Word&Way News: May 10
Here’s the weekly roundup from Word&Way. In addition to a piece celebrating three years of publishing this newsletter that is free for anyone to read, paid subscribers to A Public Witness received a look at claims that a congressional bill would ban the Bible as antisemitic.
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Top 5 at wordandway.org
Jerusalem: Holy Fire Spread to the World. Lauren Draper of Churches for Middle East Peace reflected on attending an ancient ceremony marking Orthodox Easter alongside Palestinian Christians in the midst of harsh restrictions from Israeli authorities.
The Candid Gospel. Sarah Blackwell considered the religious implications of rare photos that capture in-between moments — when we do not know someone is watching — in which our lives are truly lived.
Review: The Good News of Church Politics. Robert D. Cornwall reviewed The Good News of Church Politics by Ross Kane.
Methodists End Anti-Gay Bans, Closing 50 Years of Battles Over Sexuality for Mainline Protestants. After significant votes at the United Methodist General Conference, Peter Smith looked back at decades of mainline Protestant denominations moving toward LGBTQ affirmation.
Grace College Professor Ousted After Online Commentators Flag ‘Woke’ Social Media Posts. Kathryn Post reported on the latest in a string of professor terminations at Christian colleges seemingly tied to narrowing political criteria.
Dangerous Dogma
This week: Elizabeth Neumann on Kingdom of Rage
by Brian Kaylor, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief
In February, a report from A Public Witness looked at conservative Christian opposition to laws banning child marriages. One example was in Missouri, where the only person to testify against a Senate bill prohibiting child marriages was a Baptist minister. That bill passed the Senate last month with a vote of 31-1 (and the only “nay” vote came from a Baptist layman).
Now the bill has stalled out in the House with just one week left in this year’s session. The Kansas City Star reported Wednesday (May 8) on the Republican opposition keeping it from a vote and quoted from two lawmakers against it (a Baptist and a Methodist).
Yesterday, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom shared the Star article on social media to critique Republicans: “Defending child marriages is now on the list of GOP priorities.” There’s a problem, however, with his attack. As we noted in our February piece, California is one of the 40 states that allows child marriages. And it’s unique because the opposition there has come from progressive groups like state chapters of Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. That is, Newsom’s allies and supporters are why California is currently worse than Missouri on this issue. Gov. Newsom, call your office.
Although most of the opposition currently to child marriage bans is coming from conservative Christians, the lack of such laws is a problem in red and blue states. And it should be something to tackle in a bipartisan manner like Missouri senators did. But that would also mean lawmakers and governors would have to focus on making their states better and not just winning the next election.
Survey Says…
Other News of Note
As Stormy Daniels testified in Donald Trump's hush money trial, Dylon Jones of Politico talked with Samuel Perry about evangelical perspectives on Trump, sexuality, and masculinity.
Jennifer Medina of the New York Times reported on a Latino pastor in Nevada pushing for Donald Trump.
Matthew Taylor and Paul Djupe wrote for Religion News Service about how fringe charismatic theology has become more mainstream.
Sandi Villarreal of Texas Monthly wrote about the latest legal filing by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as he tries to shut down a Catholic ministry serving migrants — and she noted how Paxton mistook Catholic teachings for “Bohemian commandments.”
Steven Monacelli reported for the Texas Observer about a new coalition of Christian Nationalist groups in Texas mobilizing churches to take over local school boards.
“The good news is that a lot of our nation’s pastors are already involved in their schools and they are waking up to the dangers confronting our schools.” —Rev. Ramon Batts of Pastors for Indiana Children during the first national conference of Pastors for Children in Orlando, Florida.
Madison McVan of the Minnesota Reformer wrote about Catholic opposition to a state Equal Rights Amendment to bar discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or sex.
Ken Chitwood reported for Christianity Today about an effort by evangelicals in Spain to launch a new political party.
With voters heading to the polls, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wants to make the nation more Hindu, has been escalating his attacks on Muslims.
Angela Denker wrote for the Minneapolis Star Tribune about how instead of a bunch for Mother’s Day she wants a ceasefire in Gaza.
Photo of the Week
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