Religion

This combination of two satellite images provided by DigitalGlobe, taken on March 31, 2011 (top), and Sept. 28, 2014, shows the site of the Christian monastery known as St. Elijah's, or Dair Mar Elia.

Aerial Images Show Destruction Of Ancient Christian Monastery In Iraq

4:26pm January 20, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The new images obtained by The Associated Press show the site of St. Elijah's Monastery in the ISIS-held city of Mosul. ISIS likely destroyed the monastery in the fall of 2014.

Russian Orthodox believers swim in frigid water at a pond outside St. Petersburg in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Warmly dressed emergency medical technicians stand by in case anyone is overcome by the cold.

In Russia, Epiphany Comes With A Shockingly Cold Swim

2:35pm January 20, 2016

by Corey Flintoff

To celebrate the feast of Epiphany marking the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, thousands of Russian Orthodox faithful take a dip in icy waters. How does it feel? "Absolutely good," one man says.

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Religion

2 FLDS Towns Set To Face Religious Discrimination Trial

2:48pm January 19, 2016

by Jude Joffe-Block

The towns serve as headquarters for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, known as FLDS. They're accused by the Justice Department of discriminating against non-FLDS members.

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Matthew Secich's wife, Crystal, behind the sausage counter at the deli they opened in Unity, Maine.

Chef Trades Toque For Amish Beard, Opens Off-The-Grid Deli In Maine

6:25pm January 18, 2016

by Jennifer Mitchell

A Chicago chef tired of the kitchen grind moved his family to join an Amish community in Maine. He's now selling charcuterie and cheese from a cabin in the woods.

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Trump Gets Mixed Response From Conservative Liberty University

4:30pm January 18, 2016

Donald Trump spoke at Liberty University in Virginia on Monday. The Christian school has become an important stop on the presidential campaign trail.

Brother William Valle of the Institute of the Incarnate Word in Chillum, Md., loads potatoes onto his cart at the Capitol Area Food Bank, in Washington, D.C. A new government initiative seeks to engage faith-based groups on food waste — for instance, by

Thou Shalt Not Toss Food: Enlisting Religious Groups To Fight Waste

1:59pm January 18, 2016

by Maria Godoy

The Environmental Protection Agency is launching an initiative to engage religious leaders of all faiths to reduce food waste. Many groups have already embraced the challenge as a moral imperative.

Inside The Nationwide Tour To Support 'Godly Leaders'

5:30pm January 17, 2016

The Rev. Franklin Graham, an evangelical Christian leader, speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about his 50-state tour to rally conservative evangelical voters.

Gurdeep Shergill and his wife, Sonia, co-host a program on KBIF-AM for the 35,000 Sikh-Americans who live in Fresno.

Sikhs In Fresno Worried After Recent Attacks

5:06am January 17, 2016

by Richard Gonzales

Sikh-Americans in Fresno, Calif., are apprehensive in the wake of two recent attacks in the area on elderly Sikh men.

Anglican Communion Temporarily Suspends U.S. Episcopal Church

6:46pm January 15, 2016

by Tom Gjelten

Anglican leaders meeting in Canterbury have temporarily suspended the U.S. Episcopal Church from full participation in the Anglican Communion. The move comes at the behest of conservative bishops — mostly from Africa — who are unhappy with the American church's stance on same-sex marriage and gay clergy.

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The church, of unidentified denomination, is set to open next month.

Taiwan Now Has A Giant, Shiny, Shoe-Shaped Church

4:27pm January 15, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The blue high heel made of glass was apparently built in an effort to draw female worshippers and tourists to the site. It reportedly will have 100 female-oriented features.