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Faith Groups Split Over Bill to Protect Same-Sex Marriage
posted on November 22, 2022David Crary of the Associated Press reports, “Among U.S. faith leaders and denominations, there are sharp differences over the bill advancing in the Senate that would protect same-sex and interracial marriages in federal law.” Some of the country’s most conservative denominations have voiced support for the legislation, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Catholic and Southern Baptist leaders, however, remain opposed. The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, an American Baptist pastor and the president of the Interfaith Alliance, wrote, “There is a misconception that faith and LGBTQ+ equality are fundamentally incompatible. As a religious leader, I regard this historic legislation as an important contribution to America’s religious freedom.”
Michael Gerson, Post Columnist and Bush Speechwriter on 9/11, Dies at 58
posted on November 17, 2022Brian Murphy of The Washington Post reports that Michael Gerson, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and a Washington Post columnist on topics of faith and conservative politics, has died from complications of cancer at age 58. Gerson infused his political speeches and later works with theological imagery and themes, as he believed them to be integral to American identity. Murphy writes, “David Shipley, The Post’s editorial page editor, called Mr. Gerson ‘the rare writer whose mind, heart and soul came through in equal measures in his work.’” Gerson served on the National Advisory Board of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, which publishes this journal.
Old Latin Mass Finds New American Audience, Despite Pope’s Disapproval
posted on November 15, 2022Ruth Graham of The New York Times reports, “The traditional Latin Mass, an ancient form of Catholic worship that Pope Francis has tried to discourage, is instead experiencing a revival in the United States.” Some supporters of the Latin Mass find beauty in its rituals, while other proponents are fueled by a right-wing movement in American Catholicism to return to traditional religious practices and beliefs. Graham writes, “The Mass has sparked a sprawling proxy battle in the American church over not just songs and prayers but also the future of Catholicism and its role in culture and politics.”
New USCCB Leadership, Catholic Voting and Closed Door Sessions: U.S. Bishops Prepare for Annual Meeting
posted on November 15, 2022Michael J. O’Loughlin of America Magazine reports that U.S. bishops are gathering for their annual meeting which includes the election of new leadership. The bishops will also update their Catholic voter guide in the wake of the overturning of Roe and the subsequent protection of abortion rights via ballot initiatives in five states in the midterm elections. Many lay Catholics also hope to see a focus on transparency. Russel Shaw said, “Open, honest and full communication is required for the good health of any community. Secrecy and confidentiality have their place. But unnecessary secrecy cuts leaders off from their people and too easily becomes a tool of manipulation and control.”
With Roe’s Demise, a Chicago Rabbi Revives a Clandestine Abortion Network
posted on November 15, 2022Adam Kovac of The Forward reports that Tamar Manasseh, a Chicago-based rabbi, is reviving the Jane Collective, a pre-Roe underground abortion network that connected women seeking abortions with safe providers. The new version, dubbed We Are Jane, does not directly provide abortions but instead provides birth control care packages and fundraising for a local abortion rights organization. Manasseh said, “We are commanded to be active. We have a world to repair right now, one of those cracks is the erosion of women’s rights.”
Midterms Reinforce Christian Voter Trends on Abortion, GOP
posted on November 15, 2022David Crary, Peter Smith, and Nuha Dolby of the Associated Press report, “In the midterm elections, evangelical Christians across the nation reconfirmed their allegiance to conservative candidates and causes, while Catholic voters once again showed how closely divided they are – even on abortion.” Roughly half of Catholic voters cast a ballot to protect abortion rights in Michigan and Kentucky, while approximately two-thirds of evangelicals voted to reject the measures. The two religious groups showed a similar split when it came to party affiliation, with far more evangelicals voting for the Republican Party. John Fea, a professor of American history at Messiah University, said, “The Christian right, despite the fact that they got what they wanted with the overturning of Roe, is not getting the extent of the victory they had hoped.”
Poll: U.S. Jews Overwhelmingly Backed Democrats in Midterms
posted on November 15, 2022Yonat Shimron of Religion News Service reports, “Jews across the country voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates — 74% to 25%, according to a new exit poll of 800 registered Jewish voters sponsored by the pro-Israel group J Street.” The poll found that concern for democracy was the largest motivating factor for Jewish voters, closely followed by abortion. Many Jewish voters also reported concerns about antisemitism as instrumental in their decision. Jim Gerstein, the founding partner of GBAO Strategies which conducted the poll, said, “There is a new element of the Jewish vote that takes place in the aftermath of Charlottesville and Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the high-profile antisemitism taking place in the country right now.”
Louisiana Churches Leave Methodist Denomination Amid Schism
posted on November 15, 2022The Associated Press reports, “The United Methodist Church, a mainstay of the American religious landscape, has cut ties with 58 churches in its Louisiana conference amid a nationwide schism within the Protestant denomination.” The decision comes in the midst of controversy and disagreement within the denomination over sexuality and theology. Some churches have decided to disaffiliate over the denomination’s handling of same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly gay clergy.
Muslim Americans Make Historic Gains in 2022 Midterm Elections
posted on November 15, 2022Alejandra Molina of Religion News Service reports that a record number of Muslim Americans were elected to federal, state, and local offices in the 2022 midterm elections. She writes that “more than 80 Muslim candidates won local, state, federal and judicial seats in over 20 states, according to a report from CAIR and the Jetpac Resource Center.” Nada Al-Hanooti, the executive director of Michigan’s Emgage chapter, an organization that works on Muslim voter outreach and participation, said, “I think slowly, but surely, the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, will know that the Muslim community is a force to be reckoned with.”
As Midterms Near, Clergy Preach Politics and Civic Lessons
posted on November 8, 2022David Crary and Holly Meyer of the Associated Press report, “Across America, faith leaders have squeezed in some final messages about the midterm elections during their worship services this weekend.” Some, such as Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, took a non-partisan stand. He said, “The notion that one party or faction is repository of all virtue is fatuous and dangerous. God is greater than parties.” Others, such as pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, took a pointedly more political stance. He said, “Go out and vote against the godless values – the pro-abortion, pro-transgender values – of the godless left.”