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Women wearing tefillin cause a stir in Jerusalem
By Michele Chabin — February 15, 2019
JERUSALEM (RNS) – Women of the Wall is part of an annual campaign spearheaded by American Conservative Jews to encourage women, as well as men, to wear phylacteries during prayer.
Muslims, Christians in Nigeria pray for peaceful elections, disagree over candidates
By Doreen Ajiambo — February 15, 2019
(RNS) — As elections approach, Nigeria's Muslims and Christians disagree over which presidential candidate to support, while both faiths pray for peace.
Julián Castro: Catholicism ‘has never been far from my life’
By Jack Jenkins — February 14, 2019
(RNS) — 'What has always attracted me to the Catholic faith is the social justice aspect of it,' Castro said.
As Americans disengage from religion, a California institution encourages questioning
By Diana Kruzman — February 14, 2019
OJAI, Calif. (RNS) — For three decades, seekers have been drawn to this city's Krishnamurti Foundation center to question the teachings of the religions they've grown up with.
Julián Castro opens his presidential bid with a Catholicism aimed at Latino vote
By Jack Jenkins — February 14, 2019
(RNS) — 'I wanted my announcement to present to the American people who I am, and my family and I have been Catholic for generations,' Castro said.
Southern Baptist minister list included sex offenders
By Adelle M. Banks — February 14, 2019
(RNS) — 'Names can be removed from a list, but the hurt victims deal with is more indelible,' said a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Meet Sadaf Jaffer, America’s first female Muslim mayor
By Simran Jeet Singh — February 14, 2019
(RNS) — 'I hope my example helps provide a different vision of what it means to be a Muslim woman in America today,' she says.
Report: ‘No evidence’ of racist statements by Covington Catholic students
By Jack Jenkins — February 13, 2019
(RNS) — The same report also conceded that some students from Covington Catholic High School responded to a Native American man drumming and singing by performing the 'tomahawk chop.'
Why some young Muslim women are leaning into arranged marriages
By Aysha Khan — February 13, 2019
(RNS) — Halal dating apps are gaining traction among young Muslims. But dating often comes with its own set of headaches, so many young Muslim women say they are bypassing the drama by leaning into their family’s traditions of arranged marriage.
A flourishing United Methodist church considers a way out
By Yonat Shimron — February 13, 2019
LEXINGTON, S.C. (RNS) — Mt. Horeb, a conservative evangelical church in the heart of South Carolina, is one of many congregations considering cutting the cord if the denomination relaxes its LGBT rules.
George Washington’s faith under scrutiny after sale of ‘God letter’
By Mark A. Kellner — February 13, 2019
(RNS) — A letter in which the first president mentions the actions of 'Providence' has rekindled interest in the controversial matter of Washington’s faith life.
Germany continues payments to churches a century after deciding to stop
By Tom Heneghan — February 13, 2019
PARIS (RNS) — The state subsidies to churches have survived due to a provision in the law that makes ending them more costly than continuing to pay.
James MacDonald fired as Harvest Bible Chapel pastor
By Bob Smietana and Emily McFarlan Miller — February 13, 2019
(RNS) — Elders announced that the church founder was fired for 'engaging in conduct that the Elders believe is contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church.'
In Malaysia, Lunar New Year keeps ethnic Chinese in touch with ancient customs
By Alexandra Radu — February 12, 2019
PANANG, Malaysia (RNS) — For ethnic Chinese Malaysians, Lunar New year celebrations can be both raucous street festivals and private, family affairs, a time to clean the house, pay debts and start fresh.
MIT faces backlash over invited speaker’s anti-Muslim comments
By Aysha Khan — February 12, 2019
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (RNS) — Indian and Muslim groups are pushing MIT to disinvite a prominent Indian politician over his record of anti-Muslim remarks.
