Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: the global expansion of charismatic Christianity, Islam in Southeast Asia, and fears about rising anti-Semitism in Germany.
AROUND THE WORLD
Ecstasy and Exodus
Economist
http://www.economist.com/news/international/21688880-charismatic-christianity-thrives-among-people-move-ecstasy-and-exodus
Todd Johnson of America’s Centre for the Study of Global Christianity reckons that as of 2010, these charismatic worshippers amounted to a quarter of the world’s 2.3 billion Christians; by 2025 he expects their number to reach 800m (see chart). It is often noted by religion-watchers that Christianity globally is becoming more southern and exuberant. But the success of Pentecostalism and its imitators also highlights a more subtle point: the need for a kind of religion that is flexible enough to suit people in transit, whether between the southern hemisphere and the northern, between the countryside and the city, or between poverty and wealth.
The Long History of Muslims and Christians Killing People Together
by Ishaan Tharoor
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/01/25/the-long-history-of-muslims-and-christians-killing-people-together/?tid=sm_fb
"Today, words such as 'Islam' and 'Europe' appear to have all the consistency of oil and water," British academic Ian Almond writes. But, he goes on, "the fact remains that in the history of Europe, for hundreds of years, Muslims and Christians shared common cultures, spoke common languages, and did not necessarily see one another as 'strange' or 'other.'" The starkest proof of that lies in the battlefield, where Muslims and Christians died next to one another over many centuries.
Europe’s Feckless Secularism
by William McGurn
Wall Street Journal
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/europes-feckless-secularism-1453767637-lMyQjAxMTE2NDI5NjIyNTYyWj
Nearly a quarter century ago, Yale’s Harold Bloom famously described America as a “dangerously religion-soaked, even religion-mad, society.” When Europeans gaze upon our shores, this is pretty much what they see. At a moment when Europol is reporting that Islamic State is planning more Paris-style terror attacks, that’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate because America’s overt religiosity blinds Europe’s elites to the one part of the American experiment most relevant to their needs today: our secularism.
Ending the Horror of Myanmar’s Abuse of Muslims
Editorial Board
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/25/opinion/ending-the-horror-of-myanmars-abuse-of-muslims.html?emc=edit_th_20160125&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=66717228&_r=0
As soon as the political transition is complete, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi and her party must move swiftly to redress discrimination against Myanmar’s Muslims and to end the Rohingya’s terrible plight. This means overturning Mr. Thein Sein’s egregiously discriminatory laws targeting Muslims, restoring citizenship to the Rohingya and other Muslims, allowing the Rohingya to leave the squalid camps to return to their homes and businesses and to travel, and outlawing hate crimes and hate speech toward religious minorities.
Indonesia Province Bans Ahmadiyah from Spreading Minority Islamic Sect
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2016/01/26/indonesia-province-bans-ahmadiyah-from-spreading-minority-islamic-sect/
A tiny Indonesian province has banned a minority Islamic sect from conducting religious activities, a move activists say raises concerns over intolerance in the Muslim-majority nation. The move by Bangka-Belitung, made up of two main islands off South Sumatra, is the latest in a series in which religious minorities including Christians and Shi’ite Muslims have faced harassment and complained of a lack of protection.
Philippine Muslim Rebels Concerned at Rising Islamist Radicalism Among Young
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2016/01/26/philippine-muslim-rebels-concerned-at-rising-islamist-radicalism-among-young/
Philippine government and Muslim rebel peace negotiators both expressed concern on Monday over the spread of radical Islamic ideology in the south of the mainly Roman Catholic nation, warning it could reverse gains in the peace negotiations. They urged lawmakers to immediately pass a new Muslim autonomy law in a region of southern Mindanao to counter radicalism, especially among young Muslims.
Feminism v Faith
Economist
http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21688939-mar-galindo-fiery-feminist-takes-christianity-feminism-v-faith
Last July, women from Mujeres Creando (Women Creating) prepared for the visit of Pope Francis by gathering at the cathedral in La Paz dressed as pregnant nuns. “Every day your church crucifies women,” read a placard denouncing its opposition to abortion. Riot police hauled the demonstrators away. Ms. Galindo calls the influence of the church “colonialism’s open wound.” Perhaps, but some of the attitudes she is fighting may also be home-grown.
In the Country, Literally No Young Christians Believe that God Created the Earth
by Rick Noack
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/01/23/in-this-country-literally-no-young-christians-believe-that-god-created-the-earth/
If you happen to have the chance to talk to young Icelanders about their religious beliefs, be prepared for a surprise. Exactly zero percent of respondents in a recent survey said they believe that God created the Earth. Only 20 years ago, nearly 90 percent of all Icelanders were religious believers. Today, less than 50 percent are.
French Jews Fear an New Strain of ISIS-Inspired Anti-Semitism
by Adam Nossiter
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/25/world/europe/french-jews-fear-a-new-strain-of-isis-inspired-anti-semitism.html?ref=world
Earlier this month, a Jewish school teacher was attacked by a machete wielding teenage fanatic who, authorities say, was inspired by ISIS. The attack soon reverberated throughout the country. From the president on down, French officials condemned it. The interior minister came to Marseille to express solidarity. Supporters of the beloved local soccer club said they would wear a hat to the next match in sympathy. An anti-racism march was organized.
Migrant Influx in Germany Raises Fears of Anti-Semitism
by Allison Small
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/world/europe/migrant-germany-antisemitism-muslim-jews.html?ref=world
Many of the migrants are Muslim and from countries with a deep antipathy toward Israel, leading to a worried discussion about the degree to which some refugees may have brought anti-Semitic attitudes with them. This stoked existing fears among Jews here, who believe anti-Semitism is already on the rise, along with support for far-right movements.
Iran’s President Asks Pope for Prayers During Vatican Visit on Mideast Crises
by Brian Murphy
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/irans-president-asks-pope-for-prayers-during-vatican-visit-on-mideast-crises/2016/01/26/c735a484-c442-11e5-9693-933a4d31bcc8_story.html
Iran’s president asked Pope Francis for his prayers, and the pontiff bestowed a medal depicting an early Christian saint, Tuesday in a Vatican encounter rich with spiritual symbolism but also touching on Middle East conflicts and terrorism fears. The 40-minute meeting — the first between an Iranian president and a pope since 1999 — was something of a sideline to the wider objectives of President Hassan Rouhani’s four-day European trip, which began Monday.
Pope Francis asks Protestants for Forgiveness for Past Persecution
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2016/01/26/pope-francis-asks-protestants-for-forgiveness-for-past-persecution/
Pope Francis asked Protestants and other Christian Churches for forgiveness for past persecution by Catholics as the Vatican announced on Monday he would visit Sweden later in the year to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Speaking at an annual vespers service in St. Paul’s Basilica in Rome attended by representatives of other religions, he asked “forgiveness for the un-gospel like behaviour by Catholics towards Christians of other Churches”. He also asked Catholics to forgive those who had persecuted them.
NATIONAL
Bernie Sanders and Jewish Tradition
by Roberta Rosenthal Kwall
Chicago Tribune op-ed
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-bernie-sanders-jewish-culture-perspec-0126-20160125-story.html
In order to understand the nature of Sanders' Jewish cultural identity, one has to appreciate the significant role the Jewish tradition, which includes both Jewish law and Jewish culture, has played in the lives of those raised as Jews. Although people think of culture and law as completely separate entities, the reality is people create both culture and legal systems in response to historically specific circumstances and environmental influences. Any legal system not only reflects, but also shapes, its surrounding culture.
Ted Cruz’s Evangelical Gamble
by Robert Draper
New York Times Magazine
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/magazine/ted-cruzs-evangelical-gamble.html
The candidate’s strategy to win the White House depends on turning out millions of new religious voters. The Cruz campaign has sought to assure Iowa evangelical leaders of two things: that Cruz is one of them, and that he can win the presidency. In return, Cruz’s campaign team has sought from Iowa evangelical leaders not only their endorsement but also their commitment to rally congregants to the polls.
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