Topic: US Domestic Issues
“We got to know our neighbors in the surrounding community in a way we probably wouldn’t have otherwise, because we did all have to work through it together. And so in these last 10 years I would say we have been much more part of the community where we’ve been a building for over a hundred years,” says David duPlantier, dean of Episcopal Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans. More
The US has more people in prison than any other country in the world, but UC Berkeley public policy professor Steven Raphael suggests that “instead of spending so much money on incarcerating very old inmates we could use that money to hire more police, have anti-violence interventions for youth, and be more proactive about having a society that is less violent and generates more productive citizens.” More
“When we make a mistake, we want a little grace, we want a little room to be forgiven, and that’s what everybody wants. If you tell a lie, you’re not just a liar. If you take something that doesn’t belong to you, you’re not just a thief. And even if you kill someone, you’re not just a killer. That idea has to have resonance in a just society that’s going to be both compassionate and just.” More
In a historic ruling in June, a divided Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in every state. “Christianity require you to push back against the world,” says Collin Hansen of the Gospel Coalition. But author Matthew Vines of the Reformation Project suggests that once even some evangelicals are willing to change their position, then “it starts to significantly shift the dynamic.” More
“American culture is changing. We simply have to hold onto the truths we believe have been articulated to us, in a way that is loving and compassionate and is balancing both truth and grace.” More
Faith communities, observes Howard University School of Divinity applied theology professor Harold Dean Trulear, are “founded on forgiveness.” Together the Charleston church shooting and the Confederate flag debate have “uncovered the depth of racism in our country and the ways our nation still remains deeply divided. But it also uncovered some real people of good will…Now we’re working very hard to try to do some healing.” 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
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 are still not getting it as a country, and we’re making a poor effort as a society to take care of all our veterans…We can liberate other countries and clear up their natural disasters. Women veterans are now America’s natural disaster,” says Final Salute founder Jaspen Boothe. More
“We get volunteers who otherwise might not have any contact with the criminal justice system who come in, give up their days, their weekends to be with the prisoners,” says David Liebel, director of religious services for the Indiana Department of Corrections. More
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