Rap Sheet
Links on R&P from around the web
Georgia Gunman Charged in ’01 Mosque Shooting
posted on October 26, 2012The gunman who opened fire during a prayer service at World Changer Church International in suburban Atlanta on Wednesday, had been charged with a shooting at a mosque in Maryland in 2001, reports the Associated Press. Led by Creflo Dollar, World Changer Church International “is one of the largest in the United States, claiming 30,000 members at the main campus and a ministry of satellite churches across the country.”
Why Liberals Are Misreading Mourdock
posted on October 26, 2012At The New Republic, Amy Sullivan reviews the public response to Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock’s comment that pregnancy resulting rape is “something God intended.” Sullivan looks at the theological foundations for this position, one that is not uncommon among Christians. Nonetheless, Sullivan finds fault in Mourdock’s reasoning: “[If] it’s Mourdock’s choice to believe that all human life is intentionally created by God, then he needs to understand that a rape victim may not see her pregnancy in quite the same light.”
Young at Hajj
posted on October 26, 2012Flavia Di Consiglio of the BBC reports that the Muslims participating in the annual Hajj to Mecca are younger than in years past. “Traditionally, Muslims would wait and save their money for many years before embarking on their own personal journey,” writes Consiglio.
“But as the Islamic world evolves, many become pilgrims very soon after becoming adults.”
What Has God Got to Do with Drones?
posted on October 26, 2012At Patheos, George Conger looks at the morality of the use of drones through a religious perspective. Conger notes that the media is increasingly framing its coverage of drone use in terms of morality. Yet Conger questions the lack of any mention of religion in this coverage: “For those of us who are unpersuaded that there can be right or wrong without a God, should it have provided the arguments of religious ethics when addressing morality?”
Archbishop Chaput: ‘We Are Catholics before We Are Americans’
posted on October 26, 2012Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia has “urged the faithful to put their faith ahead of politics,” writes Jeanine Hunter of The Washington Post. During a discussion focused on the politics of abortion, Chaput declared,”We’re Catholics before we’re Democrats. We’re Catholics before we’re Republicans. We’re even Catholics before we’re Americans.” “[Abortion] is a very serious issue that requires absolute adherence on the part of Catholics,” Chaput continued. “[A]nd if we don’t stand united on this issue we’re bound to failure—not only in the area of protecting unborn human life but in maintaining our religious freedom.”
Three Cheers for God
posted on October 26, 2012At The Immanent Frame Grace Yukich writes about a Texas court’s decision to allow cheerleaders to display hand-painted banners with Bible verses during high school football games. Yukich questions the court’s finding that these banners are “private” displays of religious expression. “How would Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or atheist players and their families feel at games where these banners are used?” Yukich asks.
Why Urban Christians Need Wendell Berry
posted on October 26, 2012For Christianity Today, Jake Meador considers the importance of Wendell Berry, an agrarian farmer and writer, for urban evangelicals. While Berry’s writings have not typically been seen as relevant for evangelicals living in cities, Meador has found Berry’s teachings to inform his understanding of urban Christian life. Meador writes, “The movement among evangelicals to revitalize urban areas with the Gospel will be successful to the extent that evangelicals themselves are enchanted by the God of that gospel and the world he has given us to both steward and enjoy. And for learning to become enchanted, I haven’t found a more helpful teacher than Wendell Berry.”
Neither Obama Nor Romney? Some Christians Vote for ‘None of the Above’
posted on October 26, 2012At Religion News Service, David Gibson examines the growing trend among some Christians to abstain from voting this presidential election. This trend is particularly evident among Catholics and evangelicals, two traditions that normally value political participation. Gibson writes, “Many are disappointed with their usual candidate but can’t bring themselves to vote for the opposition, while others are just fed up with the entire system and feel they have no choice but to abstain.”
Who Threw Israel under the Bus?
posted on October 25, 2012Efraim Halevy at The New York Times questions Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s statement that President Obama has “thrown allies like Israel under the bus.” Instead, Halevy looks at different historical moments when Republican presidents overlooked the best interests of Israel. Halevy writes, “In all of these instances, a Republican White House acted in a cold and determined manner, with no regard for Israel’s national pride, strategic interests or sensitivities. That’s food for thought in October 2012.”
Andrew Sullivan is Right and Wrong on Racism, Romney, and the Book of Mormon
posted on October 25, 2012For Religion Dispatches, Joanna Brooks critiques Andrew Sullivan’s analysis of segregation and racism in Mormonism. Brooks believes the Mormon reluctance to publicly denounce the religion’s previous priesthood ban of African-Americans to be “a historically-rooted guardedness against criticism by non-Mormon outsiders.” Brooks applies a similar perspective to Romney: “Romney’s attitudes on the priesthood ban are reflective of Romney’s own deeply embedded sense of loyalty to hierarchy and identification with institutional power.”