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Beliefnet: Beliefnet Top Features8 Feb 2012 | 9:14 am -
Milestone At University Of Michigan: Muslim Chaplain
Religion7 Feb 2012 | 10:43 pmEven though the number of Muslim students pursuing higher education is growing, very few colleges have Muslim chaplains. This semester, the University of Michigan became the first public school with a Muslim chaplaincy, but the position is privately funded to maintain a separation of church and state.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Clay Farris Naff: Jesus Concerned About The Poor? You Must Be Joking, Says The Christian Right
Christianity on Huffington Post8 Feb 2012 | 10:44 amWhen President Obama used the occasion of the National Prayer Breakfast to say that for the fortunate to pay a little more to help the less fortunate "coincides" with Jesus' teachings, he must have touched a nerve. Read more: Religion and Politics, Obama, Jesus, Gospel, Teachings of Jesus, National Prayer Breakfast, Christianity, Christian Social Justice, Religion News -
France's First Mormon Temple Sparks Controversy
Breaking Religious News latest RSS headlines - Big News Network.com8 Feb 2012 | 3:16 pmThe United States may get its first Mormon president this year, if Republican candidate Mitt Romney prevails in his bid. But in France, the Mormon faith is viewed with deep suspicion and a project to -
Daily Star: Religious leaders call for unity at a time of Arab uprisings
PewForum.org | All Religion News on the Web Feeds7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmLebanon’s top Christian and Muslim leaders called Tuesday for national unity in light of the difficult circumstances in Lebanon and the Arab world.
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Beliefnet: Beliefnet Top Features
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Entertainment
8 Feb 2012 | 9:14 amBeliefnet offers interviews and profiles with celebrities, music stars, newsmakers, and the latest celebrity news, movie reviews, album reviews, pop culture commentary, and more. -
Entertainment
8 Feb 2012 | 9:13 am -
Muslim Informants Preventing Domestic Terror Attacks
8 Feb 2012 | 8:53 amBeliefnet expert Aziz Poonawalla examines the roles that courageous Muslims have played in preventing terror attacks. -
7 Inspiring Women Politicians You May Not Know ... Yet!
8 Feb 2012 | 7:49 amSure, you know Bachmann, Clinton, Pelosi, Palin and Boxer, but here are 7 remarkable women politicians you may not have noticed! -
Finding Mr. Right
8 Feb 2012 | 5:52 amTips for successful women fed up with kissing frogs
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Religion
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Milestone At University Of Michigan: Muslim Chaplain
7 Feb 2012 | 10:43 pmEven though the number of Muslim students pursuing higher education is growing, very few colleges have Muslim chaplains. This semester, the University of Michigan became the first public school with a Muslim chaplaincy, but the position is privately funded to maintain a separation of church and state.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
White House: 'Ways To Resolve' Contraception Issue
7 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pmGOP candidate Mitt Romney has joined those criticizing President Obama over a policy that would require most employers, including Catholic hospitals and universities, to include birth control in their employees' health insurance. The White House now says it will work to "allay" concerns.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
A Pulpit For The Masses: YouTube, Christians Click
7 Feb 2012 | 12:42 pmMany have turned to YouTube to express their views about the message of Jesus. At least one has reached biblical proportions. With more than 18 million views, "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus" has become a sensation.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Jews With Ties To Iran And Israel Feel Conflicted
6 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pmSome 250,000 people of Persian descent are living in Israel, and many maintain strong ties with Iran. As tensions between the two countries escalate, the community is uniquely troubled by the possibility of war.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Worshippers Kicked Out Of N.Y. School On Principle
5 Feb 2012 | 3:10 amFor years, small churches have been meeting in New York City's public schools. One church, Grace Fellowship, has been gathering at PS-150 in Queens since 2006. In one week, though, they will be evicted. "Freedom for a church to take over a school and convert it to a house of worship is not what our Constitution stands for," says a civil liberties proponent.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
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Christianity on Huffington Post
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Clay Farris Naff: Jesus Concerned About The Poor? You Must Be Joking, Says The Christian Right
8 Feb 2012 | 10:44 amWhen President Obama used the occasion of the National Prayer Breakfast to say that for the fortunate to pay a little more to help the less fortunate "coincides" with Jesus' teachings, he must have touched a nerve. Read more: Religion and Politics, Obama, Jesus, Gospel, Teachings of Jesus, National Prayer Breakfast, Christianity, Christian Social Justice, Religion News -
Rev. Debra Haffner: Religious Leaders Support White House On Contraceptive Coverage
8 Feb 2012 | 5:24 amToday, I am pleased to be one of 23 national mainstream religious leaders who affirm the White House decision. Read more: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Affordable Care Act, Contraception, Christianity, Birth Control, Planned Parenthood, White House, Obama Administration, Religion News -
Matthew L. Skinner: Mark 1:40-45: The Inconvenient Truth About Taking Care Of The Poor
8 Feb 2012 | 3:20 amGod suffers some of the effects of human brokenness. In Jesus, God doesn't just come near. God doesn't just lend a hand. God experiences solidarity with those who suffer, taking their place. Read more: Scripture Commentary, Christianity, New Testament, Poverty, Jesus Christ, On Scripture, Teachings of Jesus, Gospel of Mark, Mark 1:40-45, Christian Social Justice, Video, Religion News -
Pastor Rick Warren Finds A New Purpose: Weight Loss
7 Feb 2012 | 8:42 amBy Lilly Fowler Religion News Service LAKE FOREST, Calif. (RNS) Megachurch pastor Rick Warren has become an outsized evangelical superstar: best-s... Read more: Pastor Rick Warren Weight Loss, Video, Rick Warren, Christianity, Rick Warren Weight Loss, Rick Warren Weight Loss Program, Pastor Rick Warren, Pastor Rick Warren Weight, Religion News -
Christian Piatt: On Asperger Syndrome And Broken Hearts
7 Feb 2012 | 3:41 amThough the struggle of others hardly makes me feel any better, it certainly serves to put my own hardships into perspective. Read more: Abortion, Hlhs, Church, Children, Hope, Pregnancy, Christianity, Christian Piatt, Autism, Pregmancy, Asperger's Syndrome, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Faith, Special Needs, Religion News
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Breaking Religious News latest RSS headlines - Big News Network.com
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France's First Mormon Temple Sparks Controversy
8 Feb 2012 | 3:16 pmThe United States may get its first Mormon president this year, if Republican candidate Mitt Romney prevails in his bid. But in France, the Mormon faith is viewed with deep suspicion and a project to -
Vatican Prosecutor Denounces 'Deadly Culture of Silence'
8 Feb 2012 | 3:16 pmA top Vatican official is blasting bishops for their "deadly culture of silence" in dealing with the church's child sex abuse scandal. -
Majority of Catholics Believe Employers Should Cover Birth Control
8 Feb 2012 | 8:18 amPublic Religion Research Institute shows that Catholics overwhelmingly support the new rules. The poll reveals that six out of ten Catholics believe employers should be required to provide their ... -
Anglican Bishops Back Christian Counselor Over Therapy for Homosexuals
8 Feb 2012 | 8:15 amA British counselor who was censured by the UK's top professional psychotherapy association for agreeing to help a man leave the homosexual lifestyle has received the backing of high-ranking ... -
Christian Marclay, director of 'The Clock'
8 Feb 2012 | 8:14 amLiam Lacey interviews Christian Marclay about his video installation: a 24-hour loop of clocks, watches and other timepieces, in which the images on screen are arranged to coincide with real ...
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PewForum.org | All Religion News on the Web Feeds
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Daily Star: Religious leaders call for unity at a time of Arab uprisings
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmLebanon’s top Christian and Muslim leaders called Tuesday for national unity in light of the difficult circumstances in Lebanon and the Arab world. -
AP: Romney intensifies fight for social conservatives
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmRepublican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shifted his focus from the economy to abortion, religious freedom and gay marriage in recent days, part of an intensified effort to win over social conservatives in states voting Tuesday. -
Irish Times: Orthodox Christians in fear of 'utter chaos' seek refuge in prayer
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmTHE ORTHODOX convent of Our Lady of Saydnaya sits four-square on a hilltop an hour’s drive from Damascus. -
AP: Experts: Marriage ban's path to high court unclear
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmConservative critics like to point out that the federal appeals court that just declared California's same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional has its decisions overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court more often than other judicial circuits, a record that could prove predictive if the high court agrees to review the gay marriage case on appeal. -
Free Press: Judges to decide: Can religious confessions be used against you?
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmMichigan Court of Appeals judges will hear arguments Thursday on a case that could have serious repercussions for church members: Can what you confess to your pastor be used against you in a court of law?
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Good Letters: The Image Blog
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Shall We Overcome?
8 Feb 2012 | 5:57 amOriginally, I was going to title this post, “Something Funny Happened on the Way Home to Watch the Golden Globes.” And it was funny, to be sure; but in the context of the day in question, only to a point. Let me explain. Earlier that day, I had gone to church in Hollywood. I had just arrived in town for an extended winter gig, and a Google search for nearby churches brought me to St. James in the City on Wilshire Blvd.... -
The Mystery of a Neighbor
7 Feb 2012 | 12:13 amWhen I was little, I had a bad habit of hanging around neighbors’ houses. I would knock and knock at their doors, whether they had kids to play with or not; I would ask questions about the house, their day, what plants they were growing in the garden. And eventually, I was sent home with a warning: “When I say go, I mean go!” I’m not sure what it was that drew me—the mystery of a neighbor, the hope of a cookie.... -
The Cannibal and the Eucharist
6 Feb 2012 | 12:34 pmWhen I first heard Michael Knott singing about a woman suspected of eating her husband, the Eucharist was the furthest thing from my mind. The chasm separating communion and cannibalism was wide, or so I assumed. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt something like a fist balling up in my belly. It was 1994, and I was 16, the son of a Baptist minister. Each item in my brain-box was neatly nestled in its.... -
Of a Higher Degree
3 Feb 2012 | 1:37 amWhen I was in eighth grade, my mother gave my grandfather a book called Grandfather Remembers to give to me as a Christmas present. It was formatted along the lines of your average baby book, with blank spaces for our family tree and stories about his ancestors as well as guided blank pages for recollections of his first car, his first job, his favorite meals and holidays, as well as his marriage and children.... -
A Poem is a Walk
1 Feb 2012 | 11:59 pmOne of the students in my Glen Online course, "Poetry as a Spiritual Practice," emailed me to ask what exactly I meant by “strolling along with a poem.” In the lecture for the lesson she was working on, I’d said that “I sometimes read a poem as if I were taking a stroll through it or along with it. The stroll is leisurely, because poetry never rushes us. Poetry paces itself so that its rhythms, its sound-echoes....
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Christ and Pop Culture
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Is Tweeting With the Kids A Redeemable Activity?
8 Feb 2012 | 10:46 amWhen it comes balancing his social media use with his family time, Jon Acuff has a plan: The time doesn’t belong to me when we’re all hanging out. It’s family time. So if I want to use some of that valuable family time to write a tweet, it only makes sense that I would buy that time back from my kids. So every time I tweet on the weekends or on weeknights, I have to give each kid a quarter. By day 3 of this silly experiment, my kids were coming up to me and saying things like: “You should write a tweet about dinner.” “Have you tweeted enough today?” “How many times have you… -
The Court Struck Down Prop 8, But Not as Dramatically As They Could Have
8 Feb 2012 | 10:21 amYou may have heard about the Supreme Court striking down Proposition 8, but did you know the decision was actually more conservative than it needed to be? Don’t let all the shouting, protesting, and appealing fool you. Today’s decision could have been the vehicle to put the issue of whether there is a fundamental right to marry directly before the Supreme Court. But the panel explicitly stayed their decision so that nobody will marry in California tomorrow, and then declined to weigh in on the big constitutional question. Instead, they issued what can best be described as a Bush v. -
The music industry is doing just fine
8 Feb 2012 | 8:37 amYou’ve probably been hearing a lot of gloom and doom from the entertainment industry regarding the pernicious effects of online piracy. However, if you look beyond just the “major” labels and recording companies, you’ll see that the music industry as a whole is doing pretty well these days… and it doesn’t look like things will stop improving any time soon. While the “big four” record labels have seen their revenues plummet during the last decade, the music industry more broadly—encompassing independent labels, live performances, merchandise, music… -
What Memes Mean: Muppet Political Discourse
8 Feb 2012 | 6:30 amEach Wednesday in What Memes Mean, Kirk Bozeman questions the significance, humor, and subtexts of viral videos, memes, and other Internet fads. The Muppets have always presented themselves to the world as actual persons both on and off set. Most film and TV characters stay well within the boundaries of their imaginary worlds, their respective actors walking out of the studio at night in khakis and sneakers, ready to resume a normal human existence. Not so with the Muppets: Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy can show up anywhere, at any time, their lower halves always conveniently off camera… -
Music at Mars Hill: Lessons From Leonard Cohen
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amLike fellow celebrated songwriters Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen has always had a simple and poignant way of addressing spiritual themes in his music. His most famous song, “Hallelujah”, manages to take the life of King David and make it sound like he’s singing about his own. His new album, Old Ideas, continues with a lot of those personally narrated and spiritually dense themes, but they’ve all been filtered through Cohen’s 77 years of age. Cohen’s voice has been worn down to a scratchy whisper at points, and as with Johnny Cash’s famous…
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Episcopal Cafe
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Another step in female-bishop process in Church of England
8 Feb 2012 | 1:25 pmThe process for bringing the possibility of female bishops to the Church of England has taken another wary step forward. A code-of-conduct amendment to original synodical legislation by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and (supported in 2012 by the bishop of the Diocese of Manchester) has been substantially amended by various parties. The central question now is how much flexibility a six-member panel will be granted in interpreting the allowable amount of "substantial" change. As now amended, this legislation does not grant blanket power to that group. A two-thirds vote will be… -
On racist threats to Archbishop of York
8 Feb 2012 | 10:25 amAt the end of last month, Archbishop of York John Sentamu, the second-ranking cleric in the Church of England, told The Telegraph marriage should strictly be a male-and-female thing. Criticism of the archbishop rang around the Internet. Now, though, we know from Sentamu's publiclicst that A large quantity of correspondence was received in response to the archbishop's interview with the Daily Telegraph, which touched on a wide range of issues. Among many positive emails that he has received, there have been a small number of abusive and threatening emails of a racist nature which North… -
Knights of Columbus' use of resources surprising to many
8 Feb 2012 | 7:55 amThe Knight of Columbus, the second largest Catholic organization besides the Church itself, appears to be deeply involved in contested political areas. Many Episcopalians are familiar with the Knights of Columbus. The Catholic men’s organization has a reputation for parish involvement, volunteer service, and charitable contributions. They will be celebrating their 130th anniversary of their incorporation as a benefit society, since their founding by Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven and some of his parishioners by the Connecticut state… -
Hate reappears in Ugandan Parliament
8 Feb 2012 | 4:24 amUPDATED: The Uganda Media Centre has cried uncle, calling David Bahati an irrelevant "back bencher." A release says the death-penalty provision has been stripped out of the proposed legislation, though we don't have further proof beyond the release itself so far as we are aware. The release also says, in essence: (a) look to other countries if you need a distraction (b) facilitating the legislative process of democracy is not to be confused with democracy itself and (my favorite) (c) no one has been charged yet with the criminal offense of homosexuality so what's the big deal? h/t to Warren… -
From Sky To Ground
8 Feb 2012 | 2:34 am‘Cause we’ve been seen As blessed not mean So we fling it around From sky to ground. We are blessed by the good thing You are the good thing We fling the good things We fling the good things. Image above (and on front-page mastheads): "Golden Eagle" by Ryan Lee Smith Words above: from "Fling It" by Spirit Journey Youth, a Native American Episcopal Youth group from Northern Arizona working on their faith journey step-by-step (an Outreach program of the Diocese of Arizona since 2000). Read "Fling It" here. Read more about Spirit Journey Youth here and here. Note: Kaze Gadway works with the…
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The Lutheran
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Heavy lifting
31 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pm"Just a few more, Greg. You've got this," Wesley Lynch (left) tells one of his clients, Greg Kneser, dean of students at St. Olaf College and a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Northfield, Minn. -
Addition, not subtraction
31 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pmAs the liturgical season of Lent approaches, it's possible some of us aren't anticipating the traditions of prayer, fasting and almsgiving for 40 days. Perhaps you've even wondered if it's really necessary or helpful to "do without." But what if we instead add spiritual practices that enhance our preparation for Easter?An already busy family can add to the season of preparation without adding unnecessary stress. Try at least one of these practices, or think of your own: 1. Pray together as a family. If you've never done this, start each day with a breakfast prayer or pray as the kids go out… -
U2, other popular band lyrics for you too
31 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pm -
What is sin?
31 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pmThe most stubborn and frustrating aspect of human sin is this: we insist on justifying ourselves before God, and we refuse to accept that our justification comes to us as a gift of God's grace."Oh," you might say, "I've never heard of that. Doesn't the New Testament say sin is missing the mark? Doesn't sin consist in choosing the evil rather than the good? Isn't lusting a sin? How about coveting? War? Isn't genocide the greatest sin? Do the Democrats sin when they spend too much money? Do the Republicans sin when they refuse to compromise?"Coveting what others have and perpetrating violence… -
Shakespeare Club
31 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pmThe Shakespeare Club gathers three times a year on Saturday mornings at Christ Lutheran Church, Aptos, Calif. The group began using Christ's facilities in 2010, though they had been gathering for more than eight years under the direction of a retired English professor from local Cabrillo College. In January, about 30 to 35 people, most of them from the community, began meeting again to read Hamlet. A guest speaker gives an introduction prior to each initial reading. Then, each week, a "director" assigns parts to "actors."
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NYT > Religion and Belief
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The Church That Politics Turned Into a Mosque
7 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pmIznik's Hagia Sophia had become the focal point of a budding Christian faith tourism to the Turkish town. But now local residents fear its conversion into a mosque could keep foreign visitors away. -
Mindful Eating as Way to Fight Bingeing
6 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pmA concept based on Buddhist teachings encourages people to eat slowly, paying close attention to the sensation and purpose of each morsel. -
Iraqi Crisis Eases as Sunni Ministers Rejoin Cabinet
6 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pmThe incremental step sets the stage for a national conference to seek a durable solution to a sectarian conflict that erupted in December. -
For Mormon Voters, Mitt Romney’s Faith a Factor, but Not The Only One
5 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pmAs Mitt Romney approaches primaries in states where his religion could be an advantage, more supporters say his values are the bigger issue. -
Roman Catholics Convene to Discuss Sexual Abuse Prevention
5 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pmReligious superiors as well as abuse victims were invited to a symposium in Rome. Some wondered what action would come from the meeting.
