religion

Pope Francis Delights Crowds In Ecuador, Moves On To Boliva

3:23pm July 08, 2015

by John Otis

The pope wrapped up the first leg of his South American mission which is focused on aiding the poor. Over the last 3 days, he was a crowd pleaser in Ecuador. He next visits Bolivia and then Paraguay.

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Calif. Birthday Celebrations Reinforce Dalai Lama's Global Presence

7:36am July 08, 2015

The Dalai Lama is in Southern California, part of a celebration for his 80th birthday. Renee Montagne talks to Robert Barnett, director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University.

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Muslim Children Participate In Ramadan Rituals: Fasting And Prayers

7:36am July 08, 2015

by Philip Reeves

Islam's holy month of Ramadan means the devout are fasting from dawn to dusk. Most who fast are adults but so do many children. Ramadan, however, can mean different things to different kids.

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Pope Francis Begins South America Tour With Mass In Ecuador

7:17am July 08, 2015

by John Otis

Pope Francis kicks off a three-nation South America tour with a mass in Ecuador on Monday. Aiding the poor is at the center of his mission, which will include stops in Bolivia and Paraguay. It is his second South American trip since becoming pope.

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Ecuador Is The First Stop On Pope Francis' South America Trip

1:50pm July 07, 2015

by John Otis

The Argentine pontiff has embarked on a nine-day swing through Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay, some of the region's poorest countries. Francis is focusing on issues that affect the downtrodden.

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In A Time Of Grief And Recovery, A Sunday Sermon Foretold

6:42pm July 04, 2015

The Rev. John Black, of the Campbell Chapel AME Church in Bluffton, S.C., talks to NPR's Arun Rath about grief, forgiveness and rebirth — themes in the sermon he has planned for this Sunday.

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Syrian Christians Face New Threat From Rebel Alliance

4:43am July 04, 2015

by Deborah Amos

Syrian Christians face new threats from a rebel coalition that is fighting both the self-declared Islamic State and the regime.

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St. Laurentius, a polish Catholic church in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood, was closed in March amid fears that it would collapse. Since then, the community has pushed back to save the historic building.

In Philadelphia's Fishtown, A Fierce Debate Over The Fate Of A Polish Church

6:31pm July 03, 2015

by Bobby Allyn

The Philadelphia Archdiocese has plans to demolish the city's oldest Polish church, but it's facing strong resistance: Longtime parishioners and neighborhood newcomers have joined forces in protest.

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Iceland's Pirate Party Wins Repeal Of Blasphemy Law

12:46pm July 03, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The insurgent political movement, which has just three members in parliament, led the rollback of the 75-year-old law that made it a crime to "ridicule or insult" religious teachings.

A student attends a course on religion at a middle school in Metz, in eastern France, on June 5. French schools teach basics, like the history of religion, but discourage any displays of religious identity.

World News

In Secular French Schools, One Group Wants To Talk Religion

6:35pm July 02, 2015

by Eleanor Beardsley

French public schools discourage any display of religious identity. But after an Islamist terror attack this year, a religious co-existence group has found a huge demand for its services.

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