News
A Pakistani religious leader is tried in his absence for allegedly threatening Geert Wilders
By Mike Corder — September 4, 2024
SCHIPHOL, Netherlands (AP) — “Every day you get up and leave for work in armored cars, often with sirens on, and you are always aware somewhere in the back of your mind that this could be your last day,” Geert Wilders, leader of the party that won last year's general election in the Netherlands, told the court.
The Meeting House, once one of Canada’s largest churches, shuts down after scandal
By Bob Smietana — September 4, 2024
(RNS) — Nine of the megachurch's satellite sites have relaunched as a network of churches with shared preaching and support services — while The Meeting House will continue to collect donations to support those congregations. The rebranding came after The Meeting House lost its liability insurance due to an abuse scandal involving former pastor Bruxy Cavey.
Want to write a hit worship song? Invite a few friends to church.
By Bob Smietana — September 4, 2024
(RNS) — When the CCLI Top 100 chart first appeared in 1988, most of the songs had one writer. Today, the average hit worship song has at least two writers — who often have ties to the so-called Big Four megachurches that dominated modern worship songs.
Is Usha Vance’s Hindu identity an asset or a liability to the Trump-Vance campaign?
By Deepa Bharath — September 4, 2024
(AP) — While some political analysts say her strong presence as a Hindu American still makes the community proud, others question whether the Republican Party is really ready for a Hindu second lady.
National Baptists hold annual meeting as leadership questions continue
By Adelle M. Banks — September 3, 2024
BALTIMORE (RNS) — The Rev. Jerry Young, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, has been president for two five-year terms and cannot run for a consecutive third term.
Neo-Buddhists push back against Hindu claims on ancient cave monasteries in India
By Priyadarshini Sen — September 3, 2024
GUJARAT, India (RNS) — In western India, where thousands of monks once worshipped in caves chiseled into the rocky hills, a fight is on to keep Hindu chauvinists from erasing a 2,000-year-old Buddhist site.
Catholic diocese sues US government, worried some foreign-born priests might be forced to leave
By Giovanna Dell'orto — September 3, 2024
In his own border diocese of El Paso, Texas, Bishop Mark Seitz is facing the possibility of losing priests whose permanent residency cases now have little chance to be approved before their visas expire. The law mandates them to leave the United States for at least a year.
What to know about the rescued hostage’s Bedouin community in Israel
By Mariam Fam — September 3, 2024
(AP) — One significant long-running source of tensions is that tens of thousands or so Bedouins in the Negev eke out an existence in villages that the Israeli authorities don’t recognize. The villages are largely cut off from basic services and the government wants to tear them down.
The Black church has moved from essential to voluntary, says author Jason Shelton
By Adelle M. Banks — September 3, 2024
(RNS) — ‘Is the Black church dead? I think it really varies depending on which traditions we’re talking about,’ said Shelton, a sociologist at the University of Texas at Arlington.
In new book, journalist Joshua Leifer offers a scathing take on American Judaism
By Yonat Shimron — August 30, 2024
(RNS) — 'Tablets Shattered' is a sweeping historical account of a fractured and contentious religious establishment — much of it hampered by its embrace of Zionism.
Photos of the Week: Krishna and Teresa birthdays; Arbaeen
By Kit Doyle — August 30, 2024
(RNS) — Each week RNS presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. This week’s photo gallery includes birthdays of Lord Krishna and Saint Teresa, Arbaeen pilgrims and more.
Montgomery County, Maryland, was most religiously diverse US county in 2023
By Aleja Hertzler-McCain — August 30, 2024
(RNS) — Beyond the religiously unaffiliated, which represent slightly less than 2 in 10 (17.8%) residents, the largest religious group in the county was Black Protestants, who make up 10% of the population.
Some nonprofit newspapers endorse candidates. So why can’t churches, new lawsuit asks.
By Bob Smietana — August 30, 2024
(RNS) — The federal lawsuit, filed by the National Religious Broadcasters, is the latest challenge to the so-called Johnson Amendment, which bars charitable nonprofits from taking sides in campaigns.
Pope Francis’ trip to Southeast Asia will test the pope’s health and message
By Claire Giangravé — August 30, 2024
(RNS) — The 87-year-old pope will visit a record number of countries in the longest trip of his pontificate.
Ancient tombs with vibrant wall paintings open to public in southern Israel
By Melanie Lidman and Ohad Zwigenberg — August 30, 2024
ASHKELON, Israel (AP) — The tombs, located a few hundred meters from the beach, were likely the burial place for aristocratic Romans some 1,700 years ago, when Ashkelon was a Roman city, according to archaeologists.
