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Right, the Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., prays for two people who attended the Blue Christmas service at her church on Dec. 13, 2017. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks
Need to know: Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Blue Christmas: Churches acknowledge that the season of joy isn’t always joyous
More churches are recognizing that Christmastime can be the darkest time of year for those who are grieving.
Judge: Admin can’t block undocumented pregnant teens’ abortions
The federal judge held that the teens would suffer "irreparable injury" without the order and that it was necessary to preserve their "constitutional right to decide whether to carry their pregnancies to term."
US outnumbered 14 to 1 as it vetoes UN vote on American embassy in Israel
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley described it as an ‘insult’ and said her country won’t be told where it can put its embassy.
Americans of faith lean Republican
This was not always the case. For most of U.S. history, the faithful were spread more evenly among different political persuasions.
Inside the rough-and-tumble world of papal press conferences
You might think coming up with questions to ask Pope Francis would be easy, but experience shows it can sometimes be a bare-knuckle affair.
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Latest news from RNS
Chinese Muslims shackled by police state, high-tech surveillance
KORLA, China (AP) — Thousands — possibly tens of thousands — are thought to have been spirited without trial into secretive detention camps for alleged political crimes that range from having extremist thoughts to merely traveling or studying abroad, an AP investigative report found.
‘Interfaith’ term rings hollow for some Jews
BOSTON (RNS) — If you really want to welcome interfaith families into Jewish life, better rethink your language, many Jewish leaders say.
Kentucky lawmaker’s funeral in church where he preached
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Family and friends of Dan Johnson gathered for his funeral Monday (Dec. 18) at Heart of Fire church — where he had preached and took a public stand against allegations of sexual misconduct years earlier.
More views from RNS
Not all evangelicals are seeking Armageddon
(RNS) — They don’t want death and destruction. They want peace and an end to suffering — and believe Jesus will bring that about.
Evangelicals support Trump’s Jerusalem decision because we care about the Palestinians
JERUSALEM (RNS) — "We did not support the President’s decision because we favor Jews over Arabs nor for any obscure theological reasons like those speculated about, reported upon and sensationalized in recent days," writes Johnnie Moore. (COMMENTARY)
A rediscovered latke recipe links generations beyond the grave
After Lindsey Rose Weiss saw her uncle use FaceTime to share a family holiday recipe she wondered if "modern technology is another miracle we should be celebrating during Hanukkah.”
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