Wednesday's News & Ideas - 9/25/2019

A church, a synagogue and a mosque planned together for the Arabian Peninsula
Religion News Service: The three houses of worship, collectively known as the Abrahamic Family House, will stand together as a symbol of the kind of religious tolerance that the UAE wants to be known for.

Is there a future for pro-life Democrats?
America: Democratic Representative Daniel Lipinski’s primary challenger has received endorsements from Ocasio-Cortez and Warren, and according to him, the Democratic opposition to him is laser-focused on one subject: his views on abortion.

Armed security at churches is becoming a new normal
Christianity Today: Congregations adjust to shifting gun policies and the threat of active shooters.

Trump announces religious freedom initiatives during UN speech
CNN: President Donald Trump announced new initiatives as part of a global call for protecting religious freedom at the United Nations General Assembly, which his aides have characterized as the centerpiece of his visit to the conference of world leaders.

The circuit preacher was an idea of the frontier past. Now it’s the cutting-edge response to shrinking churches.*
Washington Post: Weekly acrobatics of military-precision timing and long-distance driving are what it takes to make Sunday church services happen in a place where churchgoers are aging, pews are getting emptier and church budgets are getting smaller.

The Spark

“Heritage travel” is surging in the era of DNA testing. It has a special significance for black Americans.
Some travelers have long desired a chance to mend family trees broken by slavery. For others, it’s complicated, according to Vox.

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