Jews are fed up with being told where they can worship and what they can build, and the Department of Justice has swept in to have their back. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is having a rare moment of bipartisan unity begging other countries to stop persecuting religious minorities. In India, fears of “love jihad” have fueled a new anti-conversion law in the country’s most populous state, appeasing Hindu nationalists. Finally, California churches have won a step forward in a lawsuit against the governor.
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The Ahmaddiya Muslim community in Alberta, Canada hosted its annual World Religions Conference last night. Faith leaders gathered to discuss one big question: whether faith is at odds with the science of COVID-19. Here’s their top insights.
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A new bill in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand would recognize the Sarna faith of tribals (indigenous people) for the first time. The state hopes to persuade the national government to pass a similar resolution. But some Hindu nationalist groups are pushing back.
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Pope Francis is known for his aesthetic: simplicity and modesty with plain white robes, a few silver pieces of jewelry, and black orthopedic shoes. His wristwatch is no exception: a Casio MQ24-7B2, a departure from previous popes who sported expensive time pieces.
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Pope Pius XII’s role during World War II is still in dispute, but evidence from the Vatican archives opened this year shows the German pope played a key role in saving thousands of Jewish lives in Palestine during World War I.
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Argentine football star Diego Maradona died at age 60 last week, but his legacy and devotion lives on. The footballer is a symbol of humility and hope, having risen to the top of global sports from a childhood in the slums, and attracted a religious following that formed a church in his name.
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(ANALYSIS) The recent return from Saudi Arabia of Islamist firebrand Muhammad Rizieq Shihab sparked massive welcoming crowds, threatens to reform old political alliances and may even create new ones.
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In an increasingly polarized world, Rachel Sumekh, a young Jewish woman of color, is fueling an evolving brand of youth-infused, woman-centered leadership that does not shy away from challenges during a pandemic.
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Tens of thousands of African migrants who worked in regional countries, Europe, the Middle East and the United States have returned to their countries of origin during the pandemic. They often return without even basic necessities, and face hunger, COVID-19, joblessness and stigma.
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Actor Rainn Wilson sat down with Religion Unplugged over Zoom to talk about his Baha’i faith and its impact on his life and work. He believes prayer and meditation, two important practices of the Bahai faith that often bring people together from many different religions, can help heal polarization and division in society.
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Pastor Sirajje Ssemanda, known in Uganda for his luxurious lifestyle, worked with government officials to solicit fees from thousands of Ugandans who were told their money would grant them membership to government programs including scholarships and training trips abroad. But those promises never materialized.
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Analysts say if the election is fair, it could be a referendum on the constitutional changes made on Aug. 5 last year. But there is evidence that the Indian government is preventing local political parties from campaigning in India’s only Muslim-majority region.
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The highest court in the U.S. overturned an attendance limit on New York houses of worship, Europeans deal with miscommunication over anti-radicalization policy, Greece joins the Serbian Orthodox Church in a battle over safety in worship as the pandemic tears through their highest-ranking clergy, and China eyes a new law to control religious appointments.
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As a young woman, a stranger helped Ida Puliwa pay for her college education. Her Pentecostal faith and optimism have fueled her to transform her village in Malawi in return. She has developed new agricultural approaches that have more than quadrupled maize production and leads a team of more than 4,000 volunteers that help elderly people in the community, promote education for orphans and plant trees to counter deforestation caused by inefficient cooking practices.
Read MoreThe October murder of the teacher Samuel Paty by an 18-year-old radical Islamist in France has reignited debates about the compatibility of Islam with French values like free speech. French imams like Mohamed Bajrafil are trying to fight extremism by preaching a modern Islam, encouraging young Muslims to embrace French values and working with the French government to train more imams in France rather than send them abroad.
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Up to a third of all produce never leaves the farm. That's why “gleaning” societies pick left behind fruits and vegetables to feed families in need— an estimated 50 million Americans this year, up 13% from 2018. It is one of the most ancient forms of faith-based charity. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all mandate gleaning as a way to live out the divine commandment to care for the poor, the widowed and the orphaned.
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Churches are hiring fewer pastors as the pandemic constrains their finances, even as hospitals request more chaplains. Churches that do want to fill an empty pulpit struggle to vett candidates virtually.
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Patriarch Irinej contracted COVID-19 after presiding over a funeral of a bishop in Montenegro, where thousands of attendees did not wear masks or socially distance. He was known for his pro-Russian stance in Orthodoxy, his close relationship to the Serbian government and president, and for overseeing completion of one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches, St. Sava Cathedral.
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A group of art historians are petitioning Russian President Vladimir Putin to use his country’s peace-keeping force in the Nagorno Karabakh region to protect Armenian Christian monuments under threat of destruction, including churches that date back to as early as the 4th century. Parts of the region are transitioning from Armenian to Azerbaijani control this week.
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Evan Todachine and his wife Crystal lost their 18-month-old son shortly after their baptisms into the Christian faith. Their church is sharing their resources and faith with American Indian communities that are suffering terrible losses from COVID-19. “We have the peace, we have comfort, having gone through a tragedy like this,” Todachine said. “Our people have to know this peace and this hope.”
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