Clinton Describes Her ‘Activist, Social Justice Faith’ to Baptists

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(RNS) Hillary Clinton quoted Scripture, hymns and even St. Francis of Assisi as she spoke at length about her faith — something she said doesn’t come naturally to a ‘Midwestern Methodist.’

CHR Comment: The article includes extensive comment on the candidates beliefs and experiences as a Methodist Christian. She addressed the National Baptist Convention, one of the oldest African American denominations.

Source: Clinton describes her ‘activist, social justice faith’ to Baptists | Religion News Service

In Defense of Christians

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(RNS) The plight of Christians in the Middle East is all but ignored, say their advocates.

CHR Comment: The article describes a Washington DC conference intent upon addressing the plight of Christians in the Middle East such as the Assyrian Christians and the Copts in Egypt. These minority religious groups are subject to persistent persecution in recent years. The conference also mentioned the suffering of the Yazidi people who practice a form of Zoroastrianism.

Source: Activists: West is ignoring genocide of Middle East religious minorities | Religion News Service

Muslim and Christian Birth Rates

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There’s a “Muslim youth bulge” — and it’s happening in country after country.

CHR Comment: The article describes the higher birth rate in Muslim populations, which also tend to be poorer and in circumstances where there are fewer opportunities and more frustrations, leading to rebellious actions. Several infographic comparisons with Christian populations are included.

Source: Why the world’s Muslim population is growing so very, very quickly – The Washington Post

Retired Pope Benedict’s New Book

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Retired Pope Benedict XVI has acknowledged that governing the church wasn’t his strong suit but says he doesn’t see his papacy as a failure and that he succeeded at least in breaking up the Vatican’s so-called “gay lobby.”

CHR Comment: Pope Benedict XVI was unique due to his retirement. He now shares reflections on his experiences with some of the thorniest issues during those years of service. This should be an interesting book, especially since it is released with another pope in office.

Source: Retired pope offers final reflections on papacy, Francis – The Washington Post

Is Wisconsin Teen’s Decision to Die a Turning Point?

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More than a decade ago, Americans took sides in a faith-tinged battle over the right to die.

CHR Comment: This article revisits the Terry Schiavo case that divided opinion about euthanasia and matters of faith. (Schiavo’s family was Roman Catholic.) As the article points out, this most recent situation appears quite different, though it is evident that American culture is becoming more comfortable with assisted suicide even as secularization also seems to rise.

Source: Is Wisconsin teen’s decision to die a turning point?

Catholicism’s Empty Quarter

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Québec, a flourishing Catholic region for centuries, is now Catholicism’s empty quarter in the Western Hemisphere. There is no more religiously arid place between the North Pole and Tierra del Fuego; there may be no more religiously arid place on the planet. And it all happened in the blink of an eye.

CHR Comment: Weigel attributes the rapid decline of Catholicism in Quebec to a delayed interaction with modernism and churchmen’s involvement in political intrigue. When they finally lost control, they rapidly lost their congregation. This begs the questions: how should a church address the challenges raised by modernism and how may they act as citizens and as Christians in addressing the issues of governance?

Source: Catholicism’s Empty Quarter | George Weigel | First Things