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The gospel is “a message that knows no racial boundary,” says Rev. Michael Walrond, senior pastor at First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem. “When we begin to speak to the existential issues that bind us together, I think people find a home and a place of common ground.” More
“This is very, very different than being the great white surgeon who comes in and does some magical surgeries and then leaves without imparting any of the magic to the surgeons in the community. It’s teaching the doctors the surgical skills to go forth and do good things for the community, and also teach other doctors,” says Dr. Mary O’Hara, one of the volunteer surgeons traveling with the Orbis flying hospital to treat eye conditions and train local doctors on a recent trip to Vietnam. More
The Supreme Court’s decision upholding same-sex marriage sharply divided communities of faith; a veteran community developer and urban activist advocates models of charity that let the poor thrive; and a new medical technology allows scientists to repair and replace defective genes in order to treat genetic diseases, but ethicists are concerned about the risks of gene alteration for future generations. More
“Supporters of gay marriage say religion should not be used to discriminate against people. Religion should not be an excuse for people not to provide services or do their jobs. But conservative law firms are saying people have a right to stand up for what they believe, and they can’t be forced to act against what they believe.” More
The Supreme Court upholds Obamacare and recognizes same-sex marriages nationwide; philosopher Nancy Sherman says combat veterans are coming home from our recent wars with deep moral injuries as well as physical wounds; and while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responds openly to contentious issues in its history, many Mormons continue to have doubts about the Mormon past and to leave the church behind. More
Correspondent Tim O’Brien observes that the High Court’s upholding of gay marriage nationwide “is for gays and lesbians what Brown v Board of Education was for African Americans.” More
“We want people to understand the history of this church,” says Elder Marcus Nash, a leader of the LDS church who worked on a series of essays about questions of faith and contested church issues. But while this generation of Mormons may be “craving a more complicated narrative” about the church’s past, as Mormon historian Paul Reeve has said, former Mormon Edward Hoefer thinks “some people will accept the essays…and be comforted,” while for others “it will just accelerate their process” of leaving the church behind. More
In south Louisiana, faith-based activists are trying to help vulnerable communities affected by climate change; and we look back at the legacy of liberation theology, a movement begun in Latin America that sided with the poor and oppressed over the rich and powerful. More
Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, a Maryknoll priest in Nicaragua suspended by the Vatican for his leftist political activities in the seventies and eighties as part of the theological movement that was known for its radical embrace of the poor over the powerful, believes the Catholic Church under Pope Francis is “more attuned to Jesus.” More
Read statements from religious organizations in response to the June 17 shooting at historic Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. More