religion

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They Haven't Come Knocking in 2-Plus Years. They're Back

Jehovah's Witnesses making in-person rounds again after a pandemic hiatus since March 2020

(Newser) - Jehovah's Witnesses have restarted their door-to-door ministry after more than two and a half years on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, reviving a religious practice that the faith considers crucial and cherished. From coast to coast, members of the Christian denomination fanned out in cities and towns Thursday...

Gallup: US Belief in God Hits a New Low

It's dropped by 6% over the last 5 years

(Newser) - The last five years has apparently taken a big toll on Americans' belief in God—especially among the young, the liberal, and Democrats. Gallup says that in its latest poll , a new low of 81% of Americans said they believed in God, down from 87% in 2017 and from a...

Slick Series About Jesus Upends Crowdfunding Strategy

'The Chosen' is breaking new ground on that front, reports the 'Wall Street Journal'

(Newser) - Like any Hollywood-esque production depicting Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, The Chosen needed plenty of extras for the scene. The twist here: In this case, the extras actually paid for the privilege, with most shelling out at least $1,000 each. Welcome to the unusual—and successful—production model of...

Gallup: Church Membership Is Below 50% for the First Time
US Church Membership
Hits Record Low
Mar 29, 2021 12:30 PM CDT

US Church Membership Hits Record Low

Gallup says rate has fallen below 50% for the first time

(Newser) - If you're an American who belongs to a church, synagogue, or mosque, you're now in a minority, according to a new Gallup poll . Gallup says church membership has fallen below 50% to a record low of 47%, largely due to a corresponding increase in the proportion of people...

Christian Group: 'Trump Has Used Christianity'

'Not Our Faith' rolls out 6-figure TV and digital ad campaign

(Newser) - A group of prominent Christians from both sides of the aisle, including a past faith adviser to former President Barack Obama, is forming a political action committee designed to chip away at Christian support for President Trump in the final weeks of the 2020 campaign, the AP reports. Dubbed Not...

Man Says He Was Hypnotized Into Marrying Clueless Star

Dash's estranged husband says pastor used 'hypnotic prayer techniques'

(Newser) - Jeffrey Marty says he married Stacey Dash because he was entranced—and not in a good way. In a court filing, the Clueless star's estranged husband says he married her on April 6, 2018, 10 days after her pastor "unexpectedly and suddenly proclaimed that it was God's...

Trump Says Biden Opposes Guns, Energy. Also, 'He's Against God'

Democrat's campaign says he lives his faith 'with dignity'

(Newser) - President Trump warned Thursday of a radically different future for Americans under a President Joe Biden. "Take away your guns, take away your Second Amendment. No religion, no anything," Trump told supporters at the Cleveland airport. "Hurt the Bible. Hurt God. He’s against God." The...

Supreme Court Gives Victory to Conservatives on Schools

Upholds Montana program that aids religious schools

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it easier for religious schools to obtain public funds, upholding a Montana scholarship program that allows state tax credits for private schooling, per the AP . The court's 5-4 ruling, with conservatives in the majority, came in a dispute over a Montana scholarship program...

2019 Was a Bad Year for One Kind of Killing

From Burkina Faso to California, houses of worship came under deadly fire

(Newser) - On Dec. 1, a band of assailants opened fire on worshippers at a small-town Protestant church in Burkina Faso, an impoverished West African country where the Christian minority is increasingly a target of attacks. The victims included the pastor and several teenage boys; regional authorities attributed the attack to “...

Same-Sex Marriage Clash Ends With Church, Pastor Removed

Minneapolis congregation plans to continue

(Newser) - A Minneapolis denomination has evicted a church and defrocked its pastor over longstanding differences on same-sex marriage. The Evangelical Covenant Church voted to remove First Covenant Church and the Rev. Dan Collison, the Star Tribune reports. It's the first time that a pastor and church have been kicked out...

He Was Once a Slave. Now He May Become a Saint

Pope deems Augustus Tolton, America's first black Roman Catholic priest, 'venerable'

(Newser) - Pope Francis on Wednesday deemed the first known black Roman Catholic priest in the US to be "venerable," positioning the ex-slave for possible sainthood. The pontiff's designation of the Rev. Augustus Tolton as venerable, meaning the church intensely scrutinized his life and recognizes it as one of...

LDS Church Supporters Cry 'Blasphemy' Over Deadpool Poster

Promo looks strikingly like painting of Jesus commissioned by the church

(Newser) - Once Upon a Deadpool opened nationwide Wednesday, and while it's earning tepid reviews , its promo poster is drawing more heated reaction. Who's hot about it: supporters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which boasts a painting that looks to be the inspiration for the Deadpool...

Einstein's 'God Letter' Fetches Ungodly Price

Christie's unloads document calling 'the word God' as 'product of human weakness' for nearly $3M

(Newser) - Albert Einstein didn't hold back in his famous 1954 "God letter," which fetched nearly $3 million at a Christie's auction Tuesday. "The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still...

Einstein's 'God Letter' Expected to Fetch 7 Figures at Auction

1954 note declares religion as 'superstitition'

(Newser) - "The word God is for me nothing but the expression of and product of human weaknesses." Even now, more than 60 years later, Albert Einstein's words carry some shock value—which is why auction house Christie's expects to nab up to $1.5 million with the...

10 Countries With the Biggest Generation Gap on Religion

In 46 of 106 countries, adults under 40 were less religious than adults 40 and over

(Newser) - Is there a generation gap when it comes to religious belief? A new study by Pew Research Center surveyed religious beliefs in 106 countries over the last decade and found that in 46 of them, individuals between the ages of 18 and 39 were less religious than those 40 and...

For Americans, This Is the 'Face of God'

Ryan Gosling, is that you?

(Newser) - You can now say you've stared into the face of God, or at least a face Americans believe resembles it. Surprisingly, there's no beard in sight. Instead, faces selected from pairs of photos by more than 500 US Christians tasked with choosing their vision of God combine to...

Why a Church in South Africa Is Causing a Buzz

Not everyone loves that Gabola Church celebrates drinking

(Newser) - Dressed in a red robe and a gold-trimmed bishop's miter, the clergyman pours whiskey into his cupped hand and anoints the forehead of the man sitting before him. "You are hereby invested as a minister," he says. He hands the remaining whiskey to the new minister, who...

Tenn. Schools May Soon Have to Show 'Cornerstone of Freedom'

Bill to prominently display national motto of 'In God We Trust' now on Gov. Haslam's desk

(Newser) - It's up to Bill Haslam now whether one of America's most famous mottos ends up prominently displayed in his state's schools. The Tennesseean reports a bill is headed toward the Tennessee governor's desk to call for the conspicuous display in schools of the "In God...

Her Religious Beliefs Sent Her to Jail. Now They May Free Her

Investigator was held in contempt of court in death penalty case, but now, a 'dramatic change'

(Newser) - Greta Lindecrantz was sent to jail due to her religious convictions, and now, after two weeks behind bars, those religious convictions, as well as a "dramatic change in circumstance," will apparently set her free. Lindecrantz, a criminal defense investigator, was held in contempt of court Feb. 26 for...

Satanic Temple Sues to Lead City Council Prayers

Group is taking Scottsdale, Ariz., to court

(Newser) - A group that invokes the name Satan as a metaphor for opposing religious tyranny has sued the well-off Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, Ariz., accusing officials of discrimination after being denied an opportunity to give the opening prayer at a City Council meeting. Michelle Shortt of the Satanic Temple of Tucson...

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