A. Kellner — August 10, 2017
North Korea released Canadian pastor the Rev. Rim Hyon Su from a life sentence; after a $3.25 million settlement, Bernards Township, N.J., okays a mosque's building permit; and sweating in the summer was once viewed as a moral good.
The Slingshot: Assassination blessing; Argentine rally; Tribal rap
By Kimberly Winston and Jerome Socolovsky — August 9, 2017
Texas pastor Robert Jeffress: 'God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong-Un.' Saint day draws massive rally over poverty in Buenos Aires. Inside the Hebrew Israelite movement that's inspiring Kendrick Lamar and Kodak Black.
The Slingshot: Trump’s sustained silence; Hatmaker’s new book; Atheists’ bum rap
By Lauren Markoe — August 8, 2017
The president has said nothing about the weekend attack on a Minnesota mosque.
Jen Hatmaker’s new book tells of her travails as a “professional Christian.” People believe atheists are not as moral as those who believe in God.
The Slingshot: Mosque explosion; Mark of the Beast; Millennial creation account
By Emily McFarlan Miller — August 7, 2017
An explosive device detonated at a suburban Minneapolis mosque as people were preparing for morning prayers. A Wisconsin company’s decision to microchip employees may fulfill more end times novels than biblical prophecy. McSweeney’s reimagines the first chapter of Genesis, as written by millennials.
The Slingshot: Gene editing; Questionable artifacts; Beacon of liberty
By Yonat Shimron — August 4, 2017
A bioethicist says gene editing raises ethical questions but designer babies may not be among them — yet. Some say criticism of the Bible museum over smuggled antiquities is unfair. A White House aide crushes Jewish pride in poet Emma Lazarus’ State of Liberty inscription.
The Slingshot: Hunter out; Lawsuits in; Faith on Etsy
By Mark A. Kellner — August 3, 2017
Orlando megachurch pastor Joel Hunter steps down. Conservative Christian legal groups advocate for their cause. Artisans sell faith-themed items online via Etsy.
The Slingshot: Mosque bombing; Drive-in church; Fatwas to go
By Kimberly Winston and Jerome Socolovsky — August 2, 2017
Blast at Shiite mosque in Afghanistan kills dozens. Clerics offering religious edicts in Cairo metro stir debate. You don’t have to get out of the car to go to church in Florida.
The Slingshot: White House Bible study; Antiquities clampdown; Midwest martyr
By Yonat Shimron — August 1, 2017
Members of President Trump's Cabinet attend a weekly Bible study. Israeli authorities arrest antiquities dealers. Oklahoma farm town honors one of its own.
The Slingshot: Rob Bell; Tisha B’Av; human sacrifice
By Emily McFarlan Miller — July 31, 2017
Rob Bell, who has a reputation among conservative Christians as a false teacher who leads others astray, journeys into Trump Country. Why remembering history is important as the Jewish fast Tisha B'Av begins tonight. What it means to accuse people of human sacrifice.
The Slingshot: Evangelicals and transgender ban; Brownback’s faith; Dawkins’ speech
By Yonat Shimron — July 28, 2017
Trump’s evangelical advisors advocated for the transgender military ban at a While House meeting. Sam Brownback is a church-hopping Catholic Protestant. Richard Dawkins finds a new Bay Area venue.
The Slingshot: Ambassador Brownback; Transgender fallout; Sci-Fi Mormons
By Mark A. Kellner — July 27, 2017
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback to be nominated U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Religious leaders cheered and condemned President Trump's ban on transgendered persons serving in the military. Mormons are boldly going in to brave new worlds via science fiction.
