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New York Times
National religion correspondent for the New York Times
PROFILE
Laurie Goodstein
Guest
FROM Laurie Goodstein
To the Point
Pope Francis Goes Green, but Will the Flock Follow? Climate change activists have an influential new ally who could bring along more than a billion followers. This week the Vatican held a summit on how environmental crises hurt the poor. A top Vatican official and point person for Pope Francis announced at the summit that increasing use of fossil fuels is disrupting Earth on an "almost unfathomable scale" and cautioned that a "full conversion" of hearts and minds is needed if global warming is to be conquered. The summit is widely seen as a lead-in to the Pope's upcoming encyclical framing the fight against global warming as a moral responsibility -- a first of its kind. Activists hope the Catholic Church will inject the largely secular climate change movement with a spiritual infusion. However, It could put the Pope and the church at odds with conservatives -- Catholics included, some of whom deny the existence of global warming and believe religion has no place in this political battle.
To the Point
The Vatican, American Nuns and the Politics of Healthcare Reform A leadership group of American nuns supports President Obama's healthcare reform , even though the US Conference of Bishops call it a threat to religious liberty. Now the nuns say they're "stunned" by blistering criticism and threats of de-certification by the Vatican for what it calls "doctrinal problems" and "radical feminist themes." When they went to Rome to confront Cardinal William Levada, the former Bishop of San Francisco, who's leading the the crackdown, he called it a "dialogue with the deaf." But the nuns aren't backing down. Are American Catholics caught in a battle between religious obedience and partisan politics?
Which Way, L.A.?
The 'Mosque at Ground Zero' and Religious Freedom In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Temecula, California, plans for Islamic mosques have generated heated opposition . But the objections are different from those being raised in lower Manhattan, where a mosque is planned as part of a larger Islamic center two blocks from Ground Zero.
To the Point
The 'Mosque at Ground Zero' and Religious Freedom The furor over what's called "the mosque" near Ground Zero centers on part of a $100 million project called Cordoba House . Opponents, including some high-profile Christian and Jewish groups, call it "insensitive" to the families of people who died on September 11. Elsewhere in the country, opposition to new mosques began with concerns about traffic and parking, but lately it's focused on the Muslim religion itself. Islam has been called a "cult" that encourages terrorist bombers and is accused of secret plans to bring Shariah law to America. That's raised concerns about the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. Is a basic American principle at risk at a time of uncertainty over economics and immigration?
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To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.