Weekend Plug-in 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “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) Joe Biden’s inauguration as America’s 46th president produced a ton of religion news. We’ll get to all that in a moment.

First, though, the most jaw-dropping Godbeat story of the week comes not from the Beltway but from the Bible Belt, courtesy of Religion News Service national writer (and gainfully employed) Bob Smietana.

Last Friday, RNS published Smietana’s 4,150-word investigative piece on the “cultlike environment” inside Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey’s $42 million headquarters in Franklin, Tenn., south of Nashville. That piece followed a December story by Smietana on Ramsey’s for-profit enterprise defying COVID-19 precautions such as wearing masks.

Ramsey Solutions didn’t take kindly to Smietana’s latest questions, responding with a sarcastic email that said, “Who would have guessed that an unemployed guy, oh I am sorry, a ‘freelance reporter’ would be the one to show us how horrible we are so we can change and to let the world know of our evil intent, secrets, and complete disregard for decency…..but YOU did it, you with all your top notch investigative skills have been able to weave together a series of half-truths to expose our evil ways. You are truly amazing.”

It’s unclear why Ramsey Solutions thinks one of the nation’s top religion correspondents is unemployed. But the statement proceeded to dox Smietana, sharing his email address, phone number and hometown with pastors, business leaders and the entire Ramsey team.

In a Religion Unplugged online panel discussion, Smietana talked about his coverage of Ramsey and the company’s response to him.

Also offering their insight were Cheryl Mann Bacon, retired journalism chair at Abilene Christian University; Meagan Clark, managing editor of Religion Unplugged; Holly Meyer, religion writer for The Tennessean; and Warren Cole Smith, president of Ministry Watch.

“If I were teaching PR Principles this semester, we would start with that as an example of how to never, ever, ever do public relations,” Bacon said of the email. “It just violated all of the basic principles of ethical public relations.”

Smith agreed with Bacon’s assessment but suggested, “I think we ought to also acknowledge that it might actually be effective for Ramsey's audience or the people who love him. … We've seen this in the era of Trump that a certain number of people will respond favorably to what Ramsey did.”

Don’t have time to watch the full panel? Skip to the 48-minute mark, where Smietana describes a few of the pranks that resulted from Ramsey Solutions doxxing him.

Such as: He got signed up for a Latter-day Saints singles group. For the record, he is married and not a Mormon.

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. ’Joy cometh in the morning’: President Joe Biden quoted from Psalm 30:5 as he began his four-year term, report Religion Unplugged’s own Hamil R. Harris and Meagan Clark.

The inauguration was filled with faith, note Jack Jenkins of Religion News Service and Kelsey Dallas and Mya Jaradat of the Deseret News.

Besides the Psalms, Biden turned to Saint Augustine “to acknowledge the pain of the current political moment and his desire to bring Americans together around common values,” points out Christianity Today’s Kate Shellnutt.

2. Joe Biden’s Catholicism is all about healing. Now, he will lead a suffering America: The new president “is facing not one America but two, each claiming with new religious fervor that God and righteousness are on its side,” suggests Washington Post religion writer Michelle Boorstein.

Among the news on Inauguration Day: the difference between the congratulatory messages from Pope Francis and a top U.S. bishop, as The Associated Press’ Elana Schor explains:

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis congratulated U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday, urging him to help foster reconciliation as the Vatican welcomes a new administration more in line with the pontiff’s priorities on the environment and social justice issues.

Francis’ congenial message contrasted with a statement issued almost simultaneously by Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, warning that Biden’s support for abortion rights would “advance moral evils and threaten human life.”

Religion Unplugged’s own Timothy Nerozzi offers more insight. Expect the progressive faith of the second Catholic president (after John F. Kennedy) to keep making headlines.

3. Joe Biden’s family Bible anchors faith-infused inaugural events: Yes, I mentioned Biden’s big Bible last week. But I can’t resist linking to a few of the related stories again this week, including this one by Religion News Service’s Adelle M. Banks.

Also, I love Daniel Silliman’s lede at Christianity Today:

Donald Trump once claimed that Joe Biden would “hurt the Bible” if he became president, but the copy of the Scripture that Biden is bringing to the inauguration looks like it might hurt you if you tried to lift it.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris placed her hand on two Bibles — one that belonged to a family friend and one that belonged to a saint — as she was sworn in, reports Religion Unplugged’s own Kimberly Winston.

And there’s an interesting story behind the Hebrew Bible that Jon Ossoff, Georgia’s first Jewish senator, used at his swearing-in, explains the Washington Post’s Jaclyn Peiser.

More Top Reads

• With his inauguration, Biden makes his return to ‘Catholic Washington’ (by Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

• Immigration ministries praise Biden’s day one priority (by Bekah McNeel, Christianity Today)

• Community takes pride in seeing Schumer become the highest politically ranking Jew in America (by Jacob Kornbluh, The Forward)

• In Biden’s Cabinet, Catholics and Jews dominate (by Yonat Shimron, RNS)

• Saleh’s hiring by New York Jets source of pride for Muslim community (by Dennis Waszak Jr., The Associated Press)

• How Proud Boys and other fringe groups found refuge on a Christian fundraising website (by Amy Brittain and David Willman, Washington Post)

Inside The Godbeat: Behind The Bylines

This shout-out is a little (OK, a whole lot) overdue, but I want to mention the excellent religion reporting that Wyatt Massey is doing in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Massey is a Report for America journalist covering the Godbeat for the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

He’s the one who sorted out “the Bible flowing with oil” (here and here). More recently, he did a two-part series on “The Windfall Prophet” Michael Chitwood (here and here).

Charging Station: In Case You Missed It

Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from Religion Unplugged.

• Biden-Harris inauguration hosts interfaith prayer service (by Hamil R. Harris)

• State and federal elections spotlight America's diversity and 'religious nones' (by Richard Ostling)

• 'Human nature is like a drunk peasant': How Martin Luther's words predict post-inauguration future (by Michael Metzger)

• The Capitol siege recalls past acts of Christian nationalist violence (by Samuel Perry)

• On the horns of a dilemma: The Catholic press prepares for the Biden presidency (by Clemente Lisi)

• The first virtual MLK Day aims to renew hope In America (by Hamil R. Harris)

• Personality cults and Christianity — Trouble is stirring among evangelicals (by Terry Mattingly)

• Cyber attack on Atlanta MLK Shabbat service (by Dave Schechter)

• Kashmiri Hindus mark 31 years in exile from their homeland (by Zaffar Iqbal)

• Mike Lindell falsely claims new election fraud ‘proof’ on the Eric Metaxas Show (by Jillian Cheney)

• Are Egypt's Christians persecuted? Why some Copts say no (by Paul Marshall)

• African evangelicals, some who prophesied Trump’s victory, are deeply divided (by Tom Osanjo)

The Final Plug

I’m an Oklahoman, so I have to praise two of the stars of Wednesday’s inauguration: Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” (sung by Jennifer Lopez) and Garth Brooks’ rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

My favorite part: Brooks fist-pumped or hugged pretty much every president and vice president on the stage, not to mention their spouses.

Garth showed up in boots, yes. But not all his friends, it turns out, are in low places.

Bobby Ross Jr. is a columnist for Religion Unplugged and editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 15 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.