His new home is not quite this modest, but Pope Francis has decided against living in the lovely papal apartment reserved for him, and will dwell in plainer rooms in a Vatican guesthouse. Photo courtesy of solar.empire via Flickr
This morning it’s the second part of the Supreme Court’s double header on gay marriage, as the justices consider DOMA – the Defense of Marriage Act. Tune back to RNS for our story later this afternoon.
Yesterday the Supremes picked apart Prop. 8, the California referendum that banned gay marriage until two lower courts struck it down. From our seat in the press box, it seems as if gay marriage isn’t so much a question of “if” but “when.”
Here are Adelle Banks photos of pro and anti same sex marriage activism outside the courtroom.
RNS blogger Michael J. O’Loughlin writes about another prominent U.S. senator who has expressed support for marriage equality . . . this time citing Corinthians.
Pope Francis nearly breaks the humility meter as he declines that comfy papal apartment overlooking St. Peter’s Square for more hamish (it’s Yiddish!) quarters in a Vatican guesthouse.
During the first general audience of his pontificate, Francis asked Catholics to tend to “lost sheep,” as Christ did.
The archbishop of Havana releases the notes from the speech Francis gave to the conclave before it named him pope.
In Britain, 21 Catholic members of Parliament are asking Francis to ordain married Catholic men.
Filipino bishops are asking Catholics to refrain this Holy Week from whipping and crucifying themselves. The Filipino department of health says if you insist, get a tetanus shot and use sterilized nails.
This Easter, writes Kimberly Winston, Teresa MacBain will mark an anniversary that’s uncommon for an ordained minister — her first year as an atheist.
Three out of four Americans think this country is in state of moral decline, and one out of those three says the number one reason is that we don’t read our Bible enough. “Lack of Bible” reading narrowly beat out “negative influence of media,” present company excepted, right?
Adelle Banks reports that Secretary of State John Kerry is calling for the release of an Iranian-American minister from a Tehran prison after advocates had accused the State Department of being “AWOL” on the case.
Because she is good at multitasking, Adelle Banks also writes that Russell Moore will succeed Richard Land as the next president of the Southern Baptists’ Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission – a person who often gets more attention than the president of the denomination.
RNS blogger Jonathan Merritt interviews David Platt on his new book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. The title intrigues, no?
Phoenix charter schools are under fire for adopting a curriculum developed by the Church of Scientology.
Once plentiful St. Peter’s fish, aka tilapia, are disappearing from the Sea of Galilee and Israeli scientists are trying to figure out why.
Here’s a lovely slideshow of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that is celebrated today.
- Lauren Markoe
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5 Comments
Wednesday's Religion News Roundup: Supreme Marriage * Francis' Digs * Ordained Atheist - Religion News Service | THINKING PRESBYTERIAN | Scoop.it
[...] Next up at the Supreme Court: the Defense of Marriage Act. Pope Francis opts for humble quarters. And an ordained minister celebrates her first anniversary as an atheist. [...]
Kevan Scott
As per my post yesterday complaining of not getting the links and the subsequent reply by Y. S. I am happy to report that although I cannot see the highlighted links in the roundup my screenreader does list the links, albeit in a much different way than you sighted folks see them. So, while I would prefer a”link” after each link as in other sites I visit I am at least satisfied that I can access all the links that everyone else does in the roundup.
David Herrera
Hi Kevan: I’m a web developer at RNS. What screen reader do you use?
Lauren Markoe
Article authorWe’re glad you found a way to make it work.
Kevan Scott
Now, as to the issues of gay marriage, otherwise known by me as equal marriage under the law, I have come to the conclusion that those who do oppose said equal marriage under the law, still can do so on religious grounds but if they say that the constitution doesn’t allow it are being a bit hypocritical in the sense that if we as Americans say we believe the constitution and that constitution clearly states that all are to be treated with equality then we, as Americans cannot bar anyone from being married whether we disagree with their choice or not. Many still disagree with persons of color having equal rights but that does not stop the vast majority of Americans from following the constitution and agreeing that all are to be treated as equals. While there are those who would like to argue that the constitution does not explicicity say seperation of church and state just 1 look at the constitution will reveal that it does. The framers knew what they were doing. Having escaped religious persecution themselves the framers knew that if we allowed the church and state to rule together, so to speak, that we would just descend into that rabbit hole of religious fascism that so many are so eager to descend into today. Not me, I can comfortably have my religious convicttions and still allow for the fact that the constitution overrules those convictions when it comes to matters of treating everyone equally under the law. That’s the land I want to live in for to live in a land ruled by so called Christian or shira or any other religious law is a land that is going to discriminate against someone else based on their religious convictions. That someone may be you or me, and I have no desire to live in any land ruled by some kind of religious law. No, I’ll take the constitution and it’s provisions that EVERYONE is treated equally under the law.