Weekly Roundup: June 26
Here’s the weekly roundup from A Public Witness. This week we published a report from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s general assembly, and once again were the only news outlet to cover the monthly worship service at the Pentagon.
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Top 5 at wordandway.org
Review: The Book of Love. Robert D. Cornwall reviewed The Book of Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible by Richard Beck.
Which Bible Passages Are in Texas’ Proposed Student Reading List? Here’s What the Sections Reveal. Ellie Ashby reported on the biblical stories and translations in controversial new public school curriculum.
Asbury Theological Seminary Cut by United Methodist Church Over Same-Sex Marriage Issue. Other schools no longer recognized include Northeastern Seminary in New York, Palmer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, and Luther Seminary in Minnesota.
As Supreme Court Clears Way to Deport Haitians and Syrians, Faith Leaders Grieve, Prepare for What’s Next. Many Christian leaders are denouncing a 6-3 ruling that could see hundreds of thousands of people deported.
As Reports of Anti-Christian Incidents in Israel Increase, Advocates Press Police to Act. Michelle Chabin reported on the growing violence against Christians in Israel.
by Brian Kaylor, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief
A lot of bad Supreme Court decisions came out this week on 6-3 votes. One that shouldn’t be overlooked is the ruling by the rightwing majority in Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections. The justices ruled that a prisoner could not sue prison officials who knowingly and egregiously violated his religious liberty rights.
Damon Landor is a devout Rastafarian who, in following his faith, had not cut his hair for 20 years. After being allowed to keep it that way in two prisons, he was held down and forcibly shaved with just three weeks left in his sentence. This occurred even after he literally provided the guards with a copy of a federal appeals court ruling affirming the right of imprisoned Rastafarians to keep their hair long.
Despite this assault that violently attacked Landor’s religiosity, the justices want to shrug and say there can be no accountability. This ruling is essentially a get-out-of-jail-free card for states, which means religious liberty rights are not protected by actual laws or rulings but just by the good manners (if they exist) of state officials.
This case makes it clear that it’s false to claim the Supreme Court’s majority cares about religious liberty. While they do frequently rule for Christian plaintiffs, they don’t actually uphold true religious liberty for all. That’s why advocates for religious liberty — like Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty — were quick to denounce the ruling on Tuesday. It’s troubling that as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, we have a majority on the highest court in the nation that wants to strip away foundational rights. I dissent.
Other News of Note
The Presbyterian Church in America’s general assembly voted to affirm a partial report condemning Christian Nationalism, which we reported on last week along with Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) statements condemning Christian Nationalism that passed the committee level this week and will now go to the full general assembly.
Matthew Taylor wrote about what it means that Tucker Carlson is embracing the “Appeal to Heaven” flag that’s popular with Christian Nationalists.
The New York Times published an interactive piece highlighting John Leland, a colonial Baptist leader who helped create the constitutional separation of church and state.
Jason DeRose of NPR traveled to Rhode Island to report on the birth of religious liberty as he visited the oldest Baptist church and the oldest Jewish synagogue in the United States.
A poll of the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate seat in Kansas shows Rev. Adam Hamilton, a United Methodist minister, leading a crowded field of candidates. He garnered 18%, with the next highest candidate at 10%.
“As a professor who has read some awful writing, I find that Vance’s new book ranks among the worst things I’ve read. … If nothing else, ‘Communion’ confirms what was already obvious: Vance is not the theologian he thinks he is, and indeed, he knows very little about the Catholic faith.” —Anthea Butler, writing for MSNOW
A member of Western Australia’s Parliament is calling for an end to the practice of starting sessions with the Lord’s Prayer. (We previously covered an unsuccessful effort in 2022 to scrap the Lord’s Prayer from Australia’s Senate.)
Hernán Restrepo of Christianity Today reported on the divided evangelical reaction in Colombia as a rightwing outsider candidate won the presidency.
The Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America voted to return the land of a closed church to an Indigenous community organization.
The Episcopal Church is seeking to sell its 12-story headquarters building in New York City, which is less than half-occupied by staff of the denomination or affiliated groups after declining membership and the rise of remote work.
On the podcast Highest Power: Church + State, host Rick Pidcock led a conversation with Baptist New Global writers (and Brian Kaylor) about Christian media and partnerships:
Photo of the Week
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