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Links on R&P from around the web
$6.6M Awarded to Tree of Life Synagogue, Site of Massacre
posted on December 6, 2021Michael Rubinkam of the Associated Press reports, “The state of Pennsylvania is pledging $6.6 million towards redevelopment of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, where a gunman killed 11 people in 2018 in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jews.” The funds will be used to expand and renovate the synagogue’s grounds. They will include a memorial and a wing for the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. The synagogue’s rabbi, Jeffrey Myers, said to Gov. Tom Wolf, “You’ve given Tree of Life a very generous Hanukkah present. Your timing is impeccable.”
Supreme Court Seems Poised to Uphold Mississippi’s Abortion Law
posted on December 2, 2021The New York Times‘s Adam Liptak reports, “The Supreme Court seemed poised on Wednesday to uphold a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, in what would be a momentous and polarizing decision to roll back the abortion rights the court has defined over the last half century.” The Supreme Court’s six conservative justices seemed supportive of the law, which “would discard decades of precedent.” Liptak writes, “Until the last few years, the prospect of overruling Roe would have seemed far-fetched.” President Donald Trump’s three appointees have changed that.
Horse Troughs, Hot Tubs and Hashtags: Baptism Is Getting Wild
posted on December 1, 2021Ruth Graham of The New York Times reports that some evangelical church leaders across the country have begun to use unconventional methods to baptize their parishioners. She writes, “Contemporary evangelical baptisms are often raucous affairs. Instead of subdued hymns and murmurs, think roaring modern worship music, fist pumps, tears and boisterous cheering. There are photographers, selfie stations and hashtags for social media.” The containers for the baptisms themselves have also changed, now ranging from horse troughs to waterparks. Russell Moore, the public theologian of Christianity Today, said, “I would have probably thought a decade ago that not having a traditional baptistery would feel disconnected from my tradition. But I’ve found it to be the opposite.”
Religious Abortion Rights Supporters Fight for Access
posted on December 1, 2021Holly Meyer of the Associated Press reports that religious groups that support abortion rights are ramping up their activism ahead of Supreme Court oral arguments in an important Mississippi abortion case. Sheila Katz, the leader of the National Council of Jewish Women, will be co-hosting an interfaith service on December 1, the morning of the arguments. Katz said, “We’re going to start together as diverse groups of faith, to pray and learn and sign together. That feels like the right way to send the message that we are doing this work because of our faith and not in spite of it.” Other religious groups in favor of abortion rights have filed legal briefs in the court case and have hosted rallies and marches around the country.
Islamophobia Controversy Worsens After Boebert Calls Omar
posted on December 1, 2021Heather Caygle, Sarah Ferris, and Olivia Beavers of Politico report, “The Islamophobia controversy engulfing Rep. Lauren Boebert escalated to a full boil Monday after the Colorado Republican went after Rep. Ilhan Omar in a video following a tense phone call between the two.” Boebert originally called Omar to clarify Islamophobic remarks she had made days earlier about her, but after Boebert refused to issue a public apology, Omar ended the call. Boebert then took to social media to demand an apology of her own from Omar “for her anti-American, anti-Semitic, anti-police rhetoric.”
Hanukkah’s Darker Origins Feel More Relevant in Time of Rising Antisemitism, Intense Interest in Identity
posted on December 1, 2021Michelle Boorstein of The Washington Post reports that some Jews are challenging the common, lighthearted narratives about Hanukkah, especially considering the heaviness of 2021 and the recent rise in antisemitism. Some are focusing on the complicated history of the holiday, instead of the usual story about the miracle of light. Boorstein writes that “the story historians tell is heavier, about violent Jewish zealots called the Maccabees who were fighting back not only against the religious oppression of the Greeks, but also against fellow Jews who adopted Greek ways, such as idol worship.”
Christian Groups Furious at Blinken for Removing Nigeria from Religious Violence List
posted on November 29, 2021Nahal Toosi of Politico reports, “Christian groups, a U.S. government panel and former senior U.S. diplomats are furious over Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s decision to take Nigeria off a list of countries accused of engaging in or tolerating religious persecution.” Among those opposed to the decision were the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Open Doors USA, an organization that advocates for the protection of Christians across the globe. Nigeria has long been home to religious tensions between its Muslim and Christian populations. Toosi writes, “The decision is likely to enhance worries among conservatives, including many evangelical Christians, that the Biden administration — unlike the Trump administration — will de-emphasize the plight of Christians persecuted overseas.”
Phil Saviano, Advocate for Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests, Dies at 69
posted on November 29, 2021Matt Schudel of The Washington Post reports that Phil Saviano, a leading advocate for victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, has died at the age of 69. Saviano was abused by a priest as a child and came forward to the Boston Globe decades later. He also founded the New England chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP). Saviano’s story and personal research helped the Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporting by the Boston Globe on the issue. Schudel writes, “Among people who had been victimized by priests and church leaders, Mr. Saviano was seen as a valiant, eloquent and courageous champion who refused to be silenced.”
Omar Seek Action Over House Colleague’s Remarks on Muslims
posted on November 29, 2021James Anderson of The Associated Press reports, “Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota called Friday for House leaders to take ‘appropriate action’ against Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert for using anti-Muslim language in describing a recent encounter she had with Omar at the U.S. Capitol.” Boebert joked that Omar might be a suicide bomber and referred to her as part of the “jihad squad.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats called on Boebert to retract her comments, but no other formal actions have been taken yet. Boebert subsequently tweeted an apology to the Muslim community, adding that she had reached out to Omar’s office.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Approves Communion Document Without Singling Out Politicians Who Back Abortion Rights
posted on November 19, 2021MIchelle Boorstein of The Washington Post reports, “U.S. Catholic bishops Wednesday avoided an internal standoff, approving a statement about Communion that was launched as a way to call out President Biden over his support of abortion rights but after an outcry became a general restating of the sacrament’s centrality.” After the election, some American Catholic bishops advocated denying Communion to the Catholic president and other politicians who support abortion rights. Boorstein writes, “In the end, the document did not mention politicians who support abortion rights or single out abortion in particular.” The vote, which happened at the annual fall meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, was 222 in favor, with eight opposed and three abstaining.