As major cities crack down on panhandling, people of faith wrestle with their consciences
OKLAHOMA CITY (RNS) Driving to his downtown clothing business, Hans Herman Thun finds it impossible to ignore the beggars. They catch his..
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Pope Francis gives President Trump some homework at their first meeting
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Donald Trump is known as a climate change skeptic with a short attention span for reading, especially if the..
9 Catholic groups to divest from coal, oil and gas in a bid to fight climate change
ROME (RNS) Nine Catholic organizations from around the world have announced they are divesting their savings from coal, oil and gas companies..
A church closes, but where does its pipe organ go?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (USA Today) A 112-year-old pipe organ in the sanctuary of a now-closed church needs a new home. The $500,000 instrument..
What is the Johnson Amendment and why did Trump target it?
(RNS)President Trump has signed an executive order gutting enforcement of a law known as the Johnson Amendment. In his remarks before the signing..
Religious liberty executive order draws praise, protest
(RNS) President Trump’s new religious liberty executive order is being hailed by supporters, including some evangelical leaders who say he is following..
Trump to meet Pope Francis at Vatican
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis will meet President Trump on his first official visit to Europe, the Vatican said Thursday (May 4)...
Bishop Karen Oliveto: ‘My presence changes the conversation’ on LGBTQ people
(RNS) The United Methodist’s top court’s decision last week on the consecration of openly gay bishops may have been muddled, but that just..
Pope Francis tells Egyptian Christians to show extremism only in love of others
CAIRO (RNS) Pope Francis has urged members of Egypt’s embattled Christian minority to show extremism only in forgiving those who wrong them..
Pope Francis tells Muslim leaders in Egypt to fight violence in God’s name
CAIRO (RNS) Pope Francis used the political capital he has built up with the Islamic world to issue a powerful condemnation of..
Consecration of gay bishop against church law, says United Methodist top court
(RNS) The United Methodist Church’s top court has ruled that the consecration of an openly gay pastor as bishop is against church..
More education means less religious commitment — unless you’re Christian
(RNS) It’s a popular belief: The more educated a person is, the less religious he or she likely will be. And it’s mostly..
The Bible – helpful, but not read much
(RNS) The Bible may be a source of wisdom for many Americans but most don’t read it for themselves, a new survey..
Philosopher who argued for God wins Templeton Prize
(RNS) American scholar Alvin Plantinga, a pioneering advocate for theism, or belief in God, as a serious philosophical position within academic circles,..
Supreme Court justices side with church in playground dispute
WASHINGTON (USA Today) A clear majority of Supreme Court justices seemed ready Wednesday (April 19) to rule that the separation of church..
Marvelous miniatures give up some — but not all — their secrets
NEW YORK (RNS) It’s an artistic rendering of the Last Judgment, with all the trimmings. At the top of one of the hardwood..
Organists declining but still in demand for Easter
(RNS) Every Easter Sunday, organist Bill McCoy plays “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” at a United Methodist church in Fredericksburg, Va...
On Maundy Thursday, Pope Francis washes the feet of 12 prisoners
ROME (RNS) Pope Francis washed the feet of 12 prisoners in a prison outside the Italian capital known for housing Mafia turncoats as..
Soul-searching at Princeton Theological Seminary
PRINCETON, N.J. (RNS) After news emerged that Princeton Theological Seminary intended to honor Tim Keller, pastor of New York City’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church,..
Who are the Copts and why are they persecuted?
(RNS) Once again, Egypt’s Copts are in the news; once again, as the victims of violence. On Palm Sunday (April 9), bombs..
Pope opens free laundromat for homeless
ROME (RNS) First came the showers and the haircuts. Now the washing machines. In his latest bid to help the poor with practical actions,..
Some Protestant pastors preach on race but most leave it to others
(RNS) Close to half of Protestant senior pastors have recently preached on racial reconciliation and more have publicly prayed about it, but..
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on clearing scriptural minefields and building interfaith friendships
DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) Rabbi Jonathan Sacks made a name for himself as chief rabbi of Great Britain for nearly a quarter-century, a..
Princeton Theological Seminary reverses decision to honor Redeemer’s Tim Keller
(RNS) Faced with mounting criticism for its decision to give a major award to the Rev. Tim Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer..
Pope Francis: ‘I too know moments of emptiness’
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Just days ahead of the fourth anniversary of his pontificate on March 13, the pope acknowledged he had “spiritual dark..