RELIGION HEADLINES WED 5-17

(SRN NEWS)-

(  )  Two Israeli soldiers will spend weeks in military prison for desecration of a Christian statue in southern Lebanon.  A photo of the troops and the statue went viral and sparked widespread outrage.  Israel’s military says the soldier posing in the photo will get 21 days in prison and the soldier who photographed it will get 14.  The IDF released a statement saying it “views the incident with great severity and respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities.”  Israeli forces took control of southern Lebanon as part of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began in March.

(  )  A new debate over the so-called “separation of church and state” is developing in the U.S.  The phrase “separation of church and state” does not appear in the Constitution.  It can be found in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson, who described the First Amendment as creating “a wall of separation between church and state.”  Courts have since wrestled with how to balance freedom of religion and freedom from government-sponsored religion.  Dan Patrick, who chairs President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, has said that in his opinion there is no separation of church and state.

(  )  As the government seeks to make in vitro fertilization easier to obtain, a debate over the procedure is being revived.  For many pro-life advocates, IVF can present challenges because of the risks it poses to embryos.  Some Christians also believe reproduction should not be separated from normal marital relations, making IVF and some fertility interventions off-limits.  The Catholic Church has long opposed the procedure, and Evangelicals are increasingly grappling with it.  In 2024, the Southern Baptist Convention called for restrictions on IVF when it leads to the destruction of embryonic human life.

(  )  Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is now the second longest-serving justice in history with 34 years on the bench. The only justice with a longer tenure is William O. Douglas and Thomas would overtake Douglas in 2028 if he remains on the court.  Justice Thomas has been a reliable vote in favor of religious liberty and against abortion during his tenure.  He once led a small conservative minority, but has seen the balance on the court shift with the selection of three justices by President Trump.  Thomas is 77 years old and has given no indication that he plans to step down in the foreseeable future.