Monday's News & Ideas - 9/23/2019

Relevant founder Cameron Strang accused of creating racially insensitive workplace
Religion News Service: Cameron Strang, the founder and CEO of Relevant Media Group, found himself under attack from a host of former employees this week who accused him of behavior they said was racially insensitive and changed depending on his mood.

U.S. orders Duke and U.N.C. to recast tone in Mideast studies*
New York Times: The Education Department has ordered the universities to remake the Middle East studies program after concluding that it was offering students a biased curriculum that, among other complaints, did not present enough “positive” imagery of Judaism and Christianity in the region.

I was a pastor when I nearly died by suicide. Churches should look more like psych wards.
USA Today: “I’m praying for you” feels like the right thing to say, but for people struggling, it isn't a solution. Here's how churches can actually help.

Catholicism is multilingual, so why aren’t more Catholic schools?
America: While the majority of Catholics in the United States under 18 are Latino, only 4 percent of Latino children are enrolled at Catholic schools.

Evangelical has lost its meaning*
The Atlantic: A term that once described a vital tradition within the Christian faith now means something else entirely.

The Spark

How TikTok holds our attention
On the popular short-video app,* young people are churning through images and sounds at warp speed, repurposing reality into ironic, bite-size content writes Jia Tolentino at The New Yorker.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers

Want to get News & Ideas in your inbox every weekday?
Subscribe to our News & Ideas newsletter or receive our RSS feed in your RSS reader.