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By DICK STAUB c. 2011 Religion News Service (RNS) At the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, I saw 26 films in six days. If this festival is about storytelling, this year’s big story is about our universal spiritual quest. Here are a few snapshots. Higher Ground tells the true story of Carolyn Briggs, who became disillusioned…

Egypt’s Vice President Omar Suleiman announced today that Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as president of Egypt in the midst of protest and civil unrest that hit a fever pitch yesterday after his initial refusal to leave office. CNN reports that the controversial leader left Cairo and fled to Sharm el-Sheikh, a resort town in…

JERUSALEM (RNS) Israeli officials have installed an $11 million pipe to ease a weekly water shortage on Fridays as observant Jews prepare for the Sabbath and Muslims ritually wash themselves before weekly prayers. Until now, water pressure has been low in some parts of Jerusalem during the hours leading up to Shabbat, which begins at…

TORONTO (RNS) Lawmakers in the province of Quebec voted unanimously on Wednesday (Feb. 9) to ban the kirpan, a Sikh ceremonial dagger, from the legislature building. The opposition Parti Quebecois said it was acting to underscore Quebec’s neutrality in dealing with religious groups, while the governing Liberal Party argued that the ban is needed for…

After weeks of protests and civil unrest, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak addressed the nation today. Contrary to early reports, Mubarak is not stepping down from his current position. He confirmed he will not seek re-election in September. He sympathized with the people and “laid down a clear vision of how to resolve the crisis”, including…

By G. JEFFREY MacDONALD c. 2011 Religion News Service (RNS) A small Catholic college in Riverdale, N.Y., last month got some news that sent shivers across religious higher education: part-time faculty have a right to form a union on campus. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The National Labor Relations Board also isn’t convinced…

The Church of Scientology is under fire after a report in The New Yorker magazine alleges the religious organization was involved in human trafficking and the mistreatment of its workers. Read More: Church of Scientology Probed by FBI Over Human Trafficking Claims: Report The Apostate: Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology Scientology on Beliefnet

(RNS) A former banking executive who helped launch the nation’s first Muslim television station faces 15 years to life in prison after a jury convicted him on Tuesday (Feb. 8) of murdering and decapitating his wife nearly two years ago. Muzzammil “Mo” Hassan, 46, never denied killing Aasiya Zubair Hassan, who he met while visiting…

(RNS) The top court of the nation’s largest Presbyterian denomination has found a Boston minister not guilty of violating church rules against performing gay marriages in a narrow ruling that keeps the church-wide ban in place. The Permanent Judicial Commission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on Saturday (Feb. 2) cleared the Rev. Jean Southard on…

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Just in case Catholics are wondering if a new iPhone app might be able to forgive their sins, the Vatican has issued a clarification: No. “One may not speak in any sense of confessing via iPhone,” the Rev. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, said in a statement on…
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