religion

Sheik Abdullah bin Bayyah is interviewed about his fatwa explaining why ISIS is wrong to claim that Islam supports violence and the establishment of a caliphate by force.

Prominent Muslim Sheik Issues Fatwa Against ISIS Violence

9:47pm September 28, 2014

by Dina Temple-Raston

Sheik Abdullah bin Bayyah is considered one of the most influential Muslims in the world. As a respected scholar, he has issued edicts to explain why groups such as the Islamic State have it wrong.

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Sweet or salty? Historically among Eastern European Jews, how they liked their gefilte fish depended on where they lived. This divide created a strictly Jewish geography known as "the gefilte fish line."

The Gefilte Fish Line: A Sweet And Salty History Of Jewish Identity

1:41pm September 26, 2014

by Deena Prichep

Gefilte fish can be a hard sell even in its standard savory form. But some European Jews like it sweet, a preference that, surprisingly, overlaps exactly with a geographic and linguistic divide.

Sister Teresa Forcades prays over the graves of fellow nuns in a cemetery at her Sant Benet Monastery in Montserrat, Spain.

The Outspoken Spanish Nun Who's Made Herself A Political Force

11:12am September 26, 2014

by Lauren Frayer

From her convent on a sacred mountain, Benedictine nun Teresa Forcades — a feminist medical doctor with a Ph.D. in public health — is a prominent leftist and leading advocate of Catalan independence.

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Vatican Arrests One Of Its Own On Child Sex Abuse Charges

11:12am September 26, 2014

by Sylvia Poggioli

For the first time, the Vatican has put one of its own under house arrest for alleged sex abuse of minors. Josef Wesolowski is the Vatican's former ambassador to the Dominican Republic and was defrocked in June.

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Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary is reportedly one of nine men arrested as part of an investigation in Britain into Islamist terrorism.

Radical Muslim Cleric Reportedly Among 9 Arrested In Britain

12:47pm September 25, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Anjem Choudary, the former head of al-Muhajiroun, is said to be among those arrested on suspicion of encouraging terrorism or supporting a banned organization.

Rosh Hashana's Sacred Bread Offers Meaning In Many Shapes And Sizes

10:36am September 25, 2014

by Deena Prichep

Making challah for the Jewish New Year lets the baker take a moment to reflect on life's blessings. The bread can be shaped into the traditional round, or a lion or bird to echo Bible verses.

Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, the Vatican's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, offers Mass in Santo Domingo in 2009. He has been accused of paying for sex with children while he was a papal ambassador in the Dominican Republic.

Vatican Arrests Defrocked Archbishop On Sex Charges

3:49pm September 24, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Former Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, who was defrocked earlier this year, has been accused of paying for sex with children while he was papal ambassador to the Dominican Republic.

A woman reads a prayer book during Rosh Hashanah last year.

Religion

A Place To Reflect During Jewish Holy Days — That's Not A Temple

1:31pm September 24, 2014

by Deena Prichep

Sunset marks the start of the Jewish New Year as well as the 10 Days of Awe, when observant Jews reflect on the past year. Some are taking this reflection out of the temple and onto their tablets.

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Vatican Arrests Former Archbishop On Child Abuse Charges

1:31pm September 24, 2014

Jozef Wesolowski is the first high-ranking Vatican official to face criminal charges for sexually abusing children. Steve Inskeep talks to Joshua McElwee of the National Catholic Reporter.

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President Obama closes his eyes as a prayer is offered at the National Prayer Breakfast in February in Washington, D.C.

More Americans Favor Mixing Religion And Politics, Survey Says

6:14pm September 23, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The poll by Pew's Religion & Public Life Project also shows that three-quarters of survey participants believe religion's influence on American life is waning.