CREEDE HINSHAW: Religion makes the news in 2017

Religion stories are always big news. As 2017 winds down we’ve followed these events/trends:

The Emergence of the Evangelical Voter (again): Surveys consistently indicate white evangelical voters are determined to stick with Donald Trump even as they stood by the defeated Roy Moore. Reasons for their unwavering support are many, but none is simpler than what a Republican friend told me, “Nothing is as bad as Hillary.” President Trump has made good consistently on his promises to this voting bloc.

The 99th Birthday of Billy Graham: Last month this widely respected evangelical (there’s that word again) leader, revivalist and counselor to presidents turned 99. Although his hearing and vision aren’t so strong these days, he seems to be holding his own. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association claims that Rev. Graham has preached to more people in live audiences than anyone in history. Have a great year, Billy!

Pope Francis Leads the Church Firmly: This pope continues to inspire or confound, depending on where you find yourself in Catholicism. Supporters are thrilled that he is trying to reform the bloated church bureaucracy and make the church more relevant and appealing to gay and lesbian persons, and remarried couples. More conservative cardinals and bishops are pushing back hard, alarmed that Francis seems to be dismantling the church and bordering on heresy. On everything from the Rohingya to holding Cardinal Law’s funeral at St. Peter’s, Pope Francis inevitably makes headlines.

Supreme Court Hears a Cake Decorator: A divided Supreme Court will decide whether a commercial cake baker and decorator in Denver can refuse to decorate a wedding cake for a gay couple. This conservative Christian baker is sidestepping the religious angle by claiming his freedom of speech is being violated, a novel strategy. Is cake decorating protected speech? If the justices rule in June in favor of the baker, they’ll indicate support for the individual Christian conscience at the expense of greater and further discrimination of minority religious groups and entire classes of people.

Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital: President Trump made it official (sort of) last month by declaring that our nation now recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, although re-locating our embassy there might not take place for another three years or so. Most of the world reacted harshly, as this week’s United Nations’ vote indicated. Whatever you think about this decision, the United States is the world’s strongest supporter of the nation of Israel and most American Jews welcomed the news. Trump, for his part, delivered on another campaign promise, but at what expense for the peace process?

Lives Changed for the Better: The news cannot report the many lives changed for the better, the conversions, the deepening of faith, the sacrificial nature of church, synagogue and mosque and the goodness of the common, ordinary man, woman and child in this country. Those stories will rarely be published, but we know them and some of us live them. Happy New Year!

Email columnist Creede Hinshaw, a retired Methodist minister, at [email protected].