Weekly Roundup: Jan. 16
Here’s the weekly roundup from A Public Witness. This week we published a review of a new book on the rise and fall of “intelligent design” and a report on a government worship service in the Department of Labor.
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Top 5 at wordandway.org
Pastor Blesses ICE, Asks God to ‘Break the Teeth’ of ICE’s Opponents. Brian Kaylor wrote about a Minnesota pastor and theology professor who prayed an imprecatory Psalm against those criticizing ICE.
On the Sunday After Renee Good’s Killing, Minnesotans Grieve Through Worship and Song. Jack Jenkins reported from multiple churches in the Twin Cities, where they lamented and criticized the violence of ICE.
America Has Eye Trouble. Rodney Kennedy reflected on divergent responses to ICE killing Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Review: From Pulpit to Public Square. Robert D. Cornwall reviewed From Pulpit to Public Square: Faithful Speech beyond Church Walls by Richard W. Voelz.
‘Just Like Selma’ Hymn Project Aims to Help Churches Recall King, Mark Black History Month. Adelle M. Banks reported on a new song composed for worship in Black churches.
Dangerous Dogma
This week’s episode features a conversation between Brian Kaylor and Rev. Martha Bardwell, pastor of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, on how faith communities are responding to ICE violence in the Twin Cities and the ICE killing of Renee Good. Listen to the audio version here (or wherever you listen to podcasts) or watch the video version here.
by Brian Kaylor, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief
On Wednesday (Jan. 14), I trekked over to the Missouri Capitol to testify against two bills purporting to “ban Sharia law.” Yep, that’s what some lawmakers think is such an issue that it got a committee hearing just one week into this legislative session. Sen. Nick Schroer (who is also the committee’s chair) and Sen. Joe Nicola (who is also a Christian Nationalist pastor) sponsored similar bills they said would make sure judges follow the Missouri and U.S. Constitutions instead of international or religious laws. But that’s literally already a requirement!
No one testified for the two bills other than the sponsoring senators. Testifying against the legislation were a representative from the ACLU of Missouri and me. Because of poor time management during the hearing (especially over a bill about cannabis gummies), we were told we would only get one minute each to speak against the legislation. But I tried to quickly make the case why this is just anti-Muslim bigotry that should be rejected. (You can listen to my remarks here.)
Unfortunately, the Show-Me State is not alone in showing such religious bigotry right now. Governors in Texas and Florida have been targeting a Muslim nonprofit with Islamophobic rhetoric. And city council members in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, this week voted to block a proposed mosque despite the rezoning being recommended by city staff and the city’s planning commission. Given the rhetoric in the community about what would be the first mosque there, it seems quite clear that if it had been a new church but otherwise the same proposal, it would’ve been approved.
An attack on the religious liberty rights of anyone threatens the religious liberty rights of all of us. And those of us in the majority faith particularly have a responsibility to speak out against Christian Nationalists who target and slander our neighbors.
Other News of Note
A Maryland city council will stop saying the Lord’s Prayer at official meetings because of concerns about the illegality of such a practice.
A Tennessee lawmaker introduced a bill to push prayer time in public schools.
Robert Downen of Texas Monthly wrote about a politically active Pentecostal church in Texas that is expanding with a prayer house across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court building.
Tara Palmeri of Vanity Fair profiled a Southern Baptist church in Washington, D.C., that is becoming a key networking place for conservative political activists.
The Department of Homeland Security posted a video quoting Jesus in Matthew 5:9 to suggest their militarized actions are what it means to be “peacemakers.” This follows a pattern of DHS co-opting Bible verses in propaganda videos.
“Romans 13 is about refusing to become what oppresses you, not about baptizing whatever the oppressor does. … Paul wrote Romans 13 not to protect the state from critique but to shield the church from vengeance.” —Russell Moore, writing in Christianity Today about the problem of citing Romans 13 to defend ICE for killing Renee Good.
Minnesota Public Radio reported on a Hispanic church in Minneapolis that has delivered more than 12,000 boxes of groceries over the last six weeks to immigrant families worried about leaving home amid ICE operations.
Jeff Brumley of Baptist News Global reported on a Cooperative Baptist church in Kentucky that turned down a federal grant for facilities repairs because of a clause mandating recipients assist with immigration enforcement efforts.
Rev. Dale Caldwell, a United Methodist pastor, will next week be sworn in as lieutenant governor of New Jersey.
Photo of the Week
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