Lauren Markoe
Protestant, Jewish leaders seek to mend their rift
Prominent mainline Protestant and Jewish leaders are trying to revive an interfaith group that dissolved 18 months ago over a letter the Protestants wrote to Congress about Israel.
...Supreme Court takes up Hobby Lobby’s challenge to the contraception mandate
WASHINGTON (RNS) When two corporations—one owned by evangelicals and one owned by Mennonites—filed suit over the Affordable Care Act, they described their complaint in stark and fairly s...
Does Hobby Lobby have religious rights? The Supreme Court will decide
c. 2014 Religion News Service
...Cozy up to capitalism? Dalai Lama demurs
Some of the brightest pro-business minds in the nation recently prodded the Dalai Lama in Washington, D.C., to offer a warm endorsement of capitalism.
...Presbyterian booklet attacks Zionism
Major Jewish civil rights groups are denouncing a new publication distributed by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that rejects the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.
...Cremation is popular, but is it eco-friendly?
Cremation is forbidden in traditional Islam and Judaism but accepted by most other religions....
Breast-feeding, on the rise, remains an issue in pews
Jesus was breast-fed. It’s a point often made by mothers who want to breast-feed in church but know others would prefer that they retreat to the nursery or find an out-of-the-way bench....
Respect for clergy drops, according to Gallup poll
Clergy used to rank near the top in polls where Americans were asked to rate the honesty and ethics of people in various professions....
Activists end immigration fast; others take up cause
Sapped by three weeks of a water-only diet, three activists for immigration reform ended their fasts on December 3 with a morsel of bread blessed by a priest and “passed the fast on” to others who ...
Supreme Court wrestles with how ‘religious’ prayer should be at public meetings
c. 2013 Religion News Service
...A rare holiday convergence
It happened last in 1888 and, according to one calculation, won’t happen again for another 77,798 years—the convergence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah.
...Suzan Johnson Cook defends her work on religious freedom and explains why she left
c. 2013 Religion News Service
...When Catholic schools fire gay teachers, laity push back
c. 2013 Religion News Service
(RNS) They taught English, gym, music and fifth grade, and are typically described as “beloved” by their students.
...Conservatives promote House bill to protect opponents of gay marriage
c. 2013 Religion News Service
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