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) News that the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority might overturn Roe v. Wade is not overly shocking. We’ve known that for months.

But the timing — and manner — of this week’s leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft majority opinion that would strike down the landmark 1973 decision, which legalized abortion nationwide? That counts as a bombshell.

To discuss the big scoop by Politico’s Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward, ReligionUnplugged.com convened a panel of top religion journalists who have written extensively about the abortion debate.

Watch the full discussion.

Clemente Lisi and I moderated the panel. Lisi, who teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York, is a ReligionUnplugged.com senior editor who focuses on Catholic news.

The panelists were:

• Adelle Banks, Religion News Service production editor and national reporter (see “If Roe goes, Black church leaders expect renewed energy for elections”).

• Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News religion reporter and associate national editor (see “As some rallied over Roe v. Wade, these Christians prayed”).

• BeLynn Hollers, Dallas Morning News reporter who covers women’s health, politics and religion (see her coverage of Texas’ restrictive abortion law).

• And Kate Shellnutt, Christianity Today senior news editor (see “This is and isn’t the moment pro-life evangelicals have waited for”).

Among the tantalizing questions the panel explored: Is the abortion debate a religion story?

Yes and no, Hollers said.

Yes, Dallas said. “But maybe not for the reasons people might assume,” she quickly added.

READ: Supreme Court Hears Arguments In Case That Could Overturn Roe v. Wade

Banks’ RNS colleague Jack Jenkins interviewed demonstrators outside the Supreme Court after the leak.

“He noted how much of a religious presence there was there, which I guess in some ways answers that question,” Banks said. People for and against abortion, she said, were “there for religious reasons.”

Shellnutt said, “It’s kind of hard to ignore, I think, the differences among faith groups you see on this.”

Other questions ranged from the religion-related history of Roe v. Wade (both Hollers and Banks have delved into this) to the religious freedom ramifications of the court’s potential decision.

The future of religious groups’ activism on abortion — on both sides of the issue — was a major topic, too.

Other helpful coverage:

• Abortion has long been complicated for Catholic Biden. Now, he leads the fight (by Matt Viser, Washington Post)

• Roe v. Wade: Faith leaders react to leaked SCOTUS opinion (by Emily McFarlan Miller, RNS)

• Where abortion will stand — and fall — if Roe goes down (by Leah Savas, World)

• For red-state clergy who back abortion rights, losing Roe is a call to action (by Bob Smietana and Alejandra Molina, RNS)

• Think piece: An abortion provider and a pro-life lawyer found common ground (by Andy Puzder, Wall Street Journal)

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. Why the Christian flag can fly on this government flagpole: If not for the leak detailed above, this is the Supreme Court case we’d be talking about.

As the Deseret News’ Kelsey Dallas explains, justices on Monday “cleared the way for the Christian flag to fly over Boston’s city hall in a ruling that may do little to resolve confusion over the limits of religious liberty and free speech.”

See additional coverage by Christianity Today’s Kate Shellnutt and The Associated Press’ Mark Sherman.

2. Black Catholic nuns: A compelling, long-overlooked history: “Even as a young adult, Shannen Dee Williams — who grew up Black and Catholic in Memphis, Tennessee — knew of only one Black nun, and a fake one at that: Sister Mary Clarence, as played by Whoopi Goldberg in the comic film ‘Sister Act,’” The Associated Press’ David Crary writes.

But 14 years of tenacious research led to the publication of the Ohio history professor’s “comprehensive and compelling history” of Black nuns, Crary reports. Williams’ book, “Subversive Habits,” is due out May 17.

3. In North Texas school board races, candidates campaign on Christianity and conservatism: “The religious references can serve as a shorthand for a whole set of beliefs, such as stances on fiscal responsibility, LGBTQ rights and individualism,” the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Emily Brindley reports.

At The Tennessean, Liam Adams reports similarly on “How conservative Christians in Tennessee are working to elect allies to school boards.”

BONUS: Last week’s Plug-in offered five takeaways from the Supreme Court arguments over a high school football coach who wants to pray at the 50-yard line.

The Seattle Times’ Christine Clarridge has an interesting follow-up story on the coach, Joe Kennedy, who wants his old job back at Washington state’s Bremerton High School.

More Top Reads

• New design, mission for site of Pittsburgh synagogue attack (by Peter Smith, Associated Press)

• Health care sharing ministry Sharity leaves 10K families with millions in unpaid bills (by Liuan Huska, Christianity Today)

• After years of loud debate, conservatives quietly split from United Methodist Church (by Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)

• At a garrison church in a western Ukrainian city, the martial mingles with the sacred (by Laura King, Los Angeles Times)

• Latino Muslims — a growing group — struggle to find their place in the Islamic community (by Mya Jaradat, Deseret News)

• Turn off social media for 10 days to detoxify, says spiritual renewal advocate (by Mark A. Kellner, Washington Times)

• Women religious blaze new trails in roles of authority at the Vatican (by Christopher White, Global Sister Report)

• Like that new church worship song? Chances are, it will be gone soon. (by Bob Smietana, RNS)

• In Mexico, an entire town has its cross to bear (by Fernanda Pesce, AP)

• In WWII, Japanese Americans’ faith came under suspicion and helped them survive their incarceration (by Alejandra Molina, RNS)

• In ‘Search,’ a church committee plots over Fiesta Chicken and cookies (by Bob Smietana, RNS)

• Pope’s Ukraine diplomacy a political and spiritual tightrope (by Nicole Winfield, AP)

• Can you be a NIMBY and a Christian? Ex-Motown singer struggles with a new homeless shelter (by Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times)

• Christiane Northrup, once a New Age health guru, now spreads COVID disinformation (by Sam Kestenbaum, Washington Post)

• End of an era: Wilshire Baptist’s George Mason prepares for his final sermon as senior pastor (by BeLynn Hollers, Dallas Morning News)

• Naomi Judd: Press reports covered the dark nights of her life, but not the Sunday mornings (by Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)

• Mother’s Day gift guide: Something for everyone who mothers (by Emily McFarlan Miller, RNS)

• Think piece: Why compassion is divisive (by David French, The Dispatch)

Inside The Godbeat: Behind The bylines

On Tuesday, Carol Zimmermann, who covers the Supreme Court for Catholic News Service, wrote a story on the leaked abortion case draft.

On Wednesday, Zimmermann and her colleagues in Washington, D.C., and New York learned they are losing their jobs. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is closing those offices, while Catholic News Service’s Rome bureau will remain open.

The news stunned Catholic media types and observers.

Charging Station: In Case You Missed It

Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from ReligionUnplugged.com.

• Pascha messages show Orthodox pain inside Ukraine (by Terry Mattingly)

• The Supreme Court opinion leak could give way to a river of fear — or compassion in difference (by Chelsea Langston Bombino)

• The Sikh-American community is building resilience as hate crimes rise (by Manmeet Sahni)

• Is Roe v. Wade about to be overturned? And if so, what are the implications? (by Dr. Michael Brown)

• Museum exhibition and short film highlight influence of the Satanic panic four decades later (by Jillian Cheney)

• ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ adds nothing to the conversation on religious extremism (by Joseph Holmes)

• Pope Francis vs. Cardinal Becciu: Inside the Vatican's ‘trial of the century’ (by Clemente Lisi)

• Christian billionaire philanthropist Bill Hwang charged with ‘historic’ stock scam (by Steve Rabey)

• Satanic Temple sues elementary school for not allowing after-school Satan club (by Anne Stych)

• Liberal religion's sharp decline closes Reform Jewish seminary. How about some elite news ink? (by Ira Rifkin)

• She’s a mom, Sunday school teacher — and prominent religious freedom attorney (by Bobby Ross Jr.)

• For popular Belize resort destination Islam is a family affair (by Joseph Hammond)

The Final Plug

My Christian Chronicle colleagues Erik Tryggestad and Audrey Jackson are in Eastern Europe reporting on faith-based relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees.

In a video this week, the Chronicle journalists shared powerful images of sadness and hope from their visits to Ukraine, Romania, Poland and other countries. Check it out.

Whew. We had even more religion news than normal to cover this week. Thank you for reading.

Enjoy the weekend!

Bobby Ross Jr. is a columnist for ReligionUnplugged.com 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.