Nick Sementelli, Faith in Public Life’s Blog Editor and Online Strategy Associate, came to FPL from Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Georgetown University. He blogs about the economy, Islamophobia, Catholics in public life, and the Religious Right.
May 3, 2012, 3:27 pm | By Nick Sementelli
The FPL News Reel is a daily round-up of the top faith and politics stories in the news. You can sign up for the email version of the News Reel here, subscribe to the RSS feed here, and follow it on twitter at @FPLNewsreel.
Defense trumps poverty in Republican House
By David Rogers — Politico
…here come the House Republicans, marching into the sunlight by shifting billions from poverty programs to the Pentagon, all within hours of adopting an entirely new round of tax cuts for those earning more than $1 million a year.
The Catholic vote is the 2012 bellwether
By Chris Cillizza and Rachel Weiner — Washington Post, The Fix
…new polling from Gallup suggests that it’s Catholics who could well be the best bellwether of whether President Obama or former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney will be elected president this November.
The “Catholic Vote” is Tautological
By Jamelle Bouie — The American Prospect
A clear look at the data shows that there is no such thing.
Dolan and Bishops Urge Albany to Raise Minimum Wage
By Thomas Kaplan — New York Times
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and New York State’s bishops are calling on the Legislature to increase the minimum wage, adding an influential source of support to a proposal that has divided lawmakers along party lines.
Father Tom Reese vs. Paul Ryan (and Stephen Colbert)
By E.J. Dionne Jr. — Washington Post, Opinion
I signed the letter not only because — this won’t surprise readers of my column — I agreed with its criticism of Ryan’s approach to budget issues but also because the letter welcomed Ryan to Georgetown. All universities, including Catholic universities, should be open to a wide range of views, and I’m glad Ryan came last week.
Walker To Christian Right Supporters: Pray For Me — And Help Out The Campaign
By Eric Kleefeld — Talking Points Memo
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker spoke to a crowd of political and spiritual true believers Wednesday night — seeking to mobilize support from…Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition.
Move Your Money: Faith Leaders, Activists To Target Wall Street Banks Throughout Month Of May
By Travis Waldron — Think Progress
Throughout the month, a diverse group of activists will push customers to move their money from Wall Street to community banks and credit unions…
The Lower Floor
By Linda Greenhouse — New Yok Times, Opinionator
Poring over the argument transcript and the briefs, what finally came through as most deeply troubling was this: the failure of any participant in the argument, justice or advocate for either side, to affirm the simple humanity of Arizona’s several hundred thousand undocumented residents.
Evangelist Billy Graham backs marriage amendment
By Associated Press
His complete statement is contained in a full-page ad slated to appear in 14 North Carolina newspapers throughout the weekend.
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May 3, 2012, 3:12 pm | By Nick Sementelli
Cardinal Dolan went on MSNBC’s Jansing and Co. this week to talk about the Catholic Church and politics. In his interview, he issued a bold call for comprehensive immigration reform and a stinging critique of the Republican party’s inhumane and ineffective policies on the issue.
Watch it:
Dolan’s appearance continues the Church’s consistent advocacy around fixing a flawed immigration system that breaks up families and leaves millions of immigrants languishing in the shadows. Catholic bishops have opposed Alabama’s anti-immigrant law in their document on religious liberty and filed an amicus brief against the similar legislation in Arizona being weighed by the Supreme Court. Don’t hold your breath waiting to hear GOP leaders bring that up any time soon.
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May 2, 2012, 4:06 pm | By Nick Sementelli
One of the less visible dangers of rapidly increasing levels of student debt is the way that it limitsthe career options of young people entering the work force. Saddled with debt, graduates who feel called to pursue lower-paying non-profit and service jobs find themselves barred from doing so.
A story at MSNBC points out that this problem is affecting religious vocations too:
Nicole Ferko’s $60,000 in student loans made her put off her dream of becoming a nun for a decade.
Ferko, who lives in Grand Prairie, Texas, graduated from a private Ohio Catholic university in 2002 and walked away with a huge loan burden.
“I knew I wanted to give my life to God, but I expected after college I’d go right in and work toward becoming a sister,” she said. But she discovered that individuals looking to become priests or nuns need to be debt free.
It took her until late last year to pay off her loans because she was unable to find many good-paying jobs and ended up racking up $20,000 in credit card debt. With the loans and credit cards paid off, Ferko, 32, is now on track to become a sister with The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, but she won’t reach her ultimate goal of donning a nun’s habit until she’s 39 because the process takes that long.
Given the glaring shortage of clergy of all kinds in America right now, we don’t need more structural disincentives to lives of service.
Photo by Frank Ferko
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May 2, 2012, 1:40 pm | By Nick Sementelli
The FPL News Reel is a daily round-up of the top faith and politics stories in the news. You can sign up for the email version of the News Reel here, subscribe to the RSS feed here, and follow it on twitter at @FPLNewsreel.
A departure from the Catholic Church’s mission
By Bill Ritter Jr — Denver Post, Opinion
Do we really want more children going to bed hungry, or an immigrant mother denied prenatal care simply because the organization providing the care is associated with another organization that does not meet a conservative litmus test?
Paul Ryan’s Christian Budget Cuts
By Stephen Colbert and Fr. Thomas Reese — The Colbert Report, Satire
Barack Obama and the Catholic Church wage war on Paul Ryan’s deeply Christian Republican House budget.
Money Movers
By Benjamin J. Dueholm — Christian Century
…what poll respondents and disgruntled motorists don’t seem to appreciate is that redistributing wealth is what all public budgets do.
In Afghanistan, President Obama signals end to the war
By Michael Memoli — Los Angeles Times
Speaking to a war-weary nation from the epicenter of the fight against terrorism, President Obama signaled the end of what he called “a decade under the dark cloud of war.”
In Deeds, Nuns Answer Call of Duty
By Jim Dwyer — New York Times
“No bishop or anyone told them what to do,” said Sister Camille D’Arienzo, a leader among religious women and an author. “It’s the conscience element. The gospel call. The solidarity among ourselves. It can’t be shattered. We’ve been around too long.”
Student-loan debt delays dream of becoming nun
By Eve Tahmincioglu — MSNBC
Hefty student loan debt is hampering the career dreams of many graduates whether they’re looking to enter religious vocations or work for corporate America.
Obama’s Jewish support rises over past six months, AJC poll finds
By Ron Kampeas — Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The poll, released Monday, shows Obama with 61 percent of the Jewish vote, as opposed to 28 percent for Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is the likely Republican nominee.
Study shows Mormonism is fastest-growing faith in half of U.S. states
By Kevin Eckstrom — Religion News Service
Mitt Romney may or may not become the first Mormon to move into the White House next year, but a new study shows that Mormonism is moving into more parts of the country than any other religious group, making it the fastest-growing faith in more than half of U.S. states.
Georgia bans most abortions after 20 weeks pregnancy
By Reuters
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal on Tuesday signed legislation banning most abortions after 20 weeks pregnancy, the seventh state to outlaw most late-term abortions based on controversial research that a fetus can feel pain by that stage of development.
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May 2, 2012, 11:31 am | By Nick Sementelli
On last night’s Colbert Report:
Colbert ended the segment by interviewing Fr. Tom Reese, SJ, one of the authors of the letter from Georgetown University faculty to Rep. Ryan last week:
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