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Associated Press Washington – U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain is scheduled to meet with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, on Friday. The two will meet in Aspen, Colorado where the Dalai Lama plans to address a symposium on Tibetan culture and its impact on global issues, the McCain campaign said Thursday. The…

Deutsche Presse-Agentur London – Hundreds of Anglican bishops led a protest march through central London Thursday urging world governments to show the “political will” to fulfil pledges of eradicating global poverty by 2015. The colourful march, which turned the government centre of Whitehall into a sea of bishops’ purple, was led by Rowan Williams, the…

By Tim Murphy Religion News Service One year after winning college football’s highest honor, University of Florida star Tim Tebow was pulled from consideration for Playboy’s pre-season All-American team because the magazine conflicts with his Christian beliefs, a school official confirmed. Tebow, who last year became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, comes…

The Hartford Courant Washington – On Tuesday night, Sen. Joseph Lieberman spoke again to Christians United for Israel — with the tone and biblical references of a sermon — telling Pastor John Hagee’s group, “We Americans have real enemies; we do not need to make enemies of each other.” At last year’s conference, Lieberman compared…

By Mallika Rao Religion News Service Washington – Mosques across the country are beginning to use a model similar to the one used by some suburban and downtown megachurches, operating multiple sites to serve a large and dispersed congregation. Many of these “mosque chains” brand themselves as progressive, and sometimes feature gymnasiums and mixed-gender prayer…

By Al Webb Religion News Service London – The Codex Sinaiticus, thought to be one of the world’s oldest Bibles, is going online this week in a project led by the British Library to reconnect all its 1,600-year-old parts that are spread across Europe and Egypt’s Sinai desert. A preview of the manuscript, which dates…

By Nicole Neroulias Religion News Service New York – As Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee convenes his annual Christians United for Israel summit in Washington this week (July 21-24), a new poll shows most U.S. Jews are leery of his support. An online survey of 800 Jews found that 78 percent of American Jews say…

The Salt Lake Tribune Washington – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will introduce a measure Wednesday establishing a federal task force on polygamy and offering help to those trying to escape polygamous communities. The bill, if passed, would set the stage for likely the largest orchestrated crackdown on polygamy in a century. Ahead of the…

Associated Press – July 21, 2008 SYDNEY, Australia – Pope Benedict XVI ended his visit to Australia Monday by meeting with victims of sexual abuse inflicted by Roman Catholic clergy – an issue that has scandalized the church at a time when the Vatican concedes it is struggling to draw people to its fold. He…

Associated Press – July 20, 2008 CANTERBURY, England – The head of the Anglican Communion said the global fellowship faces “one of the most severe challenges” in its history, and told bishops at their once-a-decade Lambeth Conference that they must find solutions beyond schism. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said that the most immediate Anglican…

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