Muslim pilgrims pray on the Jabal Al Rahma holy mountain, or the mountain of forgiveness, at Arafat for the annual hajj pilgrimage outside the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 20, 2018. More than 2 million Muslims make the annual hajj pilgrimage. The five-day pilgrimage represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Need to know: Thursday, September 5, 2019
Report: News coverage of Muslims is more negative than of other minority groups
Researchers attributed some of the findings to coverage of violent conflict or Islamist groups, but also noted a lack of obituaries and wedding announcements about Muslims.
Tullian Tchividjian is back after sex scandal, but should he be?
The problem is that he had at least one sexual relationship with a congregant — a transgression that is increasingly understood as a violation of clergy boundaries.
Rome synod aims to bolster identity of Ukrainian Greek Catholics amid conflict
The synod of the world's largest Eastern church requires some delicate diplomacy for a pontificate that has made numerous efforts to strengthen relations with Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Public radio’s ‘Preach’ podcast explores religion’s messy side
Religion is messy, says Lee Hale, host of a new podcast called 'Preach.' For many Americans, especially young people like the 30-year-old Hale, that messiness is something to celebrate, not sweep under the carpet, writes Jana Riess.
On whose green Earth?
Are we supposed to take care of the planet or should it take care of us? Willis Jenkins explains how religion shapes the conflicting views over climate change and other environmental issues.
How race matters in the physician-assisted suicide debate
Compared to most whites, African American Protestants and Latinx Catholics are less likely to agree that physician-assisted suicide is morally acceptable and are much less likely to support legalization. Among whites, only evangelicals report less than 50 percent moral acceptance of the practice, and only in extreme cases.
Latest news from RNS
Muslim refugee teen previously blocked from US arrives on Harvard campus
The organization that granted the teen a scholarship said that the U.S. Embassy in Beirut had reissued a visa for him after reviewing his case.
Pope Francis to address conflict, climate in Africa in three-country visit
A top Vatican official described Africa as 'a laboratory for integral development' — a term that in this papacy refers to a sustainable society based on precepts in a 2015 papal encyclical on the environment.
At first Muslim presidential forum, Sanders reaps adoration of ISNA attendees
At the Islamic Society of North America's first-ever presidential forum, both Sanders and Julián Castro underscored the need to build solidarity between communities to turn the tide against President Trump in 2020.
More views from RNS
Pope Francis pushes a new theology of climate change
It is not the same as his predecessors', writes Mark Silk.
Pope Francis firms up his legacy with appointment of new cardinals
After Oct. 15, 53% of the cardinal electors will have been appointed by Francis, writes Thomas Reese.
Why Jimmy Al-Daoud’s deportation and death hurts all Americans
Chaldeans, like other people of minority faiths, need protection and revival, not condemnation and expulsion, writes Weam Namou.
