Rap Sheet
Links on R&P from around the web
How Public Money Goes to Support a Hasidic Village’s Private Schools
posted on February 21, 2023Jay Root of The New York Times reports that Kiryas Joel, a public school district exclusively for Hasidic children with disabilities, has received substantial state and federal funding. Critics object to the district’s appropriation of funds to lease buildings from a private religious organization. Members of the school board also sit on that group’s board. Marc Stern, general counsel for the American Jewish Committee, said, “When you deal with small, sealed-off groups, these sorts of abuses do occur. There’s less of a check. And so it’s not surprising that it developed this way.”
Suspect Arrested in Shooting of Los Angeles Bishop Is Housekeeper’s Husband
posted on February 21, 2023Alejandra Molina of Religion News Service reports, “The suspect arrested in Saturday’s shooting of Roman Catholic Bishop David G. O’Connell is Carlos Medina, the husband of the bishop’s housekeeper, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.” Detectives are investigating a potential financial dispute between the two. O’Connell was renowned for his work with the poor and immigrant communities in Los Angeles. Linda Dakin-Grimm, an immigration attorney who worked with O’Connell, said, “He’s an extremely unique person of deep faith and witness and kindness. I don’t see how we will fill that big, aching gap.”
Seattle Considers Historic Law Barring Caste Discrimination
posted on February 21, 2023Deepa Bharath of the Associated Press reports that the Seattle city council is considering an ordinance to bar caste discrimination, a South Asian form of social hierarchy. Seattle would be the first American city to bar the practice if the proposal passes. Critics of the policy, however, claim that it would create the false impression that Hinduism is inherently discriminatory. Nikunj Trivedi, the president of the Coalition of Hindus of North America, said, “The understanding of Hinduism is poor in this country. Many people believe caste equals Hinduism, which is simply not true. There is diversity of thought, belief and practice within Hinduism.”
Harvard, National Council of Churches, Reform Jews Seeking Reparations Blueprint
posted on February 21, 2023Adelle M. Banks of Religion News Service reports, “A professor and students at Harvard Kennedy School are joining forces with prominent Christian and Jewish organizations to develop a faith-based blueprint to advance the possibility of reparations for African Americans.” The group is hoping to create both legislative and faith-based proposals by the end of the semester. The Rev. Cornell William Brooks, the professor at the Kennedy School, said, “We’re trying to build a grassroots, congregation-level strategy to take up the whole matter of federal reparations and ultimately establish a commission and ultimately push for legislation that addresses America’s profound racial wealth gap.”
Nonstop Worship Service at Kentucky College Set to End After Attracting Thousands
posted on February 21, 2023Amber Ferguson of The Washington Post reports, “After almost two weeks of 24-hour worship, a revival at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky., will end, the school said.” Asbury University, a small Christian college, hosted the spontaneous revival that has attracted thousands of worshipers from around the globe. Kevin J Brown, the president of the university, said in a statement announcing the end of the revival, “Students have not only had to juggle various campus commitments … but also the throngs of people who have entered the dimensions of their space. For some, this has created a sense of being unsettled and even alienation from their campus community.”
The Domestic Terror Paradox
posted on February 14, 2023For The New York Times Magazine, James Verini reports, “The absence of clear law around domestic terrorism, and the imperatives of prevention, mean that investigators and prosecutors who work domestic terrorism cases must focus on more common charges.” The Department of Justice has doubled the number of domestic terrorism cases that it is pursuing in recent years, particularly in the wake of the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Thomas Windom, a federal prosecutor who has worked on domestic terrorism cases, said, “It’s like trying to solve a murder before it happens.”
Why Those “He Gets Us” Ads About Jesus Have Sparked Heated Debates
posted on February 14, 2023Kelsey Dallas of Deseret News reports that the “He Gets Us” Super Bowl ads promoting Jesus have faced backlash. Critics note that the self-proclaimed nonpartisan organization behind the ads has ties to conservative political groups and benefactors, including Hobby Lobby owner David Green, who has funded anti-abortion and anti-LGBT causes. Dallas reports that Jacobin, a left-leaning publication, and others have pointed out that “the ‘He Gets Us’ campaign isn’t as apolitical as it claims to be.”
More Than Half of Republicans Support Christian Nationalism, According to a New Survey
posted on February 14, 2023Ashley Lopez of NPR reports, “Long seen as a fringe viewpoint, Christian nationalism now has a foothold in American politics, particularly in the Republican Party — according to a new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institute.” The study found that more than half of Republicans agreed with the statement that the United States should be a strictly Christian nation. Robert P. Jones, the president and founder of PRRI, said, “There was some data out there but what we saw as a need was to have a real set of data that would quantify what that term means, how many Americans really adhere to it. And we also wanted to have a more nuanced view — not just people who are hard adherents but maybe people who are sympathetic.”
“It’s Time for Us to Be Bold.” Why Six Religious Leaders Are Fighting to Expand Abortion Access
posted on February 14, 2023Christine Fernando of USA Today profiles six religious leaders who are using their positions in their faith communities to support abortion rights. Several are plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state of Missouri that alleges the state’s abortion ban infringes on their religious beliefs. The Rev. Cindy Bumb, one of the plaintiffs, said, “We want this not just to be a lawsuit but also a public awareness campaign to show people they can be religious and also in support of abortion rights. The religious Christian right has co-opted language around religion and abortion and made it all about their own beliefs.”
His Popular Blog Debunks Christian Myths. With the Profits, He Does the Christian Thing.
posted on February 14, 2023Yonat Shimron of Religion News Service profiles Bart Ehrman, a religious studies scholar known for his erudite, accessible blog that debunks Christian theological myths. He has donated all the proceeds from his blog, nearly $2 million, to charitable organizations. He said, “Ten or 12 years ago, I felt bad I wasn’t doing much for charity, like volunteering in a soup kitchen. Then it occurred to me, ‘Maybe I could use my distinctive skills as a way of doing something for charity.’ This is something I can do that others can’t.” Ehrman plans to combine his passion for biblical scholarship and charity in a forthcoming book on the history of giving to the poor in the early church.