Religion

This Buddhist Parable Can Ease Your Suffering During a Crisis

A breakup or divorce, the death of a loved one, being diagnosed with a serious illness, or losing your job, all of these crises can cause tremendous …

Pictures of the Day: 28 June 2017

One of the best iPhone photos this year was taken in Singapore

This year's crop of winners from the iPhone Photography Awards are making the world a more beautiful place, and it's all thanks to the much-maligned phone camera.<p>From pictures of children framed against a pillar of smoke in the background in the Iraqi town of Qayyarah to protesters in freezing …

Translating Genesis: Physicality

The Book of Genesis is replete with physical imagery. Older translations, such as the King James Version, tended to carry that physicality over into English. More recent English translations often favor abstraction. This is the third post in a series on “Genesis 1–11: A New Old Translation for …

23 Of The Finest Tweets From Black Muslims For #BlackOutEid

"Y'all know the diaspora stay in formation."<p>As Eid al-Fitr draws to a close, black Muslims took to Twitter for the third year in a row to celebrate their unique identities.<p>Using the hashtag #BlackOutEid, black Muslims posted photos of themselves decked out in traditional finery for Eid al-Fitr, the …

Writers Write

I’m asked the questions all the time: What does it take to be a writer? How can I be a better writer? How can I be a more successful writer? They may …

Pope to new cardinals: You're not called to be 'Princes of the Church'

ROME — Speaking to five new cardinals he created on Wednesday, Pope Francis pointedly told them they have not been called to become “Princes of the …

Why We Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Suffering

We should not be afraid of <b>suffering</b>. We should be afraid of only one thing, and that is not knowing how to deal with our suffering. Handling our …

Criticisms of religious arbitration

There is a case to be made against religious arbitration. It has five flavors, each with its own approach.<p>The first can be called “<b>One Law for One People</b>.” While it is important for the liberal state to be respectful of cultural diversity, all need to be governed by a single law that none can opt …

Pope Francis: The way of Christ is the way of persecution

Vatican City, Jun 28, 2017 / 03:57 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Wednesday Pope Francis said that following Christ means taking a path contrary to that of …

Even Pope Francis Has Used This E-Blessing App

Pope Francis is no stranger to innovative ideas. In addition to being a constant advocate for the combination of tech and faith, he also sent his …

How One Pastor Is Bridging the Partisan Divide

Adam Hamilton takes on controversial social issues from the pulpit, challenging his politically divided congregation to find common ground.<p>A recent study found that Methodism is one of America’s most politically divided denominations, with both congregants and their pastors roughly split between …

Pope to unions calls for new social pact to get youths jobs

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has praised labor unions as the prophetic face of society, but called for a new social contract to bring more young people into the workforce.<p>Meeting with one of Italy's biggest trade unions Wednesday, Francis said it was both "foolish and myopic" for companies to …

An Illinois bishop says gay Catholics shouldn't get holy funerals. His opponents? Other Catholics.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki’s decree also denies out LGBTQ people communion. His decree reflects wider tensions in the Catholic Church.<p>June may be LGBTQ pride month. But for Thomas Paprocki, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, it’s a time to double-down on his diocese’s approach to …

Ancient Japanese Chinese Relations

Relations between ancient Japan and China have a long history, and in certain periods the exchange of political, religious and cultural practices …

Unity is not just ‘bland uniformity,’ pope tells Orthodox delegation

ROME — The dream of restoring full unity between Catholics and Orthodox can be a prophetic sign of legitimate differences coexisting rather than just …

Poll: Australian top choice of faith is now “no religion”

For the first time in Australian history, Catholicism takes a back seat<p>In Australia’s latest Census report, more people identified with “no religion” than with Catholicism, a feat unprecedented in the country’s history.<p>The number of people reporting “no religion” rose from 22.6 percent to 29.6 …

Landmine kills eight in northeast Kenya - police | Reuters

MOMBASA, Kenya Four police officers and four civilians were killed on Tuesday after their truck hit a landmine on a road near Kenya's border with …

Philippine Military Says 17 Mutilated Civilian Bodies Found in Marawi

MANILA — The Philippine military said on Wednesday that troops had found the mutilated bodies of 17 civilians in the besieged southern city of Marawi, where government forces have been struggling to dislodge militants who have entrenched themselves for the last month.<p>The bodies were recovered …

How the Supreme Court Botched the Muslim Ban Ruling

On Monday the Supreme Court handed down a preliminary ruling on President Donald Trump’s ban on immigration from Muslim-majority countries. The …

All Eyes on LAX on the Eve of the Travel Ban Redux

Masih Fouladi was hiking near Yorba Linda on Monday morning when he got the news: The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether President Donald Trump’s …

How White House Eid dinner got started

Donald Trump has broken a recent tradition of hosting a White House dinner to mark the end of Ramadan.<p>So how did it get started?<p><i>Video by Nadeem Shad</i>

Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, Who Made Jewish Prayer Books Clear to All, Dies at 73

Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, who took a small wedding-invitation print shop and turned it into ArtScroll Mesorah, the leading publisher of prayer books and volumes of Torah and Talmud in the expanding Orthodox Jewish world, books notable for their easily readable typography, instructions and translations, …

Philippine Muslims fear Marawi fighting may deepen communal discord

MARAWI CITY, Philippines/MANILA (Reuters) - When a small army of militants allied to Islamic State took over parts of Marawi City in the southern Philippines last month, many of the country's Muslims were alarmed.<p>Although the Christian-majority Philippines has endured bouts of insurrection by …

Mali bishop pledges to make cardinal's ceremony amid scandal

ROME (AP) — An ailing Mali archbishop facing allegations of financial impropriety assured the Vatican on Tuesday he plans to show up at St. Peter's Basilica to be made a cardinal by Pope Francis.<p>Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said Bamako Archbishop Jean Zerbo "has confirmed his presence" at the …

How Isaac Babel Became The Bard Of Jewish Loss And Fate

<i>This Month Anne Reads:</i> <b><br>“Gedali,” by Isaac Babel</b><p>Born in 1894, he fell into the hellish century that lay just ahead. He wrote in Russian. He was a …

A German town, pop. 2,135, welcomes 2 million visitors for Martin Luther’s 500th

WITTENBERG, GERMANY — It’s 8 a.m. in rural east Germany, and Gunter, a hulking tree trunk of a man, is swinging a hammer over his head, pounding …

Zohar's Translation Unlocks the Secrets of Jewish Mysticism in an Age of Extremism

Scholar Daniel Matt spent 18 years translating the ancient text into English, making accessible a strain of Judaism that emphasizes personal …

Living Liturgically as Catholic Christians - CNA Columns: Deacon Keith Fournier

Our Catholic liturgical year follows a rhythmic cycle which points us toward beginnings and ends. In doing so, it emphasizes an important truth that …

Man Arrested For Allegedly Toppling Ten Commandments Monument At Arkansas Capitol

The monument had stood for less than 24 hours.<p>A man was arrested early Wednesday for allegedly destroying a long-disputed monument of the Ten Commandments outside the Arkansas Capitol that had been in place for less than 24 hours.<p>Arkansas had installed the monument on Tuesday, a move criticized by …