A United Methodist Church bishop has defended a plan to remove the denomination’s official stance against homosexual acts, claiming that while “not perfect” it welcomes both liberals and conservatives. Next year, the UMC will hold a special General Conference to determine whether to retain its official opposition to homosexuality and gay marriage. One proposal, known […]

Pope Francis recommends silence and prayer to react to those seeking scandal and division. Francis offered the advice Monday in his homily at Mass in the Vatican hotel where he lives. Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former papal envoy in Washington, stunned the faithful last month by claiming Francis allegedly lifted unconfirmed Vatican sanctions against […]

Pope Francis says he will not say one word in response to explosive allegations from a retired Vatican official claiming the pontiff covered up sexual abuse and should resign. Talking to reporters on board the papal plane returning to Rome from Dublin, the Pope dismissively said Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganos testimony speaks for itself and […]

Satanists turned out in droves to shout their support of the unveiling of Baphomet , a bronze statue bearing a goat head perched over a winged body, in the Arkansas capital city of Little Rock. The Satanic Temple (TST) arranged the rally right opposite the State Capitol building. TST organized the event to protest against […]

Nuns are forcing the Catholic Church to face another kind of sexual scandal among its clergy: the abuse of “religious sisters by priests and bishops,” the Associated Press reports.   The big picture: The Church has a rocky history of abuse of young children, but the abuse of sisters is a matter the community has […]

A grand jury report about the sex abuse of children by priests in Pennsylvania was released today. Over 300 predator priests are named in the document. The specifics are graphic and horrifying. They involve violent sexual assault and rape, and sometimes the coordinated abuse of children by multiple priests in the same church. And, of […]

At a recent gathering of United Methodists, organizers sold purple T-shirts quoting the Methodist founder John Wesley’s instruction: “Do Not Rashly Tear Asunder.   ”In Methodist circles these days, citing the founder’s admonition can be understood only as a plea for an amicable solution to the denomination’s coming showdown over homosexuality.   A special session […]

The Minister of Antiquities has announced that a committee will be appointed the task of creating Egypt’s very first museum of religious tolerance.The news of the museum was reported on Thursday, via Egypt Independent; it will supposedly be located in the New Administrative Capital, near the city’s main mosque.It will also include pieces from the […]

Joel N. Lohr, the new president of Hartford Seminary who arrived in the West End earlier this month from California, is poised to transform the small nondenominational graduate school into a more prominent trailblazer for Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations.   “My hope is to continue to raise the profile of the institution, locally here in Hartford, but […]

Social media giant Facebook recently censored a music video produced by a gospel music group, claiming that it featured “political content.”Gospel music group Zion’s Joy! recently posted their new song “What Would Heaven Look Like,” to Facebook, boosting the video’s reach on the platform with a $100 advertising investment. But soon after the post was boosted, […]