Rap Sheet

Links on R&P from around the web
Shootings expose divisions on gun issue in faith communities
posted on June 6, 2022Deepa Bharath and Holly Meyer of The Associated Press report, “People of faith who are tired of years of failed gun control efforts and grieving the latest mass shooting victims are pointing out what they say is hypocrisy – conservative Christians pushing to abolish abortion and grant unfettered access to guns.”
Uvalde worshippers pray for peace, healing and the souls of 21 lives lost
posted on May 31, 2022Brian Lopez and Erin Douglas of The Texas Tribune report, “Residents of Uvalde, a deeply religious community, prayed, cried and embraced each other on the first Sunday since a gunman killed 21 people at an elementary school.”
This Is the Southern Baptist Apocalypse
posted on May 24, 2022For Christianity Today, Russell Moore writes: “They were right. I was wrong to call sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) a crisis. Crisis is too small a word. It is an apocalypse.”
Christianity Today’s Sexual Misconduct Problem and the Complications with Forgiving Institutions
posted on May 17, 2022For The Revealer, Kaya Oakes writes: “When an abusive person’s name is drilled off a building, the shadow of the old name often remains visible even when a new one is mounted on top of it, gouges in the surface that never fully fade away. The same can be said about institutions with histories of abuse.”
Nothing Beautiful Survives the Culture War
posted on May 9, 2022Elizabeth Bruenig of The Atlantic writes, “Much of the meaningless hardship inflicted on American children, in particular, seems to pass by without notice. Even the government agencies designated to protect the rights of this most vulnerable group sometimes fail to do so at all.”
Roe v. Wade: Faith leaders react to leaked SCOTUS opinion
posted on May 5, 2022Emily McFarlan Miller of Religion News Service reports, “The reactions swiftly rolled in from both sides of the historically polarizing debate, including from faith leaders, a group more divided than many Americans might think. While reproductive rights have often been framed as a liberal issue, staunchly opposed by the religious right, views of abortion among the faithful are not monolithic.”
Yes, the directors of ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ are trying to destroy your brain
posted on May 2, 2022In this interview with Polygon, the directors of Everything Everywhere All At Once, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, discuss the film’s biggest ideas including the influence of a religious journey. Kwan shares, “That moment when Evelyn is screaming, and she’s feeling everything, and she’s completely unmoored and lost, that is the experience of losing God.”
The Long Holy War Behind Putin’s Political War in Ukraine
posted on April 26, 2022For The New Yorker, Paul Elie writes, “After the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s religious diversity has been subsumed into national unity. Whatever the war’s outcome, the biggest loser, in religious terms, will almost certainly be the Russian Orthodox Church.”
Ukraine War Divides Orthodox Faithful
posted on April 19, 2022Neil MacFarquhar and Sophia Kishkovsky of The New York Times report that the war in Ukraine is causing strife within the Orthodox Church. They write, “Around the world, the war is dividing national churches, parishes and even families as they reassess relations with Patriarch Kirill and the Russian Orthodox Church.” Some have opted to leave their churches altogether, while others have issued public statements of rebuke for the clergy supporting Putin’s invasion. Many in the Orthodox Church have remained silent, however, fearing backlash from the Kremlin.
What to Expect When the Mormon’s D.C. Temple Opens to the Public
posted on April 19, 2022Karina Elwood of The Washington Post reports that the D.C. Mormon temple, which is usually only accessible to church members, will be open to the public for two months following its recent renovations. Elwood writes, “Church leaders said they hope anyone with questions about the faith will visit the temple. For them, it’s an opportunity to open the doors and share their traditions.” The temple’s interior is designed to emulate the journey of becoming closer to God.