religion

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Shops Closed in Iran for Giving 'Un-Islamic' Do's

Part of crackdown that includes tattoos and scanty clothing

(Newser) - Western or unconventional styles are officially out in Iran, where police shuttered over a dozen barbershops in the past 2 weeks for giving “un-Islamic” haircuts. Such practices are forbidden thanks to an edict issued in April through the barber’s union. Eleven salons for women were also closed for...

Mother Teresa Tormented by Long, Dark Night of The Soul

Nun suffered shocking 50-year spiritual crisis

(Newser) - Even as she was selflessly ministering to the poor, Mother Teresa felt nothing of God’s presence, according to stunning personal letters published in a new book and this week’s TIME magazine. The nun wrote of a great “silence and emptiness” and the “pain and darkness” in...

Foes Gear to Fight New Bid By Ex-Islamist to Lead Turkey

Critics fear extreme religious shift for nation

(Newser) - Turkish secularists are bracing for another clash over the presidential candidacy of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, a devout Muslim and one-time Islamist party member who critics fear plans to enforce extreme religious principals in public life. The last time he was nominated as the ruling party's candidate, just three months...

Born-Again Actor Leads Charge into Iraq

Commentators cry foul over evangelical care packages

(Newser) - A ventriloquist and a born-again movie star are among those headed for Iraq to entertain US soldiers and fold them into the arms of the Lord, writes Max Blumenthal in the Nation. All well and good, but this version of the Almighty, delivered by the likes of Stephen Baldwin, is...

German Leaders Reject Scientology Ban

Stumbling block is procedural, not philosophical

(Newser) - German leaders say they won't press for a ban on Scientology—not because they're against it, but because they don't think it would succeed. The German government officially considers the organization a cult, Der Spiegel reports, but politicians from both major parties say that they probably don't have enough evidence...

Principal Fired for Staff Santeria Rites

Candles, incense and chicken blood didn't earn A's from bosses

(Newser) - A New York City public school principal's head is on the chopping block for forcing teachers to participate in spiritual cleansing rituals using chicken blood and incense, the AP reports. The principal paid another woman to perform several ceremonies practiced by followers of  Santeria, a Caribbean blend of  Christianity and...

Dean Tries Praying for Voters
Dean Tries Praying for Voters
Aug 2, 2007 8:17 PM CDT

Dean Tries Praying for Voters

DNC chief building values outreach programs

(Newser) - Amid chatter about Democratic candidates wooing the religious vote, Howard Dean has quietly used his DNC pulpit to build grassroots and national values outreach programs. The Hill reports that Dean—once so spiritually lost as to say “my religion doesn’t inform my public policy”—was born again...

Scientology: No Weirder Than The Others

Group may be wacky but it's no cult, Slate writer says

(Newser) - Scientology has earned cult status for many outsiders, but Slate’s Mark Oppenheimer argues it's no more bizarre than any mainstream faith. He says the peculiarities of the celebrity-friendly religion abound, but that they're reflected right back in the wacky ideas of more accepted theologies—say, by the Book of...

Muslim Donut Franchisee Fights Pork

Owner told to serve breakfast sandwiches or lose stores

(Newser) - The owner of two Chicago-area Dunkin' Donuts is locked in a legal dispute with the company over conflicts between his religious beliefs and his breakfast menu, the Chicago Tribune reports. A franchisee since 1979, Walid Elkhatib has never served pork products; it wasn't until 2002 that Dunkin' Donuts insisted he...

Hitchens: Stop Fearing (and Coddling) Islam

'Threat of violence' behind Muslims' demand for religious respect

(Newser) - Unflappable contrarian Christopher Hitchens asks why he's accused of "insulting 1.5 billion Muslims" whenever he challenges their faith in public. Arguing that no other group takes such umbrage when its empirical beliefs are questioned, the militant secularist concludes that the appeal to Muslims' feelings has an "unmistakable...

Look Out, Barbie: Here Comes Moses
Look Out, Barbie: Here Comes Moses
Jul 30, 2007 4:05 PM CDT

Look Out, Barbie: Here Comes Moses

Faith-based action figures to combat less godly toys

(Newser) - Faith-based action figures will soon compete with the latest Bratz and Transformers dolls on the shelves of a Wal-Mart near you. Tales of Glory figurines, including Samson, Jesus and Daniel (complete with the Lions’ Den), are being promoted as "God-honoring toys" in a market full of figures that "...

Real Priest Urges Virtual Soul-Searching

Second Life fertile ground for new Catholic converts, Jesuit says

(Newser) - A Jesuit academic is encouraging fellow believers to take the word of God to a new world—virtual reality. In a Roman Jesuit journal, Father Antonio Spadaro urges missionaries to preach the good life in Second Life, describing the online simulation game as packed with real souls to save, Reuters...

Indian Guru Embraces Life
Indian Guru Embraces Life
Jul 19, 2007 12:02 PM CDT

Indian Guru Embraces Life

Salon pays a call on the 'hugging saint' and meditates on the Amma empire

(Newser) - A 53-year-old fisherman's daughter from Kerala, India, stands at the center of an empire of idol worship and charitable works—stands there and hugs her disciples. Amma, a mother figure revered by many as a goddess, commands a kingdom of philanthropy, volunteerism, and merchandising, Salon reports. The reporter even jumps...

Russians Flock to New Religions
Russians Flock to New Religions
Jul 17, 2007 3:42 PM CDT

Russians Flock to New Religions

Followers of the 'new' Jesus head to Siberia to build a town

(Newser) - Is a former traffic cop named Sergei Tropov really the reincarnation of Jesus? Five thousand devoted followers of the Church of the Last Testament believe so, and they've relocated to a remote corner of the Siberian wilderness, where they are constructing a new town founded on the 18-year-old religion. The...

LA Cardinal Apologizes to Abuse Victims

Record $660M deal means cardinal won't have to testify

(Newser) - Cardinal Roger Mahony publicly apologized yesterday to the 508 plaintiffs in a sexual-abuse lawsuit the archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to settle for a record $660 million. Mahony, who met privately with many of the victims abused by clergy, said he wished their lives were like a videotape—"...

'Eco-Kosher' Eating Joins Religion, Ethics

New rabbinical food certification will reflect expanding values

(Newser) - Ancient Jewish dietary laws meet contemporary concerns about how food is produced in what the Washington Post calls the "eco-kosher" movement. American Jews are increasingly concerned about  labor standards, treatment of animals, and ecological impact of what goes on their table, even if they don't keep kosher, and religious...

Former Gay Converters Apologize
Former Gay Converters Apologize
Jun 28, 2007 11:14 AM CDT

Former Gay Converters Apologize

Erstwhile opponents affirm homosexuality

(Newser) - Three ex-leaders of the country's largest Christian gay-conversion ministry apologized for their behavior yesterday, saying the group had caused psychological distress to those it claimed to help. An Exodus International co-founder, now out as a gay man, lamented that the organization had made people feel "compelled to try to...

Barack Bashes Right for 'Hijacking' Faith

Dem candidate inveighs against evangelicals for dividing the country

(Newser) - Barack Obama assailed right-wing evangelical leaders yesterday, accusing them of "hijacking" faith and politicizing religion, the Daily News reports. Addressing the national conference of the United Church of Christ, he criticized "so-called leaders of the Christian right" for demonizing Democrats and convincing Americans that Christians' main concerns are...

Blair to Convert to Catholicism
Blair to Convert to Catholicism
Jun 22, 2007 5:38 AM CDT

Blair to Convert to Catholicism

Being Anglican was politically expedient, but the PM's been drawn to the Roman church for 30 years

(Newser) - Tony Blair is about to become a Roman Catholic, the Guardian reports. His wife is a practicing Catholic, his children were raised in the faith, and the PM has attended mass with them often. But political considerations have kept him officially Anglican all these years. With his last day in...

Mormon Faith Bedevils Romney Bid
Mormon Faith Bedevils Romney Bid
Jun 20, 2007 9:56 PM CDT

Mormon Faith Bedevils Romney Bid

Voters wary; rivals quick to take advantage (and apologize later)

(Newser) - Mitt Romney is still having to explain and defend his religion on the campaign trail. In recent weeks, staffers for two GOP rivals sent out e-mails questioning Mormon beliefs (the candidates later apologized), notes ABC News. And Romney himself has had to battle misconceptions about his faith, especially with regard...

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