Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A gunman intent on killing Jews entered a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Saturday and opened fire. Eleven persons worshipping in the Tree of Life Synagogue were killed, and many others wounded. The killer was apprehended, treated and released at a local hospital, and arrested and charged with 44 federal crimes. State charges will be added.
Boston, Massachusetts
Attorney General Jeffery Sessions spoke to the Boston chapter of the Federalist Society this past Monday. In his address, he reviewed the role of religion in establishing the intellectual atmosphere for the American revolution. He also reviewed the policy of the Trump administration in defending freedom of religion. He asserted that “respect for religious liberty and for people of faith has eroded significantly in recent decades.” Read the full text here.
Chicago
The seventh circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments this week in a long-running case challenging the right of churches to provide tax-free housing for their ministers. The case, known as Gaylor versus Mnuchin, originated in 2016 when the group Freedom From Religion Foundation sued the IRS, claiming the parsonage allowance is an illegal establishment of religion. The deletion of the exemption could bring in an estimated one billion dollars in tax revenue. This case does not deal with the larger issue of tax exemption for religious organizations generally.
Nashville, Tennessee
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church was a central player in a recent continent-wide gathering of Methodist educational leaders in Africa. More than 50 African institutions were represented at the gathering, designed to develop guidelines and collaboration in improving and expanding the role of United Methodist education in addressing the needs of Africans throughout the continent. An African Senate was established to further these ends.
Everywhere
Protestants everywhere are celebrating All Saints Day, November 1, sometimes known as All Hallows Day. It is the traditional day when the saints of Christian history (especially those without their own feast day) are remembered and celebrated. But it has been overshadowed in America by the secular holiday whose name is the corruption of the words All Hallows Eve: Halloween. All Hallows Eve, the day before All Saints Day, is the day Martin Luther posted on the door of All Saints Church his 95 propositions calling for reform in the Roman Catholic Church of his day. That was 501 years ago!
