Monday's News & Ideas - 3/2/2020

Activism cuts into the political might of S.C. black church
Associated Press: Presidential hopefuls can no longer count on the church as the principal forum to connect with black voters.

He blames ‘evil’ for South Korea’s coronavirus surge. Officials blame him.*
New York Times: The founder of the Shincheonji church, which has been at the center of the outbreak in South Korea, is trying to defend his group while denying the accusations against it.
CNBC: Seoul mayor sues South Korea religious group for ‘murder’ and ‘injury’ over spike in coronavirus cases

Federal court protects woman who took sanctuary in a church from deportation
Religion News Service: For nearly two years the Honduran native took sanctuary from deportation at Church of Reconciliation, not knowing if she would ever be able to emerge from her confinement.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Jesus would be maligned as ‘radical’ by today’s Congress
HuffPost: The New York lawmaker invoked her Christian faith in a passionate defense of the dignity and rights of LGBTQ Americans.

Sociologist Andrew Whitehead: How Christian nationalism drives American politics*
Salon: The author of “Taking America Back for God” on why Christian nationalism isn't really about religion, or Donald Trump.

The Spark

‘I have a duty to do this’: Meet the Redditors fighting 2020’s fake news war
Despite the site’s reputation as a sometimes-toxic rumor mill, Reddit has become an unlikely home for passionate users who aim to call out disinformation* as it spreads, Fast Company says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers

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