The U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage was voted as the top religion news story of the year by members of the Religion Newswriters Association. And for the third year in a row, Pope Francis was picked as the top religion newsmaker of the year.
The Religion Newswriters Association is a worldwide organization "dedicated to helping journalists write about religion with balance, accuracy and insight." Founded in 1949, it includes members from various branches of media. Past and current religion writers for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette have been and are members.
The court's 5-4 decision in June narrowly snagged the top spot, with the crush of migrants, many fleeing war in Syria, seeking refuge across Europe coming in at a close second.
Religious leaders in Arkansas had mixed reactions to
the court's decision. The three largest religious bodies -- Southern Baptists, Catholics and United Methodists -- remained firm in their opposition to same-sex marriage, while leaders of smaller denominations and religious groups welcomed the news.
The Rev. Ronnie Floyd, pastor of the multi-campus Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas and president of the 15.5 million-member Southern Baptist Convention, denounced the decision, saying that he still believed in "biblical and traditional marriage."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also issued a statement saying: "It is profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage." The United Methodist Church's Book of Discipline says the practice of homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching," but the topic has been one of contention within the denomination for years, with clergy members occasionally defying church rules to officiate at same-sex weddings.
Several denominations had already allowed their clergy to officiate at gay marriages before the ruling, according to the Pew Research Center, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Churches, the Society of Friends (Quakers) and both Conservative and Reform Jewish congregations.
The Episcopal Church voted to do so during their General Convention in Salt Lake City, which was underway when the Supreme Court ruling was handed down.
As the religion newsmaker of the year, Francis received the top vote during a year when he continued to speak out for the poor and denounce greed. His encyclical on the environment received support and rebuke, but the charismatic pope was greeted by cheering crowds during his visit to the United States, where he addressed Congress, visited prisoners and celebrated a massive outdoor Mass in Washington. The pontiff also visited Latin America and Africa, all while continuing to reform the Vatican.
The remaining top 10 stories were:
• The expansion of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, including the beheadings of 21 Coptic Christians, as well as bombings in Beirut and Paris and the downing of a Russian plane.
• The rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States and abroad following terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., including calls by some politicians for a ban on Muslim refugees and immigrants, as well as surveillance of Muslims already living in the country.
• The pope's trip to the United States, where he visited Washington, Philadelphia and New York.
• A terrorist attack on Nov. 13 in Paris by attackers linked to the Islamic State that killed 130 and injured hundreds.
• The pope made the list again, at No. 7, for his environmental encyclical, "Laudato Si (Praise Be): On Care for Our Common Home," in which he talked about the "moral crisis" of climate change and denounced an economic system that allows the rich to exploit the poor while also destroying the planet. He wrote that Christians "must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God's image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures."
• The shooting deaths of nine black worshippers at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., by a white supremacist.
• Faith groups showing support for the "Black Lives Matter" movement that arose after the deaths of black suspects at the hands of police.
• And, again, the pope made news as he continued to push for reforms, including making the annulment process easier and encouraging a "more pastoral" tone on divorce and remarriage among Catholics.
Stories just outside the top 10 included the shooting in San Bernardino, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis refusing to sign same-sex marriage licenses and an expansive Pew Research Center survey that showed an increased rise in the religiously unaffiliated or "nones" in the United States.
The Religion Newswriters Association has conducted its Top 10 Religion News Stories of the Year poll since the early 1970s.
Religion on 12/26/2015