Segments
As we mark the 16th anniversary of the horrific attacks of 9/11, a day that changed so much for so many – and keep all those in the path of this season’s monster hurricanes in our thoughts – there are major stories at the intersection of religion, government and politics that we’ve got to cover. Nearly 800,000 immigrants were protected by President Obama’s DACA policy, which allowed undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children to legally work and live in the United States. President Trump abruptly cancelled the program on Tuesday and kicked the issue over to Congress. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s radio show and podcast, we’ll speak with a leading faith-based activist working to protect these immigrants.
Host Rev. Welton Gaddy will be joined by United Methodist Church Bishop Minerva Carcaño to discuss the fallout from President Trump’s attack on DACA. Bishop Carcaño is the first Hispanic woman to be elected to the episcopacy of The United Methodist Church and serves as the official spokesperson for the United Methodist Council of Bishops on the issue of immigration. She and Welton will discuss how people of faith are standing up for immigrants and how Congress can act to grant permanent status to those formerly covered by DACA.
We frequently ask on the show how the Religious Right can reconcile its purported beliefs with its unwavering support for Donald Trump. The most frequent answer is that they’re just in it for the power. But what if it goes deeper than that? ThinkProgress Senior Religion Writer Jack Jenkins has authored a series of articles exploring Christian Nationalism in the age of Trump, and he’ll be on the show to share his findings.
A number of prominent Religious Right figures took the opportunity last week to issue a mean-spirited statement of beliefs condemning lesbian and gay people, denying the very existence of transgender people and pretty much damning anyone who has had premarital sex. Over one hundred evangelical leaders signed onto this so-called “Nashville Statement.” Welton will get an opposing viewpoint from activist Brandan Robertson, who organized over a thousand leaders who signed a faithful rebuttal. And it took him less than 24 hours.
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