Holy Relics

Bush Talks of Past Addiction
President Bush plopped himself into a chair between two former prisoners, Thomas Boyd and Adolphus Moseley, and asked to hear how their lives had changed.
Source: pewforum.org

Bush Touts Push for Permanent Faith-Based Programs
President Bush on Tuesday (Jan. 29) visited a Baltimore faith-based program that helps ex-offenders as part of his renewed push for continued federal funding for religious social service programs.
Source: pewforum.org

Church Announces Different Kind of ‘Comeback’
Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain weren’t the only ones “resurrected” in the past week, notes commentator Peter Manseau. The Roman Catholic Church announced that it will exhume the body of Padre Pio, an Italian priest made a saint in 2002.

Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain weren’t the only ones “resurrected” in the past week, notes commentator Peter Manseau. The Roman Catholic Church announced that it will exhume the body of Padre Pio, an Italian priest made a saint in 2002.

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Source: www.npr.org

Texas Ministry Hosts Huckabee Fundraiser
A televangelist under investigation by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee turned a national ministers? gathering last week into a fundraising opportunity for Mike Huckabee, reportedly helping to raise thousands of dollars for the cash-strapped presidential candidate.
Source: pewforum.org

Where Ganges Ends, Island Teems With Pilgrims
In the final installment of his six-part series, independent producer Julian Crandall Hollick visits Sagar Island, where the Ganges River ends. He finds thousands of pilgrims bathing in the river and celebrating a mythical Hindu story.

In the final installment of his six-part series, independent producer Julian Crandall Hollick visits Sagar Island, where the Ganges River ends. He finds thousands of pilgrims bathing in the river and celebrating a mythical Hindu story.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: metaphysics, hebrew, religious artifacts, Buddist

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Tax Troubles for Atlanta Civil Rights Group?
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is facing a bit of difficulty. The Internal Revenue Service says it has not received financial reports from the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization for several years.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is facing a bit of difficulty. The Internal Revenue Service says it has not received financial reports from the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization for several years.

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Source: www.npr.org

Opinion: Apocalyptic Politics
The religious right has splintered, but hard times could bring it back.
Source: pewforum.org

Jesus Wants Your Vote — and He Needs a Running Mate
WASHINGTON — He walked on water, he turned water to wine, and now he wants to be your candidate for president.
Source: pewforum.org

Iraqi Radical Cleric Al-Sadr Studies for Ayatollah
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is quietly resuming seminary studies toward attaining the title of ayatollah — a goal that could make the firebrand cleric and his Mahdi Army an even more formidable power broker in Iraq.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is quietly resuming seminary studies toward attaining the title of ayatollah — a goal that could make the firebrand cleric and his Mahdi Army an even more formidable power broker in Iraq.

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Source: www.npr.org

Pope Urges Peace in Christmas Address
Pope Benedict XVI issues a Christmas Day appeal to political leaders around the globe to find the “wisdom and courage” to end bloody conflicts in Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan and Congo.

Pope Benedict XVI issues a Christmas Day appeal to political leaders around the globe to find the “wisdom and courage” to end bloody conflicts in Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan and Congo.

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Source: www.npr.org

Catholic-Communist Land Fight in Vietnam
Quietly, Vietnam’s Catholic Church is challenging the nation’s government more boldly than it ever has since the communists took power over five decades ago.
Source: pewforum.org

Opinion: The Unorthodox Patriarch
Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, can be regarded as the “pope,” or at least the symbol of unity, of Orthodox Christianity.
Source: pewforum.org

Tags: metaphysics, wiccan, religious artifacts, Islam

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Tax Troubles for Atlanta Civil Rights Group?
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is facing a bit of difficulty. The Internal Revenue Service says it has not received financial reports from the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization for several years.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is facing a bit of difficulty. The Internal Revenue Service says it has not received financial reports from the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization for several years.

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Source: www.npr.org

As Abortion Rate Drops, Use of RU-486 Is on Rise
Thirty-five years after the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision, a pill that has largely faded from the rancorous public debate over abortion has slowly and quietly begun to transform the experience of ending a pregnancy in the United States.
Source: pewforum.org

As Abortion Rates Fall, Opposition Keeps Up
WASHINGTON — The anti-abortion pilgrims came from far and wide Tuesday (Jan. 22), by bus and by plane, bundled up in the cold and drizzle to support their cause.
Source: pewforum.org

Church Announces Different Kind of ‘Comeback’
Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain weren’t the only ones “resurrected” in the past week, notes commentator Peter Manseau. The Roman Catholic Church announced that it will exhume the body of Padre Pio, an Italian priest made a saint in 2002.

Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain weren’t the only ones “resurrected” in the past week, notes commentator Peter Manseau. The Roman Catholic Church announced that it will exhume the body of Padre Pio, an Italian priest made a saint in 2002.

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Source: www.npr.org

Carter at Center of Baptist Gathering
Thousands critical of huge conservative wing of church come to Atlanta to show unity.
Source: pewforum.org

Supreme Court Rules Against Muslim Inmate
An inmate claiming widespread harassment of Muslims in U.S. prisons cannot sue prison guards who he says took his Qurans and prayer rug, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday (Jan. 22).
Source: pewforum.org

Planned Parenthood to Push Candidacies
For the first time, abortion-rights advocate Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. is launching a major effort to elect pro-abortion-rights candidates to Congress and the White House in November.
Source: pewforum.org

Comedic Trio Takes Tour to Middle East
Three American comedians of Mideast decent, called the “Axis of Evil,” bring their comedy show to cities like Dubai, Kuwait, Cairo and Amman. The show is so popular that producers are adding extra dates to the tour.

Three American comedians of Mideast decent, called the “Axis of Evil,” bring their comedy show to cities like Dubai, Kuwait, Cairo and Amman. The show is so popular that producers are adding extra dates to the tour.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: religious artifacts, Hindu, metaphysics, religious products

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Three American comedians of Mideast decent, called the “Axis of Evil,” bring their comedy show to cities like Dubai, Kuwait, Cairo and Amman. The show is so popular that producers are adding extra dates to the tour.

Three American comedians of Mideast decent, called the “Axis of Evil,” bring their comedy show to cities like Dubai, Kuwait, Cairo and Amman. The show is so popular that producers are adding extra dates to the tour.

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Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is quietly resuming seminary studies toward attaining the title of ayatollah — a goal that could make the firebrand cleric and his Mahdi Army an even more formidable power broker in Iraq.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is quietly resuming seminary studies toward attaining the title of ayatollah — a goal that could make the firebrand cleric and his Mahdi Army an even more formidable power broker in Iraq.

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Italians rally to support Pope Benedict after he cancelled a speech for the opening of the academic year at Rome University following student protests. The students and some professors say the pontiff’s reactionary views and “anti-science” attitudes made him an unsuitable speaker.

Italians rally to support Pope Benedict after he cancelled a speech for the opening of the academic year at Rome University following student protests. The students and some professors say the pontiff’s reactionary views and “anti-science” attitudes made him an unsuitable speaker.

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South Carolina voters debate the values and electability of Romney and Huckabee. The rift may boost McCain. read more…

President Nicolas Sarkozy’s increasingly frequent and positive references to God and faith have drawn fire from critics who accuse him of violating France’s separation of church and state. read more…

Tags: christianity, Hindu, religious artifacts, wiccan

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Monk’s Words Stir the Spirit of Myanmar’s Resistance
Cloaked in allegory and drawing on history, his lectures give Buddhists hope after a bloody crackdown by generals.
Source: pewforum.org

Tax Troubles for Atlanta Civil Rights Group?
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is facing a bit of difficulty. The Internal Revenue Service says it has not received financial reports from the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization for several years.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is facing a bit of difficulty. The Internal Revenue Service says it has not received financial reports from the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization for several years.

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Source: www.npr.org

Church Announces Different Kind of ‘Comeback’
Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain weren’t the only ones “resurrected” in the past week, notes commentator Peter Manseau. The Roman Catholic Church announced that it will exhume the body of Padre Pio, an Italian priest made a saint in 2002.

Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain weren’t the only ones “resurrected” in the past week, notes commentator Peter Manseau. The Roman Catholic Church announced that it will exhume the body of Padre Pio, an Italian priest made a saint in 2002.

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Source: www.npr.org

Bishop Locked Out of Churches Over Turkish Priest
Move will stir up religious tensions, Christians say.
Source: pewforum.org

Ginsburg Is Latest Justice to Reflect on Faith
It is a story told in many versions, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says near the beginning of the new PBS series “The Jewish Americans,” “but mine is: What is the difference between a bookkeeper in New York’s garment district and a U.S. Supreme Court justice? One generation.”
Source: pewforum.org

Syria’s Grand Mufti Says Outcry over Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad Provoked by Media
Syria’s grand mufti, the country’s top Sunni Muslim religious authority, accused the media Tuesday of unleashing a conflict over Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad two years ago, saying the drawings received undue attention.
Source: pewforum.org

Where Ganges Ends, Island Teems With Pilgrims
In the final installment of his six-part series, independent producer Julian Crandall Hollick visits Sagar Island, where the Ganges River ends. He finds thousands of pilgrims bathing in the river and celebrating a mythical Hindu story.

In the final installment of his six-part series, independent producer Julian Crandall Hollick visits Sagar Island, where the Ganges River ends. He finds thousands of pilgrims bathing in the river and celebrating a mythical Hindu story.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: hebrew, religious artifacts, Buddist, wiccan

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Sometimes the sights and sounds of Jerusalem can overwhelm believers and trigger psychotic episodes. Israeli psychiatrist Pesach Lichtenberg says that he has seen visitors and residents overcome with the belief they have a messianic mission.

Sometimes the sights and sounds of Jerusalem can overwhelm believers and trigger psychotic episodes. Israeli psychiatrist Pesach Lichtenberg says that he has seen visitors and residents overcome with the belief they have a messianic mission.

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Security forces flooded Bethlehem on Thursday as US President George W. Bush prayed at the traditional birthplace of Jesus at the start of a pilgrimage to some of Christianity’s holiest sites. read more…

Green Bay, Wis., Mayor Jim Schmitt cast the tie-breaking “yes” vote to let the nativity stand and bar other holiday symbols until guidelines for future displays are approved. The nativity has drawn criticism, praise and requests for other symbols, including a Pagan Yule wreath with a Wiccan pentacle.

Green Bay, Wis., Mayor Jim Schmitt cast the tie-breaking “yes” vote to let the nativity stand and bar other holiday symbols until guidelines for future displays are approved. The nativity has drawn criticism, praise and requests for other symbols, including a Pagan Yule wreath with a Wiccan pentacle.

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A company that devised a way to make embryonic stem cells using a technique it said does not harm human embryos reported on Thursday it has grown five batches of cells using this method and urged President George W. Bush to endorse it. read more…

Can rule by the people be reconciled with the sovereignty of Allah? read more…

A state watchdog group has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate a nonprofit organization they say violated state law by involving pastors in Gov. Rick Perry’s re-election campaign. read more…

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is quietly resuming seminary studies toward attaining the title of ayatollah — a goal that could make the firebrand cleric and his Mahdi Army an even more formidable power broker in Iraq.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is quietly resuming seminary studies toward attaining the title of ayatollah — a goal that could make the firebrand cleric and his Mahdi Army an even more formidable power broker in Iraq.

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Tags: Islam, metaphysics, wiccan, religious artifacts

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Scientists Call Evolution and Faith Compatible, but Separate
A top panel of U.S. scientists has published a new book asserting that belief in the theory of evolution and religious faith “can be fully compatible,” and that creationism has no place in science classes.
Source: pewforum.org

Justices Chilly to Bid to Alter Death Penalty
With conservative justices questioning their motives and liberal justices questioning their evidence, opponents of the American manner of capital punishment made little headway Monday in their effort to persuade the Supreme Court that the Constitution requires states to change the way they carry out executions by lethal injection.
Source: pewforum.org

Citing Persecution, Spanish Abortion Clinics Go on Strike
Private clinics in Spain, which perform most of the country?s abortions, began a five-day strike on Tuesday to protest what they said was persecution by anti-abortion campaigners and government inspectors, who have swept clinics in recent weeks to crack down on illegal terminations.
Source: pewforum.org

Where Ganges Ends, Island Teems With Pilgrims
In the final installment of his six-part series, independent producer Julian Crandall Hollick visits Sagar Island, where the Ganges River ends. He finds thousands of pilgrims bathing in the river and celebrating a mythical Hindu story.

In the final installment of his six-part series, independent producer Julian Crandall Hollick visits Sagar Island, where the Ganges River ends. He finds thousands of pilgrims bathing in the river and celebrating a mythical Hindu story.

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Source: www.npr.org

Report Says German Muslims Must Be Better Integrated
Muslims in Germany could become a potential recruitment pool for Islamic terrorists if they are not better integrated into society, according to a recent report by the country’s Ministry of the Interior.
Source: pewforum.org

Insurer Judges a Church’s Stance as Too Risky
A small Protestant church in Adrian, Mich., has weathered controversies surrounding abolition, the Civil War, desegregation and Vietnam since it was established in 1836. Now, because its denomination supports gay rights, the church has been deemed too risky for property insurance.
Source: pewforum.org

‘Jerusalem Syndrome’ Affects Visitors to Holy Land
Sometimes the sights and sounds of Jerusalem can overwhelm believers and trigger psychotic episodes. Israeli psychiatrist Pesach Lichtenberg says that he has seen visitors and residents overcome with the belief they have a messianic mission.

Sometimes the sights and sounds of Jerusalem can overwhelm believers and trigger psychotic episodes. Israeli psychiatrist Pesach Lichtenberg says that he has seen visitors and residents overcome with the belief they have a messianic mission.

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Source: www.npr.org

Christian Pilgrims Converge on Bethlehem
Christian pilgrims from around the world converge on Bethlehem to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It’s the first such large-scale gathering in the West Bank town since fighting erupted in 2000.

Christian pilgrims from around the world converge on Bethlehem to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It’s the first such large-scale gathering in the West Bank town since fighting erupted in 2000.

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Source: www.npr.org

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

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Egypt opened its main crossing into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday to allow more than 2,000 Palestinian pilgrims — including at least one official of the armed Hamas movement — to return to their homes there, outraging Israel in a growing dispute over border security. read more…

Religion played a huge role in Mike Huckabee’s triumph in the Iowa Republican caucuses, though there are some mixed signals for him on the road ahead. read more…

So much for the idea that evangelical Christians are a dispirited and declining force in the Republican party. read more…

Immigrants from the former Soviet Union are transforming Jewish life in Germany. read more…

Green Bay, Wis., Mayor Jim Schmitt cast the tie-breaking “yes” vote to let the nativity stand and bar other holiday symbols until guidelines for future displays are approved. The nativity has drawn criticism, praise and requests for other symbols, including a Pagan Yule wreath with a Wiccan pentacle.

Green Bay, Wis., Mayor Jim Schmitt cast the tie-breaking “yes” vote to let the nativity stand and bar other holiday symbols until guidelines for future displays are approved. The nativity has drawn criticism, praise and requests for other symbols, including a Pagan Yule wreath with a Wiccan pentacle.

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Kentucky appeal sparks unofficial moratorium on most common form of capital punishment. read more…

Father A.J. Cote, a Dominican friar, was sued two years ago for allegedly abusing a minor. Depositions in the case reveal the Dominicans operate under a system where warning signs can go undetected and a problem priest can find refuge in new assignments for years.

Father A.J. Cote, a Dominican friar, was sued two years ago for allegedly abusing a minor. Depositions in the case reveal the Dominicans operate under a system where warning signs can go undetected and a problem priest can find refuge in new assignments for years.

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Tags: Buddist, Islam, hebrew, Hindu

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Opinion: Wisdom from the Founding Rationalists
What Jefferson and Adams might tell Mitt Romney.
Source: pewforum.org

Comedic Trio Takes Tour to Middle East
Three American comedians of Mideast decent, called the “Axis of Evil,” bring their comedy show to cities like Dubai, Kuwait, Cairo and Amman. The show is so popular that producers are adding extra dates to the tour.

Three American comedians of Mideast decent, called the “Axis of Evil,” bring their comedy show to cities like Dubai, Kuwait, Cairo and Amman. The show is so popular that producers are adding extra dates to the tour.

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Source: www.npr.org

A New, Younger Jihadi Threat Emerges
Terrorism experts say radical groups are targeting teenagers as young as 14.
Source: pewforum.org

Bhutto Killing Inflames Pakistan
Bhutto’s death has deprived Pakistan’s embattled president, Pervez Musharraf, of his strongest potential ally in the battle against the rising tide of radical Islam in this nation of more than 160 million people.
Source: pewforum.org

More Visitors, Fewer Christians in Bethlehem
With the revival, albeit tentative, of the Mideast peace process, Christmas in Bethlehem this year is more festive. Tourism is expected to double. At the same time, Christians continue to emigrate from the West Bank. The owner of a Christian radio station predicts that in 15 years, there won’t be one Christian left in Bethlehem.

With the revival, albeit tentative, of the Mideast peace process, Christmas in Bethlehem this year is more festive. Tourism is expected to double. At the same time, Christians continue to emigrate from the West Bank. The owner of a Christian radio station predicts that in 15 years, there won’t be one Christian left in Bethlehem.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: holy relics, metaphysics, religious artifacts, wiccan

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