Driven by faith, Texas mom advocates for refugees
Reda Hicks, attorney, community activist and military wife, helps displaced families start over in U.S. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle HOUSTON — To Reda Hicks, refugees aren’t nameless faces on the news. They’re real women — with real stories of escaping war and persecution in places such as Iran, Iraq and Sudan. Hicks, a member of the Memorial Church of Christ in this … Continue reading Driven by faith, Texas mom advocates for refugees
‘Do we really trust God enough to love our neighbors?’
President Trump’s immigration orders spark passionate responses from Christians. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle “We Welcome Refugees,” declared the sign outside the Northlake Church of Christ in Tucker, Ga., on a recent Sunday. That message reflected the intense national debate over President Donald Trump’s order to bar — at least temporarily — refugees from seven countries deemed terrorism threats. Trump’s court-challenged travel … Continue reading ‘Do we really trust God enough to love our neighbors?’
Six ways churches can thwart new email threat
Sophisticated messages can appear to come from a leader in the targeted church. By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Church Finance Today Tim Samuel nearly fell for an email scam that has cost victims billions of dollars. Samuel, chief financial officer for Bridgeway Community Church in Columbia, Maryland, received a message that appeared to come from the church’s information technology director. “I was blown away … Continue reading Six ways churches can thwart new email threat
My wife, Tamie, live-tweets her infusion treatment #humor
Tamie Ross live-tweets her infusion treatment #humor Continue reading My wife, Tamie, live-tweets her infusion treatment #humor
For thousands of Nicaragua’s poor, mission ‘a gift from God’
Outreach that started with a small medical clinic has grown to meet needs ranging from education to water systems. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle JINOTEGA, Nicaragua — In a nation where many live on just a few dollars a day, things most U.S. residents take for granted make a world of difference. An aspirin to relieve a headache. A filter to provide clean water. … Continue reading For thousands of Nicaragua’s poor, mission ‘a gift from God’
Build the wall? Bar refugees? Christians debate Trump’s orders
Faithful contemplate how to balance compassion for immigrants with concern for national security. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle An Iraqi refugee who serves as a Christian missionary in the heavily Arab community of Dearborn, Mich. Canadian church members who adopted a Syrian refugee family with six children. An Illinois minister who prays with loved ones of undocumented immigrants facing deportation. All voice strong opinions … Continue reading Build the wall? Bar refugees? Christians debate Trump’s orders
They are friends in Congress — and brothers in Christ
The only two members of Churches of Christ in the U.S. House share a special bond. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle When two U.S. congressmen visited a small, English-speaking Church of Christ in Brussels, one of them left Sunday worship with something that didn’t belong to him. Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, chuckles as he recalls his friend and brother in Christ — Rep. Ted … Continue reading They are friends in Congress — and brothers in Christ
Anti-Islamophobia: A nuanced portrayal of Syrian refugees in the heart of red-state America
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
Stereotypes plague so much news coverage of Muslims in Donald Trump’s America.
I’m talking about negative pieces that attempt to turn every conservative state into a bastion of hatred toward Islam and its followers.
These are the type of stories that take a single case — or a few random incidents — and scream, “Islamophobia!” See examples here, here, here, here and here. Too often, these articles rely on squishy generalizations when what readers really need — and deserve — are hard facts.
So what’s the antidote to such poor journalism?
Well, reporting that focuses on real people — with real context and real nuance — would be a nice place to start.
Speaking of which, the Washington Post (for which I occasionally freelance) featured just such a story on its front page Monday.
Post national writer Robert Samuels enlightens and surprises — both nice traits for a newspaper story — as he paints a portrait of Syrian refugees in a state where nearly three out of five voters supported Trump.
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More of my GetReligion columns (February 2017):
Holocaust Remembrance Day reading: Two survivors find each other, and answers
‘I am still moved and astonished at our special and rare connection.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | AP Religion Writer SOUTHLAKE, Texas (AP) — In George Lucius Salton’s view, it’s nothing short of a miracle. His daughter, Anna Eisen, called him at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., with a question that sent his mind racing back 60 years to the hell he survived as a … Continue reading Holocaust Remembrance Day reading: Two survivors find each other, and answers
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 