Religion

Tunisia's Salafis: 'A Danger' Or Preachers Of God's Law?

8:36am January 29, 2013

by Leila Fadel

Critics call the country's Salafis a threat to the ideals of economic prosperity, civil liberties and gender equality. The Salafis insist that only their rigid interpretation of Islamic law can govern Muslims. Their stand puts Tunisia's moderate Islamist leaders in a difficult position.

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The Church of Scientology building in Los Angeles on Sunset Boulevard on Aug. 28, 2011.

'Going Clear': A New Book Delves Into Scientology

6:50am January 27, 2013

Lawrence Wright's Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief looks at the world of the controversial church and the life of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who died in 1986.

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The new TLC show The Sisterhood follows the lives of five preachers' wives in Atlanta.

Lives Of Praise, Lives In Progress On 'The Sisterhood'

9:14am January 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Sisterhood is a new reality show about the lives and struggles of five Atlanta-area preachers' wives. The show has been likened to the Real Housewives franchise and has drawn criticism for its warts-and-all portrayal of the women. But they say they felt called by God to participate.

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Religion

Amidst Church Scandals, Who Still Joins The Priesthood

2:18pm January 23, 2013

A decade after news of the sex abuse scandal in the Boston archdiocese of the Catholic Church broke, reports of abuse continue to emerge. The number of priests in the U.S. is in rapid decline, raising questions about who still chooses the job and how the work has changed after high-profile abuse scandals.

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As Social Issues Drive Young From Church, Leaders Try To Keep Them

9:11am January 18, 2013

by Heidi Glenn

Morning Edition wraps up its weeklong look at the growing number of people who say they do not identify with a religion. In the final conversation, two religious leaders describe what they do to attract young people to the church.

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Peyer says that even though she and her husband believe different things when it comes to God, they have found ways to accept and support each other's beliefs.

Making Marriage Work When Only One Spouse Believes In God

11:11am January 17, 2013

by Deena Prichep

Every couple has differences and disagreements to navigate. But what happens when the couple disagrees on the fundamental question of faith? Maria Peyer is a church-attending Lutheran; her husband, Mike Bixby, is an atheist. But they've found ways to accept and support each other's beliefs.

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NPR's David Greene leads a discussion about religion with a group of young adults at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C.

On Religion, Some Young People Show Both Doubt And Respect

11:11am January 17, 2013

by NPR Staff

NPR's David Greene talks with a group of young adults who've struggled with the role of faith and religion in their lives. They do not speak of emptiness without religion, but recognize that it fills needs. They talk of having respect for religion, but say that it's not something they identify with now.

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Carol Fiore's husband, Eric, died after the plane he was test-piloting crashed in Wichita, Kan., 12 years ago. An atheist, Carol felt no comfort when religious people told her Eric was in a better place.

After Tragedy, Nonbelievers Find Other Ways To Cope

1:34pm January 16, 2013

by Barbara Bradley Hagerty

Many have long turned to religion for solace in the aftermath of a tragedy, but that's not an option for the nonreligious or those whose faith is destroyed by the event. For the nonreligious, dealing with trauma and loss often requires forging one's own path.

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As religious as this country may be, many Americans are not religious at all. The group of religiously unaffiliated — dubbed "nones" -- has been growing.

Losing Our Religion: The Growth Of The 'Nones'

3:27pm January 14, 2013

by Heidi Glenn

As religious as this country may be, many Americans are not religious at all. The group of religiously unaffiliated – dubbed "nones"-- has been growing. One-fifth of Americans say they're nones, as are one in three under 30. They're socially liberal and aren't looking for an organized religion.

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Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, has retired. He'll start working with the Center for American Progress, a progressive research and policy organization, on issues of faith and gay rights.

Retired Bishop Gene Robinson On Being Gay And Loving God

2:25pm January 14, 2013

The first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church will start work with the Center for American Progress, focusing on issues of faith and gay rights. "Gay is not something we do," he says. "It's something we are." His book God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage was published in September.

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