(RNS) A rising tide of restrictions face the faithful around the globe, according to a study released Thursday (Sept. 20) by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) U.S. Sikhs are taking heart in a widely publicized hearing on hate crimes that they see as a first step toward better understanding of the community and increased legal protections. By Jeanie Groh.

(RNS) President Obama and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi have a lot to talk about, Muslim-Americans say, from Islamophobia and human rights for religious minorities to Islamic extremism and cooperation. By Omar Sacirbey.

NEW YORK (RNS) The better a restaurant owner knows the customers, the more focused the menu can be. It's the same with politics; when it's local, candidates tend to know their people or at least know their interests, lingo, worries and hopes. This is the level at which democracy tends to work best. By Tom Ehrich.

RNS Editor-in-Chief Kevin Eckstrom talks with Kim Lawton of Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly about what she saw and heard at this week's Republican National Convention in Tampa.

(RNS) It would be an error to underestimate or write off the Protestant influence in the American political arena. But with the rapid demographic and sociological changes now underway, get ready for Hindus, Jews, Hispanics, Buddhists, Muslims, gays, women, atheists and many other groups to head up future presidential tickets. By A. James Rudin.

TAMPA, Fla. (RNS) Two forces of nature were bearing down on Tampa this week. One, Tropical Storm Isaac, was thought likely to reach Tampa on Monday as a hurricane. The other, the Republican National Convention, was bringing 50,000 Republicans to nominate a president and vice president, to adopt a campaign platform, and to make the usual quadrennial noise. By Tom Ehrich.

ST. LOUIS (RNS) Two pages from a 1972 article have influenced two generations of anti-abortion activists hoping to build a medical case to ban all abortions without exception. By Tim Townsend and Blythe Bernhard.

(RNS) Two conservative groups released a “Survey of Religious Hostility in America,” which seeks to draw attention to a “relentless onslaught” against religious people and institutions. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) What was supposed to be a slamdunk for nontheists has become a slap in the face as a petition on behalf of a jailed Indonesian atheist failed to attract even one-third of the signatures it needed to gain White House attention. By Kimberly Winston.

WASHINGTON (RNS) A security guard was shot Wednesday morning (Aug. 15) in the headquarters of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian lobbying group. By Chris Lisee.

"You've got a guy who is a rising Republican star, and who wrote the budget, saying he's read her books and Washington needs more of her values," said Eric Sapp, executive director of the American Values Network, which is trying to tie Paul Ryan to atheist philosopher Ayn Rand. "If you're a Christian, you've got to ask some serious questions about what's going on here."

WASHINGTON (RNS) A new poll finds that Catholics who are aware of their bishops' concerns about religious liberty generally agree with them, but the all-important Catholic vote is still up for grabs on Election Day. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) The Obama administration's policy requiring most employers to provide free birth control coverage in their health insurance policies takes effect on Wednesday -- a deadline that has sparked apocalyptic warnings from conservatives. By David Gibson.

(RNS) Religious minorities continue to suffer loss of their rights across the globe, the State Department reported Monday (July 30) in its 2011 International Religious Freedom Report. By Adelle M. Banks.