Don’t take the bait: What Pat Robertson said about Las Vegas isn’t really news
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
A headline from The Onion, of all places, went viral Monday after the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
In recent years, the “‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens” story has become a staple of the satirical newspaper.
When there’s a major tragedy, here’s another thing you can count on: Pat Robertson opening his mouth.
So yes, Robertson weighed in on Las Vegas. Was there any doubt that he would? But is there any possibility that what he said amounted to actual news?
Probably not, as a million (only slightly exaggerating) past GetReligion posts make clear.
“The key is that there are so many people within evangelicalism who are — for better and for worse — more interesting and influential than Robertson at this point in his career,” GetReligion editor Terry Mattingly wrote way back in 2005. (That same year, Poynter.org published another excellent Mattingly piece on this subject, titled “Excommunicating Pat Robertson.”)
The good news is this: My Google news search found very few mainstream news organizations jumping on the latest Robertson quotes. But the Huffington Post — which still does some straight news reporting — was among them.
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All of my GetReligion columns (October 2017):
Continue reading “Don’t take the bait: What Pat Robertson said about Las Vegas isn’t really news”
First beatification Mass for U.S.-born priest and martyr draws thousands
By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service OKLAHOMA CITY — In the final step before sainthood, a missionary from Oklahoma slain during Guatemala’s civil war has been beatified — the first U.S.-born priest and martyr to receive such recognition by the Catholic Church. An estimated 20,000 Catholics waited in long lines to attend the special Mass on Saturday (Sept. 23) celebrating the Rev. Stanley … Continue reading First beatification Mass for U.S.-born priest and martyr draws thousands
Disfellowshipped decades ago, Pat Boone insists he ‘never left’ Church of Christ
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Pat who? As Pat Boone stepped to the microphone at the recent Religion News Association national conference, not everybody recognized him. “I know who you are,” Boone, 83, said a fellow speaker told him. “I thought you died.” The crowd of religion news journalists gathered in Music City — myself included — laughed. Decades ago, Boone was a household name — a … Continue reading Disfellowshipped decades ago, Pat Boone insists he ‘never left’ Church of Christ
‘The next life is a new life’
Why refugee Christians from Vietnam put a lien on their house to buy land for a church. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle HOUSTON — For many American churches, a Sunday potluck might feature casseroles, buckets of chicken and salads with crushed chips on top. At the Vietnamese Church of Christ in this ethnically diverse metropolis, fellowship meals happen differently. The meal is a gateway … Continue reading ‘The next life is a new life’
After Hurricane Harvey, hope for heroes and victims
‘Do not let your spiritual life go while you’re helping other people in the name of Jesus,’ a Houston minister urges his congregation. First Place, In-depth Coverage, Associated Church Press By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle HOUSTON — This one was personal. When I traveled to New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coastto cover Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the churches I visited were new to me. The … Continue reading After Hurricane Harvey, hope for heroes and victims
Catholic faith moves ‘Mattress Mack’ to shelter Harvey victims
Second Place, News Story, Associated Church Press By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service HOUSTON — Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale was kicking himself the morning after Hurricane Harvey made landfall, for closing his furniture stores while some people could still shop. Known to millions in America’s fourth-largest city because he stars in his own zany television commercials, McIngvale had closed all three of his Gallery … Continue reading Catholic faith moves ‘Mattress Mack’ to shelter Harvey victims
Faithful mobilize shelters for Harvey flooding victims
‘The church was just so overwhelmingly warm and friendly,’ one evacuee says. ‘It just made me cry.’ First Place, In-depth Coverage, Associated Church Press By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle BELTON, Texas — In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, strangers became like family. Christians motivated by their love for Jesus opened their hearts — and their church buildings — to men, women and … Continue reading Faithful mobilize shelters for Harvey flooding victims
#RNA2017: Five takeaways from Religion News Association
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In advance of last week’s 68th annual conference of the Religion News Association, the Rev. Thomas J. Reese wrote an interesting column on the state of the Godbeat.
In case you hadn’t heard, this oft-quoted priest joined Religion News Service last month as a senior analyst and columnist focused on Catholicism, the Vatican and Pope Francis. His recent column featured a clever headline about “religion journalists singing country & blues in Nashville.”
Music City was, of course, the site of this year’s RNA conference. Reese wrote:
(RNS) — This week I am looking forward to the annual meeting of the Religion News Association (Sept. 7-9) in Nashville, where I hope to see old friends and make new ones. I enjoy the company of journalists, who are almost always bright, articulate and funny. Religion reporters are a special breed because of their interest in values, religion and the transcendent.
There is also some sadness as I get ready to travel because I know many old friends will not be there. It is not that they have died, although some have. Rather, there are simply fewer religion writers today. They have either been laid off or jumped ship before they got pushed out.
So, when we get to Nashville, I am not sure whether we will be singing country or the blues.
Actually, Godbeat pros sang a few church hymns, as part of a session on congregational singing (and beer):
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All of my GetReligion columns (September 2017):
Continue reading “#RNA2017: Five takeaways from Religion News Association”
South Carolina church battles opioid ‘emergency’
Addicts find love, hope — and Jesus — through ministries focused on recovery and discipleship. First Place, Theme Issue, Section or Series, Associated Church Press By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. — Opioids, meet Jesus. The drugs behind a crisis that President Donald Trump characterizes as a “national emergency” are no match for the savior of the world. That’s the … Continue reading South Carolina church battles opioid ‘emergency’
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 