Magi would have a tough time finding frankincense

Elizabeth Weise / USA Today

(RNS) The world may still have gold and myrrh, but it's quite possible that frankincense could become a thing of the past, given ecological pressures on the arid lands where it grows in Ethiopia. The storied resin -- known to millions as one of the three gifts of the Magi, the wise men who visited Jesus after his birth -- is made from gum produced by the boswellia papyrifera tree....
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Court says pharmacists can’t be forced to dispense morning-after pill

Lauren Markoe | Feb 22, 2012

(RNS) A federal court on Wednesday (Feb. 23) struck down a Washington state law that requires pharmacists to dispense the morning-after pill even if it violates their religious beliefs. By Lauren Markoe.
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Both sides gear up in N.C. gay marriage fight

Amanda Greene | Feb 22, 2012

WILMINGTON, N.C. (RNS) Here in the only Southern state that does not have a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, both sides are gearing up for a fight at the ballot box on May 8. By Amanda Greene.
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Ala. bill would move religion classes off campus

Greg Garrison | Feb 22, 2012

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (RNS) A proposed Alabama law would allow churches or ministries to teach a religion class to public school students off campus, if parents and school boards give permission and the churches provide transportation and other expenses. By Greg Garrison.
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Sparks fly as House GOP blasts contraception mandate

Lauren Markoe | Feb 16, 2012

WASHINGTON (RNS) A House committee holds hearings Thursday that will find the Obama administration guilty of trampling on religious freedom by requiring employers to provide insurance that includes contraception coverage. By Lauren Markoe.
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Washington becomes seventh state to legalize gay marriage

Tracy Simmons | Feb 13, 2012

SPOKANE, Wash. (RNS) Gov. Christine Gregoire was scheduled Monday to sign legislation to make Washington the seventh state to allow same-sex marriage, although opponents promised a high-stakes fight at the ballot box. By Tracy Simmons.
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COMMENTARY: Lessons worth learning the hard way

Tom Ehrich | Jan 3, 2012

(RNS) Instead of year-end analyses and new-year resolutions, I prefer to share important lessons I have learned. Most came the hard way. That's the first lesson: The easy way rarely leads anywhere worth going. Here are others as we begin a new year: -- Make your bed and wash the dishes. Take pride i...
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Christmas symbols are in the eye of the beholder

Nancy Haught | Dec 13, 2011

(RNS) When is a candy cane not just a candy cane? For some people, its red and white stripes might signify the sacrifice and purity of Jesus, or maybe just a 19th-century candy-maker's twist intended to dazzle his grandchildren. Both stories are alive and well on the Internet. Is Santa Claus the ima...
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D.C. cardinal, nun mired in rare public dispute

David Gibson | Oct 31, 2011

(RNS) An unusual public dispute is brewing between Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl and a feminist theologian who essentially accused Wuerl of lying about the hierarchy's review of her work. The feud between Sister Elizabeth Johnson and the doctrine committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bisho...
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Muslim mortgages in limbo after bank collapse

Ron Csillag | Oct 24, 2011

TORONTO (RNS) The collapse of a lender that offered Shariah-compliant mortgages has left Muslim homeowners in the Toronto area with many questions and so far, few answers. Founded in 2004, Toronto's UM Financial partnered with an Ontario credit union to offer mortgages and other financial products t...
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Pope seeks Protestant allies to combat secularism

Niels Sorrells | Sep 23, 2011

BERLIN (RNS) All faiths have to work together to stanch the tide of secularism sweeping the world, warned Pope Benedict XVI on Friday (Sept. 23) during the second day of a tour through his native Germany. Benedict focused Friday on ecumenical meetings, including a service with Lutheran ministers in...
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