Here's what free speech and religious freedom have in common

By

Kelsey Dallas@kelsey_dallas

Published: July 19, 2018 10:00 pm

Updated: 17 hours

Andrew Harnik, AP
Anti-abortion demonstrators cheer during a rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Tuesday, March 20, 2018, as the Supreme Court hears arguments in a free speech fight over California's attempt to regulate anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)



SALT LAKE CITY — The First Amendment's free speech clause was once best known for protecting civil rights activists and anti-war protesters. But today, it's playing a growing role in cases affecting conservative religious Americans.

Two of the most notable religion cases before the Supreme Court last term hinged on free speech claims. In National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra, the justices considered whether pregnancy centers that oppose abortion rights should be forced to share information about abortion access. In Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a Christian baker described his wedding cakes as a form of speech, asking to be protected from having to express support for same-sex marriage by selling a cake to an LGBT couple.

The Prosperity Gospel: Dangerous and Different

From:

LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA


LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA is a publishing project given to the Jesuits by Pope Pius IX in 1850, during a time of convulsive change in Europe.

July 18, 2018

Antonio Spadaro, SJ - Marcelo Figueroa

The “prosperity gospel” is a well-known theological current emerging from the neo-Pentecostal evangelical movements. At its heart is the belief that God wants his followers to have a prosperous life, that is, to be rich, healthy and happy. This type of Christianity places the well-being of the believer at the center of prayer, and turns God the Creator into someone who makes the thoughts and desires of believers come true.

The risk of this form of religious anthropocentrism, which puts humans and their well-being at the center, is that it transforms God into a power at our service, the Church into a supermarket of faith, and religion into a utilitarian phenomenon that is eminently sensationalist and pragmatic.

This image of prosperity and well-being, as we will see in a moment, relates to the so-called “American Dream.” It is not the same thing, just a reductive interpretation. In and of itself, this dream is the vision of a land and a society understood as a place of open opportunity. Historically, through the centuries, this has been the motivation pushing many economic migrants to leave their own land and set out for the United States to stake a claim to a place where work produces results that were unreachable in their old world.

The prosperity gospel mechanically translates this vision into religious terms, as though opulence and well-being were the true signs of divine delight to be conquered magically by faith. In recent decades this “theology” has spread across the world thanks to massive media campaigns by evangelical movements and ministries, especially neo-charismatic ones.

The aim of our reflection is to illustrate and evaluate the phenomenon, which is used as a theological justification for economic neo-liberalism. In conclusion, we will see how Pope Francis has often warned against the perils of this theology that can “overshadow the Gospel of Christ.”[1]

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Vatican-approved journal strikes out at U.S. evangelicals and spread of 'prosperity gospel

'
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

JUL 18, 2018 | 2:20 PM
VATICAN CITY

A Vatican-approved journal criticized leading U.S. televangelists, such as Pat Robertson, here with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016, for spreading what it called a "pseudo-Gospel." (Aileen Devlin / Daily Press)



A Vatican-approved journal has dismissed "prosperity gospel" as a pseudo-theology dangerously tied up with the American dream and President Trump's politics, launching its second major critique of U.S. evangelicals in as many years.

Two of Pope Francis' top communications advisors — an Italian Jesuit and an Argentine Protestant pastor — penned "The Prosperity Gospel: Dangerous and Different" for the current issue of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, published Wednesday.

In the article, the authors note that the "prosperity gospel" and its belief that God wants his followers to be wealthy and healthy has spread throughout the world, particularly in Latin America and Asia, thanks to its charismatic proponents' effective use of TV and media.

But they point to its origins in the U.S. and its underpinning of the American dream, and say its vision of faith is in direct contrast to true Christian teaching and Francis' emphasis on the poor, social justice and salvation.

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San Ysidro Residents Wish Politicians Would Look Past the Photo Ops

As the Trump administration’s immigration policies continue to dominate the news, San Diego is seeing an influx of politicians who drop by for quick photo ops at the border.

Adriana Heldiz
July 17, 2018



State Sen. Kevin De Leon talks about border issues at the U.S.-Mexico border fence in San Ysidro. / Photo by Adriana Heldiz

As the Trump administration’s immigration policies continue to dominate the news, San Diego is seeing an influx of politicians who drop by for quick photo ops at the border.

President Donald Trump visited the border prototypes in Otay Mesa in March. A few weeks later, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy just steps away from the U.S.-Mexico border in Imperial Beach.

Activists protested both visits, and some people who live at the border question the motives of the politicians.

“A lot of these politicians, they’re not here because they care about us,” said activist Manny Aguilar. “They’re out here trying to get re-elected.”

Many public figures have come to San Diego to speak out against Trump’s immigration policies, which have caused chaos in federal courts and the separation of families at the border. Rep. Juan Vargas, state Sen. Kevin De Leon, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Sen. Kamala Harris and Rep. Nancy Pelosi are among the politicians who have used San Diego as a stage for slamming Trump.

The benefits of a Twitter Sabbath

OPINION



BY BEN SHERICK JUL 17, 2018


Growing up in a devoutly Christian household, the concept of Sabbath – a weekly day of rest – was instilled early. Throughout my childhood, the point was hammered home: you don’t work on Sunday. Sunday is meant to rest and recharge for the week to come.

That lesson stuck with me as I grew up, and a day of rest became a valuable part of my weekly rhythm. As I balanced a full course load at university and near full-time hours to fund my studies, 24 hours of respite became essential for my emotional and mental well-being. Though it might sound crazy, I worked my tail off making lattes and completing homework in six days so that on the seventh, I could rejuvenate and focus on myself.

In the last few years, I’ve begun incorporating a type of Sabbath in a new area of my life – social media.

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How Pope Francis is Changing the Catholic Church

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July 16, 2018 8:00 AM

On June 9, the Vatican’s “Children’s Train” carried some 500 young people to a special audience with Pope Francis.Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, August 2018


It’s a June morning at the Vatican, and Pope Francis is wearing a hangdog expression—all watchful eyes and soft apostolic chins. It’s how he looks opposite strongmen in Myanmar or posing with Donald Trump or preparing to berate the Vatican hierarchy for being out of touch and insular. Today, though, we’re in the marble lobby of the Paul VI audience hall, and schoolchildren are preparing to sing songs. I’m a little worried what they might think.

But when the kids ask him questions, Francis brightens dramatically. He suddenly radiates ebullience and avuncular warmth. As a journalist who has covered Francis for years, I’ve seen this shift before—when he’s broken from sermons to share homespun wisdom or embraced a Muslim asylum seeker in a refugee camp or drifted back to the press section of the papal plane to amiably sign books, bless family photos, and accept gifts. I’ve met my share of presidents and prime ministers, and have seen some of the greats at working the press. The time Francis laughed convincingly at my lame joke, I knew I was in the presence of a natural.

He is perched on the edge of his armchair fielding questions: about his first teacher (“Estela; I had her in first and third grade”), where he is from (“the most beautiful city in the world, Buenos Aires”), and what his favorite game was as a child (“We played a lot with kites”). Then one boy stands up and asks him what it felt like when he was elected pope.

“But that question isn’t original!” Francis says with a chuckle. He turns pensive. “I felt peace. That’s the word. That’s not a lie. I’ve felt peace from that day to today.”

Francis may be at peace, but in the five years since the 81-year-old pontiff became history’s first Jesuit pope, the world has slipped off its axis. The populist strain of nationalism that Francis has prophetically warned against is seemingly everywhere. He has watched a migrant crisis roil Europe and criticized the Trump administration’s policy of separating undocumented children from their parents. Meanwhile, environmental protections and economic equality have weakened across the globe. All of which leaves Francis, the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics, insisting on a welcoming and internationalist worldview that has gone out of style.

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Poland Leads the Way in Bringing Back the Day of Rest

 Lorenza Formicola December 21, 2017

It was A.D. 321, and the Emperor Constantine decreed that the venerable “Day of the Sun” ought to be dedicated to rest. As we read in his imperial edict: “The magistrates and inhabitants of the cities shall rest on the venerable Day of the Sun, and all the stores will remain closed.” But it was Emperor Theodosius I in 383 who converted the “dies Solis” into the “dies Dominica,” or “day of the Lord.” The Lord’s Day is the day of Christianity par excellence, in which the key words are tradition and family.

And now, amazingly, in a strange coincidence just a few days before Christmas 2017, family unity, traditions, and rest have returned to the center of public attention, if not so much to the attention of the media, since the Polish Sejm (the lower house of parliament) voted in late November to return Sunday to being the Lord’s Day for everyone and thus also for shop-owners. By 2020, all purchases on Sunday will be made illegal.

At the heart of the purpose of this law is the express desire to allow the people of Poland to have more time to spend with their families and less time shopping on Sundays. With 254 votes in favor, 156 against, and 23 abstentions, the legislation introduced a year ago by “Solidarnosc” – an originally Catholic and anti-communist movement that with the fall of communism became one of the leading trade unions of the nation – is now in the hands of the Senate, and it will be presented to President Andzrej Duda for his definitive approval. Under the law, beginning in March 2018, stores will be allowed to remain open only on the first and last Sunday of the month. Then, beginning in 2019, only the last Sunday of the month is allowed, and finally, in 2020, the ban will be almost total. In fact, Sunday shopping will be permitted only on seven Sundays of the year, including the two Sundays before Christmas and the Sunday before Easter. Foreign chains with wide distribution will have to conform to the new arrangement, but not small shops like bakeries.

On the heels of the “rosary on the borders” (of October 2017), this is now the second time that Poland is taking a striking position to affirm, and reaffirm, to the world its Christian roots and identity. It is a gesture that is much more than symbolic if one remembers the history of a nation like Poland, whose memory cannot whitewash its “red past”: the torments of the communist regime that tried to change Poland’s identity precisely by beginning with an attack on the concept of the Lord’s Day. 

Almost 50% of the employees in Croatia work overtime

Zagreb, May 14, 2018

On the eve of the International Day of Families, which took place on May 15th, the House of Europe in Zagreb presented a survey regarding work-life balance, overtime work and work during leisure time in Croatia, as well as the perception of Sunday as a non-working day dedicated to family and rest. The survey was conducted in cooperation with the Croatian member of the European Parliament Marijana Petir and MediaNet agency.

The survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample (N=614) of adult employees of the Republic of Croatia aged 18 to 65. The survey was conducted via telephone between 6 and 15 April this year, and its results were presented by Hrvoje Prpić, a MediaNet research coordinator.

Prpić’s main finding is that almost half of the respondents claim to be working overtime. The most common reason, according to their answers, is the large amount of work they have to do in a short amount of time. Still, the survey showed that a much smaller number of workers is obliged to work during their annual leave.

Furthermore, a majority of the sampled people manage to align their work commitments with their family responsibilities within their immediate family and largely succeed in harmonising work-life obligation with their leisure activities. At the same time, 76% of respondents think that people became more aware of the importance of Sunday as a non-working day dedicated to family and rest following the discussion on the subject, explains Prpić.

“A year ago, MediaNet conducted similar research with MEP Petir, which, among other things, showed that the vast majority of respondents (90%) supports introducing Sunday as a non-working day. In the context of this research we can conclude that there is a continued perception of Sunday as “a day when no one should work” according to the answers given by the respondents” - said Mr Prpic from MediaNet.

Croatian member of the European Parliament, Marijana Petir congratulated the International Day of Families to all Croatian citizens and commented on the results of the research. She stated that “the results clearly demonstrate the need to provide a day of rest within a working week, and in the perception of the citizens this day is Sunday, which is also a part of the tradition in Croatian and European culture. Sunday is the day when the family gathers at home together. Therefore, once again, I call on the Government of the Republic of Croatia to ensure a free Sunday for employees, especially for those working in stores and retail.”

Petir also commented on the fourth European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) launched by the Eurofund in 2003 and had since been conducted every four years, involving almost 37,000 citizens from all 28 Member States and five Candidate Countries. The results of this survey, published late last year have shown that Croatia ranks last when it comes to work-life balance scoring only 3,7 on the score level. At the same time, the Netherlands has the highest score that amounts to 6,6. In the other Member States, the ratings are quite high as well so, for example, Slovenia measures 6.3, Austria 6.2, Germany 5.9, Bulgaria 5.5 and Hungary 5.2. Croatia has seen a radical drop from 5,1 in 2007 to 3,7 in 2016 which represents the most significant decline in the entire EU. The policies should focus on contract workers and those employed in production, as well as on people working in the care system, especially younger and middle-aged women to be able to appropriately respond to the deteriorating situation in work-life balance among Croatian citizens.

President of the Trade Union Zlatica Štulić spoke about the disastrous data in the trade sector. She said that “according to the data available to the Trade Union in Croatia there are currently 176.173 people employed in trade (G) related sector (data from May 17, 2017). Out of that, 92.956 are employed in retail, excluding motor vehicle repair and motorcycle repair (G 47) ". She also stressed that "on average every salesman or a cashier must work at least half an hour longer than what is stated in their employment contracts, every single working day. These are the so-called preparatory and closure activities that are not logged as working hours but are demanded from the workers. Except for the days of the weekly rest and the days of the annual leave, each worker, in the remaining 282 days a year, on average works 141 hours more than stated in the employment contract."