RNS Morning Report - Pepper-sprayed yet undeterred: Faith leaders keep ministering at Delaney Hall

Pepper-sprayed yet undeterred: Faith leaders keep ministering at Delaney Hall   When National Reporter Jack Jenkins first got ahold of Charlene Walker, head of Faith in New Jersey, on Tuesday night, she sounded a bit frazzled. She had agreed to an interview, and was talking while driving to Delaney Hall, the New Jersey immigrant detention center where another round of protests were set to begin that evening.   But the conversation was cut short only a few seconds after it began: as she tried to park near the detention center, she suddenly found herself stuck between several police cars, all of their lights flashing.   She called back later, happy to talk about her experience. But the moment spoke to an under-covered dynamic at play there: the seemingly constant presence of religious leaders and faith-based activists such as Walker, who have put themselves at risk while operating outside the facility — both as demonstrators and as volunteers aiding immigrant families — over the past year.      Top Stories Pepper-sprayed yet undeterred: Faith leaders keep ministering at Delaney Hall (RNS) — ‘We are called by our faith to put our bodies on the line if that’s the call,’ said the Rev. Robin Tanner, a Unitarian Universalist minister. Defense Department to drop atheists, pagans, 175 others from list of military faiths (RNS) — The new list includes 31 recognized faiths, most of them Christian denominations. Draft of King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ found at Virginia seminary archives ALEXANDRIA, Va. (RNS) — The version housed at Virginia Theological Seminary is not for sale, and archive staffers plan to seek the best ways to make its contents available for the public to view. As polyamory gains visibility, monogamy faces a vote in the Presbyterian Church (USA) (RNS) — A separate proposal calls for a broader theological framework on human relationships.   Opinion The status quo at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque is deteriorating (RNS) — The long-standing practice has been to preserve the site for Muslim worship and allow visitors of other faiths. Why evangelicals should oppose the new farm bill’s Save Our Bacon Act (RNS) — Evangelicals have largely forgotten past generations of evangelicals who not only fought against the slave trade and inhumane working conditions but also against animal cruelty. ICYMI Catholic sisters push Palantir on human rights as faith leaders rally in New York (RNS) — The proposal comes as immigrant community members and faith leaders prepare to rally outside the company’s New York office. ‘The Autism Pastor’ Lamar Hardwick dies at age 47 (RNS) — Hardwick was known for his disability advocacy and dynamic preaching. Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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