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Associated Press – A 38-year-old New York woman who died after sitting in a sauna-like sweat lodge at a scenic Arizona resort was an avid surfer and hiker who was “in top shape,” took self-improvement seriously and had a passion for art, a family spokesman said. Kirby Brown of Westtown, N.Y., was one of two…

(RNS) Religious leaders, from the National Association of Evangelicals to Vatican officials, praised Friday’s (Oct. 9) selection of President Obama as the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee specifically cited Obama for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” particularly his goal of ridding the world of…

WASHINGTON (RNS) United Jewish Communities, one of the largest American Jewish organizations, has changed its name to the Jewish Federations of North America to more closely align itself with local chapters across the country. “Our new name makes a clear and bold statement that we embody the Jewish Federation system,” said Jerry Silverman, the group’s…

(RNS) When Pope Benedict XVI proclaims Blessed Damien de Veuster a saint on Sunday (Oct. 11), among the 40,000 expected attendees at the ceremony in St. Peter’s Square will be the King and Queen of Belgium and a White House delegation including Ambassador to the Vatican Miguel Diaz and Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii. Yet no…

(AP) A Canadian Muslim organization urged the Canadian government Thursday to ban traditional Muslim garments designed to cover a woman’s face, saying they are medieval and misogynist symbols of extremism with no basis in Islam. The Muslim Canadian Congress has called on the federal government to prohibit the burka and the niqab because it says…

(RNS) If there were a guide book for globe-trotting gurus, its rules might run something like this: 1. Don’t get too involved in politics. 2. Never criticize your host country. 3. Welcome converts to your faith. 4. Act as sage-like as possible. 5. Be wary of science. On his trip to Washington this week, the…

(RNS) In a dramatic about-face for a movement that a generation ago embraced a Cold War nuclear shield against the Soviets, evangelical Christians are now spreading the gospel of nuclear disarmament. Exhibit A: eliminating nuclear weapons will be on the agenda of a leadership forum hosted by the National Association of Evangelicals in Landover, Md.,…

(RNS) When Congress passed a law transferring the property around a war memorial cross in the Mojave National Preserve into private hands, did that resolve a court ruling that the cross violated church-state separation? The U.S. Supreme Court grappled with that question Wednesday (Oct. 7) and related thorny issues, including how veterans should be memorialized…

(RNS) At least two denominations say they are not seeking taxpayer funding of abortion as part of health care reform after an online newsletter erroneously reported that they were. Lifenews.com reported — and later retracted — on Oct. 2 that several denominations were lobbying through the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing for…

(RNS) U.S. Jews give President Barack Obama a high job approval rating, more than other religious groups and significantly more than the general population, Gallup reports. While 52 percent of U.S. adults approve of the job the president is doing, 64 percent of Jewish adults voiced approval during the month of September, according to Gallup…
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