Wednesday's News & Ideas - 6/2/2020

Seminary built on slavery and Jim Crow labor has begun paying reparations*
The New York Times: The Virginia Theological Seminary is giving cash to descendants of Black Americans who were forced to work there. The program is among the first of its kind.

Wilberforce University, AME Church school, cancels debt for 2020, 2021 grads
Religion News Service: The school said the amount of debt forgiveness for both classes totals more than $375,000 for the 166 new alumni.

Nashville’s 1st queer female Lutheran pastor tells LGBTQ faithful, ‘God has not let go of you’
NBC News: The Rev. Dawn Bennett made history when she was ordained, and she’s using the pulpit to preach against anti-LGBTQ hate in Tennessee.

Religious Americans are less likely to endorse legal marijuana for recreational use
Pew Research: Opinions about whether and under what circumstances marijuana should be legal vary by Americans’ religious identity and their levels of religious commitment.

How a faith-based conservative group you’ve never heard of is impacting American politics
Deseret News: Want a preview of the Republican primaries? Or maybe to hitch your wagon to a rising conservative star? Turn your attention to grassroots groups, including the Faith and Freedom Coalition.

The Spark

Escaped elephants leave 500km trail of destruction in China
A wild herd has wrecked barns and eaten fields of crops after absconding from nature reserve in April, The Guardian says.

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