#WeRemember: Keeping the faith at 25th anniversary of OKC bombing

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. OKLAHOMA CITY — At 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, I had just stepped off The Oklahoman’s eighth-floor newsroom elevator when we heard the boom and saw the smoke in the distance. In all, 168 people died … Continue reading #WeRemember: Keeping the faith at 25th anniversary of OKC bombing

COVID-19: The gap between news media and people of faith

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. A while back, I found myself asking a woman I’ve known all my life, “Do you really believe the news media is ‘the enemy of the people?’” “Yes, I do,” she replied. I … Continue reading COVID-19: The gap between news media and people of faith

Killing Grandma and other religion questions during the COVID-19 crisis

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. I bring this column to you, once again, from my news organization’s hastily configured satellite bureau. That’s correct: I’m writing from home, where I’m properly socially isolated in the time of coronavirus. (Right, … Continue reading Killing Grandma and other religion questions during the COVID-19 crisis

Global coronavirus pandemic is BIG, but exactly how big?

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. In my 30-year journalism career, I’ve covered more major news than I can recall. In most cases, I’ve experienced an adrenaline rush as I set about to do my job, which I consider … Continue reading Global coronavirus pandemic is BIG, but exactly how big?

Amid tornado wreckage, one man’s faith offers a huge measure of hope

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Heartbreak and hope. It’s a combination I’ve witnessed repeatedly when covering catastrophes, from the Oklahoma City bombing to Hurricane Katrina to, most recently, the March 3 Tennessee tornadoes that killed … Continue reading Amid tornado wreckage, one man’s faith offers a huge measure of hope

Democrats talk faith ahead of South Carolina and Super Tuesday voting

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Americans don’t consider Democratic presidential candidates to be particularly religious, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. But at the end of Tuesday night’s two-hour debate in Charleston, S.C., guess what? Faith … Continue reading Democrats talk faith ahead of South Carolina and Super Tuesday voting

Did a prophet predict Rick Perry’s future? The theology matters!

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. About a year ago, I wrote about the retirement of Tim Funk, the award-winning religion writer for the Charlotte Observer. But I noticed this week that Funk is back at work for the … Continue reading Did a prophet predict Rick Perry’s future? The theology matters!

This veteran religion journalist likes to sing spirituals — but not when she’s working

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Surely there’s someone out there who doesn’t like Adelle M. Banks. I just haven’t found that person yet. A rare soul beloved by colleagues and competitors alike, Banks is … Continue reading This veteran religion journalist likes to sing spirituals — but not when she’s working

A journalist’s faith: New memoir tells how justice prevailed in civil rights era murders

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. “To the One who loves justice.” That’s the simple dedication at the start of investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell’s long-awaited memoir, “Race Against Time,” which hits bookstores Tuesday. It reflects the deep Christian faith … Continue reading A journalist’s faith: New memoir tells how justice prevailed in civil rights era murders