Philadelphia police and Pennsylvania National Guard take a knee at the suggestion of Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Melvin Singleton, unseen, outside Philadelphia police headquarters on June 1, 2020, during a rally calling for justice over the death of George Floyd. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Need to know: Thursday, June 4, 2020
Thousands of police officers are taking a knee. Will it make a difference?
The gesture is intended to show contrition and solidarity with protesters. But some question its effectiveness and say it won’t lead to lasting change.
Without annual meeting, amid decline, Southern Baptists continue debate on race, women’s roles
Southern Baptists have struggled over the meaning of critical race theory in particular and the direction of the denomination in general.
Facebook, Instagram unblock #Sikh hashtag amid 1984 massacre remembrance
After nearly three months, Facebook and Instagram have unblocked the #Sikh hashtag, saying the block occurred ‘mistakenly’ after a user reported the hashtag in March.
Street art depicting Pope Francis highlights homeless struggle in Milan
The artist said his inspiration stemmed from seeing many people in Milan being forced to live on the streets due to the economic consequences of the pandemic.
Why cops attack racial justice protesters
Racism infects policing on every level, from policy to personal biases, writes Simran Jeet Singh.
Southern Baptists see historic drop in membership
Total membership in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination fell at a historic rate between 2018 and 2019, according to an annual report released Thursday.
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Near Boston, a Friendly’s-turned-Hindu temple serves holy offerings to go
BOSTON (RNS) — The Hindu temple has been using its ice cream takeout window, left over from the facility's past life as a Friendly's restaurant, to serve socially distant holy food offerings.
Peaceful church protest in Brooklyn brings disruption, blessing and a call for change
Demonstrators at a church-led peaceful march in Brooklyn prayed for their city and protested for lasting change in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
In LA, a rally highlights a divide between clergy on how to bring about police reform
The faith-based rally highlighted the different ways clergy and religious leaders are dealing with law enforcement as they seek to end racist policies and police brutality toward black people.
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Remembering the Christianity of Jesus, not empire
If Jesus were here today he’d be wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt while he held a sign and marched at a protest, writes Amy Butler.
After St. John’s, thinking differently about a president, a Bible and race
(RNS) — Be glad President Donald Trump is holding the Bible, not because he is the embodiment of its words, but because it offers the fruits of the Spirit that he, and all of us, need.
George Floyd and the Patels: A story in generations
If you talked to my kids about Morning in America, they would just laugh at you, writes Eboo Patel.