NEWS: UCC SW Conference Boycotts Arizona

Leaders of the United Church of Christ are boycotting Arizona in response to the state’s stringent new immigration law. Six ministers have joined the Reverend John Dorhauer, head of the UCC’s Phoenix-based Southwest Conference, in imposing economic sanctions on the Grand Canyon State. According to Religion News Service, Dorhauer emphasized the importance of putting the … Continue reading →

NEWS: Immodest Women Cause Earthquakes, Iranian Cleric Warns

Immodest women make the earth move, according to Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi. In a statement to the Iranian media, Tehran’s acting Friday prayer leader cautioned that women who wear tight clothing or whose scarves reveal much of their hair “lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes.” Sedighi’s statement … Continue reading →

NEWS: Cross Found in AFA Earth-Centered Religions’ Worship Circle

The Air Force Academy announced its intention to open a circular worship area last month. Even Michael Weinstein, president of the Religious Freedom Foundation and stern critic of the AFA, heralded the inclusion as a step toward religious inclusion. But on 17 January, a cross fashioned from railroad ties was discovered in the academy’s new … Continue reading →

NEWS: US Defense Contractor Stamps Chapter and Verse on Rifle Sights

Trijicon, a Michigan-based defense contractor, has been carving references to Bible verses on its combat rifle sights for nearly 30 years. The United States military has purchased hundreds of thousands of these rifles. This Tuesday, the U.S. Army announced plans to investigate whether Trijicon violated federal procurement statutes regarding proselytization by American troops serving in … Continue reading →

NEWS: New York Times Links US Evangelicals to Proposed Ugandan Anti-Gay Bill

Three US Evangelical Christians delivered a series of talks in Kampala last March denouncing homosexuality as “an evil institution,” according to this week’s New York Times. These men are now distancing themselves from the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, proposed by Ugandan Parliamentarian David Bahati, which initially threatened homosexuals with hanging. The three evangelical speakers—Scott Lively, … Continue reading →

NEWS: More Americans Credit Eastern and New Age Beliefs, Supernatural Experiences

According to Pew Forum’s recent survey, many Americans blend Christian and New Age or Eastern beliefs – beliefs such as reincarnation, astrology, or the evil eye. A “sizeable minority” of Americans report experiences with supernatural phenomena, including contact with spirits or ghosts. While the United States is an overwhelmingly Christian country, more than 60% of … Continue reading →

NEWS: FLDS Sect Clashes with Mexican Drug Cartel

Members of a fundamentalist sect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) in Colonia Lebaron, Mexico, are under attack. Earlier this month, a local drug cartel abducted and executed a colony leader, Benjamin (Benji) LeBaron. Armed men in police uniforms took LeBaron, 31, from his home on 7 July 2009. They … Continue reading →

NEWS: Obama Assures Pope of Commitment to Reducing Abortions

President Barack Obama expressed his commitment to reducing the number of U.S. abortions in a private meeting with Pope Benedict XVI this Friday. Obama has vocally supported the legality of abortion and the importance of a woman’s right to choose. In meeting with Benedict, however, the president also stressed the importance of improving social and … Continue reading →

NEWS: Adapting Sacred Text for Same-Sex Unions?

Next week, Episcopal bishops will request revisions to the Book of Common Prayer, adapting the text for blessing same-sex marriages. Despite visible support for the queer community—including the 2003 election of openly gay bishop V. Gene Robinson in the Diocese of New Hampshire—all three Episcopal rites of marriage currently acknowledge only heterosexual unions. Bishops from … Continue reading →