(RNS) In the wake of historic victories for gay rights supporters in last month's elections, a pair of USA Today/Gallup Polls find growing acceptance among Americans toward gay men and lesbians -- and soaring optimism among gay Americans that issues involving homosexuality will one day no longer divide the nation. By Susan Page/USA Today.

(RNS) In the afterglow, I give thanks for Thanksgiving Day. It might be our most spiritual holiday. We did nothing remarkable, and yet we sampled the cornucopia that makes life matter: love, patience, giving to others. By Tom Ehrich.

NEW YORK (RNS) Establishment Christianity has taken inordinate satisfaction in our occasional mission work among the needy, but not challenged each other to seek transformation of life. When we should have been proclaiming the gospel that Jesus actually preached, we were building an institution that depended on not offending the wealthy. By Tom Ehrich. 

(RNS) Trying to make sense of the 2012 election and the unfolding David Petraeus sex scandal, I consulted the Bible and the “Sayings of the Fathers,” a collection of rabbinic teachings written between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. The ancient perceptions about politics and ethics are as insightful today as when they were first uttered. By A.James Rudin. 

(RNS) Voters who supported gay marriage in four states on Election Day did so despite significant opposition from Christian institutions. They got it right, even though the church has gotten this issue wrong. Then again, "getting it wrong" has been a Christian tradition for too long. By C.S. Pearce.

NORMAN, Okla. (RNS) Pastor Dustin Buff traded in his job, his house and his sense of security for a backpack, a Bible, a sleeping bag, one change of clothes, identification, and a cell phone for a 10-day personal quest to understand the plight of the homeless. By Greg Horton.

PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS) After a string of victories for gay rights at the ballot box this year, gay rights groups here are positioning for a 2014 battle to try and become the first state to overturn a 10-year constitutional ban on gay marriage. By Harry Esteve.

(RNS) Denominational leaders and chaplains with years of military service are calling on more churches to find ways to minister to the men and women who have recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. By Adelle M. Banks.

NEW YORK (RNS) After the most dreadful political season in memory, I took heart as leaders stepped up to lead after Hurricane Sandy and as adults stepped up to do what adults do. Those who have actual responsibilities carried them out, while those who lust for power were ignored. By Tom Ehrich.

RALEIGH, N.C. (RNS) While many religious congregations have sought ways to reduce energy consumption, few have paid attention to the spiritual dimensions of this work. Several North Carolina churches are finding a remedy through a service they call the Earth Sabbath. By Yonat Shimron. 

SPOKANE, Wash. (RNS) The Catholic bishop here has asked for an honest dialogue about same-sex marriage, so Charlene Strong was happy to take him up on his offer, telling a Catholic campus why the state's domestic partnership law was insufficient when her partner of 10 years was dying. By Tracy Simmons.

SPOKANE, Wash. (RNS) Victoria Ann Thorpe's sister has been on death row for 18 years for a crime she says she didn't commit. Now Thorpe is leading a grass-roots campaign to abolish the death penalty in Washington state, saying Jesus would never tolerate it. "Nothing that he did or said can be manipulated into harshness," she said. By Tracy Simmons.

(RNS) I understand that older folks have a hard time letting go. We were once the repository of fresh ideas, exciting dreams, and change-the-world aspirations. But the fact is, at some point the youth deserve to be heard. After all, they are even more legion than we are -- and they are dreaming the new dreams. By Tom Ehrich.

NEW YORK (RNS) In our volatile, ambiguous and interconnected world, raw nationalism has become a danger to civilization. Learning to respect other peoples and to imagine their needs as legitimate is a critical component of modern wisdom. By Tom Ehrich.

ASSISI, Italy (RNS) Swimming against a global tide of religious violence and political polarization, about 550 religious and humanitarian leaders met recently here in the birthplace of St. Francis to propose a new way forward: love and forgiveness. By Charles Honey.