Rap Sheet
Links on R&P from around the web
U.S. Bishops Still Stonewall on Sex Abuse
posted on June 11, 2012“Who will guard the guardians?,” asks David Gibson at the Wall Street Journal. A decade has passed since the American Catholic Church’s hierarchy adopted the “Dallas Charter,” in which the bishops established a “one-strike” policy for abusive clergy, pledged to report abuse to civil authorities, and petitioned the Vatican to make it easier for American bishops to defrock priests. “But throughout it all,” writes Gibson, “the bishops exempted themselves from accountability—even though records showed that feckless inaction by many bishops, or even deliberate malfeasance by some, had allowed abusers to claim so many victims.”
In Contraception Battle, Both Sides Overreach
posted on June 11, 2012On its editorial page, USA Today offers its take on the ongoing battle between the Obama Administration and some Catholic institutions over the Affordable Care Act mandate that employers provide contraception coverage as part of their health insurance plans. In May, 43 Catholic organizations, including Catholic Charities, the University of Notre Dame, and the Archdioceses of New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C, filled lawsuits challenging the mandate. According to the USA Today, during months of compromises and recriminations, “the fight turned into one more overheated political battle. One side calls it a war on Catholics; the other calls it a war on women. In fact, it’s a war on reason, in which the facts are increasingly obscured.”
How to Talk about Unfamiliar Religions in a Secular Society
posted on June 11, 2012At Mormon American, a newly launched website dedicated to “[p]romoting better-informed discussions of Mormonism,” website founder, Ryan Bell, a lawyer and Latter-day Saint, explains what motivated him to establish the new project. Since Mitt Romney began running for president, “American commentary on Mormonism has improved in many areas,” writes Bell. “But thus far, on the specific measure of exploring a fully dimensional view of what Mormon belief really means, advancements have been few.”
Romney’s (non) Military Record Faces New Scrutiny
posted on June 8, 2012Reporting for the Associated Press, Steve Peoples examines Mitt Romney’s Vietnam record. He notes that although Romney protested for the war during the 1960s, the candidate also never saw combat because he secured four draft deferments. Peoples reports one deferment included a 31-month exemption as a “minister of religion” while Romney was serving as a missionary for the LDS Church in France. “A look at Romney’s relationship with Vietnam offers a window into a 1960s world that allowed him to avoid combat as fighting peaked,” Peoples writes. “His story also demonstrates his commitment to the Mormon Church, which he rarely discusses publicly but which helped shape his life.”
In Occupied Tibetan Monastery, a Reason for Fiery Deaths
posted on June 8, 2012Edward Wong at The New York Times reports on the recent wave of self-immolations by Tibetans in protest of Chinese rule. Wong writes, “At least 38 Tibetans have set fire to themselves since 2009, and 29 have died.” In reaction, the Chinese government has stepped up security. Wong reports, “The Ngaba exiles here say the security measures imposed on the town and the monastery have been extreme, even by the standards of Chinese control in Tibet.”
Ray Bradbury on Sci-Fi, God and Robots: The Late Author’s Biggest Ideas
posted on June 8, 2012In honor of writer Ray Bradbury, who died on Tuesday, Wired’s Angela Watercutter lists some of his poignant quotes, including statements from a 2010 interview with TIME, where he spoke on religion and politics. He said, “I don’t believe in government. I hate politics … The less government, the happier I will be.” He continued: “My religion encompasses all religions. I believe in God, I believe in the universe. I believe you are god, I believe I am god; I believe the earth is god and the universe is god. We’re all god.”
Sister Farley’s Revenge: Want to Popularize a Book? Ban It.
posted on June 8, 2012At The Washington Post, Ron Charles writes that a week after Sister Margaret Farley’s Just Love received censure from the Vatican, the book has become a bestseller. On Amazon, Just Love rose from No. 142,982 to No. 16 on their best-selling book list. Just Love lies at the end of a long line of books made popular by bans. Charles, the deputy editor of the paper’s books section, remarks, “[I]n the modern age, highly publicized reproof seems to spark a tremendous rise in sales.”
After Winning GOP Primary, Rabbi Takes Moderate Tone
posted on June 8, 2012Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the recent winner of a congressional GOP primary in New Jersey, may become the first rabbi elected to Congress in November. CNN’s Dan Merica reports on Boteach’s moderate swing since the primary, speculating that the shift is due to the fact Boteach’s district “was last represented by a Republican in 1983.” Boteach told Merica, “Republicans are getting fixated with abortion, contraception and gay marriage.”
10 Years After Catholic Sex Abuse Reforms, What’s Changed?
posted on June 8, 2012At Religion News Service, David Gibson assesses the measures taken by the Catholic Church over the past ten years to stop clergy from sexually abusing children. Gibson notes that while the reforms “did not include any means of disciplining bishops who fail to follow the charter,” law enforcement of abuse cases has increased. The more assertive law enforcement marks a “change from the deference that police and district attorneys once showed the hierarchy,” Gibson writes.
HBO’s Veep Gets Religion
posted on June 8, 2012According to Tablet’s Liel Leibovitz, HBO’s new show Veep understands religion by placing rules at its center. The comedy, which follows a fictitious U.S. vice-president, has writers who “jam their characters into an airtight fictional world and force them to remain faithful to a codex governing every aspect of their social behavior.” The show constitutes “good religion” for Leibovitz because, “Whatever the core belief, without the rules it’s just a fleeting idea.”