Religion
Pope Leo XIV’s visits to Turkey and Lebanon were about religious diplomacy
Pope Leo XIV’s visits to Turkey and Lebanon were about religious diplomacy Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Turkey and Lebanon (Nov. 27 – Dec. 2, 2025) was a gesture of interreligious dialogue and support for local minority Christian communities, marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The trip highlighted the challenges faced by […]
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Hanukkah celebrates both an ancient military victory and a miracle of light – modern Jews can pick from either tradition
Hanukkah celebrates both an ancient military victory and a miracle of light – modern Jews can pick from either tradition Hanukkah celebrates both an ancient military victory and a miracle of light, allowing modern Jews to choose which tradition they want to focus on. The main ritual of Hanukkah is the lighting of the menorah, […]
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What does ‘pro-life’ mean? There’s no one answer – even for advocacy groups that oppose abortion
What does ‘pro-life’ mean? There’s no one answer – even for advocacy groups that oppose abortion Pope Leo XIV’s comments on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s plan to honor U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who supports abortion rights, highlight the complexity of what it means to be “pro-life” and how different people and organizations use the term. […]
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Supreme Court soon to hear a religious freedom case that’s united both sides of the church-state divide
Supreme Court soon to hear a religious freedom case that’s united both sides of the church-state divide The US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on November 10, 2025, in the case Landor v. Louisiana, which involves a Rastafarian inmate’s right to sue for monetary damages after his religious rights were violated by the warden. […]
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‘Only death can protect us’: How the folk saint La Santa Muerte reflects violence in Mexico
‘Only death can protect us’: How the folk saint La Santa Muerte reflects violence in Mexico La Santa Muerte, a female folk saint, has gained popularity across Mexico and the Americas since her appearance on a street altar in 2001, personifying death and offering protection to those who feel abandoned by government and church institutions. […]
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Washington state settles controversy over child abuse law that tested the limits of ‘priest-penitent’ privilege
Washington state settles controversy over child abuse law that tested the limits of ‘priest-penitent’ privilege Washington state has settled a controversy over its child abuse law that tested the limits of the “priest-penitent” privilege, which protects clergy from revealing information learned during confidential sacred rites. The law, SB 5375, required clergy to report child sexual […]
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From the pulpit to the picket line: For many miners, religion and labor rights have long been connected in coal country
From the pulpit to the picket line: For many miners, religion and labor rights have long been connected in coal country Cecil Roberts, the president of the United Mine Workers of America, will retire after 30 years leading the union, leaving behind a legacy connected to coal country’s history and labor rights. The connection between […]
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Violent acts in houses of worship are rare but deadly – here’s what the data shows
Violent acts in houses of worship are rare but deadly – here’s what the data shows A database of nearly 25 years of incidents records 379 violent acts at religious congregations and community centers across the United States, resulting in 487 deaths. About 7 in 10 incidents involved firearms, accounting for three-quarters of the deaths, […]
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Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pushed it away from ‘Mormon’ – a word that has courted controversy for 200 years
Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pushed it away from ‘Mormon’ – a word that has courted controversy for 200 years Russell M. Nelson, the former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pushed for a rebranding effort to distance the church from the term […]
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Religion often shapes someone’s view of abortion – but what about a woman’s actual decision?
Religion often shapes someone’s view of abortion – but what about a woman’s actual decision? Research suggests that while strong religious beliefs can shape public opinion on abortion, they do not necessarily influence a woman’s decision to have an abortion. A study of over 5,000 unmarried young women found that regardless of their level of […]
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