WASHINGTON (RNS) Following Pope Benedict XVI's recent trip to Cuba, U.S. Catholic bishops urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to lift the 50-year U.S. embargo on the island nation in order to provide better assistance to the Cuban people. By Annalisa Musarra.

WASHINGTON (RNS) What do famous thinkers such as William Blake, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Martin Luther King Jr. and Helen Keller have in common? They were all influenced by a little-known Swedish scientist, philosopher and theologian named Emanuel Swedenborg. By Annalisa Musarra.

(RNS) Belief in God is slowly declining in most countries, but those who most believe can be found in developing countries and Catholic societies, according to a new survey. By Annalisa Musarra.

(RNS) Americans believe Christianity is a force for good on poverty and even women's rights, but has a negative impact on sexuality and America's image abroad, according to a new poll. By Annalisa Musarra. 250 words.

(RNS) A coalition of 11 religious student groups at Vanderbilt University are insisting their leaders should be chosen based on shared faith -- the newest front in a growing battle over "religious freedom." By Annalisa Musarra.

On March 4th, Her Holiness Shinso Ito, head priest of Shinnyo-en, a Japanese Buddhist denomination, hosted and conducted a sunset fire and water ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya for the first time. The ceremony took place during the 10th anniversary conference of the Global Peace Initiative of Women which was held in hopes of raising awareness of global issues such as climate change, environmental degradation, poverty and conflict.

WASHINGTON (RNS) When it comes to financial advice in these tough economic times, more Americans today would rather take advice from business mogul Donald Trump than from the Bible, according to a new survey. By Annalisa Musarra.