Wednesday’s News & Ideas - 1/21/2026
- Church in anti-ICE protest
- Latin American religion survey
- Luther’s death mask
- Rituals honoring St Anthony
- Trump admin demands list of Jews
- Protecting Florida’s birds
Cities Church in Minnesota is considering legal options after anti-ICE protest
Religion News Service: Southern Baptist leaders say the protest was a violation of religious freedom and called on federal officials to protect churches.
Catholicism declines across Latin America as more identify with no religion
Religion Unplugged: The Catholic Church’s long-dominant hold on Latin America is continuing to loosen, even as most people across the region remain deeply religious.
Luther Seminary’s death mask*
The Christian Century: The school’s replica mold of Martin Luther’s face reminds me that I’m readying the plaster for the tradition that bears his name, Daniel Pioske says.
Horses leap through flames and pets go to church in Spanish animal rituals honoring St Anthony
The Associated Press: Hundreds of Spaniards watched horses gallop through towering flames, hours before pet owners in Madrid on Saturday took their dogs and cats to church to be blessed with holy water.
Why the Trump administration’s demand for a list of Jews at Penn is so dangerous
The Guardian: If history teaches us anything, it is that making lists of Jews, no matter the ostensible purpose, is often a prelude to their and others’ persecution.
The Spark
Plume: A tale of murder and martyrdom in the everglades
Guy Bradley gave his life to save South Florida’s tropical birds, becoming one of the environmental movement’s first martyrs, The Bitter Southerner says.
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