In God Some Trust
posted on May 16, 2013
The Economist considers the role of religion in varying countries’ constitutions and what it implies. These comparisons often show that, “The ‘religiosity’ of a country’s basic law…generally tells you more about its political history than about the religious feelings of its present-day population.” Essentially, “a constitution says more about where a country is coming from—which bits of history it wants to celebrate, and which bits it wants to flee from or avoid—than about how the nation is now, or where it wants to go.”
Hospital Mergers Reset Abortion-Access Battle
posted on May 15, 2013
Though Washington state is largely Democratic, liberal on life issues, and not particularly religious, it’s becoming the center of debates regarding access to abortion and physician-assisted suicide. Kirk Johnson of The New York Times reports the shift is because of the state’s recent “wave of proposed and completed mergers between secular and Roman Catholic hospitals, which are barred by church doctrine from performing procedures that could harm the unborn.” Johnson continues, “It is also one of only two states … where voters have approved a physician-assisted suicide law for terminally ill people. Centuries of Catholic teaching hold suicide as a mortal sin.”
Abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell Convicted of Murder in Deaths of Three Infants
posted on May 14, 2013
Brady Dennis of The Washington Post reports that jurors found Kermit Gosnell guilty of three acts of first-degree murder on Monday for severing the spinal cords of three babies. “The trial will move next week into a sentencing phase, where the jurors will be called back to decide whether Gosnell, 72, should receive the death penalty or life in prison,” Dennis writes.
Minnesota Senate Passes Gay Marriage, Governor to Sign
posted on May 14, 2013
Patrick Condon and Brian Bakst of AP report, “Minnesota is set to become the 12th U.S. state where gay couples can get married after a final legislative vote Monday that will let the weddings start on Aug. 1.” They write, “Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton has pledged to sign the bill, and scheduled a ceremony at 5 p.m. Tuesday on the front steps of the Capitol in St. Paul to do so.” Minnesota joins Rhode Island and Delaware as the third state to legalize gay marriage in the past 10 days.
United Methodist Woman Helps Arrange Burial of Boston Marathon Suspect
posted on May 14, 2013
After funeral homes across Massachusetts refused to perform burial services for Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Martha Mullen, a United Methodist woman from Virginia, stepped forward to coordinate the suspected terrorist’s funeral, reports Sam Hodges of The United Methodist Reporter. On why Mullen decided to help out, she said, “Jesus tells us to love our enemies, not hate them after they’re dead. That’s why I kind of got this ball rolling.”
Overcoming Addiction, Professor Tackles Perils American Indians Face
posted on May 14, 2013
Alan Schwarz of The New York Times profiles David A. Patterson, an assistant professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. A former suicidal drug addict, Patterson transformed his life by returning to his Cherokee roots, and he has committed to helping other American Indians do the same. One of his students, Lindsay Belone, a Navajo from New Mexico, told Schwarz: “He’s brought to the classroom a lot of American Indian spirituality and social justice issues — honoring mother earth and our ancestors … He’s definitely a leader in Indian country who I can look up to.”
Paul Ryan Talks Solidarity with Poor, Faith in Commencement Address
posted on May 14, 2013
Instead of politics, Rep. Paul Ryan focused on the Catholic faith during his commencement address on Saturday at Benedictine College, a small Catholic school in Kansas, reports Eloisa Perez-Lozano of the National Catholic Reporter. “Faith isn’t a Christmas ornament; it’s not something you save for a special occasion,” Ryan said during his speech. “It’s something you live with and struggle with every day. That’s why it’s so frustrating and so comforting.”
Is Mark Driscoll This Generation’s Pat Robertson?
posted on May 14, 2013
Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service wonders if neo-Calvinist Pastor Mark Driscoll, known for his “brazen comments,” is this generation’s Pat Robertson. A Baptist minister, Robertson was the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network and the Christian Coalition. Merritt writes, “Robertson’s meteoritic rise to popularity morphed into a slow burn of outlandishness, a trajectory that Mark Driscoll is well on his way to mimicking.”
Writers tell us stories about where they discovered religion and politics in their states.
South Carolina
A Reporter Trails Nikki Haley and Mark Sanford.
THE TABLE 
A setting to debate the issues of the day.
