Holy Relics

Appeal of ‘Crosses’ Lawsuits to be Heard Oct. 1
A federal court will hear appeals Oct. 1 of two lawsuits brought by Paul Weinbaum of Las Cruces concerning the use of Christian symbols by local governments.
Source: pewforum.org

Reinhold Niebuhr is Unseen Force in 2008 Elections
Thirty-six years after his death, Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr seems more alive than ever.
Source: pewforum.org

National Cathedral Celebrates Centennial Year
Washington’s National Cathedral, now 100 years old, plays a prominent role in the life of the nation. The Protestant Episcopal church has hosted presidents and offered a place to mourn during national crises.

Washington’s National Cathedral, now 100 years old, plays a prominent role in the life of the nation. The Protestant Episcopal church has hosted presidents and offered a place to mourn during national crises.

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Source: www.npr.org

In Alabama, Rare Delay of Inmate?s Execution
In a fresh sign that the use of lethal injection in capital punishment faces an uncertain future, the Supreme Court issued an unusual last-minute reprieve for a death-row inmate in Texas.
Source: pewforum.org

Giuliani Cites Bible on Personal Life
Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani compared the scrutiny of his personal life marked by three marriages to the biblical story of how Jesus dealt with an adulterous woman.
Source: pewforum.org

Thompson Unaware of Death Penalty Cases
Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson said Thursday he was unaware that a federal judge had ruled last week that lethal injection procedures in his home state were unconstitutional.
Source: pewforum.org

Romance on Iranian TV Crosses Cultures
Iran state-controlled TV is featuring a mini-series about a love story between an Iranian Muslim man and a French Jewish woman during World War II: Zero Degree Turn.

Iran state-controlled TV is featuring a mini-series about a love story between an Iranian Muslim man and a French Jewish woman during World War II: Zero Degree Turn.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: Islam, religious artifacts, metaphysics, religious products

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For any who think that the university is hostile territory to religion, there is new evidence that Jesus is still a big man on campus. read more…

Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is rejecting calls to fire one his top homeland security advisers, Rep. Peter King, after the Long Island Republican said there are “too many mosques” in the United States. read more…

A Calfornia pastor decided to have Sunday services in an unlikely location — a popular Los Angeles nightclub. During church service, popular hip hop songs play, and the pastor connects Christianity to popular cultural references.

A Calfornia pastor decided to have Sunday services in an unlikely location — a popular Los Angeles nightclub. During church service, popular hip hop songs play, and the pastor connects Christianity to popular cultural references.

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Washington’s National Cathedral, now 100 years old, plays a prominent role in the life of the nation. The Protestant Episcopal church has hosted presidents and offered a place to mourn during national crises.

Washington’s National Cathedral, now 100 years old, plays a prominent role in the life of the nation. The Protestant Episcopal church has hosted presidents and offered a place to mourn during national crises.

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The Internal Revenue Service has told a prominent Pasadena church that it has ended its lengthy investigation into a 2004 antiwar sermon, church leaders said Sunday. read more…

Tags: Buddist, Hindu, holy relics, hebrew

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Moderate Muslims Enlisted to Steer Adults and Children Away from Insurgency. read more…

In 1956, 16-year-old Pennsylvania schoolboy Ellery Schempp decided to protest his public school’s mandatory prayer and Bible-reading period by reading silently from the Koran. He was ejected from class and then sued the school district. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court.

In 1956, 16-year-old Pennsylvania schoolboy Ellery Schempp decided to protest his public school’s mandatory prayer and Bible-reading period by reading silently from the Koran. He was ejected from class and then sued the school district. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court.

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A courthouse display featuring the Ten Commandments can stay, a federal judge ruled, rejecting arguments that it endorses religion in violation of the constitution. read more…

Christian conservatives invite Republican presidential candidates to a forum in South Carolina. It’s an opportunity to take the temperature of religious conservative voters in an early primary state.

Christian conservatives invite Republican presidential candidates to a forum in South Carolina. It’s an opportunity to take the temperature of religious conservative voters in an early primary state.

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Three American priests who left the Episcopal Church after it appointed an openly gay bishop in 2003 have been consecrated as bishops in Africa. They’re returning to minister to American congregations, but will report to conservative churches in Africa.

Three American priests who left the Episcopal Church after it appointed an openly gay bishop in 2003 have been consecrated as bishops in Africa. They’re returning to minister to American congregations, but will report to conservative churches in Africa.

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Tensions between rival Shiite factions are running high, following two days of clashes in the holy city of Karbala that left at least 50 dead and more than 200 wounded. The violence in Karbala sparked clashes in several other Shiite towns in southern Iraq.

Tensions between rival Shiite factions are running high, following two days of clashes in the holy city of Karbala that left at least 50 dead and more than 200 wounded. The violence in Karbala sparked clashes in several other Shiite towns in southern Iraq.

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End-of-life care for Catholics is in the spotlight again following the Vatican’s statement last week that feeding tubes should not be removed from patients in a vegetative state. read more…

Tags: religious artifacts, hebrew, wiccan, christianity

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It’s Badr Versus Mahdi in Karbala
On one side of the riots in the Shiite-dominated city of Karbala is the Badr Brigade — affiliated with the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. On the other is the Mahdi Army — affiliated with cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. According to scholar Vali Nasr, both groups have had close ties to Iran in the past.

On one side of the riots in the Shiite-dominated city of Karbala is the Badr Brigade — affiliated with the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. On the other is the Mahdi Army — affiliated with cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. According to scholar Vali Nasr, both groups have had close ties to Iran in the past.

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Source: www.npr.org

Clergy to Help People Die
They will not administer drugs but will monitor as fatal medication works.
Source: pewforum.org

7 GOP Hopefuls Face Off in Values Debate
On a night that opened with 90 minutes of prayers, gospel music and Bible verses, seven Republican presidential candidates gathered in Fort Lauderdale to try and win over an evangelical voting bloc that has been a political powerhouse in past elections.
Source: pewforum.org

Fort Riley Soldier Sues Defense Department over Religious Freedom
A soldier who unsuccessfully tried to hold a meeting for atheists and other non-Christians is suing the Defense Department, claiming his right to religious freedom was violated.
Source: pewforum.org

McCain: Overall Faith What’s Important
Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Monday that questions over whether he identifies himself as a Baptist or an Episcopalian are not as important as his overarching faith. “The most important thing is that I am a Christian,” the Arizona senator told reporters following two campaign stops in this early voting state.
Source: pewforum.org

Publicly Funded Hebrew Charter School Opens in Fla.
The nation’s first publicly funded Hebrew charter school has just opened in Broward County, Fla. Opponents, including some Jewish residents of the area, say this precedent raises the prospect of publicly funded Islamic or fundamentalist Christian schools in Florida.

The nation’s first publicly funded Hebrew charter school has just opened in Broward County, Fla. Opponents, including some Jewish residents of the area, say this precedent raises the prospect of publicly funded Islamic or fundamentalist Christian schools in Florida.

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Source: www.npr.org

Amnesty Faces Ban in Northern Ireland’s Catholic Schools
The Catholic church in Northern Ireland has started to instruct schools to disband Amnesty International support groups because of the human rights organisation’s pro-abortion stance.
Source: pewforum.org

Discovering the Man Behind a Boy’s Protest
In 1956, 16-year-old Pennsylvania schoolboy Ellery Schempp decided to protest his public school’s mandatory prayer and Bible-reading period by reading silently from the Koran. He was ejected from class and then sued the school district. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court.

In 1956, 16-year-old Pennsylvania schoolboy Ellery Schempp decided to protest his public school’s mandatory prayer and Bible-reading period by reading silently from the Koran. He was ejected from class and then sued the school district. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: holy relics, religious products, Islam, metaphysics

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Moved by Islam, Priest Embraces Two Faiths
Ann Holmes Redding, an Episcopal priest, was inspired by a local Muslim leader. Now she’s been suspended by her church for one year after announcing she is both Christian and Muslim.

Ann Holmes Redding, an Episcopal priest, was inspired by a local Muslim leader. Now she’s been suspended by her church for one year after announcing she is both Christian and Muslim.

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Source: www.npr.org

Fringe Fest ‘Jihad’ Musical Touches Explosive Topics
While audiences at the Edingburgh Arts Festival praise the politically incorrect plot and lyrics of ‘Jihad: The Musical,’ some Muslims fear that the play undermines their attempts to disconnect from the terrorist stereotype.

While audiences at the Edingburgh Arts Festival praise the politically incorrect plot and lyrics of ‘Jihad: The Musical,’ some Muslims fear that the play undermines their attempts to disconnect from the terrorist stereotype.

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Source: www.npr.org

Bride Wed at 14 Testifies at Polygamist’s Trial
A former teenage bride testified Friday at the trial of Warren Jeffs, leader of a polygamist sect in Utah and Arizona. She recalled the day in 2001 when she says Jeffs ordered her to marry her cousin. Jeffs is accused of coercing the then-14-year-old into a union she says she did not want.

A former teenage bride testified Friday at the trial of Warren Jeffs, leader of a polygamist sect in Utah and Arizona. She recalled the day in 2001 when she says Jeffs ordered her to marry her cousin. Jeffs is accused of coercing the then-14-year-old into a union she says she did not want.

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Source: www.npr.org

Non-Christian Events Concern for Employers
Last December, retailers nationwide encountered a firestorm of criticism for removing Christmas themes from their holiday displays in an effort to avoid offending non- Christians. Instead, they inadvertently offended many Christians.
Source: pewforum.org

Still God’s Own Party?
People in a recent Pew Research Center survey perceived Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani as the least religious of all the presidential candidates.
Source: pewforum.org

Op-Ed: Anti-Roe and Pro-Rudy
To the disbelief of the political class, Rudy Giuliani still leads the polls in the race for the Republican nomination for president. Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson seem unable to compete with conservative affection for a thrice-married, twice-divorced, socially liberal New Yorker.
Source: pewforum.org

Tags: Hindu, hebrew, christianity, Buddist

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Tensions between rival Shiite factions are running high, following two days of clashes in the holy city of Karbala that left at least 50 dead and more than 200 wounded. The violence in Karbala sparked clashes in several other Shiite towns in southern Iraq.

Tensions between rival Shiite factions are running high, following two days of clashes in the holy city of Karbala that left at least 50 dead and more than 200 wounded. The violence in Karbala sparked clashes in several other Shiite towns in southern Iraq.

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A federal appeals court, dividing sharply over the use of biblical quotations in the jury room, reinstated a Los Angeles man’s death sentence Monday for the murder of a student librarian nearly 30 years ago. read more…

In 1956, 16-year-old Pennsylvania schoolboy Ellery Schempp decided to protest his public school’s mandatory prayer and Bible-reading period by reading silently from the Koran. He was ejected from class and then sued the school district. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court.

In 1956, 16-year-old Pennsylvania schoolboy Ellery Schempp decided to protest his public school’s mandatory prayer and Bible-reading period by reading silently from the Koran. He was ejected from class and then sued the school district. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court.

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Most Americans believe the nation’s founders wrote Christianity into the Constitution, and people are less likely to say freedom to worship covers religious groups they consider extreme, a poll out today finds. read more…

On one side of the riots in the Shiite-dominated city of Karbala is the Badr Brigade — affiliated with the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. On the other is the Mahdi Army — affiliated with cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. According to scholar Vali Nasr, both groups have had close ties to Iran in the past.

On one side of the riots in the Shiite-dominated city of Karbala is the Badr Brigade — affiliated with the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. On the other is the Mahdi Army — affiliated with cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. According to scholar Vali Nasr, both groups have had close ties to Iran in the past.

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Thousands are walking the streets of Baghdad, performing an annual pilgrimage to the shrine of a much-loved Shiite Imam, or saint. Because many Shiite observances were suppressed under Saddam Hussein, the pilgrimage is an important part of Shiite identity but dangerous.

Thousands are walking the streets of Baghdad, performing an annual pilgrimage to the shrine of a much-loved Shiite Imam, or saint. Because many Shiite observances were suppressed under Saddam Hussein, the pilgrimage is an important part of Shiite identity but dangerous.

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Tags: Buddist, Islam, holy relics, Hindu

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A Mosque in America’s Heartland
From Interstate 75, the sight is striking: A gleaming white mosque with twin minarets in the classical Islamic style rises out of the Ohio countryside.
Source: pewforum.org

Moderates Attack ‘Fundamentally Wrong’ Approach to Teaching Islam
Riyadh ul Haq, who has preached of the “evil influence” of the West, may be a faithful representative of the Deobandi school of Sunni Islam but he does not speak for all Islamic scholars, let alone all Muslims. No one knows that better than Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra.
Source: pewforum.org

D. James Kennedy Dies at 76
The Rev. D. James Kennedy, a Florida minister who took to the airwaves and became a force in driving conservative Christians into the public square, died Wednesday after months of serious illness.
Source: pewforum.org

Rev. D. James Kennedy, Broadcaster, Dies at 76
The Rev. D. James Kennedy, a Christian broadcaster and the pastor of a Florida megachurch who played a critical role in the rise of conservative Christianity, died yesterday at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 76.
Source: pewforum.org

Mission Field Dangerous for Church Workers
There are 21 South Korean hostages still in custody of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The group belongs to the same church near Seoul, and was taken hostage by the Taliban July 19. The incident highlights the hazards for the thousands of missionaries who head to danger zones every year.

There are 21 South Korean hostages still in custody of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The group belongs to the same church near Seoul, and was taken hostage by the Taliban July 19. The incident highlights the hazards for the thousands of missionaries who head to danger zones every year.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: christianity, Buddist, hebrew, metaphysics

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This weekend, tens of thousands of Vietnamese American Catholics have converged on the small town of Carthage, Mo., at the campus of a religious order called the Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix. The event that draws them is called the Marian Days, a time for devotion to the Virgin Mary, whom many credit with helping them escape from communist Vietnam.

This weekend, tens of thousands of Vietnamese American Catholics have converged on the small town of Carthage, Mo., at the campus of a religious order called the Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix. The event that draws them is called the Marian Days, a time for devotion to the Virgin Mary, whom many credit with helping them escape from communist Vietnam.

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Sheikh Rashid Lamptey, the new imam at the Dar Al Noor mosque in Virginia, plays a dual role: He’s the face of Islam to his congregation and to Americans who might be wary of Muslims.

Sheikh Rashid Lamptey, the new imam at the Dar Al Noor mosque in Virginia, plays a dual role: He’s the face of Islam to his congregation and to Americans who might be wary of Muslims.

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It was recently revealed that Mother Teresa had a decades-long struggle with darkness and despair and that she chronicled her spiritual troubles in journal entries. Father James Martin says the news reminded him of his own spiritual toils at a retreat a few weeks ago.

It was recently revealed that Mother Teresa had a decades-long struggle with darkness and despair and that she chronicled her spiritual troubles in journal entries. Father James Martin says the news reminded him of his own spiritual toils at a retreat a few weeks ago.

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While audiences at the Edingburgh Arts Festival praise the politically incorrect plot and lyrics of ‘Jihad: The Musical,’ some Muslims fear that the play undermines their attempts to disconnect from the terrorist stereotype.

While audiences at the Edingburgh Arts Festival praise the politically incorrect plot and lyrics of ‘Jihad: The Musical,’ some Muslims fear that the play undermines their attempts to disconnect from the terrorist stereotype.

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Salt Lake City’s parochial profile – an increasingly non-Mormon city that hosts the world headquarters of the LDS Church in a predominantly Mormon state – presents a unique cultural quarrel: read more…

Tags: holy relics, religious artifacts, Islam, Hindu

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Young Imam Serves as Islam’s Face to Community
Sheikh Rashid Lamptey, the new imam at the Dar Al Noor mosque in Virginia, plays a dual role: He’s the face of Islam to his congregation and to Americans who might be wary of Muslims.

Sheikh Rashid Lamptey, the new imam at the Dar Al Noor mosque in Virginia, plays a dual role: He’s the face of Islam to his congregation and to Americans who might be wary of Muslims.

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Source: www.npr.org

Karbala’s Shiite Clashes Spread to Other Towns
Tensions between rival Shiite factions are running high, following two days of clashes in the holy city of Karbala that left at least 50 dead and more than 200 wounded. The violence in Karbala sparked clashes in several other Shiite towns in southern Iraq.

Tensions between rival Shiite factions are running high, following two days of clashes in the holy city of Karbala that left at least 50 dead and more than 200 wounded. The violence in Karbala sparked clashes in several other Shiite towns in southern Iraq.

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Source: www.npr.org

Gleaming Hindu Temple to Open in Atlanta Suburb
After a year and a half of painstaking construction, one of the world’s largest Hindu temples opens this month in Lilburn, an Atlanta suburb. Thousands of people from across the country are expected to come for its dedication.

After a year and a half of painstaking construction, one of the world’s largest Hindu temples opens this month in Lilburn, an Atlanta suburb. Thousands of people from across the country are expected to come for its dedication.

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Source: www.npr.org

Communities of Faith: Temple Sinai Offers Diversity at Yom Kippur
This year’s participants of select High Holidays services at Temple Sinai are going to learn about the transformational power of prayer from a Baptist preacher, and Islamic-Jewish relations from an American Muslim woman.
Source: pewforum.org

Even Mother Teresa Got the Blues
It was recently revealed that Mother Teresa had a decades-long struggle with darkness and despair and that she chronicled her spiritual troubles in journal entries. Father James Martin says the news reminded him of his own spiritual toils at a retreat a few weeks ago.

It was recently revealed that Mother Teresa had a decades-long struggle with darkness and despair and that she chronicled her spiritual troubles in journal entries. Father James Martin says the news reminded him of his own spiritual toils at a retreat a few weeks ago.

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Source: www.npr.org

Shiite Pilgrims Willingly Risk Lives for Faith
Thousands are walking the streets of Baghdad, performing an annual pilgrimage to the shrine of a much-loved Shiite Imam, or saint. Because many Shiite observances were suppressed under Saddam Hussein, the pilgrimage is an important part of Shiite identity but dangerous.

Thousands are walking the streets of Baghdad, performing an annual pilgrimage to the shrine of a much-loved Shiite Imam, or saint. Because many Shiite observances were suppressed under Saddam Hussein, the pilgrimage is an important part of Shiite identity but dangerous.

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Source: www.npr.org

Leap of Faith
The Muslim Educational Trust in Tigard is adding a high school this year, the first of its kind in the Northwest.
Source: pewforum.org

Textbook Watchdog Norma Gabler Dies
Norma Gabler, who, along with her husband Mel, exerted huge influence over the U.S. textbook industry as a watchdog for material they considered anti-family, has died.

Norma Gabler, who, along with her husband Mel, exerted huge influence over the U.S. textbook industry as a watchdog for material they considered anti-family, has died.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: religious artifacts, metaphysics, wiccan, hebrew

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