On Nov. 4, the day America elected its first black president, Bryan resident Velma Spivey said she quietly went into her bedroom, recited a prayer and cried. “It was a spiritual feeling for me,” she said. This week, as she and others mark Kwanzaa — which is a celebration of history, culture and empowerment for…

It’s been a rough year. With the economy in tatters, many of us are looking at Christmas and Hanukkah with new eyes and wondering whether the season will be more merry than maudlin. The Bible talks about the blessings that come in giving to others, particularly to the poor and disenfranchised. I’d like to suggest…

Chances are that grown-ups know the truth about the holiday season’s biggest myth — the one concerning a certain elf, his generosity and his peculiar mode of travel. But there’s another big lie that’s almost as pervasive. No, Virginia, suicides do not increase around the holidays. “That is a myth,” said Pat Lyden, executive director…

Two-thirds of Americans think religion is losing its influence on U.S. life, a sharp jump from just three years ago when Americans were nearly evenly split on the question, according to a new Gallup Poll. Sixty-seven percent of Americans think religious influence is waning while just 27 percent say it is increasing. That perspective demonstrates…

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