Lead story

A Jew coined the word genocide. Now it's being used against the Jewish state

Editor's note:

Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jewish lawyer who fled the Holocaust, created the term and fought to make genocide — the systematic destruction of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group — a legal crime. In 1948, thanks to his efforts, the United Nations approved the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. Israel signed the convention in 1951, committing to “undertake to prevent and punish genocide.” Today, the country will face charges of genocide in its war in the Gaza Strip. On Thursday (Jan. 11), the International Court of Justice in the Hague will begin considering a complaint from South Africa that asks the court for an emergency provision to halt Israel’s military operation in Gaza. For its part, Israel denies the accusation of genocide as “atrocious and preposterous,” in the words of President Isaac Herzog. What’s at stake in the ICJ hearing and what impact might it have? RNS’s Yonat Shimron offers a few issues to consider.

Religion News

How to deal with same-sex unions? It’s a question fracturing major Christian denominations 

Reaction among Catholics worldwide is sharply divided over the Vatican's recent declaration allowing priests to bless same-sex couples. Two other major Christian denominations — the Anglican Communion and the United Methodist Church — also are fracturing over differences on LGBTQ-related issues. By David Crary/The Associated Press

A small Spanish city’s bid to build Europe’s biggest Buddha

The 6,000-ton white jade Buddha statue will overlook a sprawling group of temples and monasteries just kilometers from the city center. But suspicions of the project abound. By Hanna Vioque/Religion News Service

Recent incidents of temple vandalism leave American Hindus worried about a larger trend

These instances point to a clear trend, say Hindu American advocates, of anti-Hindu hate crimes on the rise. By Richa Karmarkar/Religion News Service

Vatican’s doctrine chief is raising eyebrows over his 1998 book that graphically describes orgasms 

The Vatican’s new doctrine chief — already under fire from some bishops for his approval of blessings for same-sex couples — is now raising eyebrows over a book he wrote as a young priest describing orgasms in graphic terms. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press 

Prominent Black church in New York sued for gender bias by woman who sought to be its senior pastor 

A Yale professor has filed a federal gender discrimination lawsuit against a prominent Harlem church after it didn’t hire her as senior pastor. The suit accuses Abyssinian Baptist Church and the search committee chair of treating Eboni Marshall Turman unfairly because she is a woman. By Darren Sands/The Associated Press

Commentary and Analysis

Pope Francis called surrogacy ‘deplorable’ – but the reasons people choose surrogacy are complex and defy simple labels

Surrogacy can exploit women, but others may choose to be involved for altruistic reasons. A scholar points out that surrogacy’s ethical value is dependent upon the people and systems who use it.  By Danielle Tumminio Hansen for The Conversation

From South Asia to Mexico, from slave to spiritual icon, this woman's life is a snapshot of Spain's colonization

Accounts of Asian American history often stop at the US border, but Asians were living in Latin America for centuries before the Declaration of Independence. By Diego Javier Luis for The Conversation

What Taoism teaches about the body and being healthy

A scholar of Daoist rituals explains how the indigenous tradition of China understands the human body as being part of the larger cosmos. By Michael Naparstek for The Conversation

Mike Pence writes messages on bombs meant for Lebanon. Would Jesus do that?

A debunked theology is providing cover for supremacists — both white Christian and Jewish — to pursue an illegal war. By Daoud Kuttab/Religion News Service

Photos of the Week: Sea Goddess; Kings in Spain

Devotees carry a small boat filled with offerings into the sea on Vermelha beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. As the year winds down, Brazilian worshippers honor Yemanja, the African goddess of the sea, by offering flowers and launching large and small boats into the water in exchange for blessings for the coming year. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Did a friend or colleague forward this to you? Click here to subscribe.

• This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
• The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
• The Associated Press Newsletter Hub
• Religion News Service newsletter sign-up page
• The Conversation U.S.'s daily and weekly newsletters