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) Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers!

Is Nashville, Tennessee, the center of the religion news universe? We’ve asked that before. It’s maybe an appropriate question again this week.

This is our weekly roundup of the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.

We start with Donald Trump’s appearance late Thursday night at the National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention in, yes, Nashville.

We’ve got coverage, too, from the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee’s meeting earlier this week in, yes, Nashville.

Let’s take a trip to Music City.

What To Know: The Big Story

Trump in Nashville: “Former President Donald Trump promised to use a second term in the White House to defend Christian values and even suggested he’d shield the faith’s central iconography, warning a convention of religious broadcasters on Thursday night that the left wants ‘to tear down crosses.’”

That’s the lede from The Associated Press’ Will Weissert.

More from the AP story:

“Remember, every communist regime throughout history has tried to stamp out the churches, just like every fascist regime has tried to co-opt them and control them. And, in America, the radical left is trying to do both,” Trump told hundreds of cheering attendees at the National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention in Nashville.

“They want to tear down crosses where they can, and cover them up with social justice flags,” Trump added. “But no one will be touching the cross of Christ under the Trump administration, I swear to you.”

‘Bring back our religion’: Trump “called on Christians to support his presidential bid, pledging if elected to ‘protect God in the public square,’ defend Christian broadcasters and their ‘pro-God’ content from censorship, and appoint a task force to fight anti-Christian bias, including federal prosecutions.”

That’s the synopsis from The Tennessean’s Vivian Jones, who adds:

Many in the crowd wore red and white hats with the phrase “Make America Pray Again,” provided by conference sponsor Pray.com, as wild cheers broke out to welcome the former president. 

“I really believe it’s the biggest thing missing from this country, the biggest thing. We have to bring back our religion. We have to bring back Christianity,” Trump said, prompting a big cheer from the crowd.

‘Proud Christian’: “Describing himself as a ‘very proud Christian’ and ‘fellow believer,’ Mr. Trump said he has taken ‘bullets’ and ‘arrows’ for social and religious conservatives, and warned the biggest threats to the country are coming from people inside — not outside — the country,” according to the Washington Times’ Seth McLaughlin.

Trump arrived more than an hour late, so attendees were treated to “an impromptu concert by a dancing Southern Gospel quartet,” Religion News Service’s Bob Smietana notes.

Read more coverage of the National Religious Broadcasters meeting from The Tennessean’s Liam Adams and the Washington Times’ Mark A. Kellner.

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. Big decisions for Baptists: The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee met in Nashville this week in a foreshadowing of “sobering and difficult decisions” ahead, The Tennessean’s Liam Adams reports.

At the meeting, the top administrative body voted “to oust four congregations — one for having a woman as senior minister, two for what it said were failures related to the denomination’s sexual-abuse policy and one for lack of financial participation,” The Associated Press’ Peter Smith writes.

At Religion News Service, Bob Smietana asks: “Will the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program crumble?” In a separate story, Smietana quotes the heads of SBC mission boards, who say they will not fund a new abuse reform nonprofit.

2. ‘He Gets Us’ ads: A former top pizza marketer is now promoting Jesus, as the Wall Street Journal’s Megan Graham explains.

Graham talks to Ken Caldwell, the CEO of Come Near, “the nonprofit that ran two Jesus-focused Super Bowl ads.”

For more on the ads, see David French’s New York Times column delving into the pros and cons of the “He Gets Us” campaign.

3. A Christian nation?: “The U.S. Constitution doesn’t mention Christianity or any specific religion. The Declaration of Independence famously proclaims that people’s rights come from a ‘Creator’ and ‘Nature’s God’ — but doesn’t specify who that is.”

In a timely piece, The Associated Press’ Peter Smith analyzes the intentions of the nation’s founders.

In a related Q&A, Smith explores this question: “What does it mean to claim the U.S. is a Christian nation, and what does the Constitution say?”

More Top Reads

A Catholic priest and an evangelical pastor are battling for souls in the deepest Amazon, as the Washington Post’s Terrence McCoy details from Brazil. … Alabama has ruled that frozen embryos are children, a first-of-its-kind decision affirming life at the earliest stages but complicating the future of IVF, according to Christianity Today’s Kate Shellnutt. … A clash over leadership at a landmark evangelical church in Boston is testing the strength of democratic governance, CT’s Daniel Silliman explains. … At the National Cathedral, leaders of different parties and perspectives called for civility, Religion News Service’s Adelle M. Banks reports. … Bush Intercontinental Airport has built a ritual washing room, a recognition of the growing Muslim population in Houston and Texas, the Houston Chronicle’s Eric Killelea writes. … Why are many Argentines devoted to a first lady who died in 1952? See María Teresa Hernández’s Associated Press story on “A prayer for Evita.” … Greece just legalized same-sex marriage. Will other Orthodox countries join them any time soon? AP’s Peter Smith and Dasha Litvinova have the answer. … And finally, the Wall Street Journal’s Julie Jargon and Ann-Marie Alcántara share why some people under 40 eschew Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey’s money advice.

Inside The Godbeat

Julia Lieblich “opened herself to the pain of others while writing about torture and trauma,” the Boston Globe’s Bryan Marquard recalls.

“She tried to save the world but could not save herself,” her brother, Michael, tells the Globe. “She will be missed by so many.”

The 65-year-old Lieblich, a former religion writer for the Chicago Tribune and The Associated Press, ended her life in November, according to the Globe story.

Charging Station: ICYMI

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

Why was New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral forced to perform a Mass of reparation?

Clemente Lisi has all the details.

The Final Plug

Last week’s mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration highlighted a problem some Christians already were fighting.

I traveled to Missouri’s largest city this past weekend to report on a faith-based effort to reduce the violence.

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.

Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for ReligionUnplugged.com and serves as 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 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.