Tuesday's News & Ideas - 2/19/2019

Southern Baptists should investigate churches that cover up abuse, says SBC president
Religion News Service: While blaming the abusers, SBC president J.D. Greear called on the convention as a whole "to repent of a culture that has made abuse, cover-ups, and evading accountability far too easy."

Kenyan United Methodists oppose allowing LGBT clergy, pray for church unity worldwide
Religion News Service: In East Africa's heavyweight country, most say a resounding "no" to proposals to allow same-sex weddings and LGBTQ clergy.

The Bible as/and literature
Sightings: Robert Alter's "The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary" is a cultural accomplishment of a very high order, and an opportunity to think about the places and the spaces that "the Bible" occupies in contemporary discourse.

Vatican's secret rules for Catholic priests who have children
The New York Times: The Vatican has confirmed, apparently for the first time, that its department overseeing the world's priests has general guidelines for what to do when clerics break celibacy vows and father children.

Life at the border: Church volunteers help migrant asylum seekers in Arizona
The Deseret News: An unofficial coalition of churches is filling a gap for immigrants released by Homeland Security in Arizona with no place to stay and no means to reunite with their families.

The Spark

Remembering why curiosity should be boundless
Watching young children interact with the world can provide an important reminder of science as a process and frame of mind rather than scope of content. As Scientific American reports, young children provide gentle and chaotic reminders of how to be open to the world around us.

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