RNS Morning Report: White House to host its third-ever Vesak ceremony

Top Stories White House to host its third-ever Vesak ceremony (RNS) — This year ambassadors from nations such as Cambodia, India and Nepal are slated to participate.   What ‘The Starling Girl’ gets right about church abuse and fundamentalism (RNS) — ‘When abuse is framed as just black and white, it can be harder for people going through it to reckon with it and realize it,’ said writer/director Laurel Parmet.   Their church is leaving the UMC fold. They found refuge in a nearby ‘Lighthouse.’ (RNS) — The United Methodist Church is turning its attention to taking care of those who want to remain and rebuilding and fortifying its ranks.   A number of new books spotlight women’s leadership in New Testament (RNS) — ‘It’s not that we’re trying to rewrite history. It’s simply that women have been obscured,’ said Beth Allison Barr.   State Department forced Muslim security guard to shave beard, lawsuit claims (RNS) — ‘Nobody should be forced to choose between their faith and their job,’ said Hannah Mullen, a staff attorney for CAIR.   More Americans pray in their car than in a place of worship, survey finds (RNS) — A distinct majority of those who pray (87%) said they believed they’d received an answer to their prayers in the last 12 months. RNS Opinion Why white supremacists would be thrilled to hear Jackie Hill Perry call out Beyoncé (RNS) — A Christian criticizes Black musicians for exploring African spirituality.   The Muslim prayer hall that may spark the next Israeli-Palestinian battle (RNS) — In Jerusalem, small frictions can escalate quickly if the causes are not addressed.   God might be an underachiever Rabbi Harold Kushner figured something out about God. Let's go one step further. ICYMI Joshua Butler, author of controversial book on sex, resigns as pastor of Arizona church (RNS) — The book had been criticized for its comparisons of spiritual experiences to sex and male pleasure.   ‘The Chosen’: Coming soon to a US prison near you (RNS) — The wildly popular show is the first multiseason drama to hit Floodlight, a free streaming platform launched by Prison Fellowship in March 2020. In Other News Mayor Adams says he was given a divine message: ‘talk about God’ Islam’s influence on the US   Talk to Us We want your feedback on the RNS Morning Report — what you think we're doing right and what we should be doing differently. Send us an email at Comments@ReligionNews.com Subscribe to other RNS Newsletters. Forward this email to a friend. View the archive of past newsletters. Religion News Service is free to read, but it's not free to produce. If you value our reporting, please consider making a donation today at religionnews.com/donate. If you prefer to mail a donation, please address to: Religion News Foundation, PO Box 1808, Columbia, MO 65205. Yes, I support the work you're doing! Forward this email to a friend