Thursday's News & Ideas - 9/16/2021

As COVID-19 vaccine mandates rise, religious exemptions grow
Associated Press: Religious objections, once used sparingly around the country to get exempted from various required vaccines, are becoming a much more widely used loophole against the COVID-19 shot.
The Conversation: What’s the law on vaccine exemptions? A religious liberty expert explains

‘Political evangelicals’? More Trump supporters adopt the label
Christianity Today: Surveys show evangelical identity holding steady over the last presidency, but with more complicated partisan connotations for the church.
Pew Research: More White Americans adopted than shed evangelical label during Trump presidency, especially his supporters

What the critical race theory panic was really about (and the data to prove it)*
Slate: Reporters found that the districts hosting some of the most combative debates over diversity and inclusion initiatives — including just teaching about racism — have seen a steady increase in students of color attending their schools.

This Yom Kippur, many Jews will wash their hands of a certain injunction
Religion News Service: On Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar’s most sacred day, many Jews adhere to centuries-old rabbinic mandates curbing hand-washing. During a pandemic, the rule butts up against public health advice.

Pope Francis says he has never denied Communion, warns against politicizing Eucharist
National Catholic Reporter: Pope Francis said the question of whether pro-choice Catholic politicians should receive Communion is “pastoral” and warned against bishops and priests who wade into politics.

The Spark

The frustration with productivity culture
The problem is not productivity,* per se, but the manner in which we seek to increase it, says The New Yorker.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers