Having spent his life in the limelight, Billy Graham now lives at his mountain retreat in relative seclusion, while down below there is a clamor to crown his successor. (By the way, I should say at the outset, this is…
Is voting a Christian rite or right?
Jason Ford, 29, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., will be spending Election Day at home this year. A self-identified evangelical Christian, Ford cast his vote for President Bush in 2004, but says he and his wife plan to stay away from the…
Faith no laughing matter, court says
NEWARK, N.J. (RNS) — Making jokes and comments about a person's religion can create a “humiliating and painful environment” and be a form of on-the-job discrimination, New Jersey's highest court recently ruled. The New Jersey Supreme Court said remarks about…
Reading the Bible anew — with the chronology clarified
Bob Sanford wanted to create a Bible that would bring order and clarity to the text. Instead, he's waded right into one of the great debates of biblical scholarship. The Chronological Study Bible will be released this fall in the…
Faith groups push to increase minimum wage to $10 an hour
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A nonpartisan coalition of more than 90 faith, community, labor and business organizations has launched an ambitious “$10 in 2010” campaign to raise the federal minimum wage within two years. The Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign…
Survey suggests ‘unchurched’ represent a pretty fluid group
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A new survey shows that “unchurched” Americans may be worshipping more, and “churched” Americans worshipping less, than many people might think. Numerous surveys track trends among “unchurched” Americans, but what does “unchurched” really mean? Does it mean…
Anglican bishops say church ‘ridiculed’ as ‘the gay church’ because of actions
CANTERBURY, England (RNS) — Allowing same-sex blessings and an openly gay bishop in the U.S. have caused Anglicans to be “ridiculed” for belonging to “the gay church,” harmed interfaith relations and severely damaged the Anglican Communion, bishops at a once-a-decade…
Black bishops questions conservatives’ ties
CANTERBURY, England — For five years, conservative Episcopalians eager to escape their liberal American church have been building ties with African Anglicans half a world away. But they have few connections with black Americans in their own back yard, say…
Muslims copy megachurch multi-site models
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Mosques across the country are beginning to use a model similar to the one used by some suburban and downtown megachurches, operating multiple sites to serve a large and dispersed congregation. Many of these “mosque chains” brand…
‘God 1, Sports 0’ sounds like good score to Jersey pastors
HANOVER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (RNS) — It is a weekly ordeal at Pastor Donald Mossa's church. The moment the youth choir sings its last note, a swarm of parents descends to rush their kids to soccer games. Or they call to…
Faith in the face of uncertainty: Religious giving tops $100 billion
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Giving to religious charities and congregations passed the $100 billion mark for the first time in 2007, according to a recent report by the Giving USA Foundation. Giving to religious groups increased 4.7 percent, bringing the total…
What honors a soldier most — faith traditions or military regs?
ARLINGTON (RNS) — Strik-ing symmetry marks the rolling green hills of Arlington National Cemetery — rows upon rows of identical white limestone markers, perfectly spaced in every direction. But underground, Muslims are laid to rest on their right side, facing…