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.
Religious Leaders Slam Ryan For Using Catholic Faith To Justify Cutting Programs That Help The Poor
By Travis Waldron — Think Progress
Ryan’s budget seems to ignore Catholic social teaching that calls for protecting the poor and improving access to food, jobs, health care, housing, and the social safety net. And now religious leaders are making the same case.
Jesus would oppose the Paul Ryan budget
By Brent Budowsky — The Hill, Opinion
Let’s keep Ayn Rand in the past. Let’s keep the Austrian economists in the dusty and outdated books of failed theories. Let’s keep Jesus out of the business of helping the rich and punishing the poor.
Hey SCOTUS, we already have a federal mandate for health care
By Brian E. Keeley — Christian Science Monitor, Opinion
US law requires emergency rooms to treat patients regardless of their ability to pay. As a hospital CEO, I assure you, we already have a form of universal health care. We simply fund and supply it in an exorbitantly expensive way. Obamacare’s individual mandate provides the solution.
NYT Mislabels “Christians”
By Timothy Noah — The New Republic
An April 4 Page One story about the new anti-abortion film October Baby made initial reference to the film’s genre (and market niche) as “socially-conservative religious fare,” which is accurate. But subsequently the story made reference to “Christian-oriented movies,” to the filmmakers’ “Christian household,” to “a Christian values group,” and to “Christian music stars like Amy Grant.”
After contraception controversy, Catholic Church announces ‘religious freedom’ campaign
By Dan Gilgoff — CNN, Belief Blog
…the initiative would stretch out over the course of a few years and that it would include everything from encouraging priests to address religious liberty concerns in church to sending inserts for church bulletins.
More Evidence Against the Death Penalty
By New York Times, Editorial
…the system cannot be fixed. It is practically impossible to rid the legal process of biases driven by race, class and politics. The growing number of states reconsidering this barbaric system is a welcome sign. Capital punishment, by overwhelming evidence, should be abolished throughout the United States.
Poll Shows Christianity Good for the Poor, Bad for Sex
By Annalisa Musarra — Religion News Service
Americans feel the “Christian faith” has a positive impact on help for the poor and raising children with good morals, according to a new poll, but it gets a bad rap on its impact on sexuality in society.
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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.
Zimmerman’s arrest in Trayvon Martin case met with relief, anger
By Laura Isensee And Audra D.S. Burch — Miami Herald
Outrage over Trayvon’s death and the lack of an arrest galvanized ordinary citizens, particularly in the black community who saw the case as a symbol of the consequences of racial profiling and the hazards of being a young, black male.
Searching for Justice in Florida
By New York Times, Editorial
That the Police Department in Sanford, Fla., did not bring charges weeks ago shows how this law undermines the justice system and harms public safety. It must be repealed if the Trayvon Martin case is to advance the meaning of justice.
Fla. Megachurch Pastor Joel Hunter: Impossible for Church to Feed Poor in Place of Gov’t
By Michelle A. Vu — Christian Post
…an evangelical pastor who is also one of President Obama’s spiritual advisers said that looking at the numbers, it is not possible for the church to replace the government in feeding the poor, let alone meet other needs.
‘Buffett Rule’ vs. Ryan plan: Who should chip in more?
By David A. Fahrenthold and David Nakamura — Washington Post
Democrats point at millionaires, and Republicans turn to people who use Medicare and Medicaid.
Rep. Ryan goes all social-teaching-ish
By Steve Thorngate — Christian Century, Opinion
In what universe does cutting Pell Grants constitute replacing a culture of dependency with an effort to lift people out of poverty?
Karl Rove and company are losing the argument over inequality
By Greg Sargent — Washington Post, The Plum Line
…they are trying to solve a society wide problem that threatens the future of a country of over 300 million people — one that, in their telling, requires a bit more sacrifice from high earners as a whole class if we are to have any hope of solving it.
The marginalized pay for the church’s ideological battles
By Jamie L Manson — National Catholic Reporter, Opinion
Because, ultimately, it is the poor, the sick and the marginalized who must bear the burden of these ideological battles. All of those whom Jesus mandated we care for and protect are being sacrificed for the sake of political crusades.
Is this the Mormons’ JFK moment? Maybe, maybe not
By David Gibson — Religion News Service
Ostling also argued that the attacks on Romney’s Mormonism, while unseemly, don’t compare with those that Smith or Kennedy endured.
Death Penalty Repeal Goes to Connecticut Governor
By Peter Applebome — New York Times
After more than nine hours of debate, the Connecticut House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to repeal the state’s death penalty, following a similar vote in the State Senate last week. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat, has said he will sign the bill.
How Santorum boxed in Romney
By E.J. Dionne — Washington Post, Opinion
Yes, it’s still early. Renewed economic jitters in Europe could spoil a fragile U.S. recovery. But for now, Romney finds himself in a political maze with no obvious path out. He’s there partly because of his own mistakes, but he was also led to this point because of the unlikely strength of Rick Santorum’s challenge.
Obama delays ban on discrimination by U.S. contractors, disappointing gay rights advocates
By Peter Wallsten — Washington Post, 44
A surprising new rift opened between the White House and the gay rights movement after White House officials revealed Wednesday that President Obama would not sign an executive order sought by activists to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
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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.
Trayvon Martin killing reminds us that our nation needs to heal
By Nelson Rivers III & Joel C. Hunter — Orlando Sentinel, Opinion
We can bring about the day when being the wrong race in the wrong place at the wrong time isn’t a life-threatening circumstance.
The Ryan budget and competing visions of Catholic social teaching 
By Liz Lefebvre — U.S. Catholic
Well, faith leaders are at it again with the release of Paul Ryan’s 2013 budget. It might come as a surprise after reading these critiques from fellow Catholics, to hear Ryan say that he did consult his Catholic faith when making decisions about the budget.
Ryan says faith helped shape his budget
By Jonathan Easley — The Hill
Ryan made a moral case for his budget, saying that the government shouldn’t be responsible for lifting its citizens out of poverty — rather, that it’s the obligation of the citizens themselves to be society’s caretakers.
Mr. Obama and the ‘Buffett Rule’
By New York Times, Editorial
The discussion of inequality must not end with a debate on taxes. To ensure that the benefits of economic growth are shared among all Americans, Washington must do a lot more to strengthen the institutions that foster broad prosperity. Those include public education, universal health care, Social Security, affirmative action, financial regulation and the minimum wage.
The watchdogs bite again: Another agency in danger of losing CCHD funding
By Bryan Cones — U.S. Catholic
…these kinds of guilt-by-association accusations are counterproductive and are doing serious damage both to our Catholic outreach to the poor and to our image as a community who joins wih all people of good will in works of charity and justice. More and more it appears that Catholics in general are so obsessed with issues of sexuality that we can’t even feed the poor or shelter immigrants anymore.
Occupy Catholics to Cardinal Dolan: We Aren’t Protesting, We’re Advertising Love
By Nathan Schneider — Religion Dispatches
The Catholic bishops haven’t had much to say while their co-religionist Paul Ryan pushes through his budgetary assault on the 99%. But if they won’t speak…others will have to do so instead.
With Santorum suspending campaign, some religious conservatives wonder how to proceed
By Dan Gilgoff — CNN, Belief Blog
“Right now my choice is to sit on my hands and do nothing or to actively try to find some alternative” to Mitt Romney, Farris said in an interview shortly after Santorum’s announcement.
Was Santorum running for theologian-in-chief?
By Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite — Washington Post, On Faith
Santorum’s vision of the presidency, as gleaned from his many statements on faith and policy, was more of a Christian “theologian-in-chief” than a political leader of the most religiously diverse nation in the world.
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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.
Catholic Fund Cuts Off Aid Over Groups’ Affiliations
By Dan Frosch — New York Times
The Catholic Campaign, which doles out $8 million annually to about 250 groups nationwide, has been under increasing pressure from conservative Catholic groups to ensure that it is not unwittingly aiding organizations that run afoul of church positions on issues like birth control and marriage.
Stand Your Ground laws coincide with jump in justifiable-homicide cases
By Marc Fisher and Dan Eggen — Washington Post
In Florida and across the country, “Stand Your Ground” laws — the same kind of legislation that authorities cited for not arresting a neighborhood-watch volunteer after 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed in Florida in February — have coincided with a sharp increase in justifiable-homicide cases.
Obama levels straight shots at Supreme Court and Ryan budget
By E.J. Dionne Jr. — Washington Post, Opinion
Progressives would be wildly irresponsible if they sat by quietly while a conservative Supreme Court majority undid 80 years of jurisprudence. Roosevelt wasn’t a wimp, and Obama has decided that he won’t be one, either. Conservatives are unhappy because they prefer passive, intimidated liberals to the fighting kind.
Religion, politics dominate Easter Sunday talk shows
By Neela Banerjee — Los Angeles Times
Airing on Easter and Passover, the Sunday morning news talk shows used the occasion to explore the religious questions and controversies that could emerge in the presidential election.
Cleaver: No war on religion
By Byron Tau — Politico
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said Sunday that Republican rhetoric about a government war on people of faith was being exaggerated for political purposes.
Chuck Schumer: ‘No class warfare’ on taxes
By Darius Dixon — Politico
“There’s no class warfare involved, it’s a question simply of fairness,” he said.
Rewritten immigration bill better than current law, but not by enough to overcome problems caused first time around
By Birmingham News, Editorial
The immigration law remains overreaching. It is still harsh. Alabama remains a “show your papers” state.
Welfare Limits Left Poor Adrift as Recession Hit
By Jason DeParle — New York Times
The poor people who were dropped from cash assistance here, mostly single mothers, talk with surprising openness about the desperate, and sometimes illegal, ways they make ends meet.
Let My People Bargain!’ Why Moses Was History’s First Union Representative
By Sara Horowitz — The Atlantic
Moses was a gifted organizer, and you can see the lessons of the Israelite revolt resonating throughout labor history — in labor guilds, mutual aid societies, and modern collective bargaining units.
Anti-Shariah bill defeated in Oklahoma senate
By Omar Sacirbey — Religion News Service
Oklahoma is one of several states where anti-foreign law bills have died or been withdrawn recently, including Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Jersey. The movement to ban Shariah from state courts started in Oklahoma two years ago.
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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.
Calling Radicalism by Its Name
By New York Times, Editorial
President Obama’s fruitless three-year search for compromise with the Republicans ended in a thunderclap of a speech on Tuesday, as he denounced the party and its presidential candidates for cruelty and extremism. He accused his opponents of imposing on the country a “radical vision” that “is antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity.”
Dem lawmaker implies GOP budget violates biblical teachings
By Pete Kasperowicz — The Hill
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) last week implied that the House Republican budget resolution goes against many of the teachings found in the Bible, and said Republicans need to explain how they can justify their budget based on these discrepancies.
The three political objectives of Obama’s speech
By Greg Sargent — Washington Post, The Plum Line
Obama defended government activism as not just morally right, but as a way to faciliate economic growth.
Clergy group to air ad against AL immigration law
By Associated Press
Ahead of Easter and Passover, faith leaders across Alabama have asked state lawmakers to hear “the cries of their people”, reflect and revise what they deem the toughest-in-the-nation immigration law.
Wisconsin family heartbroken after ICE deports father of four to Mexico
By Steve Wideman — Catholic News Service
“To think a family has been broken up to comply with an outdated immigration policy, said Sister Marlita Henseler, parish director of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Community in Newton, Wis….”Our federal government needs to do some immigration reform. It’s been due for 10 years.”
Richard Land says activists using Trayvon Martin to get out the vote
By Bob Allen — Associated Baptist Press
Southern Baptists top public-policy spokesman said on his radio program March 31 that black leaders are exploiting outrage over the shooting death of a Florida teenager to help President Obama get re-elected.
Catholic university in Ohio ends birth-control coverage
By Stephanie Simon — Reuters
Xavier University, one of the oldest Roman Catholic colleges in the United States, will cut off birth-control coverage for its employees in July, a move that has divided faculty members and students on the Cincinnati campus.
Being uninsured is a mandate, too
By Jennifer Granholm — Politico, Opinion
“I’m already forced to buy health care – but it’s in the emergency room. It’s almost bankrupting me. Do these guys think that’s my choice?”
Romney: Obama Hopes To Establish ‘Secularism’ As An Official Religion
By Igor Volsky — Think Progress
Mitt Romney doubled down on his attack against President Obama for allegedly waging a “war on religion” during a town hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Monday night, insisting that the Affordable Care Act’s new rule requiring employers to provide preventive health care services like contraception constituted an effort to establish “secularism” as an official religion.
Muslim voters could swing election, report finds
By Richard Allen Greene — CNN, Belief Blog
Florida and Ohio, two states that have been decided by razor-thin margins in recent years, also have enough Muslim voters to make a difference to the final result, the report says.
DeLaSalle kids have a few words with archdiocese at marriage talk
By Jon Tevlin — Minnesota Star Tribune
A priest and a volunteer couple presented the information. When someone asked a question about two men being able to have a quality, committed relationship, the couple compared their love to bestiality.
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