FPL Daily News Reel: August 16, 2012
After a six-year run bringing you the best faith and politics news every day, Faith in Public Life will be ending the daily news reel email on Friday, August 24th. Thanks for your loyal readership. If you want to stay up to date on all things faith and politics, you can follow our Twitter account @BoldFaithType, where we will be posting stories throughout the day. .
Shooting at the Family Research Council Offices
By Tim King — Sojourners, God’s Politics
My heart is with the rest of the FRC staff. Their place of work will not feel safe after this. It will undoubtedly be difficult knowing there are those who would do violence against you because of your convictions.
Poll: Religious Groups Divided on Gun Control, But United Against Guns in Churches
By Lauren Markoe — Religion News Service
“Although the issue of gun control tends to divide Americans by party, gender, region and race, there is broad agreement among the public that there are some places where concealed weapons should be off limits,” said Daniel Cox, PRRI’s research director.
Young immigrants pack Navy Pier to seek protected status
By Antonio Olivo and Ellen Hirst — Chicago Tribune
The hosts of Dream Relief Day at Navy Pier on Wednesday expected a big turnout of people looking to take advantage of a new federal reprieve for students and young adults in the country illegally. But they were overwhelmed by the size of the crowd that showed up.
Executive order from Governor Jan Brewer blocks IDs, benefits for illegal immigrants
By ABC15.com
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Wednesday ordered state agencies to deny driver’s licenses and other public benefits to young illegal immigrants who obtain work authorizations under a new Obama administration policy.
Students face challenges, fears living without Social Security number
By Rose Ybarra — Catholic News Service
“When you don’t have papers, you live scared,” Aranet told The Valley Catholic, newspaper of the Brownsville Diocese. “You worry that if the police stop you, they’ll send you back. … My greatest fear is that they will stop us on the way to or from school.”
N.Y. Cardinal Timothy Dolan Defends Obama Invitation to Al Smith Dinner
By Chris Lisee — Religion News Service
Dolan said the dinner exemplifies the American value of free religious exercise, and called it an opportunity for civility and dialogue. He responded to critics by portraying Obama’s invitation as the lesser of two evils.
Paul Ryan, Joe Biden: A Tale of Two Catholics
By Daniel Burke — Religion News Service
Biden and Ryan both cite their faith as a formative influence, but neither is known as a standard-bearer for the Catholic hierarchy’s chief political causes: abortion and gay marriage. In fact, the two candidates are — politically at least — nearly polar opposites.
My Take: Christianity and Ayn Rand’s philosophy are 2 distinct religions
By Stephen Prothero — CNN, Belief Blog
Now that one of the Republican Party’s least ideological men (Mitt Romney) has christened one of the GOP’s most ideological men (Paul Ryan) as his running mate, Ayn Rand is back in the news.
Religious Progressives Cannot Sit Out This Election
By Rita Nakashima Brock — Huffington Post
Progressives have nothing like the funds that Citizens United has unleashed from the monied right wing. What we have are people hours, and it’s our willingness to work for candidates that is the best protection against a takeover of the country by the 1 percent at every level of our government.
What Jewish voters want — and what the candidates don’t offer
By Rebecca Vilkomerson — L.A. Times, Opinion
…the same Public Religion Research Institute poll cited above found that 46% of Jewish respondents said a commitment to social equality is the most important element of their Jewish identity. It may not be a significant force in the election of 2012, but it would be a mistake to discount this growing segment of the Jewish community.
Planning for Poverty: The SNAP Challenge
By Christian Piatt — Sojourners, God’s Politics
…families receive $4 a day per family member to cover food costs, so the SNAP challenge is pretty simple (in theory, at least): Live on the same amount with your family for a week. For a family of four like us, this means we’ll have $112 to spend on all groceries for the week.
