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An Oregon jury acquitted two Oregon parents, Carl and Raylene Worthington, on July 23 in the death of their 15-month-old daughter, Ava, who succumbed to pneumonia as the couple relied on prayer instead of seeking conventional medical help. Shawn Francis Peters, a faith-healing expert at the University of Wisconsin and author of “When Prayer Fails:…

LES COMBES, Italy – Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday that his guardian angel was clearly acting “on superior orders” when he let the pontiff fall and break his wrist this month. The 82-year-old pope said in a lighthearted tone that: “Perhaps the Lord wanted to teach me more patience and humility, give me more time…

WASHINGTON — As Congress debates whether to mandate health insurance for all Americans, several Christian ministries whose members share each other’s medical costs are hoping the final version of health care reform doesn’t put them out of business. Officials of three major “health sharing” organizations say they are watching the Capitol Hill discussions closely, and…

An Episcopal priest who has practiced Zen meditation and espoused unconventional ideas about Christianity has lost his bid to become a bishop in Michigan, the church announced Monday (July 27). The Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester, who was elected in February to lead the sparsely populated Diocese of Northern Michigan, failed to gain “consent,” or ratification,…

(RNS) Georgia court officials unanimously voted on Monday (July 27) to allow individuals to wear religious head coverings in state courtrooms. The Georgia Judicial Council adopted the policy after a Muslim woman was arrested last year for refusing to remove her headscarf in a courthouse in Douglasville, Ga. “We felt that it was necessary for…

WAUSAU, Wis. – The mother of an 11-year-old central Wisconsin girl who died of undiagnosed diabetes as the family prayed for her to get better testified Tuesday that she believes sickness is caused by sin and can be cured by God. Leilani Neumann told the jury in her husband’s trial that she thought her daughter’s…

PRETORIA, South Africa, Jul 27, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) — The Dalai Lama is not simply not bitter after 50 years in exile from China — “he’s actually quite mischievous,” South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu joked. The Dalai Lama “really is amazing,” Tutu said after receiving the 2009 Spiritual Leadership Award at a Pretoria, South…

WASHINGTON (RNS) Mormons are the faith group most likely to say Hollywood threatens their values, followed by Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelicals, according to a new study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The survey showed more than two-thirds of Mormons (68 percent) rebuffed the entertainment industry, followed by 54 percent of Jehovah’s…

(UNDATED) Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams suggested Monday (July 27) that the Episcopal Church may have to accept a secondary role in the Anglican Communion after voting to allow gay bishops and blessings for same-sex unions. Williams, the spiritual leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans, said “very serious anxieties have already been expressed,” about…

TEXARKANA, Ark. – Tony Alamo, a one-time street preacher who built a multimillion-dollar ministry and became an outfitter of the stars, was convicted Friday of taking girls as young as 9 across state lines for sex. Alamo stood silently as the verdict was read, a contrast to his occasional mutterings during testimony. His five victims…

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