Top 10 religious news events of 2012 from Religion Newswriters Association
BY From the Religion Newswriters Association
Saturday, December 29, 2012
12/29/12 at 6:07 AM
COLUMBIA, Mo. - As the nation reeled from the Dec. 14 killing of 20 first-graders and six adults in Newtown, Conn., religious leaders sought to console a stunned public and to discern religion's role in future debates about mental health and gun control.
The No. 1 U.S. religion story in December 2012 was, without a doubt, the school attack and the mournful search for meaning that follows.
However, before the shooting, professional journalists who cover religion voted on the year's other significant religious events.
The U.S. Catholic bishops' opposition to national health-care legislation mandating contraception coverage was ranked the No. 1 religion story of 2012 by members of the Religion Newswriters Association.
Related to the top story, the top religion newsmaker was Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, who became the point man for Catholic objections to required coverage of contraception, sterilization and morning after drugs in President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.
The Top 10 Religion Newswriters Association stories:1.
U.S. Catholic bishops lead opposition to the so-called "Obamacare" requirement that insurance coverage for contraception be provided for employees. The government backs down a bit, but not enough to satisfy the opposition.
2. A Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey shows that "nones" is the fastest-growing religious group in the United States, rising to 19.6 percent of the population.
3. The circulation of an anti-Islam film trailer, "Innocence of Muslims," causes unrest in several countries, leading to claims that it inspired the fatal attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya. President Obama, at the U.N., calls for tolerance of blasphemy and respect as a two-way street.
4. Mitt Romney's Mormon faith turns out to be a virtual non-issue for white evangelical voters, who support him more strongly than they did John McCain, in the U.S. presidential race.
5. Monsignor William Lynn of Philadelphia becomes the first senior Catholic official in the U.S. to be found guilty of covering up child abuse by priests; later Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City, Mo., becomes the first bishop to be found guilty of it.
6. The Vatican criticizes the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, an umbrella group of U.S. nuns, alleging they haven't supported church teaching on abortion, sexuality or women's ordination.
7. Voters OK same-sex marriage in Maine, Maryland and Washington, bringing the total approving to nine states and the District of Columbia. Also, Minnesota defeats a ban on same-sex marriage after North Carolina approves one.
8. The Episcopal Church overwhelmingly adopts a trial ritual for blessing same-sex couples. Earlier, the United Methodists fail to vote on approving gay clergy, and the Presbyterians (USA) vote to study, rather than sanction same-sex marriage ceremonies.
9. Six people are killed and three wounded at worship in a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee. The shooter, an Army veteran killed by police, is described as a neo-Nazi.
10. Southern Baptist Convention elects without opposition its first black president, the Rev. Fred Luter of New Orleans.
The Top 10 poll of Religion Newswriters Association members took place Dec. 11-15 in a confidential, online ballot. More than 100 members of the organization responded. RNA has conducted the poll for nearly 40 years.
The Religion Newswriters Association is the world's oldest and largest professional association for journalists who write about religion.
Original Print Headline: Journalists choose top 10 significant religious news events of the past year
