Welcome to Wednesday. Franciscan Fr. Daniel Horan says we can only move forward as a country once we acknowledge where we have been. Supreme Court case could undermine anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ people. NCR has a live blog of Election Day coverage.
We can only move forward if we acknowledge 'dangerous memories'
We can't expect that the division in our society will dissipate immediately after Election Day is over, says NCR columnist Franciscan Fr. Daniel Horan. Even if it is a landslide victory for former Vice President Joe Biden, the "polarization, sectarianism and widespread distrust will still need to be addressed after the election."
Horan says there are three insights for Christians hoping to move forward toward reconciliation and peace — avoiding cynicism, preserving memory and restoring a sense of our shared humanity.
"We will not be able to achieve meaningful reconciliation or move beyond infighting and division without a restoration of the fundamental belief that other people are worthy, valuable people with intrinsic dignity bestowed to them by God," Horan writes. "They are not 'enemies' and 'others,' but as Pope Francis reminds us, those we may disagree with are always our sisters and brothers."
You can read the rest of Horan's column here.
More background:
- Also in our series looking forward after a contentious election season, Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister says the time is now for us to figure out what our values are.
- And Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, says that after living through a period of such intense division, now is the time for us to be forming consciences for faithful citizenship.
- Follow all of NCR's Election 2020 coverage here.
Supreme Court case could undermine anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ people, attorney says
If the Supreme Court's conservative majority favors religious liberty arguments in the upcoming Fulton v. City of Philadelphia case, the outcome could undermine local anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ people, said law professor Leslie Griffin in a webinar hosted by New Ways Ministry.
The case, which will be argued today, will be one of the first cases conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, one of six Catholics on the Supreme Court, will hear after being appointed and confirmed to replace her liberal predecessor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The case started when the city of Philadelphia found out Catholic Social Services was preventing same-sex couples from fostering children on the basis of their sexual orientation, in violation of the city's anti-discrimination law protecting LGBTQ people.
You can read more of the story here.
More headlines
- NCR reporters and analysts around the country will be tracking developments at the intersection of faith and politics throughout Election Day — and until a winner can accurately be determined. Find regular updates here.
- NCR political columnist Michael Sean Winters will have post-election analysis coming in this morning. Check here for his latest columns.
- Tennessee's bishops have urged the state's Republican governor to stop the upcoming execution of a man on death row , saying: "Carrying out this execution does not serve the cause of justice."
Final thoughts
If you missed Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister's discussion with former NCR editor Tom Roberts on where we go from here after one of the most consequential elections in our country's recent history, you can watch it here.
Join us today on Facebook or YouTube at 11 a.m. Central for a day-after Election Day panel dissecting what we know, with NCR political columnist Michael Sean Winters, USA Today columnist Melinda Henneberger and moderated by NCR opinion editor Olga Segura.
Until Thursday,
Stephanie Yeagle
NCR Production/Online Editor
[email protected]
Twitter: @ncrSLY
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