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Need to know: Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Was the Reformation a mistake? A Catholic and a Protestant debate
Two theology professors — one Catholic, one Protestant — get to the heart of what divides them: how they reason from the Bible.
Queer Catholics in Wisconsin may be denied religious funerals to avoid ‘public scandal’
Newly leaked guidelines also instruct priests to ban the surviving partner from even being mentioned during the service.
Maryland development under fire after selling homes only to Muslims
Permits were stalled after some elected officials and residents complained the project violated fair-housing laws. “There are many Jewish, Christian communities — we’re not reinventing the wheel here,” the developer says. (Subscription may be required)
Did AIPAC secretly write your rabbi’s sermon?
Amid an ongoing debate over whether rabbis should preach politics, the pro-Israel lobby sends out two prewritten sermons to rabbis across the United States, pushing its legislative agenda and policy goals.
Communist China President Xi Jinping now wants to control religion too
In comments critics said were directed toward Tibetan Buddhists, Xi declared all religions must be “Chinese-oriented” and added that threats to national security or separatism under the guise of religion would not be tolerated.
Can empathy be learned? Science offers some clues
Researchers say empathy, a core belief of many major religions, is not only a biological instinct, but also a skill human beings can learn and improve upon.
Who said that — Martin Luther or William Shakespeare?
“We all are men, in our own natures frail, and capable of our flesh; few are angels.” Take our quiz and see more quotes that will test your knowledge of Martin Luther’s writings.
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Latest news from RNS
US declaration of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Myanmar on way
WASHINGTON (AP) — The issue also is sensitive because President Trump will make his first official trip to Asia next month and hasn't spoken about the crisis.
Lawsuit: New Jersey town illegally targeted Orthodox Jews
MAHWAH, N.J. (AP) —The state contends Mahwah township violated New Jersey's Green Acres Act by banning out-of-state residents from its parks after residents complained about their use by Orthodox Jewish families from New York.
Rome’s rabbi gifts Talmud to Library of Congress
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The Library of Congress got an Italian-Jewish gift.
More views from RNS
Beyond Halloween: Witches, devils, trials and executions
RNS blogger Tom Reese interviews the Rev. David Collins, who studies a period in European history when alleged witches were both persecuted and executed.
Religious literacy can fix the faulty foundation beneath Trump’s Muslim ban
“Increased religious literacy at all levels of society can weaken the foundation that supports discriminatory intent before it becomes policy,” writes Maha Elgenaidi.
Why ‘Jacob the bar mitzvah boy’ mattered
A regular and sweet SNL skit taught us something important about American Judaism.
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