RNS Weekly Digest: In election year, climate faith leaders urge voters to make environment a priority

Weekly Digest

In election year, climate faith leaders urge voters to make environment a priority Only about 4 in 10 American voters say global warming will be “very important” when they vote for president in November, according to the Yale Center for Climate Change Communication. But while polls show voters are concerned with other issues, such as inflation and immigration, the environment continues to be a top concern for voters, especially younger ones, and crosses lines of faith and politics in ways that other issues don’t. “I think young people just want the issues that we care about, like our communities, our economy and jobs and God’s creation, to be taken seriously,” said Tori Goebel, former spokesperson for Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, founded in 2012. (Goebel is now chief operating officer of the Evangelical Environmental Network.)  Religion & Politics Evangelicals rally behind statement that hopes to combat polarization with revival Center honoring trailblazing lawyer, civil rights activist and priest opens up in Durham Trump's abortion pivot hasn't shaken evangelical Christian leaders' support In Opinion The Synod on Synodality needs to set its own agenda Trump shows me the love 'Between the Temples' gets some things right — and one thing wrong And finally, In a noisy world, this temple hopes a new Buddha and meditation garden can bring peace It’s just before 10 on the Saturday morning before Labor Day and the Dharma Hall at the Blue Lotus Temple is beginning to fill up. At the front of the room, practitioners sit or kneel on maroon-colored cushions while others begin to fill in the rows of chairs behind them. Nearby, in the social hall, small groups of twos and threes gather to chat or catch up before the meditation. The group for this morning’s meeting is a mix of folks — many in their 30s and 40s, along with some older practitioners. A few wore black shirts or hoodies adorned with the message “Choose Loving Kindness,” the motto of Bhante Sujatha, a Sri Lankan monk and head abbot of the temple, who is leading this morning’s meditation. Talk to Us We want your feedback on the RNS Weekly Digest — 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. RNS is free to read, but it's not free to produce. If you value our reporting, please consider making a donation today. If you prefer to mail a donation, please address to: Religion News Foundation, PO Box 1808, Columbia, MO 65205.