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. Robert Downen almost burned out on newspapers and went into the insurance business. Instead, the talented journalist, now 28, stuck it out and spearheaded what the Religion News Association chose as the No. … Continue reading How the SBC sex abuse scandal turned a city hall reporter into a full-time religion writer

By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion Did Santa bring everything you wanted for Christmas? I hope so. As we head toward a new year, I wanted to pull a few items out of my gift bag. Here, in no particular order, are 10 of the most memorable religion stories that I read (and one I even wrote) in 2019: Read the full column. • • • All … Continue reading Year in review: Ten religion stories that stuck with me in 2019, including one of my own

By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion Terry Mattingly is our resident Mister Rogers expert here at GetReligion. Most recently, he posted — and talked — about the spiritual implications of the late Presbyterian pastor’s “neighborhood.” All the discussion is, of course, tied to Friday’s opening of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers. In tmatt’s recent post, he lamented a … Continue reading In advance of Tom Hanks movie, AP explores Mister Rogers’ faith

By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion

Stunning.

Absolutely stunning.

That’s the only way to describe what happened in a Dallas courtroom Wednesday.

If you pay attention at all to the news, you know what I’m talking about, of course: the hug seen around the world.

The hug, as you know, followed an amazing gesture of forgiveness that nobody — absolutely nobody — saw coming.

Here’s how it played out on the front page of today’s Dallas Morning News, the local newspaper that has covered this story so well from start to finish:

Front page of today's @dallasnews. #faith #forgiveness #BeLikeBo pic.twitter.com/o76Dl7GqKI

— Bobby Ross Jr. (@bobbyross) October 3, 2019

Read the full column.

Continue reading “Hug seen around the world: Botham Jean’s brother forgives officer convicted of murder”

By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion

If you follow college football, you probably know that Oklahoma opened with an impressive win Sunday night, highlighted by 508 yards of total offense by Alabama transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts.

One game into the season (a small sample size, no doubt), it even seems possible that a different Sooners QB could claim the Heisman Trophy for the third straight year.

To which I say: Boomer Sooner!

Here in Oklahoma, The Oklahoman offered readers a special treat on the front page Sunday: a smart news-feature by longtime sports columnist Jenni Carlson on the Sooners playing on what many consider the Lord’s Day. (FYI: Carlson recently celebrated 20 years with the newspaper, which sparked a tribute column by colleague Berry Tramel.)

I loved the headline, which captures the storyline perfectly:

Read the full column.

Continue reading “Touchdown! Oklahoman scores with feature on Sooners game combining two faiths”

By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion

Los Angeles Times national correspondent David Montero’s front-page feature on the parents of an El Paso, Texas, shooting victim is not perfect.

But it’s pretty darn close.

It just might be — in terms of the mixture of storytelling prowess and attention to faith details — the best religion story you’ll read all year.

Front page of Wednesday's @latimes pic.twitter.com/Luz3rbkXNh

— Bobby Ross Jr. (@bobbyross) August 8, 2019

However, be sure to grab a tissue before clicking the link and becoming engrossed in the narrative. Trust me on that.

Read the full column.

Continue reading “From El Paso, a heart-wrenching religion story that might be the best all year”