Rap Sheet
Links on R&P from around the web
Some Churches Leave UMC Through Formal Process; Others Are Suing
posted on December 8, 2022Yonat Shimron of Religion News Service reports that some United Methodist churches are suing to leave the denomination, a departure from the previously planned disaffiliation process. She writes that “in Florida and North Carolina, some churches have decided to sue United Methodist regional bodies, called conferences, in state courts as they seek independence from a denomination they view as having strayed from its theological moorings on issues related to human sexuality.” The churches are suing to avoid financial obligations to the denomination that would extend for two years after their departure.
Jewish Americans Confront Antisemitism with Resolve, Worry
posted on December 8, 2022David Crary, Holly Meyer, and Jessie Wardarski of the Associated Press report, “Jewish Americans are closely following the recent upsurge in antisemitic rhetoric and actions with a mix of anxiety and resolve – along with a yearning that a broader swath of Americans, including leaders across the political spectrum, speak out against anti-Jewish hatred.” Some Jewish Americans are pushing for greater visibility and Jewish pride, often encouraging public displays of Jewish identity. David Wolpe, a prominent Los Angeles rabbi, said, “When I began my career, I thought antisemitism was an issue in my father’s generation – it won’t be in mind. I was sadly and unforgivingly wrong.”
Supreme Court Seems to Side with Web Designer Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage
posted on December 6, 2022Robert Barnes of The Washington Post reports, “The Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed sympathetic Monday to an evangelical Christian graphic artist from Colorado who does not want to create wedding websites for same-sex couples, despite the state’s protective anti-discrimination law.” The artist, Lorie Smith, argues that the law violates her right to free speech. The state contends that it has a compelling interest to protect against discrimination. Barnes writes, “Justice Sonia Sotomayor recalled that the court in the past had required motels to open their doors to Black customers and that — in another long-ago case — a restaurant owner proposed to serve Black customers only from a takeout window because he said his religious beliefs did not countenance integration.”
Virulently Antisemitic Comments by Kanye West Spark New GOP Criticism
posted on December 6, 2022Anthony Adragna and Olivia Olander of Politico report, “A virulently antisemitic Thursday interview with Ye by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is sparking new GOP condemnation of the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, nine days after Ye brought a white supremacist to dine with Donald Trump.” West denied that the Holocaust occurred and praised Hitler throughout the interview. Lee Zeldin, a Republican Representative from New York, told Politico, “Kanye West is a deranged antisemite. I want absolutely nothing to do with that lunatic. He’s totally bad news.” Other Republican politicians, including Jim Jordan, the presumptive incoming chair of the Judiciary Committee, have refused to comment on the situation.
Matt Chandler Restored to Ministry After Three Months
posted on December 6, 2022Daniel Silliman of Christianity Today reports, “Matt Chandler returned to the pulpit of The Village Church on Sunday, restored to ministry by the Texas church’s elders a little more than three months after he took a leave of absence to deal with what one elder called ‘some challenges that arose.’” Chandler stepped down in August citing an inappropriate online relationship with a woman which he claimed was neither sexual nor secret. Neither Chandler nor the elders shared details of what the restoration process during his leave of absence entailed. He said in his first sermon on Sunday, “I’ve got a part of this I’ve got to own. It might just be 1 percent, but that’s my 1 percent. Forgive me. Now we’ve got a shot at reconciliation.”
An Anti-Abortion Activist’s Quest to End the Rape Exception
posted on December 6, 2022For The New Yorker, Eren Orbey profiles Rebecca Kiessling, an anti-abortion activist and attorney, who is lobbying to end rape exceptions to abortion bans. Kiessling herself was conceived when her biological mother was raped. Kiessling said, “I believe I am the living embodiment of what is at stake.”
U.S. Targets Russian Mercenary Group Over Religious Freedom
posted on December 6, 2022Matthew Lee of the Associated Press reports, “The Biden administration on Friday placed a well-known Russian paramilitary organization on a list of religious freedom violators.” The organization, commonly referred to as the Wagner Group, is accused of violating religious liberties primarily in the Central African Republic. Lee writes, “The Wagner Group is run by a confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and its mercenaries are accused by Western countries and UN experts of numerous human rights abuses throughout Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Libya and Mali.”
Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Bill Wins Senate Passage
posted on December 1, 2022Mary Clare Jalonick of the Associated Press reports, “The Senate passed bipartisan legislation on Tuesday to protect same-sex marriages, an extraordinary sign of shifting national politics on the issue.” The bill passed 61-36 with twelve Republicans voting in favor. It will now go to the House for a final vote. The Senate rejected three Republican amendments to enshrine religious freedom protections into the bill, with many senators arguing that the bill already protected religious groups. Republican Sen. Tom Tillis of North Carolina said that many religious organizations support the legislation. He added, “They see this as a step forward for religious freedom.”
SBC President Bart Barber Says Predecessor Johnny Hunt Is Unfit to Return to Ministry
posted on December 1, 2022Bob Smietana of Religion News Service reports that Bart Barber, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, denounced his predecessor Johnny Hunt’s reinstatement to ministry. Hunt was publicly accused of sexually assaulting another pastor’s wife and took a six-month leave of absence starting in May. Barber said in a statement, “I would permanently ‘defrock’ Johnny Hunt if I had the authority to do so.” Barber does not have the authority to do so, however, given the SBC’s decentralized structure that prioritizes individual church autonomy.
Baltimore Archdiocese Is Funding Attorneys Seeking to Seal Abuse Proceedings
posted on December 1, 2022Fredrick Kunkle and Michelle Boorstein of The Washington Post report, “The Archdiocese of Baltimore confirmed Tuesday that it is helping pay the legal expenses of an anonymous group of people seeking to seal the proceedings around a report by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office on clergy sexual abuse of minors.” The report is the result of a four-year investigation and will contain the names of 158 abusive priests who tallied more than 600 victims over 80 years. The archdiocese claims that it is not intending to block the release of the report but rather is attempting to allow individuals named in the report but not accused of sexual abuse to air their grievances before the report is made public.