Lies, damned lies, statistics: For Biden, religious vote was crucial — maybe

This week’s Weekend Plug-in explores whether religious voters were important to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Plus, check out the week’s top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.

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What role does religion play in Supreme Court justices’ nominations and decisions?

(OPINION) Ostling looks at the history of many Supreme Court Justices’ religious affiliations and sees how they were either praised or scrutinized for their beliefs. Does the Supreme Court Justices’ religion impact their reliability on the Court?

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Religions for Peace Leader Azza Karam Shows the Role of Women in Faith and Diplomacy

From Nov. 11-13, more than 600 people from 90 countries attended a virtual and in-person conference in Germany to discuss the role of women in the world’s religions and their leadership in their faith communities, development work and diplomacy. Azza Karam, the Secretary General for Religions for Peace, has spent her career showing international agencies like the United Nations why understanding religion is central to their missions.

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How liberal are Republicans? How conservative are Democrats? Here's what religious Americans think

(ANALYSIS) White evangelicals think that Democrats are incredibly liberal, but atheists see them as just slightly left of center. Comparing how religious groups perceive the political parties shows us how politicians are able to exploit the partisan divide to paint the other side as radical or extreme.

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Many Catholics Left Politically 'Homeless' After Biden Win

(OPINION) Biden Catholics took the win, leaving more conservative, traditional Catholics that weren’t comfortable voting for Trump as ‘homeless’ voters. Biden has outwardly declared himself as pro-choice, fundamentally discounting the traditional Catholic principle of anti-abortion.

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'Culture Of Clericalism': Firestorm Of Letters Fly From Cardinals, Bishops Following McCarrick Report

Cardinals, archbishops and other clerical leaders of the Catholic Church from around the world have penned a flurry of letters and official statements in the wake of the ground-breaking McCarrick report that concludes while many in the Vatican hierarchy had known for years about sexual abuse allegations against ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick and not removed him, Pope Francis was not complicit.

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McCarrick report: Vatican hierarchy downplayed past sex abuse reports

A long-awaited Vatican probe into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick found that many in the Catholic hierarchy — starting with Pope John Paul II — continuously turned a blind eye to a series of red flags that he’d sexually abused children and seminarians.

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In the Armenia-Azerbaijan war, religious nationalism threatens peace agreement

(ANALYSIS) In the biggest escalation in tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan since their war’s end in 1994, Armenia’s Christian clergy are standing firm with both soldiers and civilians, as they always have, while Azerbaijan’s troops continue to push back Armenia’s line of defense.

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Biden elected second Catholic U.S. president in history: What does it mean for a divided nation?

(ANALYSIS) Former Vice President Joe Biden’s Catholicism often helped shape his politics as did a family tragedy earlier in his life. Biden promises unity post-Trump, but how he governs could ultimately result in an even bigger political split in the U.S. over the next four years.

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How Biden’s Win Could Be a Gift for Evangelicals

(OPINION) Joe Biden’s apparent win may presage some dark days for evangelicals on policy issues, but it also frees them from an entanglement that has been interfering with Christians’ primary assignment—to preach a spiritual gospel, not a political one.

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Faith and foster care: 5 key numbers as SCOTUS case pits religion vs. gay rights

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the latest Supreme Court case pitting religious freedom vs. gay rights, while running down the key religion news that emerged from Election Day.

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Another Girl, Another Abduction, Another Forced Conversion, Another Child Marriage

(OPINION) Despite major societal progress, child marriage still persists in many Middle Eastern cultures. According to the Movement for Solidarity and Peace (MSP), around 1,000 Christian and Hindu women and girls are kidnapped each year, forced to convert and marry Muslim men.

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5 things we learned about faith voters this election cycle

(ANALYSIS) From exit poll results to the outcome of several ballot measures, here’s how religious denominations impacted the U.S. elections.

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