Greetings from one of my favorite places in the world!
I’m kidding (a little), but I’m typing this post in a Chick-fil-A parking lot near Dallas Love Field. In case you’re curious, yes, I enjoyed a delicious chicken biscuit for breakfast.
I’m in the Big D on reporting assignment for The Christian Chronicle and putting Friday Five together quickly before picking up a colleague at the airport.
Let’s dive right in:
1. Religion story of the week: In my hurry to post, I hope I’m not missing a major story that should go in this space.
But for me personally, the story of the week has to be Emma Green’s piece for The Atlantic on Iowa voters who both support President Donald Trump’s policies and — get this — wouldn’t mind seeing him impeached.
Yes, there’s a strong religion angle, as I explained in a post earlier this week. Check it out.
2. Most popular GetReligion post: Until further notice, let’s just go ahead and assume that this space will be filled by a post (1) written by editor, Terry Mattingly, and (2) related to debates between conservative and progressive Catholics about the modernization of doctrine.
This week, tmatt’s No. 1 post asks a simple question: “Podcast thinking: Are mainstream reporters who ask doctrinal questions aiding Catholic right?”
Read the post, and be sure to listen to the podcast, too.
3. Guilt folder fodder (and more): Religion News Service’s Adelle Banks is a must-follow journalist for readers interested in news related to the Southern Baptist Convention.
This week, Banks reported:
A newly discovered letter from one former prominent leader of the Southern Baptist Convention to another reveals a depth of mistrust and suspicion toward the denomination’s first black president.
Shortly after the convention’s 2012 meeting, Paige Patterson, then a seminary president and the architect of the denomination’s conservative turn, sent a letter to another denominational leader expressing doubt about the newly elected SBC president, Fred Luter, who is African American. Specifically, Patterson feared Luter would fail to nominate future leaders of denominational boards and agencies who would continue the conservative resurgence in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
That story follows recent pieces by Banks on (1) racial prejudice being blamed for a Southern Baptist church in Florida rejecting a black pastor and (2) plans to nominate R. Albert Mohler Jr. as the convention’s next president (a report that Banks co-authored with colleague Yonat Shimron).
4. Shameless plug: I interviewed some Christians in Sin City about the topic of gambling while I was in Las Vegas for the Religion News Association’s recent annual conference.
I wrote a column, noting that some church members have no problem with gambling — as long as it doesn’t become an addiction — while others consider it a sin.
5. Final thought: Oops indeed!
I meant to share that last week, but I forgot about it. The good news is that typing in the Chick-fil-A parking lot reminded me of it. More good news: Every day is National (Chicken) Sandwich Day at Chick-fil-A. Except Sunday, of course.
Happy Friday, everybody! Enjoy the weekend!