Inspiration Faith & Prayer Health & Wellness Entertainment Love & Family
Newsletters Special Offers

Beliefnet News

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Justice Department has moved to dismiss the first gay marriage case filed in federal court, saying it is not the right venue to tackle legal questions raised by a couple already married in California. The motion, filed late Thursday, argued that the case of Arthur Smelt and Christopher Hammer does…

WARSAW, Poland – To him, she was “My Dear Dusia” and he signed his letters “Br” – short for brother. She was one of a handful of people by his bedside when he died, and visited him in the hospital when he survived an assassination attempt. In the cloistered universe of the Vatican, Pope John…

Despite their reputation as symbols of baby-boomer America, Protestant megachurches attract a younger crowd and more singles than the average Protestant church, according to large-scale study released Tuesday. The survey also found distressing news for a movement that took off in the 1980s and remains influential in evangelical Christianity: megachurch-goers volunteer less and give less…

(RNS) Religious organizations reported a 5.5 increase in donations last year, a marked contrast from the nationwide 2-percent decline in charitable giving, according to a study by Giving USA Foundation. Religious congregations, which accounted for 35 percent of the total $307 billion in charitable contributions, exceeded $100 billion in donations for the second year in…

(RNS) The Rev. John Stek considered Bible translation a never-ending work, once noting, “Even the most durable words take on different nuances as culture changes.” Stek attended diligently to those nuances, serving for nearly 45 years on the translation committee for the New International Version — the most popular modern English-language Bible. Stek died Saturday…

WASHINGTON – An elderly gunman opened fire with a rifle inside the crowded U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday, killing a security guard before being shot. Authorities said they were investigating a white supremacist as the suspect. The 89-year-old assailant was hospitalized in critical condition, Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty said. D.C. Police Chief Cathy…

WASHINGTON (RNS) Christian leaders, including three members of President Obama’s faith advisory council, on Wednesday (June 10) pushed the president to make good on his promise of comprehensive immigration reform. The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Noel Castellanos, the Rev. Vashti McKenzie and the Rev. Jim Wallis of the group Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR) said…

(RNS) A federal appeals court has declared the erection of a Ten Commandments monument unconstitutional, citing the “unusual” circumstances of its placement on the courthouse grounds in a small Oklahoma county. In its Monday (June 8) ruling, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals noted statements by county commissioners about the monument, including one who…

Challenges are landing fast and furious on Capitol Hill. So Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, feels he has to arrive at the top of his game every day. And Ryan says he has found a way to do that: He meditates for at least 45 minutes before leaving home. Ryan, 35, sits on a floor cushion,…

(RNS) Unwed young women who attend or have attended religious schools are more likely to have abortions than their public school peers, according to a new study. The study also found “no significant link” between abortion and personal religiosity — defined by perception of religion’s importance, frequency of prayer and other religious activities. “This research…
archives most recent
search this blog
More from Beliefnet and our partners