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Links on R&P from around the web
These Abuse Survivors Thought They Knew the Details. Then Came the Clergy Reports.
posted on April 11, 2023Michelle Boorstein of The Washington Post writes that a new report from the Maryland attorney general on sex abuse in the Baltimore Archdiocese is sparking validation and anger for survivors. She writes, “Some believe the stamp of societal institutions like the attorney general and the Catholic Church will awaken a numb populace to the fact that sexual abuse’s damage can be lifelong.” Teresa Lancaster, who was abused by her counselor at her Catholic high school in the 1960s, said, “When people see it in print they realize the extent of the torture. When you say: ‘I was abused,’ they don’t realize the neatly planned coverups by higher-ups that enabled it to spread like wildfire. The details are important.”
Maryland AG Releases Report on Alleged Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse
posted on April 11, 2023Michelle Boorstein and Fredrick Kunkle of The Washington Post report, “Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown (D) released a report Wednesday detailing decades of alleged sex abuse by clergy within the Archdiocese of Baltimore.” The report included the accounts of more than 600 victims and over 150 perpetrators of sexual abuse in the archdiocese from the 1940s to 2002. The names of the accused priests who are still living and those who covered up abuse, however, were redacted. Brown said, “What was consistent throughout the stories was the absolute authority and power these abusive priests and the church leadership held over survivors, their families and their communities.”
After Biblical Protestations, Expelled Tennessee Lawmakers Find Support Among Clergy
posted on April 11, 2023Bob Smietana and Jack Jenkins of Religion News Service report that two Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled from the state legislature last week after a protest in support of gun control are marshaling biblical teachings in their defense. Justin Jones, one of the expelled representatives, read from the book of Jeremiah on the House floor during his expulsion proceedings. “They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wounds. They give assurances of peace where there is no peace.” The Rev. William Barber, a prominent pastor and the leader of the Poor Peoples Campaign, announced a protest in Nashville planned for later this month that will highlight the state legislature’s inaction on gun violence. He said, “As clergy, we can no longer just do the pastoral work. We must do the prophetic work of changing policy.”
Francis Focuses Easter Message on Hope, With Prayers for an End to Global Conflicts
posted on April 11, 2023Junno Arocho Esteves of Religion News Service reports, “The joy of Christ’s resurrection can bring much needed hope to a world ravaged by war, violence and death, Pope Francis said during his annual Easter address, delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after an outdoor Mass.” Francis prayed for the people of Ukraine and took the opportunity to call for peace in Jerusalem after violence erupted last week. He said, “Lord, inspire the leaders of nations to ensure that no man or woman may encounter discrimination and be violated in his or her dignity.”
Florida Pastors Worry Immigration Bill Would Criminalize Church Rides
posted on April 4, 2023David Roach of Christianity Today reports, “Churches may face criminal penalties for giving undocumented immigrants rides to worship services and Bible studies if a bill before the Florida state legislature becomes law. A diverse coalition of church leaders in the Sunshine State is calling the bill a threat to religious freedom.” The bill would prevent the transport of illegal immigrants regardless of the reason for doing so, a measure that religious leaders say would be particularly harmful to bus ministries. The bill differs from federal immigration legislation that only prevents the transport of illegal immigrants if it is in furtherance of violating existing immigration law. Myal Green, the president and CEO of World Relief, said, “It’s heartbreaking that this assault to religious liberty has been proposed.”
Yeshiva University’s Ban on L.G.B.T.Q Club Leads to Scrutiny of Funding
posted on April 4, 2023Liam Stack of The New York Times reports, “A state inspector has been asked to review whether Yeshiva University, which is in a court battle with a group of L.G.B.T.Q. students over whether it must recognize their campus club, should have received $230 million in taxpayer funds after the university has said that it is a religious institution.” The Jewish university is required to follow state and city nondiscrimination policies if it is classified as an educational institution, the classification that currently allows it to qualify for public funds. State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, the chairman of the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee, said, “Regardless of anyone’s motives, misrepresentation to procure public money is dishonest and could potentially violate state law.” Counsel for the university denied wrongdoing and noted that even religious institutions are allowed to receive state funding.
Joe Rigney, Bethlehem Seminary President, Resigns Due to Support of Christian Nationalism and Infant Baptism
posted on April 4, 2023Bob Smietana of Religion News Service reports, “Joe Rigney, a controversial Twin Cities seminary president with ties to influential author John Piper and Idaho pastor Doug Wilson, resigned Monday (April 3), due to what the school’s board called a ‘divergence of vision.’” Rigney has supported Christian nationalist ideology and, according to the board, did not agree with the school’s statement of faith. The board wrote in its statement, “The point is that Dr. Rigney’s more recent emphasis on a hoped-for eventual Christianization of all society, including the civil government, has put him at odds with other leaders of the school who would warn against the use of civil authority to establish Christianity as an official religion.”
Faith Leaders and Religious Groups Voice Opposition to Biden’s Plan to Restrict Asylum
posted on April 4, 2023Alejandra Molina of Religion News Service reports, “Taking advantage of a required public comment period, a broad array of faith leaders and religious groups, including faith-based refugee aid organizations, are speaking out against a proposed federal rule that would generally deny asylum to migrants who arrive at the U.S. southern border without first seeking protection in any country the migrants passed through.” The measure is similar to the Trump administration’s asylum policy which was struck down as unconstitutional after it was challenged in court. In a letter from 130 faith groups to the Biden administration, religious leaders wrote, “We’re concerned that the proposed asylum rule may exacerbate the issues prevalent in detention, around access to counsel and due process. It’s plain to see that these policies will sow confusion and instill fear.”
Sex Ed, Birth Control, Medicaid: Republicans’ “New Pro-Life Agenda”
posted on April 3, 2023Megan Messerly of Politico reports that some Republican state legislators and governors around the country are championing bills to expand postpartum Medicare coverage and increase access to birth control. The policy proposals come in the wake of abortion bans in many conservative states that went into place after the Supreme Court overturned Roe this past summer. Oklahoma state Sen. Jessica Garvin said, “The most important thing for people to realize is we need to be pro-life and not just pro-birth. That means investing in our families. That means taking a more meaningful approach to policy and forget about the politics. Let that go out the window and let’s actually do things that help people have successful families.”
Faith Under Fire
posted on April 3, 2023Kelsey Dallas of Deseret News reports that The United States government is working to combat international religious freedom violations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “Some 80 percent of the world’s population still cannot practice their faith without serious restrictions or risk.” This year’s State Department list of “Countries of Particular Concern” includes prominent nations such as China and Russia which have both been accused of persecuting religious minorities. Sam Brownback, the former ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, said, “When I started doing some of this work, as someone recently reminded me, it was me and four other people in the room. Now, it’s a global movement that has been birthed and is learning to walk.”