Holy Relics

Judge: Return Children to Polygamist Parents
A West Texas judge has ordered all of the children seized by the state from a polygamist group to be returned to their parents. But the order doesn’t end the standoff between Texas child welfare officials and the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints.

A West Texas judge has ordered all of the children seized by the state from a polygamist group to be returned to their parents. But the order doesn’t end the standoff between Texas child welfare officials and the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints.

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Source: www.npr.org

Barack Obama’s Mobile Ministry
Politicians have long sought the counsel of faith leaders. Obama’s got 100 dialing in to pray for him.
Source: pewforum.org

Obama Quits Chicago Church
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama resigned his membership from Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago on Saturday. He had been a member there for 20 years.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama resigned his membership from Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago on Saturday. He had been a member there for 20 years.

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Source: www.npr.org

Nod to Obama Costs Lawyer Kmiec in Church
Conservative lawyer Douglas Kmiec was denied communion recently at a mass connected with a gathering of Catholic business people. The priest denounced Kmiec’s endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama, then refused to give Kmiec communion.

Conservative lawyer Douglas Kmiec was denied communion recently at a mass connected with a gathering of Catholic business people. The priest denounced Kmiec’s endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama, then refused to give Kmiec communion.

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Source: www.npr.org

Following Months of Criticism, Obama Quits His Church
Senator Barack Obama has resigned his membership in Chicago?s Trinity United Church of Christ, which he attended for nearly two decades, following months of controversy about pastors and their political views.
Source: pewforum.org

Arab women push boundaries gently
Many have become opinion makers and talk openly about sex, politics and other topics.
Source: pewforum.org

Texas Court Agrees Children Must Be Returned
The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that polygamist sect children at the heart of an ongoing controversy in that state should be returned to parents. The more than 400 children were taken from the Yearning For Zion Ranch weeks ago amid charges of underage sex at the ranch. A lower court says welfare officials were wrong to take the children from their parents.

The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that polygamist sect children at the heart of an ongoing controversy in that state should be returned to parents. The more than 400 children were taken from the Yearning For Zion Ranch weeks ago amid charges of underage sex at the ranch. A lower court says welfare officials were wrong to take the children from their parents.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: Hindu, holy relics, Islam, metaphysics

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Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama squared off Wednesday night in Philadelphia in what Newsweek correspondent Richard Wolffe calls “a waste of time.” Wolffe blames the debate’s moderators and network host ABC.

Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama squared off Wednesday night in Philadelphia in what Newsweek correspondent Richard Wolffe calls “a waste of time.” Wolffe blames the debate’s moderators and network host ABC.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Kentucky?s method of putting criminals to death by lethal injection, not only clearing the way for Kentucky to resume executions but ending an unofficial moratorium in the 35 other states that have the death penalty. read more…

Split reasoning opens door to new challenges. read more…

The United Methodist Church’s social policy agency has pulled a proposed resolution that would have withdrawn church investments in Caterpillar Inc. because the company supplies bulldozers to Israel. read more…

Pope Benedict XVI met privately Thursday with a group of victims of sexual abuse by priests. Only a handful of victims from the Boston area were invited to the private discussion, which lasted about an hour, church officials said.

Pope Benedict XVI met privately Thursday with a group of victims of sexual abuse by priests. Only a handful of victims from the Boston area were invited to the private discussion, which lasted about an hour, church officials said.

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State officials are seeking custody of more than 400 children taken from a polygamist ranch in West Texas two weeks ago. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is trying to block the move.

State officials are seeking custody of more than 400 children taken from a polygamist ranch in West Texas two weeks ago. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is trying to block the move.

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By a 7-2 margin, the justices determined that the most common method a three-drug cocktail that first sedates, then paralyzes, then kills is not cruel and unusual punishment.

By a 7-2 margin, the justices determined that the most common method a three-drug cocktail that first sedates, then paralyzes, then kills is not cruel and unusual punishment.

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Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday criticized former President Carter for meeting with leaders of the Islamic terrorist group Hamas as he tried to reassure Jewish voters that his candidacy isn’t a threat to them or U.S. support for Israel. read more…

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As far as visits by American politicians go, it would be hard to stage a warmer reception. read more…

Two issues of Muslim practice ? whether the call to prayer should ring out across Harvard Yard and whether the university should grant women separate gym hours ? have unleashed small waves of controversy over how Harvard practices tolerance. read more…

An East Boston church that was supposed to shut down four years ago celebrated Easter Mass on Sunday. Our Lady of Mount Carmel was one of dozens of parishes ordered to close in the wake of a priest sex abuse scandal. Members of the parish have been holding a vigil in the building since 2004.

An East Boston church that was supposed to shut down four years ago celebrated Easter Mass on Sunday. Our Lady of Mount Carmel was one of dozens of parishes ordered to close in the wake of a priest sex abuse scandal. Members of the parish have been holding a vigil in the building since 2004.

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Republican David Leavitt makes three main campaign “promises” as he attempts to unseat Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, in the 3rd Congressional District. read more…

In an effort to keep up with the modern world, the Vatican has announced a list of seven new mortal sins. Some of the new don’ts: thou shalt not pollute and thou shalt not have too much money. Father James Martin, acting publisher of the Jesuit magazine America, discusses the importance of updating the 1,500-year-old list.

In an effort to keep up with the modern world, the Vatican has announced a list of seven new mortal sins. Some of the new don’ts: thou shalt not pollute and thou shalt not have too much money. Father James Martin, acting publisher of the Jesuit magazine America, discusses the importance of updating the 1,500-year-old list.

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The Jeremiah Group has developed a loan plan to turn the city’s low-income renters into homeowners. Instead of rejecting the idea as an impractical suggestion by idealistic do-gooders, the state embraced it.

The Jeremiah Group has developed a loan plan to turn the city’s low-income renters into homeowners. Instead of rejecting the idea as an impractical suggestion by idealistic do-gooders, the state embraced it.

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Science and religion have often been at loggerheads. Now the former has decided to resolve the problem by trying to explain the existence of the latter. read more…

Tags: holy relics, wiccan, Islam, metaphysics

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New Orleans Churches Defy Racial Categories
NEW ORLEANS — These old walls have never heard music like this.
Source: pewforum.org

A House Still Divided
The drive for Christian unity has seen dashed hopes, and strange successes.
Source: pewforum.org

The Search for Social Glue
New thoughts about how to promote social cohesion.
Source: pewforum.org

Clinton Has Edge Among Highly Religious White Democrats
Hillary Clinton enjoys a significant edge in support over Barack Obama among white Democrats who are highly religious.
Source: pewforum.org

Web Site Encourages Churches to Break the Mold
In an era of declining attendance, churches across the country are scrambling to embrace modern marketing tools: Web sites, podcasts, billboards and the like.
Source: pewforum.org

Top Muslim Clerics Warn Against Sectarian Fighting
Religious leaders advise milder political rhetoric.
Source: pewforum.org

Controversial Blogger Resigns from Southern Baptist Mission Board
A controversial blogger who recently resigned from the Southern Baptist’s International Mission Board vows to keep fighting what he calls an increasingly political atmosphere in his denomination.
Source: pewforum.org

Catholics a Key Voting Bloc in Ohio
Catholic voters have supported New York Sen. Hillary Clinton by a margin of 2 to 1 this primary season. But exit polls from Wisconsin on Feb. 19 show that margin may be evaporating. Clinton will need the Catholic vote to carry the crucial state of Ohio on March 4.

Catholic voters have supported New York Sen. Hillary Clinton by a margin of 2 to 1 this primary season. But exit polls from Wisconsin on Feb. 19 show that margin may be evaporating. Clinton will need the Catholic vote to carry the crucial state of Ohio on March 4.

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Source: www.npr.org

Tags: Hindu, metaphysics, christianity, wiccan

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Pope Benedict XVI will visit the White House on April 16 during his first visit to the United States as pontiff. read more…

Jehovah’s Witnesses are the fastest-growing church body in the U.S. and Canada, now with more than 1 million members, according to new figures that track church membership in the U.S. and Canada. read more…

Mitt Romney’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination triggered unprecedented attention to his Mormon faith. But it wasn’t the kind of attention that the church expected. Now, polls show that the faith’s image is more negative than Mormons previously thought.

Mitt Romney’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination triggered unprecedented attention to his Mormon faith. But it wasn’t the kind of attention that the church expected. Now, polls show that the faith’s image is more negative than Mormons previously thought.

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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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Religion should have a smaller official role in Britain, not a greater one read more…

When Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee references Bible stories, do people understand? Boston University professor Stephen Prothero says those mystified aren’t alone — half of Americans can’t name any of the four Gospels, and that includes Christians.

When Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee references Bible stories, do people understand? Boston University professor Stephen Prothero says those mystified aren’t alone — half of Americans can’t name any of the four Gospels, and that includes Christians.

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For abortion opponents, getting a grand jury to investigate Planned Parenthood of Overland Park was relatively easy. read more…

Anti-abortion Democrats in Congress this year joined abortion rights supporters to pass a foreign aid spending bill that they all said would reduce abortions in poor countries. read more…

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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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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The Golden Compass is now pointed at the big screen — an epic based on the first book of novelist Philip Pullman’s trilogy. But a campaign is being waged against the movie because of its provocative take on religion.

The Golden Compass is now pointed at the big screen — an epic based on the first book of novelist Philip Pullman’s trilogy. But a campaign is being waged against the movie because of its provocative take on religion.

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Mitt Romney decided to deliver a major speech about his religious faith after concluding attention to his Mormonism would only intensify in potentially unflattering ways in the crucial weeks ahead. But even some of his top aides see the speech as a wildly unpredictable gamble. read more…

The latest flap: Radio-show host says Muslims should be deported, sparking a backlash. read more…

British schoolteacher Gillian Gibbons appeared in court Thursday in Sudan, where she has been charged with insulting Islam. Fellow teachers say Gibbons made an innocent mistake when she let her students name a teddy bear Muhammad.

British schoolteacher Gillian Gibbons appeared in court Thursday in Sudan, where she has been charged with insulting Islam. Fellow teachers say Gibbons made an innocent mistake when she let her students name a teddy bear Muhammad.

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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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The national culture war over how teachers should educate children has raged for nearly two years in Upper St. Clair. read more…

A writer describes her childhood in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York where no one she knew celebrated Christmas, and her young adult years in Israel, where Hanukkah is a national holiday. Today she throws huge Hanukkah parties.

A writer describes her childhood in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York where no one she knew celebrated Christmas, and her young adult years in Israel, where Hanukkah is a national holiday. Today she throws huge Hanukkah parties.

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How the Arizona senator, once a POW ‘pastor,’ finds purpose in his beliefs and survival. read more…

A tragic school shooting left an Amish community devastated, but not resentful. But the ability to forgive doesn’t mean that the families have been able to quickly get over their grief.

A tragic school shooting left an Amish community devastated, but not resentful. But the ability to forgive doesn’t mean that the families have been able to quickly get over their grief.

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Conservative Christians from around the country will be meeting in Washington tomorrow for the Family Research Council’s second annual Values Voter Summit. All the major Republican presidential candidates will be attending.

Conservative Christians from around the country will be meeting in Washington tomorrow for the Family Research Council’s second annual Values Voter Summit. All the major Republican presidential candidates will be attending.

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New publication will focus on “radical elements’ of LDS history. read more…

The IRS closes its investigation of All Saints Episcopal church in Pasadena, Calif. The church will keep its tax-exempt status despite a sermon that prompted the probe. But the church is dissatisfied with the resolution.

The IRS closes its investigation of All Saints Episcopal church in Pasadena, Calif. The church will keep its tax-exempt status despite a sermon that prompted the probe. But the church is dissatisfied with the resolution.

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Bowing to pressure, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has backed off an attempt to steer $100,000 to a Christian group that supports teaching religious and alternative theories of creation alongside evolution in science classrooms. read more…

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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

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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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