social issues
GUEST COMMENTARY: Presbyterians on the precipice (again)
NEW YORK (RNS) Regardless of whether the Presbyterian Church (USA) decides to reopen the fight over divesting from Israel, the fact that so much time and energy are expended threatens interfaith comity, and not only between Jews and Presbyterians. By Noam E. Marans.
Is homeless crackdown a sign of compassion fatigue?
(RNS) A growing number of ordinances are pitting city officials against homeless advocates. City leaders say they want to improve the lives of homeless people and ensure public safety, while supporters of the homeless argue that such regulations criminalize homelessness. By Yamiche Alcindor.
Missionary mom returns home with unexpected ‘gift’
(RNS) Most international adoptions are arranged through licensed agencies. Becky Morlock's situation was different; her son was given to her directly by his biological mother, and the case left her stranded in India as a missionary-turned-mom for almost four years. By Adriana Janovich
COMMENTARY: There’s no winning in whining
NEW YORK (RNS) Ours has become a culture of whining. People bristle at the slightest discomfort or shortcoming. Do we all feel that helpless? Is our addiction to control so granular that we cannot tolerate anything out of order? By Tom Ehrich.
Commentary: Becoming unglued (in a good way)
SOUTH PASADENA, Calif. (RNS) The answer to escaping stuckness isn't technology or youth or brilliant presentations. It's the will to embrace change and the courage to face down those who profit from dysfunction. By Tom Ehrich.
Black preachers divided on same-sex marriage, not Obama
WASHINGTON (RNS) While many black pastors do not like President Obama's recent embrace of gay marriage, they still plan to vote for him and expect other African-Americans to follow their lead. By Lauren Markoe.
Is Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng pro-life?
(RNS) During the dramatic diplomatic negotiations over blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, anti-abortion groups in the U.S. hailed Chen as one of their own. But Chen is now in the U.S., and he may not be as ``pro-life'' as some of his American supporters assumed. By David Gibson.
Commentary: Profiles in cowardice
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) I hope the signs I am seeing don't add up to this doomsday scenario. I hope wiser and cooler heads prevail. I hope a rising tide of vigilante violence, hateful campaigns and criminalizing the "other'' wake us up. But I am less optimistic than I was. By Tom Ehrich.
Guest commentary: 20 years after Bosnia, finding meaning after terror
(RNS) Esad Boskailo is a Bosnian Muslim and I am a Jew, but when we decided to write a book together about finding meaning after terror, we were determined to avoid easy answers about suffering and religious language. By Julia Lieblich.
Pentagon probes training course on Islam
(RNS) The Pentagon is investigating whether military officials ignored complaints from senior officers about a course that was found to have inflammatory and inaccurate content about Islam. By Omar Sacirbey.
Sidebar: Professionalizing Human Trafficking Activism
College activists draw on faith traditions to fight human trafficking
Sikhs launch mobile app to report profiling
Sikh civil rights activists will unveil a mobile phone application next week that they say allows air travelers who believe they have been profiled by TSA airport screeners to file complaints directly from their phones. By Omar Sacirbey.
Obama invokes Holocaust to confront Syria, Iran
WASHINGTON (RNS) In the wake of Holocaust Remembrance Day, President Obama pledged to put actions behind the words ``never again’’ to fight human atrocities across the globe in countries like Syria and Iran. By Adelle M. Banks.
London mayor axes ads that suggests homosexuality can be cured
LONDON (RNS) London's mayor has axed an ad campaign spearheaded by two conservative Christian groups because their ads suggest homosexuality is a disease that can be cured through prayer. By Al Webb.