Holy Relics

Martin Luther King’s Story Plays on Beijing Stage (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 30 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: hebrew artifacts

A play about Martin Luther King Jr., featuring a Chinese actor in the lead role, makes its Beijing debut. Despite the play’s civil rights theme, it has so prompted no official censorship or interference.

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Maha al Douri is a Shiite lawmaker who once was a Sunni. She says she was first attracted to Shiite Islam as a college student and converted because Shiite Islam seemed more peaceful than the Sunni strand. When Douri converted, her Sunni family disowned her. When she married a Shiite man, her relatives threatened to kill her.

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Senior police and Whitehall sources today said the failed attempt to inflict mass murder in central London was the work of al-Qaida or those inspired by its ideology. read more…

Many pin the blame for a church coverup on the former Cardinal Ratzinger — now Pope Benedict XVI. There are no records on clerical sex abuse in Italy and those who want cases investigated often face the wrath of the Vatican as a result.

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Scientists say they’ve created embryonic stem cells by stimulating unfertilized eggs, a significant step toward producing transplant tissue that’s genetically matched to women. read more…

Tags: wiccan, religious artifacts, hebrew, metaphysics

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Behind a Nazi Plot to Seize the Pope (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 29 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: religious antiques

Behind a Nazi Plot to Seize the Pope
In September 1943, Hitler hatched a secret plan. Author Dan Kurzman relates the foiled plot in A Special Mission: Hitler’s Secret Plot to Seize the Vatican and Kidnap Pope Pius the XII.

In September 1943, Hitler hatched a secret plan. Author Dan Kurzman relates the foiled plot in A Special Mission: Hitler’s Secret Plot to Seize the Vatican and Kidnap Pope Pius the XII.

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Source: www.npr.org

Formerly Gay Christian Discusses His ‘Exodus’
Exodus International holds its annual meeting Tuesday. Alan Chambers, head of the organization, describes his “choice to come out of homosexuality,” and his life as a husband and father.

Exodus International holds its annual meeting Tuesday. Alan Chambers, head of the organization, describes his “choice to come out of homosexuality,” and his life as a husband and father.

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Source: www.npr.org

London Car Bomb May Have Been Inspired by al-Qaida
Senior police and Whitehall sources today said the failed attempt to inflict mass murder in central London was the work of al-Qaida or those inspired by its ideology.
Source: pewforum.org

Iraq Rushes to Guard its Mosques
Six of the most important Shiite and Sunni mosques and shrines have been attacked over the past month. Now, politicians are vying for the title of religious protector.
Source: pewforum.org

Father vs. Father: Two Traditions Square Off
Tony Gargagliano’s father came to New York from Italy as a teenager in 1908. But he held on to many of his Old World ways — much to the aggravation –and the delight — of his son. For instance, there was the day they went to get his father’s third marriage annulled.

Tony Gargagliano’s father came to New York from Italy as a teenager in 1908. But he held on to many of his Old World ways — much to the aggravation –and the delight — of his son. For instance, there was the day they went to get his father’s third marriage annulled.

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Source: www.npr.org

Delusional Killer’s Execution Blocked
Amplifying its ban against execution of the insane, the court overturned the death sentence of a Texas man.
Source: pewforum.org

Blair Appeals to Moderate Muslims
Speaking Monday at a conference on Islam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair promoted “the still, small voice of reason and moderation” that speaks out in opposition to extremism. A new government study paints a picture of Islamic studies departments at British universities as out of touch.

Speaking Monday at a conference on Islam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair promoted “the still, small voice of reason and moderation” that speaks out in opposition to extremism. A new government study paints a picture of Islamic studies departments at British universities as out of touch.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: religious products, Islam, hebrew, Hindu

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Stem Cells Made from Eggs, Not Embryos (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 28 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: Blogroll

Scientists say they’ve created embryonic stem cells by stimulating unfertilized eggs, a significant step toward producing transplant tissue that’s genetically matched to women. read more…

In a survey released on June 4, Pew found that most Americans are still largely ignorant of Giuliani’s stance on abortion. “Because this whole issue had come to our attention, the respondents were specifically asked if they knew Giuliani’s position on abortion. Some did, but the larger portion didn’t,” says John C. Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life. read more…

Politically, though, the search for a middle ground on abortion could bear fruit for Clinton or any other Democrat who attempts it in the presidential race, said John C. Green, a University of Akron political scientist and senior fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. read more…

There’s a split in John Edwards’ household over gay marriage, but he says his difference of opinion with wife Elizabeth hasn’t created any awkward moments. read more…

A 2006 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life study of Pentecostal and charismatic movements in 10 countries found that in three nations studied – Guatemala, Kenya and Brazil – more than half the population engages in religious worship that fits what Pew called the “renewalist” movement. read more…

“States can and should pass state partial-birth abortion laws in the model of the federal law,” said anti-abortion activist Cathy Cleaver Ruse of the Family Research Council at a recent event sponsored by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. read more…

The three leading Democratic presidential contenders — New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barak Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards — sat down with liberal religious leaders Monday evening to talk about faith.

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Abortion Debate Follows Giuliani to Regents (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 27 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: artifacts of buddhism

Abortion Debate Follows Giuliani to Regents
Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani spoke at a luncheon addressing conservative Christian voters Tuesday at Regents University.
Source: pewforum.org

Study: U.S. Muslims Face Isolation, Radical Threat
Muslim Americans must meld into U.S. society before suspicion and mistrust lingering since the attacks on New York and Washington isolates them and sparks radicalism in their ranks, a study said on Tuesday.
Source: pewforum.org

Canadian Gay Marriage Vote Blow to U.S. Anglicans
“The action of the Canadian Anglican Church will further isolate the leadership of the U.S. Episcopal Church within the worldwide Anglican communion,” said John Green, senior fellow in religion and American politics at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
Source: pewforum.org

First Big Wave of Iraqi Refugees Heads for the U.S.
7,000 immigrants are expected before year end. About 2,000 will go to Michigan.
Source: pewforum.org

Report: Muslim Integration Crucial to U.S.
A better-integrated Muslim population would better serve the United States as it navigates critical domestic and foreign-policy challenges involving Muslim populations, a new report argues.
Source: pewforum.org

New Poll Finds That Young Americans Are Leaning Left
Young Americans are more likely to favor an open-door policy on immigration, the legalization of gay marriage and government-run health care, a poll found.
Source: pewforum.org

Tags: christianity, religious products, Buddist, religious artifacts

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An Outsider’s Look Inside Amish Community (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 26 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: christian relics

An Outsider’s Look Inside Amish Community
Writer Joe Mackall gained unprecedented access to one of the most conservative Amish communities through his neighbor Samuel. In his new book, Plain Secrets, Mackall chronicles the tightly knit society of Ohio’s Swartzentruber Amish.

Writer Joe Mackall gained unprecedented access to one of the most conservative Amish communities through his neighbor Samuel. In his new book, Plain Secrets, Mackall chronicles the tightly knit society of Ohio’s Swartzentruber Amish.

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Source: www.npr.org

Gay Mormons Grapple with Faith, Sexuality
For Ben Jarvis, the tension between Mormon teachings and his sexuality led him to leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But Affirmation, a support group for gay, lesbian and bisexual Mormons, has helped Jarvis and others retain and share traditions, whether or not they are “officially” church members.

For Ben Jarvis, the tension between Mormon teachings and his sexuality led him to leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But Affirmation, a support group for gay, lesbian and bisexual Mormons, has helped Jarvis and others retain and share traditions, whether or not they are “officially” church members.

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Source: www.npr.org

Muslim Gains Under Blair Overshadowed
Under the shadow of a towering minaret in a Muslim enclave, veiled women stroll, shiny new cars line the streets and houses are being expanded.
Source: pewforum.org

Supreme Court: Taxpayers May Not Challenge Promotion of Faith-Based Initiative
Taxpayers cannot sue the federal government over events that promote its Faith-Based and Community Initiative on grounds that they violate the constitutional separation of church and state, a splintered U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday.
Source: pewforum.org

When it Comes to Faith, Partisan Lines are Blurring
Commentator David Kuo observes how Republicans and Democrats seem to have switched sides when it comes to talking about religion. Democratic candidates can’t seem to stop talking about Jesus, while the Republicans barely mention faith at all.

Commentator David Kuo observes how Republicans and Democrats seem to have switched sides when it comes to talking about religion. Democratic candidates can’t seem to stop talking about Jesus, while the Republicans barely mention faith at all.

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Source: www.npr.org

Integration Struggle Persists for Muslims in Germany
The German government’s response to a new coalition of major Muslim organizations — that the coalition doesn’t represent enough Muslims — set the stage for little progress in a three-year discussion. And many Muslims there disagree on the meaning of integration.

The German government’s response to a new coalition of major Muslim organizations — that the coalition doesn’t represent enough Muslims — set the stage for little progress in a three-year discussion. And many Muslims there disagree on the meaning of integration.

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Source: www.npr.org

Study: U.S. Muslims Face Isolation, Radical Threat
Muslim Americans must meld into U.S. society before suspicion and mistrust lingering since the attacks on New York and Washington isolates them and sparks radicalism in their ranks, a study said on Tuesday.
Source: pewforum.org

Father vs. Father: Two Traditions Square Off
Tony Gargagliano’s father came to New York from Italy as a teenager in 1908. But he held on to many of his Old World ways — much to the aggravation –and the delight — of his son. For instance, there was the day they went to get his father’s third marriage annulled.

Tony Gargagliano’s father came to New York from Italy as a teenager in 1908. But he held on to many of his Old World ways — much to the aggravation –and the delight — of his son. For instance, there was the day they went to get his father’s third marriage annulled.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: Buddist, christianity, holy relics, wiccan

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An Outsider’s Look Inside Amish Community (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 25 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: muslim artifacts

Writer Joe Mackall gained unprecedented access to one of the most conservative Amish communities through his neighbor Samuel. In his new book, Plain Secrets, Mackall chronicles the tightly knit society of Ohio’s Swartzentruber Amish.

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Nearly 9.5 million people have switched away from the Catholic faith, according to the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey. read more…

Strapped to a gurney in the lethal injection chamber at Florida State Prison, Angel Diaz felt the poison flowing into his arms and awaited his death. But it didn’t come quickly. read more…

Speaking Monday at a conference on Islam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair promoted “the still, small voice of reason and moderation” that speaks out in opposition to extremism. A new government study paints a picture of Islamic studies departments at British universities as out of touch.

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Church leaders say they are frustrated by Catholic politicians like Rudolph W. Giuliani who say they oppose abortion but do not want to impose their beliefs. read more…

The three leading Democratic presidential contenders — New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barak Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards — sat down with liberal religious leaders Monday evening to talk about faith.

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Commentator David Kuo observes how Republicans and Democrats seem to have switched sides when it comes to talking about religion. Democratic candidates can’t seem to stop talking about Jesus, while the Republicans barely mention faith at all.

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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that students can face limits on their rights to free speech. read more…

Tags: metaphysics, wiccan, hebrew, religious products

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Rival Camps Take Aim at Romney’s Religion (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 24 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: hebrew artifacts

Rival Camps Take Aim at Romney’s Religion
Over the past year, staff or volunteers from at least three opposing campaigns have, at times subtly and at times not, spread negative information about Mormons in an apparent effort to damage Romney’s bid for the presidency.
Source: pewforum.org

Evangelicals Make Inroads in Guatemala
A survey carried out last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 34 percent of Guatemalans identified themselves as Protestant, compared to 48 percent Catholic.
Source: pewforum.org

Blair Appeals to Moderate Muslims
Speaking Monday at a conference on Islam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair promoted “the still, small voice of reason and moderation” that speaks out in opposition to extremism. A new government study paints a picture of Islamic studies departments at British universities as out of touch.

Speaking Monday at a conference on Islam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair promoted “the still, small voice of reason and moderation” that speaks out in opposition to extremism. A new government study paints a picture of Islamic studies departments at British universities as out of touch.

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Source: www.npr.org

Senate Panel Cuts Abstinence Funding
A Senate appropriations panel voted this week to cut the funding of a major abstinence program, setting up a battle with House appropriators, who voted recently to increase the funding.
Source: pewforum.org

McCain’s Iowa Campaign Chief Stirs Mormons’ Ire by Sniping at Romney’s LDS Faith
Prominent Mormon supporters of Sen. John McCain’s presidential bid were outraged at a campaign worker’s attempt to link the LDS Church to terrorists.
Source: pewforum.org

Tags: Buddist, Hindu, metaphysics, hebrew

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Democrats Pass Provision for Contraceptives in House Foreign Aid Bill (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 23 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: Hindu artifacts

Democrats narrowly pass a measure to provide contraceptives to overseas organizations that were restricted from aid programs because they provided or promoted abortion. read more…

Ken Ham’s $27 million Creation Museum project was built entirely with private money. Yet it was bound to attract skeptics and detractors. And protesters will be out in force Monday. What might people find objectionable about the exhibits?

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The Rev. Jerry Falwell’s death highlighted both a power and a political shift within the Evangelical Christian community. Debbie Elliott gets a glimpse at some of the new evangelical leaders and their broader political agendas from Barbara Bradley Hagerty.

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Three members of Saudi Arabia’s religious police will stand trial this week for their involvement in the death of a man in their custody, an unprecedented action against the powerful enforcers of the country’s strict moral code. read more…

Maha al Douri is a Shiite lawmaker who once was a Sunni. She says she was first attracted to Shiite Islam as a college student and converted because Shiite Islam seemed more peaceful than the Sunni strand. When Douri converted, her Sunni family disowned her. When she married a Shiite man, her relatives threatened to kill her.

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Tony Gargagliano’s father came to New York from Italy as a teenager in 1908. But he held on to many of his Old World ways — much to the aggravation –and the delight — of his son. For instance, there was the day they went to get his father’s third marriage annulled.

» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

Australian Ken Ham says that 25 years ago, God inspired him to present the Biblical view of creation. Ham’s new Creation Museum opens Monday near Cincinnati, Ohio, with this call to action: “Prepare to believe.”

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The increasing numbers of veiled Muslim women are fueling the debate over the role of Muslims in British life. read more…

Tags: holy relics, religious products, Hindu, religious artifacts

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Converted Iraqi Politician Knows Religious Divide (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 22 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: christian relics

Converted Iraqi Politician Knows Religious Divide
Maha al Douri is a Shiite lawmaker who once was a Sunni. She says she was first attracted to Shiite Islam as a college student and converted because Shiite Islam seemed more peaceful than the Sunni strand. When Douri converted, her Sunni family disowned her. When she married a Shiite man, her relatives threatened to kill her.

Maha al Douri is a Shiite lawmaker who once was a Sunni. She says she was first attracted to Shiite Islam as a college student and converted because Shiite Islam seemed more peaceful than the Sunni strand. When Douri converted, her Sunni family disowned her. When she married a Shiite man, her relatives threatened to kill her.

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Source: www.npr.org

Evangelicals Make Inroads in Guatemala
A survey carried out last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 34 percent of Guatemalans identified themselves as Protestant, compared to 48 percent Catholic.
Source: pewforum.org

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Divides States
President Bush’s second veto of a bill to allow federal funding of stem cell research puts the ethical issue squarely in states’ hands.
Source: pewforum.org

Democratic Presidential Contenders Tell of Faith
The three leading Democratic presidential contenders — New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barak Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards — sat down with liberal religious leaders Monday evening to talk about faith.

The three leading Democratic presidential contenders — New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barak Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards — sat down with liberal religious leaders Monday evening to talk about faith.

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Source: www.npr.org

Bishops Weigh Political Involvement
Three years after a few outspoken U.S. Roman Catholic bishops tied together presidential politics, abortion and the Communion rail, leaders of the nation’s largest denomination are starting to speak out again.
Source: pewforum.org

Ethnicity, Faith and the Future of Catholicism
In this week’s Faith Matters segment, Father Reynaldo Taylor talks about being the first black priest to be ordained by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in decades. The spiritual leader discusses diversity in the Catholic Church, and whether the ethnicity of a priest should even matter to the congregation.

In this week’s Faith Matters segment, Father Reynaldo Taylor talks about being the first black priest to be ordained by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in decades. The spiritual leader discusses diversity in the Catholic Church, and whether the ethnicity of a priest should even matter to the congregation.

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Source: www.npr.org

Blair Appeals to Moderate Muslims
Speaking Monday at a conference on Islam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair promoted “the still, small voice of reason and moderation” that speaks out in opposition to extremism. A new government study paints a picture of Islamic studies departments at British universities as out of touch.

Speaking Monday at a conference on Islam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair promoted “the still, small voice of reason and moderation” that speaks out in opposition to extremism. A new government study paints a picture of Islamic studies departments at British universities as out of touch.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: wiccan, religious products, christianity, religious artifacts

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Bush Vetoes Stem Cell Bill (Religion News)

Posted by Jose on 21 Jun 2007 | Tagged as: christian relics

Pushing back against the Democratic-led Congress, President Bush vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have eased restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research. read more…

Australian Ken Ham says that 25 years ago, God inspired him to present the Biblical view of creation. Ham’s new Creation Museum opens Monday near Cincinnati, Ohio, with this call to action: “Prepare to believe.”

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Over the past year, staff or volunteers from at least three opposing campaigns have, at times subtly and at times not, spread negative information about Mormons in an apparent effort to damage Romney’s bid for the presidency. read more…

About 60 percent of people with frozen embryos stored at U.S. fertility clinics would be willing to donate them for use in human stem cell research, according to a survey released on Wednesday. read more…

Ken Ham’s $27 million Creation Museum project was built entirely with private money. Yet it was bound to attract skeptics and detractors. And protesters will be out in force Monday. What might people find objectionable about the exhibits?

» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

Maha al Douri is a Shiite lawmaker who once was a Sunni. She says she was first attracted to Shiite Islam as a college student and converted because Shiite Islam seemed more peaceful than the Sunni strand. When Douri converted, her Sunni family disowned her. When she married a Shiite man, her relatives threatened to kill her.

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With a new church and a new leader, the religious community best known for its 1993 standoff with federal agents has found a new confrontation. A trans-Texas highway project could slice right through the Davidians’ compound — and the members see it as another test.

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