Hundreds of attendees at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly march to the ICE building in Milwaukee for a prayer vigil in support of migrant children and their families on Aug. 7, 2019. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller
Need to know: Thursday, August 8, 2019
ELCA declares self a ‘sanctuary church body,’ marches to ICE building in Milwaukee
'Marching is fun, words are great, but action makes a difference,' Bishop Paul Erickson of the Greater Milwaukee Synod said.
At victimized Charleston church, Booker condemns gun violence, racism
Invoking God and Christian love, presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker railed against gun violence and racism on Wednesday (Aug. 7) at the site of a 2015 church shooting.
These Catholics broke into a nuclear base. Now they’re asking a judge to drop the charges.
Members of the group known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 face up to 25 years in prison for trespassing on a U.S. Navy base that houses six Trident submarines carrying hundreds of nuclear weapons.
Ravaged by age, shrunk by immigration, India’s remaining Jews hang on
The last Jew of childbearing age moved to Israel just months ago, leaving behind a small community of about two dozen elderly people beset daily by tourists.
America needs a holiday of self-reflection
Americans can learn from the Jews: turn inward, and ask hard questions, writes Jeffrey Salkin.
Tomorrow’s gods: what is the future of religion?
Throughout history, people’s faith and their attachments to religious institutions have transformed, argues Sumit Paul-Choudhury. So what’s next?
Latest news from RNS
5 things to watch at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly
This week's ELCA Churchwide Assembly offers a window into the issues important to many progressive Christians across the United States.
Clergy protest outside Mitch McConnell’s office, demand action on gun violence
Faith leaders presented the Senate majority leader's staff with a letter, signed by the group, calling for action on gun violence.
Sanders, Castro to attend Muslim-led presidential forum in Texas
The presidential forum, which will include moderated one-on-one sessions with the candidates, will take place Aug. 31 at the Islamic Society of North America’s annual convention in Houston.
More views from RNS
Everything in Mecca gets 5 stars online
(The Conversation) — Mecca’s sites average 4.96 TripAdvisor stars out of 5, while Europe’s 200 best-rated tourist destinations average 3.96 stars.
Conservative Christians have a porn problem, studies show, but not the one you think
Conservative Christians in the United States have a pornography problem, though it may not be the problem you think, writes Jana Riess.
Understanding Christians’ climate views can lead to better conversations about the environment
(The Conversation) — Because Christians incorporate the environment into their faith in a variety of ways, they provide important insights into how to talk about climate change with a variety of audiences.
