NEW YORK (AP) — The share of Americans who identify as white and Christian has dropped below 50 percent, a transformation fueled by immigration and by growing numbers of people who reject organized religion altogether, according to a new survey released Wednesday. Christians overall remain a large majority in the U.S., at nearly 70 percent … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Christian
4 cardinals press pope to clarify divorce-remarriage stand
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Four conservative cardinals who publicly questioned Pope Francis’ opening to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics are pressing their case and arguing that the issue is dividing the Catholic Church. In a new letter, the cardinals ask Francis for an audience, noting he never responded to their written request for clarification in … Continue reading
Federal court OKs Christian prayers at county board meetings
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A divided federal appeals court says county commissioners in North Carolina can open their meetings with Christian prayers. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared the Rowan County commissioner’s prayer practice constitutional on Monday. The appeals court decision reverses a lower court ruling that said the … Continue reading
AP Explains: Violence against Christians in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The suicide bombing in the city of Lahore on Easter underscores how Pakistan’s Christian minority has become an easy target for the country’s Islamic militants, although Muslims also were among the victims. There are barely 2.5 million Christians in the mostly Muslim country of 180 million, and they say they worry about … Continue reading
Pakistan PM vows to fight terror after 70 died in Lahore
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s prime minister on Monday vowed to eliminate perpetrators of terror attacks such as the massive suicide bombing that targeted Christians gathered for Easter the previous day in the eastern city of Lahore, killing 70 people. The attack underscored both the militants’ ability to stage large-scale attacks despite a months-long government … Continue reading
Faith-based community a deep tradition at Norfolk State
The faith-based community in and around the campus of Norfolk State is part of a deep tradition at NSU dating back to its founding. Mahogany Waldon of Spartan Echo TV takes a look at how the campus’ neighboring churches are an integral part of our Norfolk State Spartan community. Continue reading
Cardinal admits ‘scandalous’ response to abuse allegations
ROME (AP) — One of Pope Francis’ top advisers acknowledged he had heard that an Australian Catholic school teacher who serially abused students might be involved in “pedophilia activity” in the 1970s, but said he had no idea how rampant clergy abuse was at the time, during an extraordinary public hearing of an Australian … Continue reading
Israel’s Netanyahu slams Arab lawmaker for holy site visit
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s prime minister lashed out at an Arab lawmaker Wednesday for flouting a directive and visiting the sensitive Jerusalem holy site that is at the heart of the recent round of unrest, as the five-week long outbreak of violence that has plagued the region continued. A Palestinian was shot after the Israeli … Continue reading
Mennonite colleges withdraw from Christian group
GOSHEN, Ind. (AP) — Two Mennonite institutions have announced their withdrawal from the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities due to recent decisions to allow the hiring of married gay and lesbian faculty and staff. The presidents of Indiana’s Goshen College and Eastern Mennonite University, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, jointly announced their withdrawals from the organization … Continue reading
‘War Room’ filmmakers build on previous faith film successes
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Faith-based movies that succeed at the box office shouldn’t be a surprise anymore, but “War Room,” a Christian family drama about marriage, has proved to be somewhat miraculous. After “War Room” nearly beat “Straight Outta Compton” in its opening weekend, it defied expectations in its second week in theaters and rose … Continue reading
Judge erases suspensions from student preacher’s record
A federal judge erased three suspensions from the school record of an Everett student who preached and handed out Christian booklets. Cascade High School senior Michael Leal filed a lawsuit against Everett Public Schools last November, saying his constitutional right of free speech was being infringed. School officials said he was suspended for being disruptive, … Continue reading
Pope condemns Kenya school attack as ‘senseless brutality’
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has condemned the attack by Islamic militants on a Kenyan university as an act of “senseless brutality” and called for those responsible to change their violent ways. In a telegram of condolence Friday, Francis also urged Kenyan authorities to work to bring an end to such attacks and … Continue reading
Kenya attack survivor says gunmen had scouted the campus
GARISSA, Kenya (AP) — The Islamic extremists who slaughtered 147 people at a college in Kenya as they shouted “God is great” appeared to have planned extensively, even targeting a site where Christians had gone to pray, survivors said Friday. Police on Friday were at the campus of Garissa University College, taking fingerprints from … Continue reading
Fate of abducted Christians unclear; Syria clashes continue
BEIRUT (AP) — Islamic State group militants have moved a large group of Christian hostages to a city they control in northeastern Syria, while they continue to battle Kurdish and Christian militiamen for control of a chain of villages along the Khabur River, activists and state-run media said Wednesday. Hassakeh province which borders Turkey … Continue reading