religion

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A 'Vibes Theory' May Explain Our Low Birthrates

Essay argues young people are iffy about parenthood in an age of 'spectacular uncertainty'

(Newser) - Fewer people are having kids, and Anna Louie Sussman argues in the New York Times that the usual suspects—money, housing, child care—don't fully explain why. Her case: Across rich and poor countries, with and without generous family policies, birthrates are sliding in tandem with something harder to...

FDR Had Fireside Chats. Trump Will Have Bible Reading

President to read from Old Testament in weeklong DC event to tout national repentance

(Newser) - President Trump is set to appear in an unusual Washington event next week: a weeklong, cover-to-cover public reading of the Bible. The president prerecorded his segment from the Oval Office for "America Reads the Bible," which organizers describe as "a national reading of God's law,"...

Data Suggest Religious Revival Among Young Men

42% see religion as 'very important,' compared to 30% of young women, per Gallup

(Newser) - Young American men are leaning back into religion, now passing young women in saying faith really matters. Gallup data from 2024-25 show 42% of men ages 18 to 29 call religion "very important" in their lives, up from 28% just a few years ago and roughly matching highs from the...

AI Spawns 'BuddhaBot,' $1.99 Chats With AI Jesus
Religion
Has Gone AI
Apr 10, 2026 3:20 PM CDT

Religion Has Gone AI

From 'BuddhaBot' to $1.99 chats with AI Jesus, the faith-based tech boom is here

(Newser) - For some evangelical Christians, faith is about having a personal relationship with Jesus. At $1.99 per minute, the tech company Just Like Me is taking that to a new level, reports the AP . Users can join video calls with an avatar of Jesus generated by AI. Like other religious...

Usha Vance: I Don't 'See Eye to Eye' With JD on Everything

Second lady's remarks come as VP announces a new memoir tied to his return to Christianity

(Newser) - JD Vance is heading back to bookstore shelves, this time with a faith-focused sequel of sorts to Hillbilly Elegy. The vice president will release Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith on June 16, a memoir he describes as charting his return to Christianity after losing his belief earlier in...

Within US Catholic Churches, 'Something's Happening'

Churches prepare to welcome droves of new adult converts to Easter services

(Newser) - An American pope and a post-pandemic reset are coinciding with something US bishops didn't quite see coming: a wave of adults choosing to become Catholic. Data collected from two dozen dioceses by the New York Times , including some of the biggest ones in the US, shows sharp increases in...

Hegseth's Religious Rhetoric Alarms Extremist Experts

Defense chief's hard lean into Christianity risks alienating troops, gets new look amid Iran war

(Newser) - Since becoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth has found no shortage of ways to bring his strand of conservative evangelicalism into the Pentagon. He hosts monthly Christian worship services for employees. His department's promotional videos have displayed Bible verses alongside military footage. In speeches and interviews, he often argues the...

Young Christian Influencers Are Spreading the Word Online

And America's youth is tuning in to these millennial, Gen Z evangelists

(Newser) - Millennial and Generation Z Christian influencers are increasingly filling a void in American religion, growing audiences across digital platforms by steering young people to biblical answers to tough questions that aren't always answered in Sunday sermons. "I can be that in-between, Monday-to-Saturday help to give you practical things...

In Hollywood, a Religious 'Revolution'

Faith-based entertainment is taking hold, even if it can sometimes be hard to define

(Newser) - At the movies this fall, Josh O'Connor plays a hot priest with a complicated past, Keanu Reeves is an angel who lost his wings, and Elizabeth Olsen has a romantic dilemma in the afterlife. Hollywood, it seems, has found God. But it's not just star-studded, big-budget Netflix films...

Trump Fires Back After NYT Story Details Signs of Aging

President is having fewer public events at age 79 than in his first term

(Newser) - It was all but certain to tick off President Trump: The New York Times is out with an analysis of the president's schedule that suggests age has begun slowing down the 79-year-old. Hours after it appeared, Trump himself shot back at the "creeps" behind the "hit piece....

Vance Defends Comments on His Wife's Faith

Comments about second lady's faith draw criticism from South Asian groups

(Newser) - Second lady Usha Vance, who is Hindu, has said publicly that she doesn't plan to convert to Christianity. But her husband told a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi this week that he has hope that she'll decide to share his Catholic faith. "I honestly do wish...

Mormons' Sacred Undergarments Get an Upgrade

It comes in the form of a more breathable sleeveless version

(Newser) - Sleeveless versions of the sacred undergarments worn by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints flew off the shelves on their first day available in the US, marking a momentous occasion for many women in the faith who say they no longer need to trade comfort to...

Spanish Town Trying to Protect Its 'Identity' Gets Bad News

Central government tells Jumilla to get rid of ban on religious fests, says it targets Muslims

(Newser) - A town in Spain has received a mandate from the nation's government: no more bans on religious fests at local sports venues. The crackdown in Jumilla, located in the Murcia region in southeastern Spain, came with a dressing-down against what the central government called a "discriminatory" practice that...

Hegseth Shares Clip About Women Needing to 'Submit'

DOD chief retweets video of Christian extremists chatting about repealing women's right to vote

(Newser) - The man who oversees the nation's military reposted a video about a Christian nationalist church that included various pastors saying women should no longer be allowed to vote. The extraordinary repost on X from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, made Thursday night, illustrates his deep and personal connection to a...

Trump Expands Religious Expression for Federal Workers

New guidelines allow prayer, proselytizing on the federal clock

(Newser) - Federal workers now have broader leeway to pray and discuss their faith at the office under new guidelines from the Trump administration. The changes, outlined by the Office of Personnel Management, permit employees to share religious beliefs and try to "persuade others of the correctness of their own...

The 3rd Biggest Religion on the Planet: None

Pew: Muslims saw the most growth; Buddhism was the only group to lose members

(Newser) - A new study from the Pew Research Center provides a global snapshot of religious change between 2010 and 2020, showing Muslims as the fastest-growing faith group, followed by people with no religious affiliation. The standout findings:
  • The world's Muslim population rose by 347 million over the decade—that'
...

SCOTUS Appears to Side With Catholic Charities Bureau

Religious rights case could have wide-ranging effects

(Newser) - The Supreme Court appeared Monday to be leaning toward a Catholic charitable organization pushing back against the State of Wisconsin in the latest religious rights case to come before the court. In a case that could have wide-ranging effects, the justices suggested the Catholic Charities Bureau should not have to...

After Years of Decline, 'Striking' Stability for Christians

Pew poll shows 62% of Americans ID as Christian, a figure that's held steady since 2019

(Newser) - The number of Americans who identify as Christian has declined steadily for years, but that drop shows signs of slowing, according to a new survey Wednesday from the Pew Research Center.
  • The Religious Landscape Study finds that 62% of US adults call themselves Christians. While a significant dip from 2007,
...

Fire Tears Through Tents at Earth's Biggest Religious Fest

No injuries reported at India's Maha Kumbh festival

(Newser) - A fire tore through at least 18 temporary tents at a massive Hindu festival thronged by millions of people in India's northern Prayagraj city, officials said Sunday. There were no injuries, the AP reports. The blaze was caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder and was contained by...

Louisiana's Plan for Ten Commandments in Schools on Pause

Federal appeals court stops Louisiana from requiring commandments be posted in classrooms

(Newser) - Louisiana's plan to make all of the state's public school classrooms post the Ten Commandments next year remains on hold under an order Wednesday by a federal appeals court in New Orleans. The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a state request to temporarily stay an earlier...

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