WASHINGTON — Two Florida school officials will be in court next month to answer charges that they violated a court order when they prayed in public after a school secretary was cleared on similar charges. The case, which defense attorneys say is an unprecedented display of government intrusion into the right of personal religious expression,…

Aug. 24–HACIENDA HEIGHTS — Thousands of people visited the Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights over the weekend to offer prayers for departed loved ones and ancestors. The observance is part of an ancient Buddhist tradition known as Ullambana. The seventh month of the Chinese calendar — which this year runs from mid-August to mid-September…

Aug. 24–Imam Mujahid Ramos wasn’t surprised to see more people show up this weekend for the daily prayers at the Masjid At-Tawheed mosque in York City. The same thing happens every year during Ramadan, a time of religious rejuvenation for Muslims, said Ramos, the mosque’s spiritual leader. “It’s just an amazing time of the year,”…

(UNDATED) After a long and contentious debate, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted Friday (Aug. 21) to drop a ban on partnered gay clergy and committed to let people in same-sex relationships serve as leaders of the church. The ground-breaking decision is a dramatic change for the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination, which previously permitted…

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