Rap Sheet
Links on R&P from around the web
People of the Book
posted on August 1, 2012Writing for Foreign Policy, Oren Kessler lists some of the similarities between Mormonism and Judaism. Citing the fact that both religions have dietary restrictions, Kessler describes how “Mormons view [their own restrictions] as comparable to the rules for kosher food.” Kessler also notes that David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minster, once said, “There are no people in the world who understand the Jews like the Mormons.”
Wholly American, Wholly Muslim
posted on August 1, 2012At Patheos, Hesham A. Hassaballa reviews All American: 45 American Men on Being Muslim, a new addition to the “I Speak For Myself” series. The contributors to the book include “writers, politicians, activists, filmmakers, journalists, doctors, and poets” who write about their experiences as Muslim Americans. Hassaballa writes, “[T]he reader is treated to a wide expanse of experiences and stories that show the American Muslim community for what it is: varied and diverse, rich and colorful.”
Mitt Romney in Jerusalem: Another city, Another Gaffe (or Two)?
posted on August 1, 2012The Christian Science Monitor’s Howard LaFranchi notes the similarities between Romney’s recent remarks on Jerusalem and those made by Obama during his first presidential campaign. While Romney’s declaration, that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, was seen as controversial, LaFranchi points out that in 2008, Obama stated that “Israel has a legitimate claim on that city.” LaFranchi also notes, “In both cases … the candidates backtracked from their statements.” LaFranchi writes, “Romney’s echoing of Obama circa 2008 made it seem as though overstepping US policy on Jerusalem has become established practice for a presidential candidate.”
Read at The Christian Science Monitor
Mali Islamists Stone Couple to Death for Adultery
posted on August 1, 2012“An al Qaeda-linked Islamic militant group in control of northern Mali” stoned a married couple to death after they were accused of having extramarital affairs, Reuters reports. Ansar Dine, an Islamist group, carried out the execution in accordance with its interpretation of sharia law. Sanda Ould Bounama, a spokesman for the organization, says, “We don’t have to answer to anyone over the application of sharia.”
US: Egypt’s Islamists Must Respect Minorities
posted on August 1, 2012After visiting Egypt, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarked that Egyptians continue to wrestle with the issue of religious liberty following the election of President Mohammed Morsi, Bradley Klapper reports for The Associated Press. The State Department recently released its annual report on religious freedom around the world, which “highlighted blasphemy and religious ‘defamation’ laws in Muslim countries,” writes Klapper. In regards to Egypt, Clinton said, “We are going to judge by actions, not words, and the actions are just at the very beginning stages.”
Did Romney Exploit a Jewish Holiday?
posted on July 31, 2012Commentary’s Jeffrey Tobin explains why he does not find Mitt Romney’s recent visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem “in poor taste,” as many liberal bloggers have argued. Romney’s unannounced visit to the Western Wall on Sunday coincided with Tisha B’Av, a fast day when Jews memorialize the destruction of the temples in Jerusalem. “[T]he symbolism of an American politician going to the Wall on the day that Jews remember the tragedies that have befallen them throughout history is particularly apt,” writes Tobin.
Religion & State: Is There a Vital Center?
posted on July 31, 2012At The American Conservative, Rod Dreher examines Philip Gorski’s new essay, “Breaching the Wall of Separation Between Church and State,” published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Gorski asks, “Is there any middle ground between the liberal and conservative visions of a totally secular country or a Christian nation?” Gorski argues that such a space exists, “[b]ut reoccupying it would require both sides to let go of some of their deepest and most cherished misconceptions about American history.” In response, Dreher wonders if it is actually possible to find what he calls this “vital center.” And, Dreher asks, “Do we even want to?”
Read at The American Conservative
Romney’s Compliment to the Jewish People Closer to a Slur
posted on July 31, 2012At Religion Dispatches, Shalom Goldman explains why Mitt Romney’s remarks on Monday to a small gathering of Israeli donors wasn’t that different from the age-old stereotype, “Jews are good with money.” Romney praised “the Jewish history of thriving in difficult circumstances and the hand of providence.” Goldman writes, “While the wealthy businessmen and investors at the breakfast might have taken that as a compliment (though some in attendance might very well have flinched), students of Jewish history, and of Christian-Jewish relations, can’t help but being horrified by the tone-deafness of such language.”
A United Methodist Pastor Tells Why He’s Observing Ramadan
posted on July 31, 2012At The United Methodist Reporter, The Rev. Wes Magruder, an ordained elder of the United Methodist Church serving in the North Texas Conference, writes about why he’s fasting during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month. Ramadan is “a month of searching, of devotion, of love of God and neighbor,” explains Magruder. “It is a living symbol of one’s hunger and thirst for the true God.”
Read at The United Methodist Reporter
Support for Same-Sex Marriage Could Be Official Democratic Stance
posted on July 31, 2012NPR’s Ari Shapiro reports that the Democratic Party is “on the path to including an endorsement of same-sex marriage” as an official plank of the party’s platform. The Democrats’ move comes in the wake of President Obama’s public endorsement of gay marriage, and the wedding of Rep. Barney Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress, who recently married his longtime partner in Massachusetts.