Beliefnet News

By Ashley Gipson c. 2008 Religion News Service (UNDATED) As the market mayhem continues to rock Wall Street, dazed employees in the financial sector who have lost their faith in the economy are turning to religious leaders for guidance. “People who still have their jobs are asking, `Am I next?’ They are much less certain…

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Belmont, California – The women broke their fast at sunset. Their legs curled beneath them, they gathered around a blue tarp to eat Tuesday night. They chewed dates, while some poured each other orange juice or water before their prayers. They hadn’t had any food or water for 14 hours. “Fasting…

Associated Press Tehran, Iran – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at Israel on Thursday, saying the Jewish state would not survive, even if it gave up land for a Palestinian state. He also dismissed allegations that his country is trying to make nuclear arms. Speaking to reporters in Tehran, the hard-line leader smirked at…

By Adelle M. Banks Religion News Service Washington – Heaven is no longer viewed as an exclusive place by many Americans, according to a new survey from Baylor University. When researchers polled U.S. adults about who (and how many) will get into heaven, 54 percent of respondents said at least half of average Americans will…

By Daniel Burke Religion News Service (RNS) Six Michigan farmers, including two Amish men, say a state-required livestock numbering system infringes on their religious beliefs and are suing the U.S. and Michigan departments of agriculture to stop the program. The electronic numbering and tagging procedure is designed to trace sick animals and protect public health.…

Associated Press – September 17, 2008 OMAHA, Nebraska – A meatpacking plant has agreed to accommodate Muslim workers’ request for prayer time during Ramadan, union officials said Wednesday. Earlier this week 300 Muslim JBS Swift & Co. workers, most of Somali background, walked off the job in protest of the prayer dispute. No one was…

By DANIEL BURKE c. 2008 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Bishop Robert Morlino rarely criticizes politicians by name from his pulpit in Madison, Wis., but he was “worked up” about what he saw on NBC’s “Meet the Press” the morning of Sept. 7. Sen. Joe Biden, a Catholic Democrat, had explained why he opposes outlawing abortion…

By Al Webb Religion News Service London – Some 126 years after Charles Darwin’s death, the Church of England has gone into 21st-century cyberspace to issue an official apology to the naturalist for its own 19th-century “misunderstanding” over his theory of evolution. Darwin’s thesis that all life evolved over millions of years was published in…

By David Harris Religion News Service Flint, Mich. – A movie being distributed as an advertising insert in more than 70 newspapers nationwide is drawing protests from Muslim groups who call it an attempt to stir up hate. The movie, “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War on the West,” argues that radical Islam is the greatest threat…

By Ashley Gipson Religion News Service Washington – More than 100 religious leaders have urged the federal government and both major political parties to develop long-term solutions to address poverty and environmental concerns along the Gulf Coast. In an attempt to solve what they called a “moral crisis,” the religious leaders sent the statement to…

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