Religion

President Trump's photo opportunity in front of St. John's Episcopal church in Washington has set off criticism, as law enforcement used tear gas and force to clear a path for him to walk from the White House.

'He Did Not Pray': Fallout Grows From Trump's Photo-Op At St. John's Church

7:51pm June 02, 2020

by Bill Chappell

"He did not offer a word of balm or condolence to those who are grieving," says the bishop who oversees the church. Washington's mayor was more direct: "Shameful!"

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Catholic Archbishop Criticizes Trump's Visit To St. John Paul II Shrine

7:02pm June 02, 2020

by Bill Chappell

"I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated," says Washington Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory.

President Trump Visits John Paul II Shrine To Promote International Religious Freedom

5:31pm June 02, 2020

by Tom Gjelten

President Trump has visited a Catholic shrine Tuesday to promote religious freedom. The D.C. Archbishop criticized this visit and another president's controversial church visit Monday.

Peaceful Protesters Tear Gassed To Clear Way For Trump Church Visit

5:58am June 02, 2020

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington about the president's visit to St. John's Church amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd.

A church in North Hollywood, Calif., stands empty last month after services were canceled because of coronavirus restrictions.

Supreme Court Rejects Church's Challenge To California's Coronavirus Rules

11:16am May 30, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court's liberal bloc in a 5-4 decision issued late Friday. The lawsuit had argued that the state's limits on attendance discriminated against religion.

Jesus' baptism site overlooking the Jordan River, 6 miles north of the Dead Sea. The Jordanian site includes the spot where UNESCO says Jesus was believed to have been baptized, now inland after the river changed course, as well as Elijah's Hill, where tr

Where Jesus Was Baptized, Jordan Vies With Israel For Tourists

4:01pm May 29, 2020

by Jane Arraf

While UNESCO and the Vatican agree the site is in Jordan, a spot across the Jordan River, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, draws more visitors.

Religion

How The Pandemic Has Affected Religious Practices In Different Communities, Continued

9:52pm May 27, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Imam Mohammad Altahir of the Islamic Center in Wyoming and Lane Moore of the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association about pandemic's effects on religious practices.

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Religion

How The Pandemic Has Affected Religious Practices In Different Communities

9:50pm May 27, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Imam Mohammad Altahir of the Islamic Center in Wyoming and Lane Moore of the Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association about pandemic's effects on religious practices.

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From left: comedians Natasha Chandel, Abdullah Afzal, and Mariam Sobh each performed a set during the virtually streamed Socially Distant Eid Comedy Night Special.

Muslim Comics Gather Over Zoom To Celebrate Eid With Jokes And Joy

6:49pm May 26, 2020

by Hafsa Quraishi

Forty comedians came together for 2 hours of stand-up to celebrate a socially distant Eid-al-Fitr. They cracked wise about everything from smelly burps to parents who share misinformation on WhatsApp.

Despite Trump's Demand, Not All Houses Of Worship Reopen

6:49am May 26, 2020

by Tom Gjelten

After President Trump demanded governors allow houses of worship to reopen immediately, governors of California and Minnesota eased restrictions. But many places of worship say they'll remain closed.

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