Monthly Archives: December 2015
Are people more interested in religion? Or less? Or both? (COMMENTARY)
By Marcia Pally — December 30, 2015
(RNS) The upshot: The nones are up because they’re searching, and the orthodox are up because they’ve found.
Americans prize religious freedom for Christians — less for Muslims or atheists
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — December 30, 2015
(RNS) A new survey shows "religious freedom is now in the eye of the beholder," said Charles Haynes, of the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute.
Faithbox serves 100,000 meals to hungry children
By Religion News LLC — December 30, 2015
NEW YORK – Faithbox, a unique subscription box company dedicated to encouraging individuals with spiritually and ethically focused products, announced this week the completion of its 2015 year-end goal to provide more than 100,000 meals for hungry children through a partnership with Rice Bowls. Since Faithbox’s founding in 2014, its partnership with Rice Bowls has provided three […]
Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly – January 1, 2016
By Religion News LLC — December 30, 2015
Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly is a production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Visit www.pbs.org/religionandethics for additional information. Show #1918 will be fed over PBS at 5:00 p.m. EST on January 1, 2016 (check local listings). Look Ahead to 2016 – The annual special program looking ahead to the top religion and ethics stories our team will […]
Clinton: Islamic State ‘wiping out Christians’ is genocide
By Reuters — December 30, 2015
She said it was the word for "deliberately destroying lives and wiping out the existence Christians and other religious minorities."
Twitter’s new rules ban ‘hateful conduct,’ may thwart ISIS propaganda
By Reuters — December 30, 2015
The social media site has been faulted for failing to ban accounts that promote violence or make threats based on religion, race, ethnicity and six other categories.
Ed Dobson, retired pastor and onetime Moral Majority leader, dies at 65
By Adelle M. Banks — December 29, 2015
(RNS) He served as one of the lieutenants of the Moral Majority, helping Ronald Reagan defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. Later, Dobson gave up on evangelical political involvement.
To counter Islam’s critics, imam says Muslims need to relearn faith
By Umar Farooq — December 29, 2015
ISTANBUL (RNS) Imam Fadel Soliman teaches Muslims to deal with critics, but his "hidden goal" is to challenge his listeners' own understanding of the precepts of Islam.
Eritrean gospel singer Helen Berhane was tortured for her beliefs. Now she’s speaking up.
By Rosie Scammell — December 29, 2015
ROME (RNS) Berhane spoke recently at a Rome conference on Christian persecution in the hopes others might learn of the grievous human rights violations in her native land.
InterVarsity backs #BlackLivesMatters at Urbana 15
By Tobin Grant — December 29, 2015
InterVarsity's full-throated support for #BlackLivesMatter could be a watershed moment in American evangelicalism.
The top 10 Mormon blog posts of 2015
By Jana Riess — December 29, 2015
From Minions to modesty, the top ten Mormon blog stories of the year.
Video: Priest suspended for using hoverboard during Mass
By David Gibson — December 29, 2015
(RNS) Hoverboards are dangerous for kids but apparently they're also perilous for Catholic priests who get it into their heads that it might be a good idea to use one during Christmas Eve Mass.
Pope Francis surprises an Italian family with a Christmastime call
By David Gibson — December 29, 2015
(RNS) A letter from an Italian boy who wrote the pope because he was worried about his ailing aunt has prompted another surprise papal phone call from Francis.
Refugees from war and persecution speak of hopes for 2016
By Reuters — December 29, 2015
Those who fled are grateful to be alive. Yet, said one, "2016 may be different in some ways, but the truth is the trauma remains."
Sarah Silverman has a point about gender-fluid Jesus
By Mark Silk — December 28, 2015
In medieval spirituality, Jesus was frequently understood in maternal terms.
