From NASA's amazing space images to the war in Ukraine, the week's top faith headlines
Plug-in is back in the saddle with the latest roundup of the best religion reads
by Bobby Ross Jr.
Editor’s note: Every week, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com.
(ANALYSIS) “Preach the Gospel everywhere. When necessary, use laundromats.”
“Praise the Lord, and pass the Chick-fil-A, some of the best fried chicken in NYC.”
“Monsters are everywhere in the Bible — and some are even human.”
These are some of the religion headlines that caught my attention this past week.
To be honest, though, I haven’t paid as close attention to the news as I normally do.
As I previewed in the last Weekend Plug-in three weeks ago, I took off a week for vacation (I had a wonderful time seeing country shows with my sister and parents in Branson, Mo.). Then I took off a week for a reporting trip to the Chicago area.
But in the Windy City, I came down with what at first I thought were allergies. Eventually, I tested positive for COVID-19. The experience threw me for a loop. I finally tested negative Friday night. I’m feeling much better.
However, I have no doubt I’ve missed a whole lot of the best reads in the world of faith. Feel free to catch me up!
One thing I didn’t miss: those amazing first images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Think there might be a religion angle there? Enter the Washington Times’ Mark A. Kellner with this fascinating take:
The images raise issues for followers of the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) and affirm the thoughts of Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant, who in the 1700s imagined the possibility of galaxies beyond our own, says Harvard government professor Michael Rosen.
Religion News Service’s Claire Giangravé quotes Vatican astrophysicist Brother Guy Consolmagno:
“The science behind this telescope is our attempt to use our God-given intelligence to understand the logic of the universe,” Consolmagno wrote, adding that “the universe wouldn’t work if it weren’t logical.”
“But as these images show, the universe is not only logical, it is also beautiful. This is God’s creation being revealed to us, and in it we can see both his astonishing power and his love of beauty,” he said.
Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads
1. When can a ministry count as a church?: “In the case of the Family Research Council, it depends on if you ask the IRS or the US Religion Census,” Christianity Today’s Daniel Silliman reports.
According to the investigative journalism outlet ProPublica, the FRC has joined “a growing list of activist groups seeking church status, which allows organizations to shield themselves from financial scrutiny.”