Holy Relics

When religions talk
Religious leaders, scholars and business people are meeting all over the world to argue about free speech and Islamic sensibilities. How much does this achieve?
Source: pewforum.org

Norway OKs gay marriage
The Norwegian parliament, disregarding objections from some of the nation’s churches, has overwhelmingly approved legislation giving same-sex couples the right to marry and to adopt children on an equal basis with heterosexual couples.
Source: pewforum.org

Obama Seen Besting McCain in Church Outreach
On Tuesday, Democrat Barack Obama met with a group of Christian leaders to discuss his outreach in their communities. Michele Norris talks with David Brody, senior national correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network. Brody says Obama is far outpacing his GOP rival, Sen. John McCain, when it comes to that effort.

On Tuesday, Democrat Barack Obama met with a group of Christian leaders to discuss his outreach in their communities. Michele Norris talks with David Brody, senior national correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network. Brody says Obama is far outpacing his GOP rival, Sen. John McCain, when it comes to that effort.

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Source: www.npr.org

Vatican knocks fundamental, literal reading of the Bible
A tendency to read the Bible through the lens of “fundamentalism” threatens to undermine Catholics’ understanding of Scripture, the Vatican said Thursday (June 12).
Source: pewforum.org

Obama’s Play for the Faithful
It’s safe to say there’s no page in the Democratic handbook that recommends sitting down with several dozen right-of-center Christian leaders one week after clinching the party’s presidential nomination.
Source: pewforum.org

Tags: Hindu, holy relics, wiccan, metaphysics

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Pope Greets Satellite Radio’s ‘Catholic Channel’
Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States has ended. Over the weekend, the pope made a radio address on the Catholic Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States has ended. Over the weekend, the pope made a radio address on the Catholic Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.

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Source: www.npr.org

Scalia defends judicial views
At Lyric, Supreme Court justice extols interpreting law according to Framers’ intent.
Source: pewforum.org

Couple Straddles Love, Politics
David Hyman is a white Jewish Democrat. Farah Jiminez is a black Cuban-American Baptist Republican. But opposites sometimes attract. Hyman and Jiminez are happily married, despite their divergent political views. They explain how their differences brought them together, and why they haven’t driven them apart.

David Hyman is a white Jewish Democrat. Farah Jiminez is a black Cuban-American Baptist Republican. But opposites sometimes attract. Hyman and Jiminez are happily married, despite their divergent political views. They explain how their differences brought them together, and why they haven’t driven them apart.

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Source: www.npr.org

Church Group Urges Prayer for Lower Gas Prices
Lawmakers in the nation’s capital may be wringing their hands about record high gasoline prices. Others are putting their hands together — praying for help from a higher authority. Volunteers from a Washington, D.C., church soup kitchen launch a movement called Pray at the Pump.

Lawmakers in the nation’s capital may be wringing their hands about record high gasoline prices. Others are putting their hands together — praying for help from a higher authority. Volunteers from a Washington, D.C., church soup kitchen launch a movement called Pray at the Pump.

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Source: www.npr.org

Panelists: Is Islam Dominated by Radicals?
Read about the panelists debating the proposition “Islam Is Dominated by Radicals” in the latest in the Intelligence Squared U.S. series.

Read about the panelists debating the proposition “Islam Is Dominated by Radicals” in the latest in the Intelligence Squared U.S. series.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: hebrew, metaphysics, Hindu, religious products

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Jesus Cosmetics Pulled from Shelves
A Singapore retailer has pulled a line of Jesus cosmetics after receiving complaints about the American-made products branded “Lookin’ Good for Jesus.” They included a “virtuous vanilla” lip balm, as well as hand and body cream. Their slogan: “Get His Attention.”

A Singapore retailer has pulled a line of Jesus cosmetics after receiving complaints about the American-made products branded “Lookin’ Good for Jesus.” They included a “virtuous vanilla” lip balm, as well as hand and body cream. Their slogan: “Get His Attention.”

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Source: www.npr.org

Islamic Rule in Pakistan Ushered Out With Celebrations
Celebratory gunfire and dancing in the streets greeted heavy election losses on Tuesday by Pakistan’s main alliance of Islamic parties in a key province bordering Afghanistan.
Source: pewforum.org

Florida Schools to Teach Evolution as ‘Scientific Theory’
Florida’s Board of Education approved a new set of science standards to be taught in public schools that mandate teaching the ’scientific theory of evolution.’
Source: pewforum.org

God and the City
Saturday night in midtown Manhattan, and 25 college students are packed into the living room of a small apartment.
Source: pewforum.org

‘Anonymous’ Wages Attack on Scientologists
For the past several weeks, a video of Tom Cruise defending Scientology has been circulating on the Internet. When the Scientologists tried to get it taken down, an Internet group calling itself “Anonymous” said the organization was trying to limit free speech.

For the past several weeks, a video of Tom Cruise defending Scientology has been circulating on the Internet. When the Scientologists tried to get it taken down, an Internet group calling itself “Anonymous” said the organization was trying to limit free speech.

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Source: www.npr.org

New Criticism for Saudi Religious Police
Saudi Arabia’s religious police are under attack again over what critics consider heavy-handed enforcement of the country’s gender segregation policies and other strict social rules.
Source: pewforum.org

Tags: Islam, christianity, Buddist, wiccan

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U.N. Adopts Death Penalty Moratorium
The General Assembly adopted a moratorium on the death penalty Tuesday, overcoming opposition from the United States, China and others that argued each nation should be able to choose for itself how to combat crime.
Source: pewforum.org

U.S. Executions At a 13-Year Low
Experts say litigation over lethal injection clearly had a significant effect on the death penalty this year.
Source: pewforum.org

Colorado Police Identify 24-Year-Old Church Shooter
Police say Matthew Murray, 24, killed four people during two shootings Sunday. He was shot by a security guard after he opened fire on a Colorado Springs church. Witnesses at the missionary training center where he opened fire earlier said he had asked to stay the night but was refused.

Police say Matthew Murray, 24, killed four people during two shootings Sunday. He was shot by a security guard after he opened fire on a Colorado Springs church. Witnesses at the missionary training center where he opened fire earlier said he had asked to stay the night but was refused.

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Source: www.npr.org

Monastery of the Angels in Los Angeles
NPR’s Scott Simon visits the Monastery of the Angels in Hollywood, where 22 cloistered nuns live. We talk to sister Mary Dominic about her life and faith.

NPR’s Scott Simon visits the Monastery of the Angels in Hollywood, where 22 cloistered nuns live. We talk to sister Mary Dominic about her life and faith.

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Source: www.npr.org

Episcopal Diocese Secedes over Role of Gays
An Episcopal diocese in central California voted Saturday to split with the national church over disagreements about the role of gays and lesbians in the church. David Steinmetz, professor of the History of Christianity at Duke University, talks about the rift.

An Episcopal diocese in central California voted Saturday to split with the national church over disagreements about the role of gays and lesbians in the church. David Steinmetz, professor of the History of Christianity at Duke University, talks about the rift.

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Source: www.npr.org

Clergy Take On Mortgage Mess
At the Quail Lakes Baptist Church in Stockton, California, the parishioners at weekly prayer group meetings seek spiritual support for everything from health issues to marital problems to job losses.
Source: pewforum.org

Tags: Islam, wiccan, metaphysics, holy relics

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Riot police surrounded a Sudanese court as proceedings began Thursday against a British teacher charged with inciting religious hatred over letting her pupils name a teddy bear Muhammad. read more…

I have a friend who dedicated her first book to her husband, “without whom this would never have been possible.” Years later, when the husband was gone, she used to fantasize about tweaking her dedication: “To my husband, without whom this book would have been done five years earlier.” read more…

A wise man once said it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven – and it used to be nearly as tough for a Democratic candidate to take a presidential campaign to a conservative evangelical church. read more…

Republican presidential up-and-comer Mike Huckabee won an important endorsement Wednesday that could help boost his standing among conservatives ? the backing of Christian evangelist Jerry Falwell?s son, Jerry Jr. read more…

Moderate British Muslim leaders on Thursday proposed guidelines that aim to root out extremism, promote a culture of ?civic responsibility? and foster women?s rights in the country?s mosques, Islamic centers and Muslim schools. read more…

A decade ago, Thomson was the first to isolate human embryonic stem cells. Last week, he (and Japan’s Shinya Yamanaka) announced one of the great scientific breakthroughs since the discovery of DNA: an embryo-free way to produce genetically matched stem cells. read more…

Does our public sphere need freedom of religion, or from it? read more…

After GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney apparently made contradictory statements about whether he’d appoint a Muslim to a Cabinet position, a local Muslim leader says “time will tell.” read more…

Tags: Hindu, holy relics, metaphysics, christianity

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Justices propose to deal with the massive backlog by allowing case review to be transferred to lower courts. read more…

A third Anglican diocese in Canada has voted to approve conducting same-sex marriages. read more…

U.S. bishops of the Catholic Church say, “Political choices may affect individual salvation.” The group has issued guidelines for every presidential election in the past three decades. Instead of endorsing specific candidates, the bishops seek to make fighting abortion a priority in political decisions.

U.S. bishops of the Catholic Church say, “Political choices may affect individual salvation.” The group has issued guidelines for every presidential election in the past three decades. Instead of endorsing specific candidates, the bishops seek to make fighting abortion a priority in political decisions.

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It’s about time for the Southern Baptist Convention to put out a new hymnal, and the move to update the songs has caused a little tension. For the first time, nearly half of the pages in the forthcoming hymnal will be filled with songs never before published by Baptists.

It’s about time for the Southern Baptist Convention to put out a new hymnal, and the move to update the songs has caused a little tension. For the first time, nearly half of the pages in the forthcoming hymnal will be filled with songs never before published by Baptists.

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If candidates can court the faithful, they should be willing to answer questions of faith as well. read more…

To the many people, both domestic and foreign, who are asking Mitt Romney to do as John F. Kennedy once did and make a speech explaining why his religion is not a threat to our cherished American way of life, I suggest that Romney respond by pointing to his Republican opponents and uttering two words: “You first.” read more…

Tags: Hindu, Islam, hebrew, christianity

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Young evangelical Protestants continue to cling closely to their bedrock conservative values. Yet they are abandoning trust in the White House and straying from the Republican Party, according to an analysis that tracked waning sentiments from 2001 to 2007. read more…

Defense attorneys in the trial of Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, cross-examine a woman who was 14 when she says Jeffs arranged a marriage for her. Jeffs faces life in prison if convicted of charges of accomplice to rape in the arranged marriage.

Defense attorneys in the trial of Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, cross-examine a woman who was 14 when she says Jeffs arranged a marriage for her. Jeffs faces life in prison if convicted of charges of accomplice to rape in the arranged marriage.

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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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A federal judge on Friday struck down a requirement that firefighters in the District of Columbia be clean-shaven. read more…

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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Alarmed at the possibility that the Republican Party might pick Rudolph W. Giuliani as its presidential nominee despite his support for abortion rights, a coalition of influential Christian conservatives is threatening to back a third-party candidate. read more…

Tags: Hindu, religious products, Islam, religious artifacts

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Vatican’s Plan to Beatify Spanish Clergy Divisive
The Vatican is preparing to beatify nearly 500 Spanish clergy killed during the civil war of the 1930s. The Catholic Church calls them martyrs, but opponents say the church is trying to obscure its own role in supporting fascism in Spain.

The Vatican is preparing to beatify nearly 500 Spanish clergy killed during the civil war of the 1930s. The Catholic Church calls them martyrs, but opponents say the church is trying to obscure its own role in supporting fascism in Spain.

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Source: www.npr.org

L.A. Catholic Diocese to Pay $660M in Abuse Cases
In Los Angeles, a judge is expected to sign the largest settlement ever in a clergy sex-abuse case. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $660 million to more than 500 people who say they were abused by priests and other clerics.

In Los Angeles, a judge is expected to sign the largest settlement ever in a clergy sex-abuse case. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $660 million to more than 500 people who say they were abused by priests and other clerics.

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Source: www.npr.org

Faith and Politics Do Mix For Democrats
Courting religious voters has become a political necessity.
Source: pewforum.org

Pope Benedict Eases Restrictions on Mass
Pope Benedict XVI issues his first major reform of the Catholic Church, relaxing restrictions on the use of the old Latin Mass that that was common before the Second Vatican Council 40 years ago.

Pope Benedict XVI issues his first major reform of the Catholic Church, relaxing restrictions on the use of the old Latin Mass that that was common before the Second Vatican Council 40 years ago.

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Source: www.npr.org

As Muslim Group Goes on Trial, Other Charities Watch Warily
The argument over how to deal with charities suspected of supporting terrorism is expected to play out with the trial of the largest American Muslim charity.
Source: pewforum.org

Tags: religious artifacts, christianity, wiccan, religious products

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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: Buddist, religious artifacts, christianity, religious products

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Former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Carter are on hand for the dedication of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C. The facility serves as a memorial and historical center for the longtime evangelist.

Former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Carter are on hand for the dedication of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C. The facility serves as a memorial and historical center for the longtime evangelist.

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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is now facing questions on whether he has shifted his stand on expanded federal support for stem cell research. read more…

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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Factional clashes could turn Gaza and West Bank into ministates ruled by Hamas and Fatah. read more…

For many people in Turkey, the battle for their country’s future comes down to one symbol — a head scarf. A parliamentary election in July could determine whether Islam will play a more prominent role in Turkish government and society. read more…

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