IRS: The Satanic Temple is a Real Religion
(RNS) — The Satanic Temple announced this week that the IRS now recognizes it as a church. As courts wrestle with the First Amendment implications of what is — and isn’t — a religion, scholars who study religion agreed that the term is slippery.
BWA General Secretary Emeritus Denton Lotz Dies, Leaves “a Massive Footprint”
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA - On Tuesday (Apr. 23) Rev. Dr. Denton Lotz, General Secretary Emeritus of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), died at his home in Forestdale, Mass., at the age of 80.
Mick Mulvaney: Faith is Driving Many Trump Administration Policies
WASHINGTON (RNS) — White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney declared at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on Tuesday (April 23) that faith drives the Trump administration’s policy proposals.
Co-Housing Communities Hope to Offer Antidote to America’s Epidemic of Loneliness
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (RNS) — Casa Verde Commons is home to 67 adults, 15 young people, 12 cats, eight dogs, and one lawn mower. It’s not exactly heaven on earth -- but it’s close.
Who Are Sri Lanka’s Christians?
(The Conversation) — Sri Lanka’s Christians - about 7 percent of the country's total population - have a long history that reflects the dynamics of colonialism as well as present-day ethnic and religious tensions.
Easter Sunday Blasts Kill at Least 207 in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — At least 207 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in eight bomb blasts that rocked churches and luxury hotels in or near Sri Lanka's capital on Easter Sunday.
Black Women Cracking ‘Stained-Glass Ceilings’ with Jesus’ 7 Last Words
(RNS) — In a growing tradition, churches across the country are hosting Good Friday services that feature seven African-American female preachers, expounding on the last seven phrases uttered by Jesus before his crucifixion.
Prayers From All Over – Even Zimbabwe – Lift Up Little Leaguer
CINCINNATI (BP) -- Prayers for William Burton, a Little Leaguer who wasn't given much chance to live after a cardiac arrest at practice, are coming from everywhere. He is now seen as a miracle -- and maybe even a little bit of a celebrity -- because of his amazing recovery thus far.
Gallup: Number of Americans Who Belong to a House of Worship Plummets
(RNS) — A new Gallup report found that only half of Americans say they belong to a church or other religious body, down from 69% two decades earlier.
Half of Children Aged 3-6 Not in Pre-Primary Education Programs
According to a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, more than three-quarters of pre-primary-age children are not enrolled in pre-primary education programs in lower-income nations.