SAGINAW, Mich. (RNS) The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal in a case involving a Michigan fifth-grader who tried to sell candy canes with a religious message at his school. The high court on Monday (Dec. 8) denied the petition that the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund filed on behalf of Joel…

WASHINGTON — The top Washington lobbyist for the National Association of Evangelicals, who had already faced criticism for his embrace of environmental activism, resigned Thursday (Dec. 11) after signaling support for same-sex civil unions. The Rev. Richard Cizik, who had worked in the NAE’s Washington office for 28 years, resigned after being harshly criticized for…

MECCA, Saudi Arabia – On foot and on the roofs of overflowing buses, Muslims poured into the holy city of Mecca for a final day of the hajj on Wednesday, many of them saying they felt reborn and cleansed of sin as they completed the annual pilgrimage. Around midday, the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest shrine,…

NEW YORK (RNS) Struggling with a kosher meat industry labor scandal that won’t go away, Orthodox Jews have begun publicly debating what role– if any — ethical standards should have on their eating habits. At a panel discussion Tuesday (Dec. 9) at Yeshiva University, four scholars presented a range of responses to accusations of illegal…

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