Monday's News & Ideas - 11/18/2019

Trump’s new HHS rule will harm far more people than you realize
Religion News Service: On Nov. 1, the Trump administration proposed a new rule that could allow over $30 billion in Department of Health and Human Services grants to flow to organizations that openly refuse to serve people of faith, women and LGBTQ people.

Why non-Christian ‘seekers’ are trying spiritual direction
America: As more Americans move away from participation in institutional religion, many seekers and nones are also seeking out places where they can have in-depth conversations about their spiritual lives.

Americans have positive views about religion’s role in society, but want it out of politics
Pew Research: Most say religion is losing influence in American life, and many see that as a bad thing.
Crux: Poll finds American Catholics don’t look to clergy on politics
Haaretz: U.S. Christians often hear their clergy speak about Jews -- and it's not always positive

China tells Uighur Muslims they are abducting their families so they can cleanse their brains like they have a disease, leaked documents show*
Insider: The 403 pages of internal documents, published by the Times on Saturday, detail the extent of China's efforts to deflect questions and criticism of unprecedented crackdown.

Kanye West calls himself the ‘greatest artist that God has ever created’ at Joel Osteen's service
People: The “Jesus Is King” rapper stopped by famous pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, on Sunday.

The Spark

The Electoral College’s racist origins
More than two centuries after it was designed to empower southern white voters, the system* continues to do just that, The Atlantic writes.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers

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