Religion

Egyptian Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas Nativity Liturgy, the start of Christmas, at the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George in Brooklyn last January.

Amid Instability In Egypt, Coptic Christians Flee To U.S.

5:38pm January 08, 2013

by Bruce Wallace

Many Coptic Christians will celebrate Christmas on Monday outside their native Egypt. Their future there looks uncertain, and many are resettling in the U.S. Churches around New York, New Jersey and Southern California, the centers of Coptic life here, have seen memberships swell.

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Dig Finds Evidence Of Another Bethlehem

7:13am December 26, 2012

by Sheera Frenkel

Archaeologists are unearthing evidence that the city of Bethlehem, in the West Bank, celebrated as the birthplace of Jesus, may not have been the actual Bethlehem of his birth. They have discovered a Bethlehem that existed in the Galilee near Nazareth.

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The One Voice Choir is not officially part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the ensemble is invited to perform this weekend at an LDS church-sponsored event intended to reach out to the LGBT community.

Singing Loud And Proud: Choir For LGBT Mormons Breaks Out

1:13pm December 17, 2012

by Andrea Smardon

For years, Mormons in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community say they've felt shunned from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A newly formed LGBT choir believes it's making strides in the right direction, despite troubles securing rehearsal spaces in LDS churches.

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Patriarch Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem (center), splashes holy water toward worshippers after the washing of the feet ceremony in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem in 2009, during Easter celebrations. A cr

Israel, Christians Negotiate The Price Of Holy Water

9:13am December 14, 2012

by Anthony Kuhn

High-level diplomacy helped avert a disaster last month, in a dispute over the unpaid water bill of one of Christendom's holiest sites. The water company that supplies the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem said it owed $2.3 million. Eventually, the bill was waived — but the church now promises to pay going forward.

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'Torn': Living As An Openly Gay Christian

12:50pm December 10, 2012

by NPR Staff

Justin Lee grew up in a Southern Baptist family. At age 18, he came out to his family and church, who had trouble accepting him as a gay man. Lee later started the Gay Christian Network to encourage a dialogue between gay Christians, their families and their churches. His new book is Torn.

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Rabbi A. Romi Cohn, a noted mohel, prepares an infant for circumcision at Congregation Shaare Zion in Brooklyn on Sept. 4. Cohn opposes a New York City rule requiring parental consent for a type of circumcision ritual practiced by some Orthodox Jews.

New York, Orthodox Jews Clash Over Circumcision

8:25pm December 03, 2012

by Joel Rose

Several Jewish leaders are suing New York City to block a new rule regulating a circumcision ritual known as metzitzah b'peh. City health officials say the ritual, practiced by some Orthodox Jews, can spread the herpes virus to infants. But critics say the law infringes on their freedom of religion.

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The Rev. Eric Williams and his colleague Jannette Berkley-Patton visited StoryCorps in Kansas City, Mo., where they discussed a funeral that shaped Williams' future.

A Life's Ministry Springs From A Dilemma Over AIDS

7:05am November 30, 2012

by NPR Staff

For more than 20 years, the Rev. Eric Williams has devoted himself to educating people about AIDS and helping those who suffer from the disease. As he recalls, one funeral — and a "favor" — led him to the undertaking. World AIDS Day is Saturday.

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18,000 Same-Sex Couples Await Ruling In California

12:05am May 11, 2009

About 18,000 same-sex couples tied the knot during the months gay marriage was legal in the state last year. Now, they are waiting to find out whether the state Supreme Court will let a voter-passed ban on gay marriage stand or overturn it — and whether their marriages will be declared invalid.

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18,000 Same-Sex Couples Await Ruling In California

12:05am May 11, 2009

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Mormons Divided On Same-Sex Marriage Issue

12:51pm October 31, 2008

California's Proposition 8 would overturn gay couples' recently granted right to marry. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked congregations to work to pass the measure. Some Mormons are troubled by the church's prominent role in a political fight.

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