Religion and Politics

Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice?

Paul Tullis at The New York Times examines the case of Conor McBride, a man who shot his girlfriend of three years, and its implications for the criminal justice system. Rather than attempting to punish McBride through the legal system, the victim’s family, the Grosmaires, instead turned to “restorative justice,” which focuses on dialogue and the needs of the victims and the offenders.  Tullis writes, “As much as the Grosmaires say that forgiveness helped them, so, too, has the story of their forgiveness. They’ve spoken about it to church groups and prayer breakfasts around Tallahassee and plan to do more talks.”

Read at The New York Times

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God is Alive and Well in America, Says Gallup Chief

At Religion News Service, Daniel Burke interviews Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll and author of the new book God is Alive and Well, on the subject of religion. While definitions of religious identification change, Newport argues that religion continues to play a vital role in the United States. He believes that an aging baby boomer population, as well as an increasing Hispanic population, could lead to a “religious renaissance.” 

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The Culture War is Over, and Conservatives Lost

At The Week, Matt K. Lewis considers the current state of conservatism. As the U.S. becomes increasingly socially liberal, Lewis argues that the conservative over-dependence on the country’s “silent majority” has proven ineffective and costly. Lewis writes, “Today, conservatives have made a shocking discovery: They are the ones in danger of appearing out of touch with middle America.” 

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Czech Jew a Frontrunner to Become Next President

Jan Fischer, currently the frontrunner in the Czech presidential race, could become the first Jewish president in a country other than Israel, reports The Forward. The article traces Fischer’s Jewish roots, as well as his present-day relationship with the religion. Tomas Kraus, chairman of the Czech Federation of Jewish Communities, said, “[Fischer’s] like our Joe Lieberman. Whether or not you support him, you can’t help but be proud he has come this far.”

Read at The Forward

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Washington National Cathedral to Wed Same-sex Couples

Gary Hall, dean of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., has decided to conduct same-sex marriages in the cathedral, Ben Brumfield of CNN reports. Due to the national prominence of the church, the decision is especially significant. Hall described the choice as “another historic step toward greater equality.” 

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Rich Man, Poor Man

Joan Acocella at The New Yorker examines the life and importance of St. Francis. While revered in modern times, Francis was considered radical in his day, particularly by the Catholic Church. Acocella writes, “Always, the objection is the same—that we can’t have radicalism and the Church—and it makes some sense … Francis didn’t believe it, though. He insisted that he was a good Catholic and that his principles came straight out of the Bible.”

Read at The New Yorker

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Tulsi Gabbard, First Hindu in Congress, Uses Bhagavad Gita at Swearing-in

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu in either chamber of Congress, chose to be sworn in over the Bhagavad Gita, marking the first time that the text has been used at such a ceremony, reports Jaweed Kaleem for The Huffington Post. Kaleem considers the historical importance of the event: “Gabbard’s choice of text is symbolic of growing religious diversity of Congress.”

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A Careful Writer Stalks the Truth About Scientology

At The New York Times, Charles McGrath profiles Lawrence Wright whose new book, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief, delves into the history and workings of Scientology. Wright is especially interested in what draws people to a religion that is so stigmatized: “There are many countries where you can only believe more or you can believe less. But in the United States we have this incredible smorgasbord, and it really interests me why people are drawn to one faith rather than another, especially to a system of belief that to an outsider seems absurd or dangerous.”

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Shaheen Amendment Expands Female Service Members Access to Abortion

The Daily Beast‘s Allison Yarrow reports that an amendment passed on Wednesday which repealed “the generation-long ban on insurance coverage for abortions for members of the armed services who are victims of rape and incest—finally giving those women the guaranteed affordable coverage in those circumstances that federal prisoners, civilian employees and Medicaid recipients have long received.” 

Read at The Daily Beast

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Repetition, Truth

For The American Scholar, Neil Shea provides a dispatch from Afghanistan as the U.S. troops draw down. Shea writes:

“The elders have stopped talking. They listen to a soldier explain to them for the third or fourth time how the new system is supposed to work. 

‘You can’t come ask us to build you a madrassa or a clinic or a well anymore,’ the soldier says. ‘You have to go to your own government.’

It is the language of leaving, of withdrawal.” 

Read at The American Scholar

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