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Is American religion exceptional? Maybe, maybe not
By Yonat Shimron — November 19, 2018
(RNS) — Dueling sociologists can't agree on whether the most intensely religious segment of the American population is shrinking.
Inches from wildfire, Malibu church faces uncertainty
By Cathleen Falsani — November 19, 2018
MALIBU, Calif. (RNS) — Flames spared the church building, but some parishioners who lost their homes may not be able to rebuild. 'This is catastrophic for those people, and they’re not wealthy people,' said an associate priest.
Belief helps Gaza border residents hang on during rocket attacks
By Bob Smietana — November 19, 2018
ASHKELON, Israel (RNS) — Residents on both sides of the Gaza-Israel border are relying heavily on faith to cope with escalating violence.
Pope prays for those stricken by California wildfires
By The Associated Press — November 19, 2018
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Francis said he wanted to offer a 'special prayer to all those stricken by the fires that are scourging California, and now also for the victims of the freeze of the East Coast of the United States.'
Photos of the Week
By Kit Doyle — November 16, 2018
(RNS) — This week’s gallery includes Rohingya refugees not wanting to leave Bangladesh, remembering Kristallnacht 80 years later, and more.
Rev. James Lawson, nonviolence advocate, recommended for Congressional Gold Medal
By Adelle M. Banks — November 16, 2018
WASHINGTON (RNS) — 'Nonviolence is the force that can save our nation from itself,' Lawson said at a congressional reception announcing plans to honor him.
Shrine to Vietnamese Lady of La Vang rises in Southern California
By Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil — November 16, 2018
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (RNS) — The new statue will commemorate the Marian apparition at La Vang in the late 1700s, a centerpiece of Vietnamese Catholic faith.
Pop heartthrob Zayn Malik says he’s no longer Muslim, leaving his Muslim fans divided
By Aysha Khan — November 16, 2018
(RNS) — Rarely vocal about his faith, the former One Direction singer now says he appreciates his religious upbringing but is no longer religious himself, beyond a 'spiritual belief' in a God.
Why American doctors need to hold the line on physician-assisted suicide
By Charles C. Camosy — November 16, 2018
(RNS) — As younger physicians appear to abandon a longtime code of medical ethics, the trend is toward acceptance of a practice that raises questions about the very meaning of health care.
In Kenya, Pentecostal Christian moms tell husbands that girls are as good as boys
By Tonny Onyulo — November 16, 2018
BUNGOMA, Kenya (RNS) — Traditional culture here demands that women bear sons, but religious leaders say it's time for people to see that in God's eyes, both genders have equal worth.
Flawed people, great power clashed in worlds of Stan Lee’s creations
By Zaki Hasan — November 16, 2018
(RNS) — His characters demonstrate how heroism comes not from superpowers but from the willingness to use what we have to do what we can, however we can.
U.S. Catholic bishops head for global meeting on sex abuse anxious for progress
By Jack Jenkins — November 15, 2018
BALTIMORE (RNS) — With the meeting closing without any firm resolution, the concerns of U.S. bishops, the Vatican and American prelates appear to be headed for a collision course come February.
Lutheran comfort dogs bring compassion, care during disasters
By Cathleen Falsani — November 15, 2018
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (RNS) — When suffering people meet ministry dogs, 'You see that little glimmer of hope in their eyes,' says a handler. 'You see the hurt and then it changes to hope and a smile.'
Clergy sex abuse: Why a national all-faiths inquiry is needed
By David Clohessy and Christa Brown — November 15, 2018
(RNS) — If we want our children to be safer, we cannot afford the comfortable delusion that this is an isolated problem.
Bishops angered by scandal involving ex-Cardinal McCarrick
By David Crary — November 14, 2018
(AP) — The country's Catholic bishops called Wednesday for a formal repudiation of the disgraced cardinal facing allegations of sexual misconduct over a long stretch of his career.
