President Barack Obama
Black Mormons face a political choice like no other
SALT LAKE CITY (RNS) Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney. The matchup is both thrilling and complicated for one particular group - black Latter-day Saints. "I've been black my whole life and a Mormon for 30 years and never thought either of these (candidacies) would happen in my lifetime," says Utah attorney Keith Hamilton. By Peggy Fletcher Stack.
102 Episcopal bishops ask Obama for continued aid to Middle East hospital
WASHINGTON (RNS) Episcopal bishops are asking the president to intervene after a UN agency allegedly cut support for a church-run hospital in the Gaza Strip. By Chris Lisee.
Black churches conflicted on Obama’s gay marriage decision
(RNS) The pulpits of the nation's black churches took measure Sunday of President Obama's decision to support gay marriage, and the result was conflicted. By Dennis Cauchon.
Polls: Most Americans call gay relationships “moral” and are not swayed by Obama’s same-sex marriage support
(RNS) President Obama’s recent endorsement of same-sex marriage opened a torrent of speculation on what his newly enunciated position will mean politically, but the latest polls indicate the public largely backs his views and that his stance won’t hurt him at the ballot box. By David Gibson. About 250.
Mitt Romney heads to Liberty University to woo evangelicals
(RNS) Mitt Romney, who struggled to gain the support of evangelicals during the primaries, will deliver a commencement address Saturday at Liberty University, one of the largest Christian universities in the country. By Jackie Kucinich.
Obama and gay marriage: In U.S. religion, the Golden Rule rules
(RNS) As pundits and politicians gauge the political fallout from President Obama’s sudden endorsement of gay marriage, one thing has become clear: the Golden Rule invoked by Obama to support his change of heart is the closest thing Americans have to a common religious law, and that has implications beyond the battle for gay rights. By David Gibson.
President Obama endorses same-sex marriage, religious leaders respond
Muslims call new religious freedom appointee a ‘puppet’ for Islam foes
WASHINGTON (RNS) The U.S. Commission for Religious Freedom just got two new members, both darlings of conservatives: Princeton University philosopher Robert P. George and Zuhdi Jasser, who describes himself as an alternative voice to established Muslim civil rights groups. By Lauren Markoe.
Franklin Graham meets with black church leaders
(RNS) Religious leaders from the NAACP met with evangelist Franklin Graham Tuesday (March 20) less than a month after they demanded he apologize for questioning President Obama's faith. By Adelle M. Banks.
Bishops’ point man on ‘religious liberty’ gets a promotion
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (RNS) If there is any Catholic bishop who probably didn't need a bigger platform it would have to be William E. Lori, the hierarchy's high-profile point man in the battle for religious freedom. But now that he's been tapped as the next archbishop of Baltimore, Lori will be closer to the action in a fight that is defining the hierarchy and Lori's career. By David Gibson.
Bishops ‘dubious’ on White House contraception compromise
(RNS) U.S. Catholic bishops have voiced doubts about the Obama administration's plans to modify a mandate that employers provide free birth control coverage, and they are vowing a new campaign to rally Americans to defend religious freedom. By David Gibson.
Bishop hopes to restart White House contraception talks
(RNS) The Catholic bishop leading the hierarchy's push against the White House's contraception mandate says the bishops hope to re-start contentious talks with the Obama administration but says church leaders "have gotten mixed signals from the administration" and the situation "is very fluid." By David Gibson.
GUEST COMMENTARY: Disagreeing without being disagreeable
(RNS) It's never been easy for us to determine the boundary line between individual rights and civic responsibility. But it doesn't help when pundits resort to name-calling, nor when complexities are reduced to bumper-sticker sound bites. By James Calvin Davis.
Bishops face internal challenges in contraception battle
(RNS) as the U.S. hierarchy stakes its claim as the first and final arbiter of the Catholic position in this hotly contested battle, the bishops are also facing a number of internal challenges. Left unchecked, they could undermine the bishops' position and weaken their future standing if they are seen as losing their faceoff with the White House. By David Gibson.
White House insists contraception talks are on track
(RNS) The Obama administration is pushing back against charges by the nation's top Catholic bishop that talks to create a broader religious exemption from a controversial birth control coverage mandate are "going nowhere," and that White House officials are dismissing the central role of the bishops. By David Gibson.