Saturday, April 29, 2023

This Week in Religion - Ten Commandments in public school classrooms?

Lead story

Texas House members with family and guests crowd the House Chamber at the Texas Capitol.

Editor's note:

A bill making its way through the Texas legislature mandates public schools display the Ten Commandments – in the King James translation – on a poster at least 16-by-20 inches and legible “from anywhere in the classroom.” The bill is one of three passed by the state’s senate in the last week aimed at increasing religion’s presence in public schools. Another allows schools to set aside time for prayer and reading of religious texts and a third gives schools the option to hire chaplains in addition to existing counselors. The bills have drawn criticism from Democrats, clergy and activists who argue they inevitably privilege Protestant Christianity, reports Jack Jenkins for RNS. “I still have great concern that we are continuing to break down this wall the framers of our Constitution insisted on having between church and state,” said Sen. Nathan Johnson, a Democrat, during debates over the chaplain bill Monday.

A portrait of Roxanne Stone, Managing Editor for Religion News Service.
 

Religion News

Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops’ meeting

 Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops. It’s a historic reform that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press

Muslim rideshare drivers improvise prayer spaces amid lack of relief stations in NYC

For Muslim Uber and Lyft drivers in the city, daily prayer obligations and the associated rituals have a big impact on their driving. By Tori Luecking/Religion News Service

Groups such as the Hindu American Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus of North America say the bill targets Hindus and Indian Americans who are commonly associated with the caste system. By Alejandra Molina/Religion News Service

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life synagogue, stands for a portrait in the congregation's temporary home, Rodef Shalom Congregation.

Faith lifted Pittsburgh Jews in long wait for massacre trial

Three Jewish congregations are still waiting for justice, but they haven’t been standing still as the criminal case has crawled through the federal court system. Jury selection started Monday. By Peter Smith/The Associated Press

Kenya cult death toll rises to 95 as government sets curfew

The death toll in Kenya’s cult investigation has risen to 95 as the government announced a curfew on the ranch owned by a pastor who is accused of ordering his followers to fast to death. By Evelyne Musambi/The Associated Press

 

Commentary and Analysis

Lithium extraction in Bolivia poses more than environmental questions: It illustrates how notions about 'raw materials' can be at odds with Indigenous relations with the land. By Mario Orospe Hernández for The Conversation

Investigating supernatural claims is a delicate task for the church, and Catholic leaders rarely label them as authentic. By Mathew Schmalz for The Conversation

No matter what I do, I am constantly 'back into the shiva chair.' By Beth Kissileff/Religion News Service

Athens was deeply polarized over big-picture questions, and Socrates was never hesitant to question both sides' assumptions – or his own. By J. W. Traphagan and John J. Kaag for The Conversation

 
Women gather in the women's section before Eid al-Fitr prayers in Bucharest, Romania. A child sits in the center of the group laughing.

A child laughs in the women's section before Eid al-Fitr prayers in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, April 21, 2023. Members of the Romanian Muslim community gathered for Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the Dinamo stadium in the Romanian capital, in the largest Muslim public gathering of the year in Romania. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

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  • This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
  • The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
 
 

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