religion

After Scandals, Ireland Is No Longer 'Most Catholic Country In The World'

3:09pm August 26, 2015

by Miranda Kennedy

The scandals of recent years have destroyed popular support for the church in Ireland, with many Irish people ignoring the hierarchy's guidance on social issues.

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Before dawn on Sunday, the line to get into Maranatha Baptist Church was already long. The crowds were hoping to catch former President Jimmy Carter teaching his customary Sunday school class. Carter recently announced he has been diagnosed with cancer.

'A Mighty Fine Teacher': Hundreds Gather For Carter's Sunday School

2:40pm August 25, 2015

by Grant Blankenship

Former President Jimmy Carter regularly teaches Sunday school, and he's made it clear his cancer diagnosis won't change that. The small church he attends can't fit all who travel there to hear him.

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Muslim Feminists Rewrite Boundaries On The Street And At Home

1:59pm August 18, 2015

by Lynn Neary

Mona Eltahawy says as a female in Saudi Arabia you have two options: "To lose your mind or become a feminist." Rafia Zakaria says it's crucial to reclaim the identity of the modern Muslim woman.

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Papal Encyclical On Climate Change Puts Coal Country Catholics In Tough Spot

7:48pm August 17, 2015

by Aaron Schrank

Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment is getting a thorough reading in Wyoming, which is the country's top coal-producing state. The letter presents a moral framework for approaching issues such as global climate change, but it's a difficult subject for Catholics in coal country.

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As More Irish Turn Away From Catholicism, Parents Call For Non-Religious Schools

7:48pm August 17, 2015

by Miranda Kennedy

Almost all the schools in Ireland are owned and run by the Catholic Church, which leaves few options for the many Irish parents who rejected the church following the priest-child abuse scandals.

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"I'm Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is Italian ... But I've become increasingly interested in religion." — A.J. Jacobs

How Does A Year Of Following Biblical Rules Change You?

9:48am August 14, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Author and journalist A.J. Jacobs has made a career of being an amateur. He talks about the year he spent living biblically — following the rules in the Bible as literally as possible.

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'New York Times': Islamic State Uses Quran To Justify Rape Of Yazidi Women

11:12pm August 13, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block speaks with New York Times foreign correspondent Rukmini Callimachi about an entrenched system in which ISIS glorifies sexual slavery. She interviewed 21 escaped victims.

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Police and others carry the body of activist and blogger Niloy Chakrabati, aka Niloy Neel, downstairs after he was slain in his upstairs apartment.

Another Bangladeshi Blogger Hacked To Death For Secular Views

5:05pm August 08, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Niloy Chakrabati Neel, who wrote under the pseudonym Niloy Neel, had advocated against Muslim extremism and in favor of women's rights. He is the fourth such social media activist killed this year.

Religion

The City Of Brotherly Love Makes Way For The Pope

7:33pm August 05, 2015

by Katie Colaneri

Philadelphia is preparing to welcome Pope Francis and about 2 million of his followers this fall, during the popular pontiff's first visit to the U.S., an event is generating both excitement and anxiety.

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Boy Scouts work on canoes at camp Maple Dell outside Payson, Utah. The Mormon church is considering pulling out of its 102-year-old relationship with the Boy Scouts after the Boy Scouts changed its policy on allowing gay leaders in the organization.

Mormons Face A Painful Loss If The Church Severs Boy Scout Ties

11:17am August 04, 2015

by NPR Staff

Scouting has been the official program for Mormon boys for more than 100 years, but that may change after a vote allowing openly gay leaders. A Brigham Young professor says a split would be wrenching.

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