The death of Osama bin Laden and the reactions it produced among people of faith was rated the No. 1 religion news story of 2011 by the nation’s leading religion journalists.
The Religion Newswriters Association (RNA) polls its members annually to compile a list of the top 10 religion stories of the year. About 90 religion beat specialists took the poll this year.
Many Muslim Americans had hoped that the death of Osama bin Laden would improve their image among other Americans, but according to a new survey, just the opposite has happened.
Rather than being mollified, anti-Muslim sentiment has intensified since Navy Seals killed the al-Qaida leader in a May 1 raid in Pakistan, according to a new report by researchers from the Ohio State University School of Communication, Cornell University’s Survey Research Institute, and the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.
Late Sunday night, while perusing Facebook, a friend on Facebook updated her status to announce that Osama bin Laden was dead. It took a few seconds to confirm the news on CNN, and by the time I refreshed the screen, her status had changed once again.
In light of Osama bin Laden’s death on May 1, Presbyterian ministries here have had reason to reflect anew on denominational statements and studies on terrorism, war and the continuing call for peace.
The Rev. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), encouraged the offices of Theology and Worship and Compassion, Peace and Justice and the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy to share the following resources for prayer and reflection.