the Web Editors 4-27-2016
FULLER studio / YouTube

"Why do we need art, why do we need the lyric poetry of the Psalms?" asks Bono in a new short documentary with Fuller Studio.

"Because the only way we can approach God is if we're honest."

the Web Editors 4-27-2016

State Sen. Catherine E. Pugh (37 percent) edged out former Mayor Sheila Dixon (34 percent) in the Democratic primary. They were the top two finishers in a large field of contenders, which included nationally-prominent Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson, who finished with two percent of the vote, just behind City Councilman Carl Stokes’ three percent.

the Web Editors 4-27-2016

More than five million children in the U.S. have or have had a parent imprisoned. And the consequences can be devastating.

According to “A Shared Sentence,” a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, “Having a parent incarcerated is a stressful, traumatic experience of the same magnitude as abuse, domestic violence, and divorce.”

Rev. Jim Gonia 4-26-2016

We are an Easter people, and we are called to act with joy to renew God’s creation. Imagine a world where countries like Madagascar are prepared to be resilient in the face of any storm, and where the sun and wind offer an abundance of energy. Investment in the Green Climate Fund is a step towards making such a world possible.

Rachel Malinowski 4-26-2016

In the last year, the group has met with civic leaders, including four mayoral candidates, police commissioner Kevin Davis, and the governor’s Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council, the council tasked with crafting a plan to reduce the prison population in Baltimore. Several leaders, including Archbishop Lori, went to West Baltimore following the protests to help clean up and lead services. Imam Earl El-Amin of the Muslim Community Cultural Center of Baltimore said several members had developed a relationship with a seniors’ building during the uprising, sharing medicines and food. Rev. Deckenback’s church has been accepting donations over the last year for areas impacted by protests.

Ryan Hammill 4-26-2016

For over 1,500 years, the Catholic Church has promoted “just war theory” as a way to determine in what cases a war can be considered morally justifiable. But all of that may change.

In an interview, Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana said that it is “plausible” that Pope Francis may write a new encyclical updating Catholic teaching on war and peace, an update that could include a retreat from just war theory. Francis’ last encyclical, “Laudato Si,” made waves for its condemnation of capitalism and call to address climate change.

Reggie L. Williams 4-26-2016
Glen Stassen

I knew that the problem of race in America was one of the two main engines that mobilized his project in Christian ethics. The other was the threat of war. In the 1980s, Glen put together a method of doing Christian ethics in the context of the Cold War that was meant to help foster clarity in conversation and allow unspoken influential preferences to be recognized. As he understood it, we are much more than reasoning, rational minds; we are a complex amalgam of different contributing factors, including our core convictions, community loyalties, things we are passionate about, people we trust, and political commitments. Indeed, many things are at play in all of our ethical decisions.

the Web Editors 4-26-2016
Dmitry Kaminsky / Shutterstock

U.S. Embassy worker Xulhaz Mannan was murdered April 21 in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, according to the U.S. State Department.

Local reports say Mannan and another man were hacked to death. There is some suspicion this violence was provoked by Mannan's LGBT activism.

the Web Editors 4-26-2016

A judge upheld North Carolina’s controversial election laws on April 25, reports The New York Times.

The ruling comes months before a presidential election in a state that narrowly went to Barack Obama in 2008 and to Mitt Romney in 2012.

the Web Editors 4-26-2016

Five Syrian civil defense workers — known as the “White Helmets” — were killed in air strikes on April 26, according to Al Jazeera. A series of violent attacks swept Aleppo and the city’s outskirts, killing at least 35 people, including eight children.