RELIGION HEADLINES FRI 8-21

(SRN NEWS)-

(  )  The debate over transgenderism continues to roil the WNBA.  In the Indiana Fever’s first visit to Toronto this week, there was a mix of cheers and boos when Fever guard Sophie Cunningham entered the game, and fans cheered when she missed her first free-throw attempt.  Cunningham said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to letting men play against women in sports.  Late in the fourth quarter of the game, fans cheered when someone holding a banner in support of transgenderism was shown on the video screen during a timeout.  There was also a banner praising Cunningham on display.

(  )  Orthodox Jews have entered the debate over permanent Daylight Saving Time.  Congress is considering a bill that would make DST a year-round system and the most conservative Jews are against it.  The problem has to do with sunrise.  Under permanent DST, sunrise in the winter would be a lot later than it is under Standard Time.  Some Orthodox Jewish prayer rituals can only take place at sunrise and if it is later than normal then those Jews will be late to work.  Several Orthodox groups have come out against the legislation which has passed the House but faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

(  )  Religious freedom advocates are directing attention to Indonesia, where a court on the island of Bali has sentenced a Swiss tourist to one year in prison for insulting a Hindu observance.  The tourist was found guilty of violating Indonesia’s new criminal code by posting social media messages about the Day of Silence, when people are required to stay home and are urged to remain silent and meditate.  The criminal code has been much criticized for its restrictions on individual freedoms.  Amongst other things, it includes penalties for insulting the president and various state institutions.

(  )  President Trump has picked Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration.  Overton is a deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and a trusted figure in the Trump administration.  She is an outspoken pro-life advocate who is very critical of abortion pills.  If confirmed, Overton would be positioned to roll back Biden-era FDA rules that made the drugs more accessible.  Pro-life advocates have expressed frustration that the administration has not acted to stem the flow of such pills prescribed online, a situation they view as undermining the growing number of state abortion bans.

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