religion

News Brief: In-Person Classes, Capitol Security, Pope's Iraq Trip

5:52am March 04, 2021

Federal efforts aim to help schools reopen. Tighten security follows reports extremists may try again to breach the U.S. Capitol. Pope Francis on Friday will become the first pope to visit Iraq.

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A health care worker holds a vial of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, N.Y., on Wednesday.

Church Leaders Say Johnson & Johnson Shot Should Be Avoided If Alternatives Available

10:32pm March 03, 2021

by Tom Gjelten

U.S. Catholic bishops say the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines did not use abortion-derived fetal cell lines, but that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is acceptable, if it's the only available option.

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The Bray School building in its original location on Prince George Street in Williamsburg, Va., seen around 1928.

Discovery Of Schoolhouse For Black Children Now Offers A History Lesson

6:17pm March 03, 2021

Researchers say they have identified the oldest existing structure in the U.S. dedicated to the teaching Black children. It's a small, white building on the College of William & Mary's campus.

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Christian Groups Resist Johnson & Johnson Vaccine For Using Abortion-Derived Cells

4:35pm March 03, 2021

by Tom Gjelten

Because abortion-derived cell lines were used in its development, some Christian groups are advising against using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine if other vaccines are available.

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Pope Francis shakes hands with Joe Biden, then vice president, at the Vatican, in 2016.

In Pope Francis, Biden Has A Potential Ally — Who Shares The Same Catholic Detractors

4:35pm March 01, 2021

by Sylvia Poggioli

The pope and the president share liberal stances on climate change and economic disparity. A theology scholar argues U.S. Catholic Church leadership is increasingly allied with the political right.

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Protesters gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington where the Court on Oct. 8, 2019, as the court heard arguments in the first case of LGBT rights since the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

House To Vote On Equality Act: Here's What The Law Would Do

11:40am February 24, 2021

by Danielle Kurtzleben

The House is set to vote on the Equality Act, which would add and expand protections for LGBTQ people in the Civil Rights Act. Here's what it would do and why it's controversial.

Protesters gather outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., some with signs and symbols of Christianity. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol that day after mass demonstrations in the nation's capital.

Evangelical Leaders Condemn 'Radicalized Christian Nationalism'

11:28am February 24, 2021

by Sarah McCammon

In response to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, more than 100 evangelical leaders have published a statement calling on other church heads to speak out against Christian nationalism in their ranks.

Empty pews are marked for spacing in a Manhattan church on Nov. 27, 2020 in New York City.

Clergy On The Pandemic Front Lines: 'How Do We Really Grieve?'

4:20pm February 22, 2021

by Tom Gjelten

The work of ministering to the sick and consoling the grieving has been a heavy burden for many faith leaders in the time of COVID-19.

An Iraqi policeman walks by a mural depicting Pope Francis on the outer walls of Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad on Monday. Pope Francis' visit from March 5 to 8 will include trips to Baghdad, the city of Mosul and a meeting with the country's top

Pope Plans Historic Visit To Iraq As Its Christian Populations Dwindle

12:39pm February 22, 2021

by Alice Fordham

Many Iraqis — Christian and Muslim — say they are excited about the first papal visit to the country, raising hopes of religious tolerance in the face of extremist violence.

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Protesters gather at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Later that day, the Capitol building was breached by a violent mob driven by what's commonly known as "the big lie": that President Biden wasn't legitimately elected.

Disinformation Fuels A White Evangelical Movement. It Led 1 Virginia Pastor To Quit

1:15pm February 21, 2021

Some evangelical circles have incubated and spread conspiracy theories for years. It's part of a movement called Christian nationalism that researchers call a threat to American democracy.

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