humanist
Blacks say atheists were unseen civil rights heroes
By Kevin Eckstrom — February 22, 2012
Why is Martin Luther King, a Christian, remembered by so many for his contributions to the civil rights movement while A. Philip Randolph, an atheist, is honored by so few? That is a question many black nonbelievers are asking this Black History Month. By Kimberly Winston.
European secularists say they’re not treated fairly
By Tracy Gordon — January 31, 2012
(RNS) Humanist and secularist organizations have accused the European Union of denying them equal treatment with the continent's Christian churches. By Jonathan Luxmoore. 250
Christopher Hitchens’ atheism was a gift to believers
By Kevin Eckstrom — December 17, 2011
WASHINGTON (RNS) Christopher Hitchens will be remembered as many things: an acerbic essayist, connoisseur of Scotch and cigarettes and roguish writer whose forceful pen was fueled by an imposing intellect. Yet his impact on American life, which will be felt long after his death at age 62 on Thursday (Dec. 15), is likely to be […]
`Protest chaplains’ shepherd movement’s spiritual side
By Jack Jenkins — October 10, 2011
BOSTON (RNS) As waves of demonstrators descended on New York City to protest corporate greed, they were met by typical sounds of raucous youth-led protests: drum beats, police sirens and shouted political slogans. They didn’t expect to hear hymns. Yet protestors rounding the corner of Zuccotti Park encountered dozens of white-robed worshipers singing spirituals and […]
Senators probe politics and piety in new books
By Jack Jenkins — August 18, 2011
“Big government is a religious issue,” said South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, a Presbyterian.
Jedis and Pastafarians: Real religion or joke?
By Jack Jenkins — August 12, 2011
(RNS) When congregants of West Side Church and the Christian Life Center in Bend, Ore., awoke in June to news that their churches had been vandalized, they expected to be frustrated. What they didn’t expect was to be confused. In addition to the anti-Christian slogans scrawled on the walls of the two buildings, the words […]
Poll: American Muslims hopeful about life in the U.S.
By Lauren Markoe — August 3, 2011
(RNS) Ten years after the 9/11 attacks, an extensive new survey of Muslims finds them as optimistic as other Americans, even as large minorities of Christian Americans question Muslims’ loyalty to the United States. The survey, released Tuesday (Aug. 2) by the Gallup organization’s center in the Middle East, presented a community less than fully […]
Is Anders Breivik a `Christian’ terrorist?
By David Gibson — July 27, 2011
Some have pushed back against such a carefully cordoned-off interpretation of Breivik's faith, or Christianity itself.
Senators debate bill to recognize gay marriages
By Jack Jenkins — July 20, 2011
WASHINGTON (RNS) Senators wrestled with issues of faith and religious freedom on Wednesday (July 20) as they debated a new bill that would allow the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages. The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on the Respect for Marriage Act, which was sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and endorsed by the […]
Tuesday’s Godbytes
By Jack Jenkins — July 19, 2011
Welcome back to Godbytes, the Tuesday edition. The Harry Potter train (broom?) just keeps on rolling (er, flying?), keeping the blogosphere under its spell. (because he’s a wizard, get it?) Betsy Shirley at Sojourners God’s Politics Blog wonders aloud what a Harry Potter prayer sounds like: So as I watched the final Hogwarts Express depart […]
Christians shatter taboos in talking about money
By Tracy Gordon — May 25, 2011
Small groups at churches are gathering to share their most guarded secret: How people spend their money.
Church-state ties on full display at royal wedding
By Tiffany McCallen — April 25, 2011
CANTERBURY, England (RNS) When Prince William and Kate Middleton walk down the aisle at Westminster Abbey on Friday (April 29), Britain’s unique and historic ties between church and state will be on full display. Some here think — even hope — it could also be the last powerful stroll for church and state in this […]
Jews craft their own answers with DIY Passover options
By Tracy Gordon — April 11, 2011
(RNS) As newlyweds, Cokie and Steve Roberts wanted to host a Passover seder that could be enjoyed by her devout Catholic family, his secular Jewish clan, and friends from a range of backgrounds. Faced with limited options for interfaith families during those early years of married life, their professional instincts as writers kicked in: they […]
At 89, civil rights icon reflects on faith, activism
By Adelle M. Banks — February 17, 2011
(RNS) The Rev. Joseph Lowery, the civil rights activist who worked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., has always combined his work on secular causes with a sacred message. At age 89, the retired United Methodist pastor has written his first book, “Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land,” in which he shares […]
10 minutes with … David Edwin Harrell
By Adelle M. Banks — June 16, 2010
(RNS) Three years ago, Auburn University scholar emeritus David Edwin Harrell asked religious broadcaster Pat Robertson if he’d open his files to him for a future book. Robertson surprised Harrell by telling him to have at it. Harrell’s new biography, “Pat Robertson: A Life and Legacy,” covers the successes and failures of one of the […]
