Rap Sheet
Links on R&P from around the web
Jewish Groups Angry After FBI Data Misses Antisemitic Hate Crimes
posted on December 15, 2022Arno Rosenfeld of The Forward reports that Jewish leaders are criticizing the FBI for releasing data on hate crimes that they say undercount antisemitic incidents in 2021. The FBI releases hate crime statistics each year but recently transitioned to a new system that led to a drop in participation from local law enforcement agencies. The non-participating agencies hailed from some of the states with the highest Jewish populations, including New York and Florida. Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said, “The failure by major states and cities across the country to report hate crime data essentially – and inexcusably – erases the lived experience of marginalized communities across the country.”
A Rape Survivor’s Careful Activism in a Place Where #MeToo Feels Taboo
posted on December 15, 2022Michelle Boorstein of The Washington Post profiles Megan Lively, a survivor of sexual assault whose story of rape and the ensuing coverup at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary made national headlines in 2018. Lively strives to combine her experience as a survivor with her quest to live a committed Christian life. Many in her community still do not know her story, however, given the stigma that surrounds sexual abuse survivors in conservative Baptist circles. Boorstein writes, “Being even remotely lumped into #MeToo in her community felt like flirting with excommunication.”
Biden Establishes Government Task Force to Combat Antisemitism
posted on December 15, 2022Brett Samuels of The Hill reports, “President Biden will establish a task force to coordinate government efforts to address antisemitism and other forms of religious bigotry, the White House said Monday, in the wake of a rise in antisemitic rhetoric from high-profile public figures.” Staff from the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council will lead the interagency task force. The decision comes in the wake of a request for a whole-of-government approach to antisemitism from 100 lawmakers last week.
The Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Bill Offers a Lesson for Activists
posted on December 15, 2022For Time, Marc Solomon writes that the bipartisan passage of the Respect Marriage Act in Congress “represents an especially powerful case for the importance of centering persuasion in social movements – an approach increasingly at odds with modern political zeitgeist.” He argues that it shows the need for engagement rather than writing off those who don’t agree with you. “By acknowledging people’s conflicts, sharing accessible stories, making space for them to journey to support, and embracing them when they do so, reformers can bring about victories that make our country a more just, compassionate place while offering hope for reconciliation in these times of deep division,” he writes. Solomon was the national campaign director of Freedom to Marry, and he is the author of Winning Marriage: The Inside Story of How Same-Sex Couples Took On the Politicians and Pundits – and Won.
Why You Should Be Worried About the Split in the Methodist Church
posted on December 13, 2022For Politico Magazine, Joshua Zeitz writes that the United Methodist Church’s denominational schism over LGBT rights is reminiscent of the splintering of the evangelical community over slavery in the 1800s. Zeitz argues that religious schisms are a worrisome sign of what’s to come, pointing out that evangelical churches fractured in the lead-up to the Civil War. He writes, “In a country with a shrinking center, even bonds of religious fellowship seem too brittle to endure. If history is any guide, it’s a sign of sharper polarization to come.”
Chicago Priest Michael Pfleger Cleared of Abuse Charges, Reinstated to St. Sabina
posted on December 13, 2022Bob Smietana of Religion News Service reports that the Catholic Church has reinstated Fr. Michael Pfleger, a prominent Chicago priest, who was accused of sexual abuse and suspended from ministry in October. The Chicago Archdiocese sent the case to its independent review board, which concluded this week that there was no evidence to support the allegations. An attorney for the alleged survivor told the Chicago Sun-Times, “We think that the review board’s finding that the allegations were unfounded will discourage other victims.”
The New Landscape of the Abortion Fight
posted on December 13, 2022Kate Zernike of The New York Times reports that advocates on both sides of the abortion debate are changing their tactics in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe. Anti-abortion advocates are turning their attention to state legislatures and conservative judicial districts, while abortion rights activists are looking to build on their recent success with statewide ballot initiatives. Sarah Standiford, the national campaigns director for Planned Parenthood, said, “Now, more than ever, I think our supporters, and voters in general, feel they have a role to play in protecting abortion access.”
Bill to Protect Same-Sex Marriage Rights Clears Congress
posted on December 13, 2022Annie Karni of The New York Times reports, “The House on Thursday gave final approval to legislation to mandate federal recognition for same-sex marriages, with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voting in favor of the measure in the waning days of the Democratic-led Congress.” The final version of the bill included protections for religious communities that oppose same-sex marriage. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the bill’s lead Republican negotiator, said, “We’ve proven that it is not about rights for the L.G.B.T.Q. community versus rights for churches, mosques, synagogues, temples. We can advance both, and that’s what this legislation has done today.”
A Pastor and a Politician Who Sees Voting as a Form of Prayer
posted on December 8, 2022Katie Glueck of The New York Times profiles Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, who leaned into his identity as a pastor in his successful reelection bid Tuesday. The Rev. Warnock is the lead pastor at Martin Luther King’s Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, and regularly combines his religious rhetoric with his political messaging. Glueck writes, “He likened voting to a ‘prayer for the world we desire,’ and called democracy the ‘political enactment of a spiritual idea,’ that everyone has a divine spark.”
“An Epidemic of Hate”: Biden Administration Officials Meet with Jewish Leaders to Tackle Rising Antisemitism
posted on December 8, 2022Ron Kampeas of the Jewish Telegraph Agency reports, “Top Biden administration officials launched a roundtable on antisemitism on Wednesday by describing a ‘rising tide of antisemitism’ and likening the atmosphere in the United States to that of Europe, where Jewish worship is held under lock and key.” Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff chaired the meeting, which included representatives from the White House, State Department, and United Nations Security Council. Amy Spitalnick, the executive director of Integrity First for America, said, “It sends a very important message that the sort of rampant antisemitism we’re seeing is unacceptable and that the highest office in the country is doing something about it.”
Read at Jewish Telegraph Agency