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By KARIN HAMILTON More than 1,000 congregations are participating in the fourth annual Evolution Weekend, which is celebrating the integration of faith and science as the world marks the 200th birthday of the father of evolution, Charles Darwin. Many churches will have sermons or forums this weekend (Feb. 13-15), although events are slated for the…

Vatican City – In his first meeting with Jewish leaders since his controversial readmission of a Holocaust-denying bishop, Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday (Feb. 12) condemned the “denial or minimization” of the Holocaust as “intolerable and altogether unacceptable.” Benedict also told U.S. Jewish leaders that the Catholic Church “is profoundly and irrevocably committed” to good…

WASHINGTON (RNS) Leaders from 67 religious and humanitarian organizations have asked President Obama to reconsider U.S. opposition to global treaties that prohibit the use and transfer of landmines and cluster munitions. “Reconsidering these two treaties — and eliminating the threat that U.S. forces might use weapons that most of the world has condemned — would…

(UNDATED) Growing up in Pakistan, Salman Hameed navigated freely between his Muslim beliefs and his secular studies. Now, as an assistant professor of integrated science and humanities at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, he teaches about the scientific origins of the universe, including Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. But in recent visits to his homeland, Hameed,…

LONDON – The Church of England’s governing body, seeking to bridge stubborn differences over allowing women to become bishops, was expected to vote Wednesday on a compromise that would let traditionalist parishes be overseen by men. Though bitterly torn over homosexuality, the 77 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion has lived with differences about women as priests…

When the Rev. Joseph Lowery rose to offer the closing prayer at President Obama’s swearing-in ceremony, he knew which hymn he would borrow to start his prayer. “God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way,” he prayed, invoking the third verse from “Lift…

New York – A rare trove of 11,000 Hebrew books and manuscripts went on display at Sotheby’s this week as the auction house seeks to find a buyer for what is considered the greatest collection of Judaica in private hands. The Valmadonna Trust Library includes documents of unparalleled significance including a copy of a 16th-century…

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has tapped a 13-member committee to investigate the place same-sex unions should have in Christianity and wider society and issue a report in 2010. The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, who is currently serving a two-year term as the church’s moderator and who chose members of the panel, said it is composed of…

GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado – A secularist group is observing the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin with billboards that urge people to “Evolve Beyond Belief.” The Freedom From Religion Foundation placed “Praise Darwin” billboards in Grand Junction; Dayton, Tennessee; Dover, Pennsylvania; and Whitehall, Ohio. They feature stained-glass designs and a picture of the evolutionary theorist born…

BATON ROUGE, La. (RNS) Officials at a Louisiana prison, already under fire for allegedly denying Catholic and Muslim inmates access to religious materials, have agreed to remove a biblical reference from a monument outside the prison gates. Cathy Fontenot, a spokeswoman at the maximum-security State Penitentiary at Angola, said officials submitted work orders to have…
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