By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. First New York. Now California. With the addition of a fifth, solidly conservative member — new Justice Amy Coney Barrett — the U.S. Supreme Court has flipped the script on months of … Continue reading Justices flip the script on COVID-19 worship bans, but top health official urges closures

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. In the 2020 election, what happened with the religious vote that was seen as so crucial to President Donald Trump’s upset win four years ago? Take your pick: • Not much changed, … Continue reading Lies, damned lies, statistics: For Biden, religious vote was crucial — maybe

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. (ANALYSIS) This time, the Democrats avoided the dogma. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s faith was a big focus going into this week’s Senate Judicial Committee hearings. In advance of the confirmation … Continue reading No anti-Catholic sequel: Democrats avoid the dogma at Barrett’s hearings

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death and President Donald Trump’s plan to nominate a replacement before the election dominated the week’s headlines. Beyond the politics, questions arose over whether journalists applied … Continue reading Double standard? Religion figures differently in news of Ginsburg and Barrett

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. When it comes to religious groups, what’s in a name? In 2018, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began a push to get rid of the term “Mormon.” (A quick … Continue reading Will we soon live in a world without Mormons and Southern Baptists?

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Was it just three weeks ago that we were talking about a “racy picture” of Liberty University’s then-president, Jerry Falwell Jr., sparking curiosity and controversy? Given the allegations that surfaced this week, … Continue reading Time for a pop quiz: 7 questions about the stunning exit of Jerry Falwell Jr.

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Did the Democrats “get” religion or not? Certainly, lots of headlines coming out of this week’s virtual Democratic National Convention had strong faith elements. But a different storyline gained attention, too. The … Continue reading Democrats tout faith, while a few DNC caucuses omit ‘under God’ from pledge

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Hang on for a wild ride. Try to avoid whiplash. Yes, it was another crazy week in the world of religion news — and we’re going to cover the highlights in a hurry. … Continue reading Kamala Harris’ interfaith background draws focus, but some call her anti-Catholic