Tuesday's News & Ideas - 8/17/2021

Many Bible Belt preachers silent on shots as COVID-19 surges
Associated Press: Across the nation’s deeply religious Bible Belt, a region beset by soaring infection rates from the fast-spreading delta variant of the virus, churches and pastors are both helping and hurting in the campaign to get people vaccinated against COVID-19.

Gina Stewart becomes first woman elected to lead US Black Baptist organization
Religion News Service: Stewart, the senior pastor of a church in Memphis, Tennessee, previously served in vice presidential roles of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society for six years.

The deep strangeness of the Catholic Church’s latest scandal*
The Atlantic: The outing of a top administrator of the nation’s conference of Catholic bishops as a regular Grindr user was clearly a story. But what kind?

Church where MLK launched his civil rights career to become a museum
Smithsonian Magazine: The young pastor assumed a leadership role in the Montgomery bus boycott during a 1955 meeting at Mt. Zion AME Zion Church.

In Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, Palestinians find respite, sanctuary and rallying cry
NPR: In the news, the al-Aqsa mosque compound is a fuse for conflict between Israel and Palestinians. But in daily life of Muslims, it's a park, holy site and, yes, a symbol of resistance.

The Spark

The spine collector
For years, a mysterious figure has been stealing books* before their release, Vulture says. Is it espionage? Revenge? Or a complete waste of time?

*access is limited for nonsubscribers