Religion

American identity is shifting: from what we look like, to where we worship, to who we love. In this special hour, we seek to better understand how American identity is changing this country – and how much of that is self-imposed and how much is imposed by others.

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

Millions of college students are heading to the stage this month to collect their diploma, or to move from community college to a full time university. But for many, that transition comes with a significant financial burden. The Takeaway examines the impact debt and other financial obligations have on a person’s ability to accumulate wealth. Plus, we cover the unfolding protests in Gaza as the U.S. inaugurates its embassy in Jerusalem; and the parliamentary elections in Iraq that may catapult to victory a cleric who twice led uprisings against U.S. forces in the country.

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

American identity is shifting: from what we look like, to where we worship, to who we love. And so it’s not surprising that for many Americans, those changes create a sense of anxiety. Some feel they are being left behind by a country they thought they knew. Others are excited to chart a new course, to take part in that dream that so many Americans aspire to. The data proves that Americans really do think about these ideals. 2017 figures from the Pew Research Center found that 36% of U.S. adults reported that their family had already achieved the American dream. 46% surveyed said they are “on their way” to achieving it. The Takeaway examines the fluctuating notions of American identity. Plus, we speak with President Jimmy Carter about what he believes to be a crisis of faith in the American government; and an update on the apparently growing role of American soldiers in Yemen’s civil war.

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

The same week as the Manchester bombing, Trump proposes cutting the controversial program that aims to identify similar bombers in the US.

May 24, 2017:

1. How Terror Groups Prey on the Vulnerable for Maximum Impact (11 min)

2. In Montana, Medicaid’s Uncertain Future Stirs Worry (10 min)

3. New Report Warns of Growing Number of ‘Disconnected Youth’ (11 min)

4. As Trump Meets the Pope, American Catholics Watch Closely (8 min)

Trust and faith help any relationship, including the relationship between citizens and their government. What happens when trust is at a record low, and faith seems to be in mutually incompatible beliefs in a polarized society? Garry Wills, professor emeritus at Northwestern University, and an author of many books on faith and on politics, reflects on how the challenges of democracy and faith, and how America might seek a better path.

In the wake of major attacks by Islamic extremists, such as those in Paris and San Bernadino, there are frequently calls for moderate Muslims to step up and counter messages of hate espoused by extreme fundamentalists. A group of American Muslims recently launched a new initiative to counter the ideology of radical Islam, called the Muslim Reform Movement.

Journalist and activist Asra Nomani is the group’s co-founder.  When Nomani was working as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Pakistan back in 2002, her friend and colleague Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by extremists. Ever since, Nomani has been fighting for what she calls a more inclusive Islam.

Here, the Takeaway talks with Nomani, the author of “Standing Alone: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam,” about her latest reform efforts.

Nomani’s activism at her former hometown mosque in West Virginia, and the backlash she experienced there, are revisited in “The Mosque in Morgantown,” a documentary coming to America ReFramed, a series co-produced by our partner WGBH.

The series continues tonight on the WORLD Channel with the first of a trio of documentaries that explore many issues American Muslims have been wrestling with since 9/11. The documentary featuring Nomani airs on February 16th. (Check local listings) 

Check out a trailer for “The Mosque in Morgantown” below.

Click on the audio player above to hear this interview.

South Carolina churchgoers may fill pews every Sunday, but this weekend they’ll be filling voting booths. Republican presidential candidates are making their way through the Palmetto State ahead of the primary election this Saturday, and issues of religion and faith are taking centerstage.

Conservative Christians make up more than half of the GOP electorate in the state—prime territory for presidential contenders Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Ben Carson, who have long espoused their religious conservatism. Donald Trump, a self-described Presbyterian, has also been courting Christian voters in South Carolina. 

And Pope Francis isn’t making things easy for him. 

On Thursday, Francis came out to denounce Trump, saying that the billionaire businessman does not represent the Christian faith because he plans to deport millions of immigrants and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“A person who thinks only about building walls—wherever they may be—and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Pope Francis told reporters. “This is not in the Gospel.”

Trump wasted no time in firing back. 

“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” Trump said on Thursday at a campaign rally in South Carolina. “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.”

Though Trump’s brash statements may not be appealing to some conservative Christians, Pastor Mark Burns is a Trump supporter. He’s an African-American evangelical pastor in South Carolina who has voted in the past for President Bill Clinton and President Obama (first term). Burns says that he’s gotten to know Trump personally, and is confident that his core values and straight talk will align well with conservative Christians.

While he admits that Trump might not be pulpit-ready, he argues that that’s not what he and other evangelicals are looking for.  

“We’re not voting for the next pastor of America, we’re voting for the next president of America,” said Burns with added flourish.

What you’ll learn from this segment:

What evangelicals think of the GOP candidates.
The role religion is playing in the 2016 election.
Whether Pastor Burns believes Trump can win over Christians.

February 09, 2016: 1. As Campaigns Leave New Hampshire, The Heroin Epidemic Remains | 2. The Hunt for Qaddafi’s Golden Gun | 4. Taiwan Looks to the Future Amid Earthquake Recovery | 5. Muslim Reform Movement Struggles for The ‘Soul’ of Islam

January 4, 2016: 1. Terrorism or Patriotism in Oregon | 2. Obama Takes Executive Action on Guns | 3. U.S. Damage Control in Saudi Arabia | 4. Tracing the History of Islam | 5. At 16, a Punch, Then Life Without Parole | 6. Using Your Cells Without Consent