(RNS) God was out and now God is in. And Jerusalem wasn’t the capital of Israel and now it is. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) Sister Simone Campbell, who became a celebrity of sorts this summer when she led the “Nuns on the Bus” tour for social justice, challenged the GOP in a rousing speech to the Democratic convention that called the Romney-Ryan budget plan “immoral.” By David Gibson.

(RNS) Paul Ryan has been taking a lot of heat over the factual accuracy of claims he made in his prime time address at the Republican convention last week, but Wednesday night at the Democratic confab the GOP vice-presidential candidate – and practicing Catholic – was schooled by a popular nun on the moral shortcomings of his budget proposals.

(RNS) The GOP blasted the Democrats for initially removing references to "God" from their national party platform, and for failing to endorse Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) Read the text of Cardinal Timothy Dolan's closing benediction to the Republican convention in Tampa, a prayer that had something to cheer and challenge everyone -- if they were listening.

(RNS) Americans are almost evenly divided in how they view Muslims, but their views are sharply split by age and political party, according to the Arab American Institute survey. By Omar Sacirbey.

WASHINGTON (RNS) A new poll from the Public Religion Research Institute and Religion News Service finds that Americans are generally divided about gun control, but certain religious groups are far from ambivalent. By Lauren Markoe.

WASHINGTON (RNS) A coalition of liberal Christian leaders blasted a GOP plan that would extend Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy while slashing key provisions for the poor. By Chris Lisee.

(RNS) The Republican Jewish Coalition has launched a $6.5 million ad campaign, titled “My Buyer’s Remorse,” targeting Jewish voters in battleground states who have changed their minds about Obama. By Steve Strunsky.

(RNS) Though Mitt Romney talks little about his Mormon faith on the campaign trail, his many years as a church leader in Massachusetts have left a contradictory legacy about how he connected with people then -- and about his challenges connecting with voters now. By Shira Schoenberg.

(RNS) Most Americans who know that Mitt Romney is Mormon say the presumptive GOP nominee’s faith doesn’t concern them. But a new poll indicates there may be an “enthusiasm gap” for Romney among white evangelicals. By Daniel Burke.

(RNS) Three out of four Mormons said Mitt Romney's rise to become the presumptive GOP presidential nominee is a good thing for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But less than a quarter expect the media to cover the church fairly, according to a new poll. By Daniel Burke.

(RNS) During the dramatic diplomatic negotiations over blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, anti-abortion groups in the U.S. hailed Chen as one of their own. But Chen is now in the U.S., and he may not be as ``pro-life'' as some of his American supporters assumed. By David Gibson.

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.

(RNS) One year ago, more than 20 state legislatures had either passed or were considering bills that prohibited judges from considering Islamic law, known as Shariah, in their decisions. But the anti-Shariah juggernaut has stumbled in recent weeks. By Omar Sacirbey.