In this July 18, 2012, file photo, a student staples colored paper to the wall of a classroom after summer school at Our Lady of Lourdes in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Grant Hindsley)
Need to know: Thursday, July 16, 2020
In Los Angeles, Catholic schools plan to resume in-person classes, while public schools go online
‘We cannot eliminate the risk of COVID-19 in our communities, but we can reduce it by being flexible, consistent and vigilant,’ said Paul M. Escala, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Why John Onwuchekwa, a Black pastor and rising star, gave up on Southern Baptists
John Onwuchekwa, a Southern Baptist Church planter, said SBC leaders’ ties to President Donald Trump and the denomination’s inability to deal with issues of race and justice meant he could not in good faith remain part of the SBC.
Suit alleges Southern Baptist church’s negligence led to abuse of teen
Parents allege the church’s ‘malicious, reckless, and willful and wanton’ conduct led to the abuse of their daughter by a man now in prison for sexual battery.
Rabbi hurt in California synagogue shooting admits fraud
Goldstein, who lost a finger in the shooting at Chabad of Poway, admitted to collecting fake donations to the synagogue.
Will the death of George Floyd sway white evangelicals on race?
The future of racial justice could depend on white evangelicals recognizing the extent to which structural racism continues to afflict our country, writes Robert K. Vischer.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calls celebrities’ anti-Semitism ‘So disheartening’
“If we’re going to be outraged by injustice, let’s be outraged by injustice against anyone,” the six-time NBA champion wrote.
Latest news from RNS
100 young Jews are volunteering this summer as part of a new service project
Serve the Moment is intended to inspire young Jewish adults to perform 100,000 acts of service during this turbulent summer when the coronavirus is spreading and social unrest over racial inequality is rising.
Counselor Aundi Kolber shares what it looks like to ‘Try Softer’ during a pandemic
The Colorado-based counselor’s message that it is OK to ‘try softer’ rather than to try harder — or ‘white-knuckle’ one’s way through life, as she puts it — feels especially relevant in the midst of a pandemic.
New ad uses Bible, ‘Amazing Grace,’ Jesus to call Republican Christians to vote against Trump
‘The moment that (Trump) held up that Bible, he revealed this president is using us,’ a man named Pat, identified as a Republican, says in the ad.
More views from RNS
I stand with Bari Weiss
(RNS) — The former New York Times writer is a committed Jew and Zionist — and an endangered centrist.
American Christians need to reinvent their theology and practice of missions
American Christians shy away from social issues — racial reconciliation, immigration reform and economic inequalities — that they associate with progressive politics, writes Joseph D'Souza.
Trump’s limp response to Uighur persecution
(RNS) — The greatest abuse of religious liberty in the world today should incur a boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
