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Politics
Irish Government Proposes Allowing Abortion in Emergencies
The Irish government has proposed legislation to allow abortion in cases where a threat exists to a woman’s life, including from suicide. (The New York Times)
Obama backs Planned Parenthood in political fight
States want to turn women's health back to the 1950s, he said (Associated Press)
Turn to Religion Split Bomb Suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's Home
Over the past five years, the personal lives of the Tsarnaev family members slipped into turmoil, driven, at least in part, by a growing interest in religion by both Tamerlan and his mother. (The WallmStreet Journal)
Evangelical Christians Increasingly Favor Pathway to Legal Status for Immigrants
Evangelical leaders are conducting an ambitious push to sway Congress, including ad campaigns on Christian radio stations in five states, meetings with lawmakers and a challenge to churchgoers to pray every day for 40 days using Bible passages that speak of welcoming the stranger. (NYT)
Russell Moore on the Role of Religion in American Politics and Culture
"I don't like to think in terms of culture wars." (C-SPAN)
Abortion bill in Legislature has rare bipartisan support
Florida lawmakers are poised to pass an abortion-related bill this year that would require doctors who provide abortions to offer emergency medical care in the unlikely event a baby is born alive. Even Planned Parenthood withdrew its initial opposition (Tampa Bay Times)
Evangelicals Push Immigration Path
After decades of sitting on the sidelines of the debate, evangelical Christians are prodding Republican lawmakers to support a path to U.S. citizenship for the nation's illegal immigrants, based on their reading of Bible teachings (The Wall Street Journal)
Egypt's Christian pope blasts Islamist president
They were his first direct criticism of President Mohammed Morsi since he was enthroned in November as the spiritual leader of Egypt's Orthodox Christians (Associated Press)
In Washington State, Abortion Debate Counters Trend
Washington, the only state ever to have legalized abortion through a popular vote, is now debating a law that would require health insurers to pay for an elective abortion. (The New York Times)
New Laws Ban Most Abortions in North Dakota
Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed the nation’s toughest abortion restrictions into law on Tuesday, including a measure that bans the procedure as soon as six weeks into a pregnancy (The New York Times)
President
Opinion: Presidents pay tribute to Billy Graham
How popular is Billy Graham? Just look at the new book, “Billy Graham & Me: 101 Inspiring Personal Stories from Presidents, Pastors, Performers, and Other People Who Know Him Well.” President Barack Obama and every living former president contributes to this book. (Patrick Gavin, Politico)
Who Was the Most Religious President of All Time?
They called him “The Deacon.” (Slate)
Obama could have a prayer among Ohio's white evangelicals
A recent gathering of religious leaders in Ohio indicates that churches don't necessarily march in lock step with the Republican Party. But certain social issues could still make it a tough sell for the president. (Los Angeles Times)
Congress
House passes DHS bill with anti-abortion rider
Provision bars Immigration and Customs Enforcement from providing abortions for illegal immigrant detainees (The Associated Press)
House strikes back on gay marriage
Just hours after President Barack Obama publicly backed gay marriage, the House struck back and passed a measure aimed at reinforcing the Defense of Marriage Act. (Politico)
In God We Trust, With the House’s Help
The House of Representatives has voted, overwhelmingly, to affirm the nation’s motto (The New York Times)
Supreme Court
Same-sex marriage debate heads to the Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court takes up two cases this week on the fiercely debated moral question of same-sex marriage, and religious voices on both sides of the issue are weighing in on what could become pivotal decisions in the court’s — and the nation’s — history. (ReligionLink)
God and the Profits: Religious Liberty for Money-Makers
The Bible says “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” The Constitution doesn’t. (Public Discourse)
Gay marriage foes suffer from fundraising shortfall
ProtectMarriage.com, the advocacy group defending a California gay marriage ban now under review by the high court, showed a $2 million deficit in its legal fund at the end of 2011 - the third year in a row that expenses exceeded donations. (Reuters)
International Politics
Evangelical Christianity and conservative politics don't have to go together
In the United States, evangelical Christianity and conservative politics are so intertwined that you’d think the Bible contains a commandment to “vote Republican.” But a recent paper shows that the relationship isn’t a necessary one—and that in a different political climate (such as Brazil), evangelical Christians might even be liberals. (Boston Globe)
Egypt’s Christians fear ‘things will only get worse’ as Islamic fundamentalists gain power
A campaign of intimidation by Islamists left most Christians in this southern Egyptian province too afraid to participate in last week’s referendum on an Islamist-drafted constitution they deeply oppose. (AP)
Philippine legislators approve divisive contraceptives bill despite church’s objections
In a scene considered unusual just a few years ago, lawmakers openly defied the church’s stand during the plenary voting, which was shown live on nationwide TV. (The Washington Post)
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