Thursday's News & Ideas - 2/25/2021
- Serene Jones on Capitol riot
- French megachurch mourns
- Black clergy in BLM
- A sad Purim this year
- Black Christian publisher dies
- Future of middle class & debt
Far-right Trump backers weaponized Christianity against democracy and could do it again
USA Today: Serene Jones was assaulted by a Proud Boys supporter in a foreshadowing of the hate to come. She saw that same look on the faces of those who ravaged the Capitol.
A megachurch was one of France’s first COVID clusters. One year on, 600 members sang and mourned in an indoor service.*
The Washington Post: One year after an evangelical megachurch became one of France's first known coronavirus clusters, 600 of its members gathered for an indoor worship service last Sunday, singing, praying and mourning dozens of friends they lost.
Black Lives Matter: What role do Black clergy play?
Al Jazeera: Today, a growing number of secular Black organizations offer alternative paths to those wanting to participate in or support racial justice advocacy.
It’s the happiest of Jewish holidays. But this Purim, many are feeling sad.
Religion News Service: This year as they mark Purim, a one-day holiday that begins Thursday evening (Feb. 25), American Jews are viewing the raucous, rollicking feast with a touch of grief.
Innovative Christian publisher Melvin E. Banks dies at 86*
Christian Century: In 1970, UMI -- the largest, independent, Black-owned Christian publishing company in the country -- pioneered the practice of creating contextualized images of Black people in the Bible.
The Spark
The future of the middle class depends on student loan forgiveness
Canceling debt is what’s needed to ensure a solid, equitable middle class, Vox says.
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