Religious News From Around the Web August 31, 2020

Politics, Religion Confers Immunity from Moral Stupidity, Black Lives Matter Opposed, Xi Ramps Up “Sinicization” of Tibet, In-Person Worship Safe With Precautions, World’s largest Buddha Threatened by Floodwaters

Religion and Politics
Perhaps spurred by President Trump’s appeal to Christian conservatives, the Biden campaign has begun to incorporate the former Vice President’s Catholic faith in its messaging. According to a Gallup organization article, “The Democratic emphasis on religion was primarily focused on Biden the candidate, not on the direct relationship between religion and specific issue positions.” While there are both religious and non-religious members of both parties, more than 20 percent of Democrats and nine percent of Republicans report as “Nones” with no religious identity.

Religion “Confers Immunity from Moral Stupidity”
Author Abigail Shrier, in a Christian Post podcast discussing the increase of young girls who undergo transgender medical procedures, said: “I think that the precipitous decline in religion in American life really is at the heart of so many things ailing America today … I think that as a society, religion confers a kind of herd immunity from a certain kind of … moral stupidity in the society at large and what we’re seeing right now is a very weak moral immune system across the county. We just don’t have a strong sense of right and wrong …”

BLM Condemned by Southern Evangelical Seminary
The Southern Evangelical Seminary condemned BLM for “…holding to mis-defined notions of love, freedom, and justice, BLM stands against the nuclear family, promotes homosexual and transgender ideologies, and is an admittedly Marxist organization.”

In-Person Worship Safe With Precautions

Social distancing, hand washing and masks prevented COVID outbreaks during more than one million Catholic masses held in the United States since shelter in place orders were lifted. Instances were noted of people with the disease who attended, but because of the safeguards, no outbreaks occurred.

Chinese President Xi Ramps Up “Sinicization” of Tibet

“Sinicization” refers to wiping out Tibet’s culture, history and religion and replacing it with The Communist Party of China’s culture, socialism and politics. China’s President Xi said “It is necessary to actively guide Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to the socialist society and promote the sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism.” Chinese authorities have suppressed Tibetan Buddhism, and require Buddhist monks to undergo indoctrination in Communism. China is also tearing down Christian churches, and destroying religious symbols and statues.

World’s Largest Statue of Buddha Threatened by Floodwaters

The giant Leshan Buddha, carved 1,300 years ago, sits at the confluence of the Minjiang, Qingyi and Dadu Rivers, and recent flooding has put the statue’s feet in water. Thought to be the largest stone Buddha in the world at 233 feet, it represents Maitreya, a disciple of Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. If Maitreya were to stand up, he would be eye-to-eye with the Statue of Liberty.