There is a lot to chew on this week, at Wisdom Wednesday for July 30. First is the starvation in Gaza – and what to do about it. That is, what can we do? What can I do? And perhaps the toughest of all questions to answer: What will I do?
The Guardian reports that human rights organizations in Israel say Israel is committing genocide – and western allies have a legal and moral duty to stop it. Another voice suggests clergy are complicit in the “U.S.-Israel genocide and mass starvation.” As always, readers must consider the sources of their information, essential to the choices to be made.
Mass starvation in Gaza
Two leading human rights organizations based in Israel, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, say Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the country’s western allies have a legal and moral duty to stop it. Reported by the Guardian.
Gaza is facing a man-made ‘mass starvation,’ the World Health Organization chief said Monday. More than 100 humanitarian organizations signed a joint letter calling on Israel to restore the full flow of food, clean water, and medical supplies to Gaza. Reported by CNN.
Published viewpoints
‘Israel Weaponising Hunger In Gaza’: Over 1000 Rabbis Slam Netanyahu For Violating Jewish Values. That is the headline from the Times of India. Another source, a group originally known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, adds to the world-wide concern.
Where are the Catholics?
The fundamental question: 1,000 Rabbis–how about 1000 priests or 250 Catholic Bishops? That question is posed in the web publication, CovertAction Magazine, asking if Catholic clergy are “Complicit in U.S.-Israel Genocide and Mass Starvation.” That publication is a project of CovertAction Institute, Inc., a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the State of New York. Read the viewpoint HERE and the background history of the institute HERE.
More views and reactions reported
A group of observant Jews set out to reclaim their tradition’s focus on justice, mercy amid Gaza war. Religion News Service reports that “The Halachic Left is one of several new Jewish protest groups that have formed after Oct. 7, 2023, to argue for a reclaiming of a Judaism of loving kindness.” A personal viewpoint published by Religion News Service seeks to find the line between antisemitism and holding Israel accountable.
U.S. immigration and deportation
The Guardian reports “US immigration officers made false and misleading statements in their reports about several Los Angeles protesters they arrested during the massive demonstrations that rocked the city in June. The Guardian cites federal law enforcement files obtained by the publication as the source for the story.
As deportation fears keep immigrants from work, their churches feel financial strain. Newly strained finances are just one reality that Latino immigrant churches are adjusting to as the Trump administration accelerates a promised mass deportation campaign and other aggressive changes to immigration policy. Reported by Religion News Service.
Catholic moms plead with their bishops to speak out on migrant detention. A new online group, the Dorothea Project, aims to bring attention to Catholic social teaching. Reported by Religion News Service.
Miami Archbishop Wenski led a motorcycle rosary prayer session at ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Despite extensive attempts to obtain approval to say Mass in the detention center, Wenski told RNS the archdiocese had not been able to provide pastoral care for the detained migrants.
‘Beloved pillar of our community.’ ICE arrests Maryland pastor who overstayed his visa 24 years ago, as reported by the Christian Post.
Impact of Laudato Si’ on Africa
Ten years after Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, Catholic ecologists assess its impact on Africa, according to a report from Religion News Service. Participants from the US and Africa urged scientific and economic thinkers on climate to consider spiritual concepts raised in Laudato Si’.
‘Not Your Mascot’ campaign
Kaitlin Curtice, a Potawatomi award-winning author, poet and public speaker, says Trump’s call to revive sports teams’ Native mascots reverses progress on religious freedom. Her viewpoint is reported by Religion News Service. To learn more about the “Not Your Mascot” campaign, visit this website.
Research and surveys
For much of the last two decades, Muslims in the United States have been far more likely to identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party than the Republican Party. But a new analysis based on Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study shows that the Democratic advantage has shrunk considerably. From Pew Research.
Republicans are more likely to identify as evangelical Protestants than are Democrats. Reported by Baptist News Global.
Women leaving church. In 2024, the Survey Center on American Life revealed a significant shift: More Gen Z women are disengaging from the formative religion of their youth than are Gen Z men. This marks a notable reversal from the three previous generations, where men were more likely to leave. Reported by Baptist News Global.
Religion in schools. The Hill reports on efforts to put the Ten Commandments in schools, and what state laws and measures are involved, using data from Pew Research. Proponents hope to make Ten Commandments next Supreme Court test of religion in schools
Priestly Vocations Are Booming in the Midwest and the South, according to a report by the National Catholic Register. The Register analyzed data on ordinations collected by Georgetown’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. The Register also examined renewal efforts in the Diocese of Bismarck.
Endorsing political candidates
The IRS says churches can now endorse political candidates. The Miami Herald reports on the reaction of Miami faith leaders. The Christian Post reached out to a couple of churches participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday to get their perspectives on the IRS’ decision to allow pastors to endorse candidates from the pulpit.
World Youth Day Jubilee
Half a million young people are expected in Rome this week for the biggest event of the 2025 Holy Year: a Jubilee celebration for young Catholics that will sorely test their tolerance for heat and the Eternal City’s ability to provide public services, security and logistical support during its peak tourist season. Reported by the Associated Press.
Plea to halt execution
Tennessee’s governor is being urged to commute the death sentence of an intellectually disabled man. Baptist News Global reports the execution is scheduled next Tuesday (August 5).
Essays and personal reflections
A 34 year game of tag. “There are some things we do early in life that probably ought to stick with us more than they do. They could vary from you to me. But I think anything that fosters playfulness, laughter and awe, and that helps us retain at least a modicum of our childlikeness has got to be good.” Published by Baptist News Global.
The “weaponization” of Scripture. ” . . . allow me to offer a brief definition of the term. ‘Weaponization’ is the process of turning something meant to be a tool of healing into an instrument of harm. Published by Baptist News Global.
Yellowstone Park: a sacred wonderland. Nearly 5 million travelers come to Wyoming to visit Yellowstone National Park each year, most in the summer months. They come for the geysers, wildlife, scenery and recreational activities such as hiking, fishing and photography. However, few realize that religion has been part of Yellowstone’s appeal throughout the park’s history. Published by The Conversation.
In praise of Ozzy Osbourne. Black Sabbath has long been caricatured — and at times, self-caricatured — as dark and dangerous. But to the surprise of many, their lyrics are, to a great extent, not a celebration of evil, but a confrontation with it. So concludes a writer at the National Catholic Register, with “Ozzy Osbourne, Heavy Metal, and the Sound of Searching Souls.”
What makes for charisma? A religion historian tries to understand the mysterious force. In her recent book, ‘Spellbound,’ Molly Worthen posits that charismatic people tell a compelling story about human identity and purpose that others gravitate to because it helps explain their own role in the grand scheme of life. Published by Religion News Service.
The Rev. Pamela Cooper-White, spoke recently on “Spiritual Care as Resistance: Christian Nationalism, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Authoritarianism,” for the International Association for Spiritual Care. “This is probably the angriest talk I’ve ever given,” she said. “U.S. President Donald Trump and his loyalists have taken a wrecking ball to virtually everything touching on racial, gender and climate justice . . . .” Reported by Religion News Service.
An American pope reluctant to speak English. Bob Mickens, writing for the Union of Catholic Asian News, tries to explain why history’s first US-born pope has been shy to use today’s global language in public. (Mickens was a keynoter for the 2013 AUSCP Assembly in Seattle.)
Justice Bulletin Board
Barbara Molinari Quinby writes weekly for her parish, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, NC, with thoughts you may find applicable in your ministry.
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