RNS Morning Report: Kirk Franklin on Race Relations; Nazi Flag at Sanders Rally; Reclaiming Holi

Laurie Crouch, from left, Kirk Franklin, Pastor Robert Morris, Pastor Tony Evans, and Trinity Broadcasting Network President Matt Crouch meet in early March 2020. Photo courtesy of Trinity Broadcasting Network

Need to know: Monday, March 9, 2020

Kirk Franklin: ‘Kumbaya moments’ are not enough for better race relations

Franklin said on TBN that 'black and brown people in America are looking for the church to be a safe haven, but at times it isn’t always answering to that call.'

Jewish leaders: Nazi flag at Sanders rally further proof of rise in anti-Semitism

‘Targeting a Jewish candidate with a Nazi flag represents a new level of depravity,’ tweeted Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. ‘There is no place for hate in politics.’

‘We are reclaiming Holi’: College students protest Hindu nationalism with a blackout Holi

At 21 university campuses across the country, Hindu students have organized a nationwide campaign called Holi Against Hindutva, held in solidarity with anti-government protesters in India.

Report: Rolls-Royce cancels offer for private Mass with Pope Francis

According to Catholic News Agency, the organization facilitating the offer, Italian Luxury Living, has rescinded it in the wake of RNS' reporting.

The stories we tell about our country and our faith matter

Too many influential people believe and tell the story that either a diverse America is a threat to Christianity or that Christianity is a threat to a diverse America, write Michael Wear and Amy E. Black.

Meditation and surround sound meet prayer in Brooklyn church

Meditation and immersion in soothing sounds meet church liturgy at All Saints Episcopal Church in Brooklyn. The combination takes on stress – and self-examination. Welcome to sound bath Evensong.

 


 

Latest news from RNS

Katherine Stewart on Christian nationalism’s push to undermine democratic norms

(RNS) — Her new book, ‘The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism,’ is intended as a wake-up call — directed at more liberal Christians concerned with the fusion of God and country.

Under the Vatican dome, shops risk closure due to coronavirus fears

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The Italian newspaper Il Messagero reported this week that the Vatican museums have lost as much as 60% of their revenue in the past month, but local workers put the number much higher.

Rolls-Royce promotes exclusive Mass with pope — for $155,000

Buyers are also encouraged to donate at least $112,000 to the Catholic Church.

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PMS is not a sin of the flesh

(RNS) — Christianity's roots in Greek philosophy give us plenty of talk of 'fighting the flesh.' But women’s bodies are not the problem. Our hormones are not problematic.

Purell is Jewish

Stop touching your face and just read this column.

Prepping for the coronavirus the Mormon way

I love my church’s consistent, and decidedly unglamorous, emphasis on preparing for emergencies. Mormons are famous for this stuff, writes Jana Riess.