FPL Daily News Reel: July 5, 2012
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.
Feeling Under Siege, Catholic Leadership Shifts Right 
By Barbara Bradley Hagerty — NPR
“[The bishops] realize they’re losing control,” [Reese] says, “and they think the solution is simply to shout louder, and to say, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ or, ‘Not in my house, you won’t,’ or, ‘Because I said so!’
Will the Catholic Bishops help elect Mitt Romney?
By Barbara Miner — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Opinion
A number of Catholics worry that the Fortnight for Freedom is leading the church down an unnecessarily vitriolic path where opposition to birth control trumps all other concerns…
Questions about religious liberty campaign’s finances not personal
By National Catholic Reporter, Editorial
Lori need not defend or justify the donors or argue any that this is not a partisan effort. What he says of the matter is of little interest. Just release the names of those who are funding the cause and how much they are donating. It is a simple matter of transparency and accountability. The rest of the church, as well as the general public, can draw their own conclusions.
Ryan vs. Ryan
By Catherine Woodiwiss and Alexandra Scheeler — Center for American Progress
The end of the nuns’ bus tour is a good moment to revisit some of the moral traditions that underpin progressive notions of dignified work and an economy that works for everyone.
Religious right’s new rivals
By Sarah Posner — Salon
[Ron] Paul and his followers are fond of describing themselves as a “remnant” — a biblical term referring to a small group of true believers who preach the gospel during the tribulation.
The Founders’ true spirit
By E.J. Dionne Jr. — Washington Post, Opinion
It is dangerous to turn the Founders into quasi-religious prophets who produced a text more like the Bible or the Talmud. It’s neither. It is a governing document that was the product of compromises and arguments.
States Bucking ‘Obamacare’ Are Among Those With Highest Rates Of Uninsured
By Brian Beutler — Talking Points Memo
…many of the states with high-profile conservative governors vowing to stand athwart the ACA’s progress, by refusing to expand their Medicaid programs and erecting hurdles to establishing insurance marketplaces, would stand to gain the most from successful implementation of the law.
House Republicans Reject Food Stamp Compromise In Favor Of Reform They Admit Is ‘Out Of Date’
By Travis Waldron — Think Progress
The Lucas version of the bill would save billions but kick nearly two million people out of the program, following the footsteps of Republican efforts over the last two years. But that isn’t enough for his fellow Republicans, who want to make deeper, “symbolic” cuts.
The Big, Bad Business of Fighting Guest Worker Rights
By Gabriel Thompson — The Nation
The allegations of abuse at CJ’s Seafood come amidst a sustained effort by the Department of Labor to fix an H-2B system that too often allows unscrupulous employers to exploit guest workers while also overlooking willing American job seekers.
Air Force chaplains adjust to gays serving openly
By David Crary — Associated Press
In fact, there’s been no significant exodus…Moreover, chaplains or their civilian coordinators from a range of conservative faiths told The Associated Press they knew of virtually no serious problems thus far involving infringement of chaplains’ religious freedom or rights of conscience.
AME church rips vote on Eric Holder
By MJ Lee — Politico
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the most prominent black denominations in the country, is blasting the House vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress last week, comparing the move to the “evil strategies employed following the Reconstruction era.”
