pewforum.org Religion News on the Web

Religion News on the Web

Selected religion-related news from around the Web
RNS: Effort made to change conceptions of Shariah
Against a backdrop of heartland fears that U.S. Muslims seek to impose Islamic law on American courts, a leading Muslim group will launch a campaign on Monday to dispel what it called misconceptions about Shariah.
AP: Cuban Santeros, ignored by John Paul II in 1998, cool to Benedict XVI as his visit nears
They cast snail shells to read their fortunes, proudly wear colorful necklaces to ward off illness, dress all in white and dance in "bata" drum ceremonies.
AP: NJ Muslims, officials discuss NYPD surveillance
New Jersey's attorney general told Muslim leaders Saturday that he was still looking into the extent of New York Police Department surveillance operations in the state, yet stopped short of promising a formal investigation during a meeting that both sides characterized as productive.
NYT: From ‘nominal Catholic’ to clarion of faith
Rick Santorum was, in his own words, a “nominal Catholic” when he met Karen Garver, a neonatal nurse and law student, in 1988. As they made plans to marry and he decided to enter politics, she sent him to her father for advice.
Post-Dispatch: Archdiocese defends firing of gay St. Louis County teacher
After a teacher at St. Ann Catholic School in Normandy had been fired in February for planning to marry his male partner in New York later this month, officials with the Archdiocese of St. Louis pointed to a document the teacher had signed when he applied for the job.
AP: Florida mulls outlaw of Shariah, other foreign laws; critics say bill addresses made-up threat
A measure to ban the use of foreign laws in domestic courtrooms is progressing in Florida's statehouse, one of dozens of similar efforts across the country that critics call an unwarranted campaign driven by fear of Muslims.
Tallahassee Democrat: Fla. House debates prayer
By the time Florida House members approved a bill that will allow students to give inspirational messages to their peers in school, supporters had given up saying "message" and were talking about the benefits of prayer.
RNS: Mitt Romney trouncing Rick Santorum among Catholics
Mitt Romney has trounced Rick Santorum, an ardent Catholic, among Catholic voters, but Romney's support among evangelicals has wavered thus far in the GOP presidential primary, according to a new analysis of exit poll data.
AP: Abortion insurance bill defeated in Wash. Senate
A bill to link abortion coverage to maternity care was defeated Friday in the Washington state Senate.
Wash. Post: As Super Tuesday approaches, GOP candidates focus on evangelical voters
The cavernous sanctuary at First Redeemer Church was packed on a recent Sunday when presidential hopeful Rick Santorum took the stage to declare religious freedom in jeopardy.
Reuters: Maryland legalizes same-sex marriage; challenge looms
Maryland became the eighth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage on Thursday, just as opponents were ramping up efforts to repeal the new law at the ballot box.
Wash. Post: Birth control exemption bill, the ‘Blunt amendment,’ killed in Senate
The Senate Thursday rejected an effort to vastly expand conscience exemptions to the Obama administration’s new birth control coverage rule, even as Republican presidential contenders continued to tussle over the issue.
NYT: Romney sets off furor on contraception bill
Perhaps the question was poorly worded. Or perhaps it was a slip of a tired tongue.
WSJ: Schools navigate state birth-control patchwork
Roman Catholic employers are pushing back against an impending federal mandate on contraceptive coverage partly because the rule would remove an escape hatch that let them opt out of similar state laws that passed in earlier years.
AP: Chicago Muslim leader says police superintendent promises no NYPD-style surveillance operation
Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy vowed at a meeting with a local Muslim leader Tuesday to confine his department's surveillance activities to those that pursue "criminal leads," and to avoid the type of widespread spying allegedly carried out by New York police.
LA Times: Republicans keep up birth control battle
Dissatisfied with the Obama administration's compromise on contraceptive coverage, congressional Republicans are fighting to do away with the requirement that insurers provide free birth control — a strategy that might rally their conservative base but risks alienating sought-after independent voters in this election year.
National Post: Banned by Kenya, controversial Canadian preacher delivers speech via Skype
Deported from Kenya last week due to security concerns, controversial Canadian Muslim preacher Bilal Philips nonetheless delivered his planned speech to Nairobi’s biggest mosque on Saturday via Skype.
NYT: As gay marriage gains ground in nation, New Hampshire may revoke its law
As same-sex marriage supporters celebrate victories in Washington and Maryland this month, they are keeping a wary eye on New Hampshire, where lawmakers may soon vote to repeal the state’s two-year-old law allowing gay couples to wed.
NYT: Democrats see benefits in battle on contraception access
With the cameras running and the microphones on, Congressional Democrats express outrage over Republican efforts to limit the types of health care that employers have to offer to their workers, particularly contraception. This is a fight Democrats are perfectly pleased to have.
Seattle Times: State may become first to require insurance to cover abortion
At a time when many states are making it harder for women to get abortions, Washington state appears headed in the opposite direction.
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