This week, the Vatican announced that it would make it easier for conservative Anglicans and Episcopalians–those uncomfortable with women priests and accepting gay people–to join the Roman Catholic Church.  The move surprised Anglican leaders who, evidently, had no idea that the Vatican planned a massive sheep-stealing campaign.  The news sparked lively–and sometimes mean-spirited–debate in both…

Although many pundits think the religious right is waning, Republican Bob McDonnell, whose political views were shaped by radical right-wing beliefs–those of Christian Reconstruction–appears poised to win Virginia’s upcoming gubernatorial election.   McDonnell’s ties to the Christian Right were not an issue until the late summer when a Washington Post reporter obtained a copy of McDonnell’s…

Some African churches have taken a frightening literal turn: accusing children of witchcraft and torturing or killing them to purify their souls.  Over the weekend, the Associated Press reported that more than 15,000 Nigerian children have been accused of being witches in the last decade, with around 1,000 of those children murdered because of the accusation. …

I am a loyal supporter of your presidency. I worked hard in the campaign and have never been as proud of my country as I was when we elected you.  I’m writing to ask you to find another way ahead in Afghanistan. I wrote a similar letter to President Bush when he was preparing for…

More from Beliefnet and our partners
More from Beliefnet and our partners