prayer
Staying Mormon when God is silent
By Jana Riess — November 7, 2014
I prefer answers to prayer to be delivered at regular intervals by owl post, or possibly skywritten over my house. But what happens when God is silent for months, or years, or even a lifetime?
The ‘Splainer: Yom Kippur, Eid, St. Francis and the poor goats
By Kimberly Winston — October 2, 2014
(RNS) You've heard of the scapegoat, right? Here's how it fits into the overlap of Yom Kippur, Eid al-Adha and St. Francis of Assisi.
What do Americans pray for? Themselves. And maybe a sports team
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — October 1, 2014
(RNS) Many are seeking divine intervention on behalf of a favorite sports team or the golden ticket in the lottery, according to a new survey.
Can atheists pray? Gretta Vosper on Andrew W.K., Sam Harris, and atheist ‘spirituality’
By Chris Stedman — September 18, 2014
Andrew W.K. recently made waves with an advice column encouraging an atheist to pray for a brother recently diagnosed with cancer. Atheist minister Gretta Vosper talks to RNS about atheism and prayer.
Prayer discount no longer on the menu at North Carolina diner
By Heather Adams — August 7, 2014
(RNS) Mary's Gourmet Diner has stopped offering 15 percent discounts for praying customers after the Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote to the owner to stop, calling it a violation of the Civil Rights Act.
Study: Interfaith civic groups bridge diversity with participatory prayers
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — June 25, 2014
(RNS) Groups go beyond simple invocations to bind cultural divides with "bridging prayer."
Senate approves prayer plaque for World War II monument
By Kimberly Winston — June 6, 2014
(RNS) Hailed by some religious and veterans groups, the Senate vote was another in a string of recent losses for secular activists who oppose the inclusion of a prayer on public property.
MIT ditches graduation prayer — and may soon gain a humanist chaplain
By Chris Stedman — June 3, 2014
MIT doctoral student Aaron Scheinberg explains why he worked to remove MIT's official graduation prayer, and why the experience convinced him to create a Humanist chaplaincy.
House considers a prayer plaque at WWII monument; interfaith coalition says ‘no’
By Kimberly Winston — May 21, 2014
(RNS) A group of Christians, Hindus, Jews and humanists has asked the House of Representatives to reject a prayer plaque proposed for the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
COMMENTARY: There’s little to celebrate in Greece v. Galloway prayer decision
By C. Welton Gaddy — May 16, 2014
WASHINGTON (RNS) Every time we submit a sacred act to a civic body, and seek a ruling on its appropriateness in a diverse public, we allow others who are not thinking theologically to compromise the most sacred aspects of our religious practices.
Arizona Rep. Juan Mendez: We need atheist invocations
By Chris Stedman — May 14, 2014
After Greece vs. Galloway, Arizona Rep. Juan Mendez tells RNS why atheists should offer invocations at government meetings, and why all people should support them.
Hispanic Catholics differ with evangelicals — and with the church
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — May 7, 2014
WASHINGTON (RNS) Hispanic Catholics are less likely than evangelicals to attend weekly worship services, pray daily or take a literal view of the Bible, according to a new survey.
For NBA teams, religion can be unifying or divisive
By Sam Amick — May 6, 2014
(RNS) This NBA season has been unprecedented when it comes to the blending of basketball and unresolved social issues. There has been a widespread push for increased tolerance on all fronts. Yet the conversation about religion and how it's best handled by coaches and players remains fluid.
Supreme Court approves sectarian prayer at public meetings
By Lauren Markoe — May 5, 2014
(RNS) Just because sectarian prayers are constitutional, said University of Notre Dame law professor Richard W. Garnett, doesn't mean policies like those of Greece, N.Y. "are wise or welcoming."
Supreme Court upholds prayer at government meetings
By Richard Wolf — May 5, 2014
WASHINGTON (RNS) The 5-4 decision in favor of the any-prayer-goes policy in the town of Greece, N.Y., avoided two alternatives that the justices clearly found abhorrent: having government leaders parse prayers, or outlawing them altogether.
