Rap Sheet
Links on R&P from around the web
Gospel According to Joe
posted on October 1, 2012For The American Spectator, George Neumayr analyzes Joe Biden’s beliefs on the relationship between faith and politics, comparing the vice president’s views to the actions of the Obama administration. Neumayr finds both positions to be hypocritical. “According to Biden, religion doesn’t belong in politics, but it is okay to insert politics into religion,” Neumayr writes.
Read at The American Spectator
Days of Rage
posted on October 1, 2012Responding to the outbreak of violence across the Muslim world sparked by the “Innocence of Muslims” film, The New Yorker’s Steve Coll argues that the generalized notion of “Muslim Rage” arising out of a rejection of Western civilization seems “deficient” to “explain violence or politics from Indonesia to Bangladesh, from Iran to Senegal.” “The uproar over ‘Innocence of Muslims’ matters not because of the deep pathologies it has supposedly laid bare but because of the way the film went viral,” writes Coll. “Free speech in a digital public square—not fringe violence—is what’s new under the Mediterranean sun. And with free speech comes provocation.”
Where President Romney Would Go to Church
posted on October 1, 2012At Time, Elizabeth Dias profiles the Mormon ward in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where Mitt Romney will likely worship, if he is elected president. “Mormons attend church based on their addresses—and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is assigned to [Bishop Robert] Nelson’s parish, or ward,” writes Dias. “When we get new members in from any walk of life and I sit down and talk with them: where are you at, what are your needs, how can this church help you, how can you help the church,” Bishop Nelson explains.
Recognize Real Threats to Flourishing Families
posted on October 1, 2012At The Star-Ledger, The Reverend Mark M. Beckwith argues that same-sex marriages do not “undermine the institution of marriage and the well-being of children.” Beckwith, who is the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, writes, “blessing and supporting relationships that are marked by love, fidelity and commitment—whether they are headed by a man and a woman, two women or two men—provide a foundation of social stability that supports all families.”
The Alan Dershowitz Syndrome
posted on October 1, 2012At Tablet, Lee Smith considers the endorsements of Jewish leaders for President Obama. While many of these leaders were outspoken critics of Obama’s policies towards Israel, Smith believes that their endorsements are founded on the idea that their support for the president will help the Jewish state in the long run: “[The] old guard seems to believe that while Obama isn’t great for Israel, backing him is good for the health of the [Democratic] party and the Jewish state.”
How Mitt Romney’s Faith Could Help Him Win
posted on September 28, 2012In an overview of his upcoming cover story for TIME, Jon Meacham, the chair of the National Advisory Board of the Danforth Center on Religion & Politics, examines the role of religion in American politics, particularly in the context of Mitt Romney’s political relationship to Mormonism. Meacham believes Romney’s “pragmatic instincts … are rooted in his faith tradition.” The question for Meacham is whether Romney’s Mormonism, a religion “accustomed to being the underdog and finding ways to succeed,” will “enabl[e] him to mount a comeback to President Obama.”
Republicans Intensify Drive to Win Over Jewish Voters
posted on September 28, 2012Lizette Alvarez of The New York Times chronicles the recent increase in Republican efforts to win a greater portion of the Jewish vote, particularly in swing states like Florida. GOP leaders have begun “spending $6.5 million on an air-and-ground strategy to reach Jewish voters who may view Mr. Obama as unreliable on the question of Israel’s security.” While the effectiveness of their strategy is unclear, Alvarez notes, “The hope among Republican groups is to continue to erode Mr. Obama’s deep-seated popularity in the Jewish community, which polls show has dropped slightly since 2008, by emphasizing first Israel and then the economy.”
Encounters with the God Particle
posted on September 28, 2012At Tablet, Paul Fishbane examines the significance of the recent confirmation of the Higgs boson, or “God particle.” The discovery helps explain how “particles get their masses.” Fishbane also observes the important intermingling of religion and science, evidenced in Pope John Paul II’s visit to CERN, where the particle was discovered, saying “…undoubtedly the need for good public relations on CERN’s part and the need for an open mind on scientific research on the church’s part played some role in this curious interaction between organized religion and big science.”
Poll: Obama Surges Ahead Among Catholic Voters
posted on September 28, 2012Religion News Service’s Daniel Burke reviews new Pew polls indicating an uptick in support among Catholics for President Obama since June. Despite recent efforts to increase Republican backing among Catholics, which include the selection of Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential candidate, who is Catholic, Mitt Romney has received no “Catholic bounce.” Burke goes on to survey presidential support among various other religious groups.
Fighting Over God’s Image
posted on September 28, 2012In The New York Times, Edward Blum and Paul Harvey write an op-ed based on research from their new book The Color of Christ. They explore the “confusion” of many Americans over the recent outrage in the Middle East over negative depictions of Mohammed. Blum and Harvey find, “The confusion stems, in part, from the ubiquity of sacred images in American culture.” However, they note that this assimilation of divine depictions into U.S. culture was a slow process: “Our ability to sustain a culture supersaturated with visual displays of the divine, largely without violence, came only after massive technological change, centuries of immigration and social movements that forced Americans to reckon with differences of race, ethnicity and religion.”