News, Trends, Articles on Spirituality and Religion

Michael Gryboski (“The Christian Post,” May 23, 2013)
One of the largest Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations in the United States is presently weighing the possibility of leaving the denomination due to theological differences.

First Presbyterian Church of Houston, founded in the early nineteenth century and with an estimated 3,600 members, voted earlier this year to enter a discernment process over the possibility of seeking dismissal.

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Sarah Pulliam Bailey (“RNS,” May 23, 2013)
Oklahoma’s devastating tornado stirred up a theological debate that was set off from a series of deleted tweets referencing the Book of Job.

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Jennifer Glasse (“Al Jazeera,” May 20, 2013)
Mes Aynak, Afghanistan – Ruins dot each hilltop in mountainous Mes Aynak, an hour’s drive south of the capital Kabul. Buddhist monasteries stood here for hundreds of years, and Afghan workers under the supervision of archaeologists are racing to uncover remnants of the past.

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(“Hurriyet Daily News,” May 24, 2013)
An Istanbul court has sentenced Turkish-Armenian writer Sevan Nişanyan to 58 weeks in prison for an alleged insult to the Prophet Muhammad in a blog post.

The prosecutor had been seeking one and a half years of jail time for Nişanyan on charges of “insulting the religious beliefs held by a section of the society.

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(“Euro News,” May 24, 2013)
Gunmen have been seen prowling through a Sunni district of the Lebanese city of Tripoli after fighting between factions supporting rival groups in neighbouring Syria’s civil war.

Five people were killed and more than 50 wounded on Thursday night.

Fears are growing the fighting could reignite Lebanon’s own 15-year-long civil conflict.

“The seeds of war exist in Lebanon.

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Mohammed Zaatari (“The Daily Star,” May 24, 2013)
Sidon, Lebanon – The vegetable vendor in Sidon’s Taamir neighborhood only recently discovered that his neighbor Abu Ahmad Masri is a Shiite. “I swear to God that I only recently learned that he is a Shiite,” he said.

But the sect of Masri, who usually defeats the vendor when playing cards, will not affect ties between the two, the latter said.

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Ozge Ozbilgin (Reuters, May 24, 2013)
Ankara – Turkey banned alcohol advertising and tightened restrictions on its sale on Friday, drawing criticism from secular Turks as well as the country’s brewing industry.

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Ciaran Giles (AP, May 24, 2013)
Madrid – The Catholic archdiocese in Madrid says it needs more exorcists to help some of its faithful cope with the devil.

An archdiocese spokeswoman said Friday that Madrid only has one exorcist priest and that it is …

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Tom Heneghan (Reuters, May 24, 2013)
The Church of England published a plan on Friday to approve the ordination of women bishops by 2015, a widely supported reform it just missed passing last November after two decades of divisive debate.

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Trevor Grundy (“The Huffington Post,” May 24, 2013)
London – Leaders of Britain’s 2.8 million Muslims reacted with horror and anger following Wednesday’s (May 22) slaughter with knives and machetes of an off-duty British soldier in the streets outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in south London.

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Nasser Nasser (AP, May 23, 2013)
Cairo – Cairo, the Arab world’s most populated city, is often referred to as an open-air museum of Islamic antiquities and the city of 1,000 minarets.

But its rich history and contributions to Islamic art has languished.

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(AP, May 24, 2013)
London – The slaying of a British soldier in southeast London cast a spotlight on radical preachers that influenced Michael Adebolajo, the attacker seen in videos with bloody hands holding a butcher knife. It also raised questions ab…

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Maryclaire Dale (AP, May 24, 2013)
Philadelphia – A Philadelphia judge has ordered that a couple who believe in faith healing over medicine be held without bail on third-degree murder charges in the April death of their 8-month-old son.

Herbert and C…

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Dalia Nammari (AP, May 23, 2013)
Mount Gerizim, West Bank – The Samaritans, a rapidly dwindling sect dating to biblical times, have opened their insular community to brides imported from eastern Europe in a desperate quest to preserve their ancient cul…

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