(RNS) Do not confuse the film "Blue Like Jazz" with Christian movies like "Fireproof" or "Courageous." "We wanted to show that movies about the faith struggle that millions of Americans deal with don't have to be cheesy," says Donald Miller, the Christian author whose book of the same name was adapted for the big screen. By Rebecca Cusey. 800.

(RNS) A pair of scissors transported across state lines in a series of beard-cutting attacks on the Amish have emerged as a controversial element in Ohio's first case under a landmark 2009 federal law that expanded government powers to prosecute hate crimes. By Harlan Spector.

(RNS) Religious leaders from the NAACP met with evangelist Franklin Graham Tuesday (March 20) less than a month after they demanded he apologize for questioning President Obama's faith. By Adelle M. Banks.

WASHINGTON (RNS) Religious groups are mobilizing against a proposed budget released Tuesday by House GOP leaders, saying it makes unfair cuts in social programs while lowering tax rates for wealthy Americans. By Annalisa Musarra.

(RNS) After being contacted by New Hampshire insurance officials, the owner of a business who claimed he would provide atheist rescuers for pets of Christians caught up in the Rapture now says his three-year-old service was a spoof and never had any clients. By Adelle M. Banks.

PARIS (RNS) As schools across France marked a moment of silence for the victims of a shooting outside a Jewish school that left four people dead, many ordinary French -- especially Jews and Muslims -- are grappling for answers. By Elizabeth Bryant. 725.

WASHINGTON (RNS) Turkey stands as a new and controversial addition to an annual list of the worst offenders of religious freedom released Tuesday (March 20) by the U.S. Commission on International Religious. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) As the Crystal Cathedral tries to find its footing without any members of founder Robert H. Schuller's family, the only son and one-time successor who resigned four years ago says sibling rivalry played a key role in the California megachurch's decline. By Adelle M. Banks.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (RNS) If there is any Catholic bishop who probably didn't need a bigger platform it would have to be William E. Lori, the hierarchy's high-profile point man in the battle for religious freedom. But now that he's been tapped as the next archbishop of Baltimore, Lori will be closer to the action in a fight that is defining the hierarchy and Lori's career. By David Gibson.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Following a yearlong investigation into decades of rampant abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, the Vatican on Tuesday (March 20) called for more rigorous screening of would-be priests and compulsory child protection classes in seminaries. By Alessandro Speciale.

CLEVELAND (RNS) Catholics fighting church closings across the country are keeping their eyes on the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, where Bishop Richard Lennon's closure of 13 churches was overturned by the Vatican.Copies of the decrees are circulating electronically throughout the U.S. and even in Canada. By Michael O'Malley.

(RNS) Thousands of nonbelievers will gather this Saturday (March 24) on the National Mall for the "Reason Rally," a daylong event to "unify, energize and embolden secular people nationwide." By Kimberly Winston.

(RNS) What will come of the war within the Anglican Communion? U.S. Episcopalians aren't likely to turn conservative. Nor, in my opinion, do we have any appetite for continued battles over gender and sexuality. We are talking more about growth, new life, young leadership and casting our lot with the 99 percent. By Tom Ehrich.