May 2022

Our daily rundown of the articles from around the web that we feel our readers would enjoy and appreciate. We hope to highlight the best of what’s around. Public Square Bulletin recommends: The war over parental rights has begun Carl R. Trueman—World In his ever careful way, Trueman looks at the recent tensions between parents and the school boards that serve them. He looks at some of the philosophical underpinnings that might prevent this issue from being easily resolved. Cemeteries Remind Us of The Importance Of Religion Grace Bydalek—The American Conservative Thomas S. Monson famously loved visiting cemeteries. Grace Bydalek explores some of the reasons why, considering what the distilled messages tell us about what is most important in our lives and how it conflicts with what is valued outside the cemetery walls. A Disappointed Supporter Allyson Flake Matsoso—Philosophy of Motherhood Matsoso has recently written a two-part series for Public Square reflecting in part on the significance of Jordan Peterson in helping her understand her role as a mother. So we wanted to make sure you saw this take where she reflects on Peterson’s recent Twitter controversy where he called a magazine cover model “not beautiful.” How the church should respond to the rise of anti-Semitism in America Jordan Wooten—Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission A think tank for the Southern Baptist Church published an article looking at the alarming rise of antisemitism and what their church could do about it. The ideas are practical and should be of interest to those of other faiths looking to answer the same question. Breaking Down Texas’ Disruptive New Social Media Law Andrew Egger—The Dispatch A new Texas law will go into effect that prevents social media sites from viewpoint discrimination. The law echoes similar public square laws such as those about malls in California. The Dispatch has an explainer of the many ramifications of the new rules.

Our daily rundown of the articles from around the web that we feel our readers would enjoy and appreciate. We hope to highlight the best of what’s around. Public Square Bulletin recommends: What Sex Really Is Aubrey Pollnow—First Things The latest from First Things is remarkable for two reasons. First, it explores implicature and the lengths Amia Srinivasan goes to in her most recent book to avoid being seen talking to the wrong people. Second, it provides a pithy but complete defense of a traditional sexual ethic. Tibet: No Religion Allowed in Social Media Short Videos and Webcasts Lopsang Gurung—Bitter Winter China has set new regulations for social media use in Tibet. Videos shared there cannot mention religion. The rules around this regulation are ambiguous, and enforcement remains to be seen, but this should spark major concerns for any religious freedom advocates. Is “Be True to Yourself” Good Advice? Brian S. Rosner—Crossway Rosner answers the title’s question by basically saying it depends on how you define “yourself.” And then spends the bulk of the article look at the new and sometimes problematic approaches to defining the self that have become socially dominant. The recent prophetic focus on identity from Russell M. Nelson suggests this kind of analysis may be helpful. What is the Church? Chad Nielsen—Times & Seasons An exploration of the remarks most meaningful to the author from general conference, Chad Nielsen examines Reyna Aburto’s talk, tying it into the larger picture of her ministry and earlier remarks. Pro-Abortion Rights Protesters Hit Catholic Churches: Why You Didn’t Read About It Clemente Lisi—Get Religion In the wake of a leaked Supreme Court ruling implication abortion, many have chosen to channel their frustration with hateful and bigoted acts targeted at Catholic churches, including in some cases vandalism and theft. But this story was largely missing from the popular press. The essential religion in media critics at Get Religion have an insightful answer.

Our daily rundown of the articles from around the web that we feel our readers would enjoy and appreciate. We hope to highlight the best of what’s around. Public Square Bulletin recommends: How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church Tim Alberta—The Atlantic This insightful feature looks at Pastor Bill Bolin from Brighton, Michigan, following how politics have affected his church while placing it in a broader historical context. It’s Not Progressive Christianity, It’s Accommodationist Christianity, and It Has Nothing of Christ In It Tom Gilson—The Stream Tom Gilson seeks to reframe the debate as not between progressive and conservative Christianity, which can coexist peacefully together, but rather between what he sees as traditional Christianity and a Christianity that seeks to undermine Christ to appeal to the largest group possible. Why are Sexually Transmitted Infections Surging? Kim Tingley—New York Times Sad news out of the New York Times reinforces the importance of the Church’s counter-cultural stance on sexuality. This news sadly comes at the same time as news that marriage rates hit 50-year lows. Approaches to Ending Race-Based Violence  Ayaan Hirsi Ali—UnHerd After Public Square’s staff editorial yesterday on approaches to end violence, I wanted to highlight this article by human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali who adds additional approaches by looking at how violence victimizes the black community specifically. Meet the Democrat who may be America’s fiercest advocate for religious freedom Hanna Seariac—Deseret News Katrina Lantos Swett, a Jewish child of Holocaust survivors, human rights advocate, Democrat, and Latter-day Saint, invites everyone to make more seats at the table