Where Is God When Evil Strikes?

posted on May 21, 2013

After a tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, on Monday, USA Today contributor Tom Krattenmaker grapples with God and faith in times of tragedy. He writes, “Christians believe that the people of the church are the hands and feet of God. It’s in this way that God intervenes and comforts in the darkest times. It’s in this way hope and goodness endure, no matter what.”

Read at USA Today

Food Stamp Cuts Spark Bible Debate

posted on May 21, 2013

What does Jesus Christ say about social safety nets? “Republican[sic] and Democrats sparred this week on where Jesus Christ would stand on food stamps,” write Arthur Delaney and Jaweed Kaleem of The Huffington Post. They report that on Wednesday a congressional committee approved Republican legislation that would mean “2 million fewer people would qualify” for food stamps. Both sides argued over biblical mandates to support the poor, and whether that means as a government or as an individual.

Read at The Huffington Post

Obama Couples Praise For Burmese Leader With Warning Against Violence

posted on May 21, 2013

Peter Baker and Steven Lee Myers of The New York Times report President Obama welcomed President Thein Sein of Myanmar to the White House with praise for the release of political prisoners and credible elections. But the president also issued a warning against persistent religious violence in the country: “The displacement of people, the violence directed towards them, needs to stop.”

Read at The New York Times

Inside The Boy Scout Battle To Repeal The Gay Ban

posted on May 21, 2013

Elizabeth Diaz of TIME delves into the campaigns of supporters and opponents of the Boy Scouts’ ban on gay members, which will come up for a vote this Thursday. Diaz writes, “Activists on both sides have been organizing for months. Gay rights groups like GLAAD and Scouts for Equality launched an intensive ground game, mobilizing eligible voters to support overturning the ban. The Family Research Council (FRC) and its allies like OnMyHonor.net, a group created by Florida lawyer and Eagle Scout John Stemberger, jumped in with a counter attack.”

Read at TIME

State Dept. Report Says Countries Have Repressed Religious Freedom With Laws

posted on May 21, 2013

On Monday, the State Department issued the International Religious Freedom Report for 2012. Steven Lee Myers of The New York Times notes that religious freedom is often suppressed globally through laws. He writes, “Proliferating laws against blasphemy or apostasy, including in several countries undergoing political transitions after the Arab spring, are not protecting religions, as officials often claim, but rather targeting other faiths, at times selectively.”

Read at The New York Times

As Appeal Is Announced In Sovereign Grace Case, Joshua Harris Says He Was Abused As A Child

posted on May 21, 2013

Ted Olsen of Christianity Today reports, “Following Friday’s news that a Maryland judge dismissed most of the civil lawsuit against Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM), attorney Susan Burke promised to appeal the dismissal.” This past Sunday, Joshua Harris, pastor of Covenant Life Church in Maryland, referenced the suit, saying he was a victim of sexual abuse as a child. He urged other victims to “go to the police. Please get help.” In December, Covenant Life Church separated from SGM, which is currently facing allegations of sexual abuse.

Read at Christianity Today

Will Boy Scouts Accept Gay Youth? Vote Is Imminent

posted on May 20, 2013

On Thursday, approximately 1,400 members of the Boy Scouts of America National Council will vote on a proposal to lift the ban on openly gay scouts, reports David Crary of the Associated Press. Deron Smith, the national spokesman for the Boy Scouts, said that it is their most “complex and challenging issue.” Crary discusses the possible effects of the policy change on religious sponsors.

Read at The Wall Street Journal

Justices Take Case on Prayer at Town Board Meetings

posted on May 20, 2013

Adam Liptak of The New York Times reports that the Supreme Court has agreed to take a case in which a town board started its meetings with prayer, prompting two town residents to sue, citing a violation of the First Amendment. “Town officials said that members of all faiths and atheists were welcome to give the opening prayer,” Liptak writes. “In practice, the federal appeals court in New York said, almost all of the chaplains were Christian.”

Read at The New York Times