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The anti-Mormon backlash after California voters overturned gay marriage last fall is similar to the intimidation of Southern blacks during the civil rights movement, a high-ranking Mormon says in a speech to be delivered Tuesday. Elder Dallin H. Oaks refers to gay marriage as an “alleged civil right” in remarks prepared for delivery at Brigham…

(RNS) Tens of thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their allies rallied at the foot of the U.S. Capitol on Sunday (Oct. 11) to push for federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Rainbow-colored outfits and flags adorned many marchers, who held signs calling for equality, an end to bigotry and “segreGAYtion.” After starting…

(AP) VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI canonized five new saints Sunday, including a 19th-century priest whose work with leprosy patients on a Hawaiian island has been hailed by U.S. President Barack Obama as inspiring those helping AIDS sufferers in today’s world. Among the pilgrims packing St. Peter’s Basilica was Hawaii resident Audrey Toguchi, an…

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.,…
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