Featured Faiths
Teen preacher makes family, congregation proud
This 17-year-old is evidence of what can be accomplished when a community invests in its young people.
The nation's Catholic bishops are warming to the idea of having a stronger social media presence.
The Minister's Treehouse took 11 years to build and was completed without any blueprints.
Will Southern Baptists see big change with new president?
Expectations are high for the Southern Baptist Convention following the election of the Rev. Fred Luter Jr., the first black president of the nation's largest Protestant denomination that has... Read more »
Atheist blogger shocks online community by announcing she has found God
Leah Libresco caused an uproar in the secular community when she announced on her Patheos blog that she had decided to convert to Catholicism. Read more »
Fear of hell may keep crime rates down
Believing in hell is enough to keep criminal activities down in certain areas, according to a recent study. Read more »
Egypt's Mubarak reported in coma, off life support
Hosni Mubarak was in a coma on Wednesday but off life support and his heart and other vital organs were functioning, according to security officials. Read more »
Accident paralyzes Christian missionary who is trusting God's plan
Only six days ago, after being hit in the head while testing a device for his ministry, missionary Steve Saint was instantly paralyzed from the neck down. Read more »
Cancer survivor encourages faith in God
Chicago Pastor James MacDonald survived a near-fatal bout with prostate cancer three years ago and has learned a lesson about "active faith" that he now shares with others. Read more »
Southern Baptists elect 1st black president
The Southern Baptist Convention has elected its first African-American leader. Read more »
Southern Baptists' historic presidential vote near
The nation's largest Protestant denomination is set to take its biggest step yet toward resolving its troubled racial past. Read more »
Christian Scientists reach out to mainstream Christians to foster unity
Our take: While the Christian Science movement continues to see dwindling numbers, the church has decided to step up outreach efforts in an effort to find more members. Trying to downplay differences between mainstream Christian and... Read more »
Santorum has full confidence that Romney understands family values
Former presidential hopeful Rick Santorum spoke recently about his previous rival, Mitt Romney, saying he believes Romney understands the importance the family. Read more »
Southern Baptists see continued membership decline
The nation's largest Protestant denomination continues to see a decline in membership. Read more »
Former youth pastor helps address world's water sanitation problem
Humankind Water is the brainchild of T.J. Foltz, a youth-pastor-turned-entrepreneur who has a goal of helping to clean up the world's drinking water. Read more »
Southern Baptists meet during challenging times
The Southern Baptist Convention plans to begin its annual meeting Tuesday to elect a new leader and consider how to attract more believers in a country that's more diverse than ever. Read more »
Dinosaur billboards go up to spread word about Kentucky's Creation Museum
Our take: The Creation Museum, in Petersburg, Ky., has launched a new campaign with comic-style dinosaur billboards that have been placed in cities around the U.S. to help spread word about the museum, which is staunchly... Read more »
Nuns' leader decries church environment of fear
The leader of the group representing most American nuns challenged the Vatican's reasons for disciplining her organization, insisting that raising questions about church doctrine should not be seen as rebellion. Read more »
Detroit area Hindus to celebrate expanded Bharatiya Temple; project took 7 years, cost $10M
It took seven years and $10 million to renovate and expand the Bharatiya Hindu Temple to accommodate the growing numbers of worshippers who have arrived in the Detroit area from India. Read more »
N.H. Senators backing town's bid to change the name of Jew Pond
MONT VERNON, N.H. — Two New Hampshire senators are backing a rural town's request to change the name of a fishing spot that's been called Jew Pond since the 1920s. Read more »
After pastor charged with child cruelty, church leaders debate corporal punishment
It was mere coincidence that days after Pastor Creflo Dollar was accused of child cruelty, another Atlanta-area pastor was preparing to address the topic from the pulpit. Read more »
Non-Orthodox Jews start making inroads in Israel
With the holy city of Jerusalem visible in the background, a man and woman standing side-by-side lead prayers for about 50 congregants who have come to welcome the Sabbath in this suburb's Reform... Read more »
Nigeria: 21 killed, 100 wounded in church blasts
Three suicide bomb attacks on churches rocked a northern Nigerian state Sunday, killing at least 21 people and wounding about 100, officials said, prompting protests in a state that has previously... Read more »
Theft of copper kettles threatens tradition at Pennsylvania church
Police say thieves who stole six copper kettles from a 210-year-old southwestern Pennsylvania church have also endangered a longstanding tradition. Read more »
Massachusetts protesters agree to leave church after Vatican order
Protesters who have occupied a closed Roman Catholic church in Holyoke for a year say they're ending their round-the-clock vigil. Read more »
Ancient Asia's embrace of Christianity
Many in the West see Christianity as a European religion, but its roots reach far back to the ancient Near East. Read more »
Evolution, dinosaurs and faith: Navigating the world of discovery
In March, a foot fossil found in Ethiopia dated at 3.4 million years old was announced in the journal Nature. The fossil, scientists said, suggests a species of hominin that climbed in trees and... Read more »
Older stories can be found in the story archives
Evolution, dinosaurs and faith: Navigating the world of discovery
In March, a foot fossil found in Ethiopia dated at 3.4 million years old was announced in the journal Nature. The fossil, scientists said, suggests a species of hominin that climbed in trees and... Read more »
The faith angle: Evangelical has become the go-to guy for news media covering religion
Michael Cromartie's name first started appearing in national publications when the religious right was staking out its territory in national politics in the late 1980s. Read more »
Major spiritual destinations of the world
For some faiths, a journey to a sacred worship site is a spiritual mandate. For others, it is a way to show reverence and dedication to God or another holy deity. Others simply want to enjoy the... Read more »
Atheist blogger shocks online community by announcing she has found God
Leah Libresco caused an uproar in the secular community when she announced on her Patheos blog that she had decided to convert to Catholicism. Read more »
Accident paralyzes Christian missionary who is trusting God's plan
Only six days ago, after being hit in the head while testing a device for his ministry, missionary Steve Saint was instantly paralyzed from the neck down. Read more »
Catholics battle over moral implications of budget politics
While many Catholics have been fighting insurance mandates under "Obamacare," others have been fighting Republican budgetary policies, accusing GOP House leader Paul Ryan, a Catholic, of radical... Read more »
Catholic bishops consider PR campaign to soften image
The nation's Catholic bishops are warming to the idea of hiring a spokesperson and having a stronger social media presence. Read more »
After pastor charged with child cruelty, church leaders debate corporal punishment
It was mere coincidence that days after Pastor Creflo Dollar was accused of child cruelty, another Atlanta-area pastor was preparing to address the topic from the pulpit. Read more »
Ancient Asia's embrace of Christianity
Many in the West see Christianity as a European religion, but its roots reach far back to the ancient Near East. Read more »
Southern Baptists elect 1st black president
The Southern Baptist Convention has elected its first African-American leader. Read more »
Southern Baptists see continued membership decline
The nation's largest Protestant denomination continues to see a decline in membership. Read more »
'Does Mormonism have a marriage problem?' New York Times columnist asks
Prompted by a recent Newsweek article about Mitt Romney's LDS faith, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat addressed the question, "Does Mormonism have a marriage problem?" Read more »
Christian Scientists reach out to mainstream Christians to foster unity
Our take: While the Christian Science movement continues to see dwindling numbers, the church has decided to step up outreach efforts in an effort to find more members. Trying to downplay differences between mainstream Christian... Read more »
Egypt's Mubarak reported in coma, off life support
Hosni Mubarak was in a coma on Wednesday but off life support and his heart and other vital organs were functioning, according to security officials. Read more »
Fear of hell may keep crime rates down
Believing in hell is enough to keep criminal activities down in certain areas, according to a recent study. Read more »
Atheists challenge the tax exemption for religious groups
The federal government forgoes as much as $71 billion a year through tax exemptions for religious institutions, according to a study out of the University of Tampa. Read more »
Teen preacher makes family, congregation proud
The teen preacher addressed each person in the pew: the grandmother, the teenage usher, the unemployed father, the single mom. Read more »
Cancer survivor encourages faith in God
Chicago Pastor James MacDonald survived a near-fatal bout with prostate cancer three years ago and has learned a lesson about "active faith" that he now shares with others. Read more »
Will Southern Baptists see big change with new president?
Expectations are high for the Southern Baptist Convention following the election of the Rev. Fred Luter Jr., the first black president of the nation's largest Protestant denomination that has... Read more »
Church tree house built as a place for worshiping God
The Minister's Treehouse took 11 years to build, and it was completed without any previous design or blueprints. Read more »
Dinosaur billboards go up to spread word about Kentucky's Creation Museum
Our take: The Creation Museum, in Petersburg, Ky., has launched a new campaign with comic-style dinosaur billboards that have been placed in cities around the U.S. to help spread word about the museum, which is staunchly... Read more »
Santorum has full confidence that Romney understands family values
Former presidential hopeful Rick Santorum spoke recently about his previous rival, Mitt Romney, saying he believes Romney understands the importance the family. Read more »
Southern Baptists' historic presidential vote near
The nation's largest Protestant denomination is set to take its biggest step yet toward resolving its troubled racial past. Read more »
TV series condemned by leaders of Anabaptist faith
A TV documentary series about an Anabaptist community in Montana offers a "distorted" and contrived image, bishops representing the Hutterite faith in the U.S. and Canada said Thursday. Read more »
Nuns' leader decries church environment of fear
The leader of the group representing most American nuns challenged the Vatican's reasons for disciplining her organization, insisting that raising questions about church doctrine should not be seen as rebellion. Read more »
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