Thursday's News & Ideas - 3/13/2025
- Religious leaders & trans rights
- DOJ’s SBC investigation ended
- 12 years of Pope Francis
- Threat to church in Syria
- Empathy isn’t a sin
- A popular actress’ hidden identity
Why religious leaders are divided on transgender rights
NPR: Last month, Kansas became the 26th state to ban or otherwise limit gender-affirming medical care for teens, a ban supported by some of the biggest religious groups in the U.S. But not all faith leaders agree.
Southern Baptist lawyers say the DOJ investigation is over
Religion News Service: The investigation cost the SBC’s Executive Committee $2 million in legal fees and led to one former Southern Baptist seminary leader pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.
Pope Francis marks 12 years of papacy on 28th day in hospital
National Catholic Reporter: March has always been a historic month for Pope Francis. It was the month, in 1958, when he joined the Society of Jesus and the month, in 2013, when he was elected pope.
Yet another threat to the ancient church in Syria
Religion Unplugged: Reports share that hundreds, maybe thousands, of ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians and Muslims of the Alawite sect, have been killed by Islamist militias in Syria.
Empathy isn’t a sin. It’s a risk.
Religion News Service: Empathy has recently been labeled a sin by evangelical authors, and a threat by the likes of Elon Musk. This is hardly the first appearance of the idea that empathy might be sinful, writes a professor of philosophy.
The Spark
A Hollywood star with a secret that could have ended her career
Merle Oberon was a popular actress* who was once nominated for an Oscar. But a fact that she hid from the public threatened to unspool her entire life’s work, writes Anna Kodé for the New York Times.
*access is limited for nonsubscribers
