Religion News Roundup (January 15 2010)

Hello readers,

Here's what's been going on in religion recently:

• The writing of the Bible may have started a lot earlier than scholars previously thought. (Haaretz)
• The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has recently been full of useful statistics about beliefs and attitudes in the U.S. 16.1% of US adults identify as "unaffiliated." Does this mean a lot of agnostics/atheists, or that a significant number of people are fed up with religious organizations?
• Also worth seeing: How religious is your state? (Pew) and the increasingly common mixture of faiths (Pew).
• The recent battle over gay marriage here in D.C. (my hometown) has been leaving many questioning whether the Catholic Church is too influential, or at least, trying to be. Now, a Washington Post guest columnist is asking the same question over a different topic: the healthcare debate. (WaPo).

Have a great Martin Luther King Day weekend!

Religion News for 9/24/2009

Hello, readers! Today in 622, the prophet Muhammad completed his hijra from Mecca to Medina. And today in religion news...

• Worldwide, witch hunts persecuting women and children are on the rise, according to the UN. (Reuters)
• Tomorrow's Islam on Capitol Hill [site contains automatic audio] event is already attracting attention, not all of it positive, and not all just from anti-Muslim groups. (PD, Beliefnet)
• Pope Benedict XVI will be making his first official visit to Great Britain. (Times of London)
• Leaders from African-American churches will be endorsing Obama's plan for healthcare reform. (LAT)
• Two openly gay members of Congress have endorsed legislation barring workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. (Baltimore Sun)

Religion News for 9/16/2009

Hello readers! Today marks the 1843 death of Ezekiel Hart, the first Jew elected to representative office in the British Empire. And today in religion news...

• David Gibson at Politics Daily does an exceptional job at delineating the statements of official Catholics on the issue of healthcare reform. DC's Archbishop Wuerl has also published a column on the issue. (PD, 2)
• The government of the Philippines and Muslim separatists from the south of that country are working towards peace, and allowing international monitoring. (AP)
• Anti-abortion group Operation Rescue is "completely out of money," according to OR president Troy Newman. One abortion provider previously targeted by them isn't so sure. (KC Star)
• Cuba is now allowing religious services in its prisons. (Reuters FaithWorld)