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WASHIGNTON (RNS) Atheist lawyer Michael Newdow said Tuesday (May 11) he plans to appeal a court decision that said his bid to halt prayers and the words “so help me God” in presidential inaugurations are now moot. “We will be petitioning for a rehearing,” said Newdow, who represented himself and other atheists in the case.…

(RNS) Liberty University, the Baptist school founded by the late Jerry Falwell, will investigate claims that its seminary president lied about his Muslim background to make his conversion to Christianity seem more dramatic. Ergun Caner was named dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2005, when he became the first former Muslim to lead an…

WASHINGTON (RNS) The war memorial cross at the center of a recent Supreme Court ruling has been stolen, a spokeswoman for the Mojave National Preserve said Tuesday (May 11). A wooden box had covered the controversial cross, which has been the subject of court cases for almost a decade. A preserve staffer noticed the box…

STOCKHOLM – A Swedish artist who angered Muslims by depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was assaulted Tuesday as furious protesters interrupted his university lecture about the limits of free speech. Lars Vilks told The Associated Press a man leaped from the front row and head-butted him as he was delivering his lecture at…

(RNS) When reproductive health expert Dr. Douglas Huber went to Afghanistan to set-up an “Accelerating Contraceptive Use” project in 2005, the fertility rate among Afghan women was almost seven children per woman. In order to get people to consider birth control, Huber knew he would first need to persuade the country’s famously patriarchal mullahs. At…

LISBON, Portugal – Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday blamed the church’s own sins for the clerical abuse scandal – not a campaign mounted by outsiders – and called for profound purification to end what he called the “greatest persecution” the church has endured. His strong comments placed the blame for the crisis squarely on the…

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will hold what the White House says will be its first reception in recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month. The May 27 event will celebrate the depth of Jewish American heritage and the range of contributions Jews have made to American culture. Guests will include…

LISBON, Portugal – Pope Benedict XVI will speak about the economic crisis during his four-day trip to Portugal this week, telling Europeans to seek solace in their faith, a senior church official said Monday. The pontiff intends to deliver a message that “the joy of faith and hope” is a remedy for the gloom of…

(RNS) As Solicitor General Elena Kagan prepares for confirmation hearings to make her the newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court, her nomination changes the religious makeup of the nation’s highest court. But does it matter that the bench would include six Catholics and, with her confirmation, three Jews and no Protestants? Observers say it’s…

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Monday nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, declaring she would demonstrate the same independence, integrity and passion for the law exhibited by retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. If confirmed by the Senate, Kagan would become the third woman on the high court. At 50, she is…
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