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Need to know: Tuesday, February 11, 2020
What’s on pastors’ minds? It’s not religious liberty
Barna Group is preparing to release its State of the Church data for the first time in a decade in what it calls the most in-depth and comprehensive study in its history.
Fighting taboos, British Sikhs work to demystify organ donation
Recent initiatives are challenging ideas about death and organ donation among Sikh and other South Asian communities in the UK.
Mormon $100B fortune offers opportunity to do more good
Secret fortunes. Guarded treasure. Is this what we want our religion to be known for, writes Jana Riess.
Making an idol of brain-injured patients
A failure to appreciate the historical context of the ‘sanctity of life’ has led some to distort its meaning, write John J. Paris and Kevin Wildes.
The evolution of Trump’s Muslim ban
While most eyes were on impeachment and Iowa, President Trump recently extended restrictions to six additional countries — widening the ban and ignoring the massive outcry it has created.
Houses Of Worship Struggle To Balance Security And Belief In Wake Of Violence
Attacks on houses of worship in recent years have left congregations grappling with how to respond. Some have hired armed guards or trained members to carry weapons, but others have resisted the idea of allowing guns inside houses of worship.
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Impeachment leads to theological war of words among Trump critics and backers
For months the president, his supporters and his opponents have invoked the divine to defend their positions, even questioning each other’s faith.
New research reconsiders writings of a Muslim slave and scholar
Two North Carolina university professors are translating and transcribing the Muslim scholar's writings to shed new light on the legends that have grown up around him since his death in 1864.
Excommunicated hermits — and their cats — finally find peace
For 21 years, two Catholic hermits have sought a place where they can retreat from the world. They — and a lay woman friend — finally found happiness after being excommunicated from a church they say is heretical.
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A day for environmentalist Judaism
Or, adapting an ancient holiday to the spiritual and societal imperatives of your time, writes Mark Silk.
An imam and a rabbi see the State of the Union address as less than reassuring
(RNS) — Does the president believe in protecting the religious liberty of all citizens of the United States?
Study: College students of all faiths are a prime audience for Democratic candidates
(RNS) — The ground is tilled for progressive faith activists to make an impact on college campuses going into 2020. Will they bother to plant the seeds?
