I always thought the role of religion was to tend to the poor, the sick, and mankind’s soul. Those days are gone. Religion in the America of 2009 focused on gays, abortion, and Islamists. Not healing the sick, not feeding the hungry, not saving man’s soul. Just gays, abortion, and Islamists.
The Religion Newswriters Association just released its list of Top Ten Religion Stories of 2009 (via USNews & World Report.). Four of the top ten stories are about gays: gay marriage or gay clergy. Three are about abortion, and two about Muslims. Oh, the last one? The impact of the recession on faith-based fundraising. So, really, Religion this year focused on gays, abortion, Muslims, and money. Nice job there, religious leaders.
Here’s the list:
1. President Obama pledges a new beginning in Muslim-U.S. relations and reaches out to the world’s Muslims during a major speech at Cairo University.
2. Health-care reform, the No. 1 topic in Congress for most of the year, involves faith-based groups appealing strongly for action to help “the least of these,” and others, such as the Roman Catholic bishops, for restrictions on abortion funding.
3. Because Maj. Nidal Hasan, the accused gunman in the Fort Hood massacre, was considered a devout Muslim, the role of that faith in terrorism again comes under review; some fear a backlash.
4. Dr. George [sic: Carl] Tiller, regarded as the country’s leading abortion doctor, is gunned down while ushering in his Wichita Lutheran church. Scott Roeder, charged with his murder, is described as a man suffering from delusions and professing radical religious beliefs.
5. Mormons in California come under attack from some supporters of gay rights because of their lobbying efforts in the November 2008 election on behalf of Prop. 8, which outlawed gay marriage. Later in the year, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire approve gay marriage, but it is overturned by voters in Maine.
6. President Obama receives an honorary degree and gives the commencement speech at Notre Dame after fierce debates at the Roman Catholic university over Obama’s views on abortion.
7. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America votes to ordain gay and lesbian clergy who are in a committed monogamous relationship, leading a number of conservative churches—known as the Coalition for Renewal—to move toward forming a new denomination.
8. The recession forces cutbacks at a great variety of faith-related organizations—houses of worship, relief agencies, colleges and seminaries, publishing houses.
9. The Episcopal Church Triennial Convention votes to end a moratorium on installing gay bishops, ignoring a request from the archbishop of Canterbury. At year’s end Los Angeles chooses a lesbian, Mary Glasspool, as assistant bishop. Earlier, an elected bishop in Upper Michigan, Kevin Thew Forrester, is rejected because of his extreme liberal views.
10. President Obama’s inauguration includes a controversial invocation by Rick Warren and a controversial benediction by Joseph Lowery, as well as a pre-ceremony prayer by gay Bishop Gene Robinson.
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Addendum: Compare The Religion Newswriters Association’s list of “Top Ten Religion Stories of 2009” with Time Magazine’s “Top Ten Religion Stories of 2009,” which takes a more international, even, “universal” approach. You’ll see much overlap in the two lists, and, a few surprises.