Why the Olympics are a civil religious ceremony

+ scientists who chase storms US Edition - Today's top story: Why the Olympic Games are a 'civil religious' ceremony with a global congregation [View in browser]( US Edition | 13 July 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( The French capital is getting ready to host millions of spectators during the 2024 Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26. Flags and other patriotic symbols will be on display, and fans will cheer for the feats of their country’s athletes. The Olympic Games can be interpreted as a “[civil religious ceremony](” that convenes every four years, writes Arizona State University’s Terry Shoemaker. Civil religion includes events in which Americans, regardless of their religious affiliation, gather for shared rituals, such as watching fireworks displays on the Fourth of July. Winning gold during the Games may thus reflect more than an individual athlete’s accomplishment. Playing a national anthem during a medal ceremony acknowledges the “collective strength of the entire country,” Shoemaker argues. This week we also liked articles about [the rising average age of U.S. lawmakers](, [unregulated online political ads]( and [supermassive black holes](. [ [The latest on philanthropy and nonprofits. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Giving Today.](] Kalpana Jain Senior Religion + Ethics Editor/ Director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative The U.S. gymnastics team selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics celebrates in Minneapolis. AP Photo/Abbie Parr [Why the Olympic Games are a ‘civil religious’ ceremony with a global congregation]( Terry Shoemaker, Arizona State University Sporting events form a vital space where Americans display their ‘civil religious devotion,’ according to a scholar of religion and sports. Scientists in a truck outfitted with instruments race toward a storm. National Severe Storms Lab/NOAA [What do storm chasers really do? Two tornado scientists take us inside the chase and tools for studying twisters]( Yvette Richardson, Penn State; Paul Markowski, Penn State To capture the data needed to understand how tornadoes behave, scientists have to be near the storm. The ‘Twister’ movies get some of it right. President Joe Biden makes his way to Marine One, flanked by aides and staff, in May 2024. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images [Biden isn’t the first to struggle to pop the presidential bubble that divides him from the public]( Shannon Bow O'Brien, The University of Texas at Austin Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and other presidents showed that getting limited information as president can have some benefits – but also risks. - [Why is Congress filled with old people?]( Charlie Hunt, Boise State University Nearly 20% of House and Senate members are 70 or older, and only 6% are under 40. 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