Religion

Religion

Congregations leave United Methodist Church over defiance of LGBTQ bans

8:05am July 29, 2023

by Jason DeRose

One of the largest Protestant denominations in the U.S. is losing congregations over disputes over LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage. (This story first aired on Morning Edition on July 25, 2023.)

Rev. Kimberly Scott is the newly-installed pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in South Los Angeles. She decided to stay in the church, believing a change for greater LGBTQ acceptance is coming.

Congregations leave United Methodist Church over defiance of LGBTQ bans

6:24pm July 25, 2023

by Jason DeRose

The largest mainline Protestant denomination in the U.S. is shrinking due to disputes over LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex marriage. About 20% of United Methodist congregations have left in recent years.

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Poet Hanif Abdurraqib has struggled with grief from losing important people in his life. He reflects on the ways his spirituality is defined by his understanding of loss.

Religion

Why this poet sees grief as its own kind of spiritual practice

6:01am July 23, 2023

by Rachel Martin

Poet Hanif Abdurraqib has experienced a lot of loss in his life, and sees the grief from those losses as its own kind of spiritual practice.

Protesters gather in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, carrying Iraqi flags and images of influential Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, on Saturday following reports of the burning of a Quran carried out by a ultranationalist group in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Copenhagen.

Protesters try to storm Baghdad's Green Zone over Quran and flag burning in Denmark

9:45am July 22, 2023

by The Associated Press

Hundreds of protesters attempted to storm Baghdad's fortified Green Zone Saturday following reports an ultranationalist group burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Copenhagen.

Christian thriller 'Sound of Freedom' faces criticism for stoking conspiracy theories

4:25pm July 20, 2023

by Shannon Bond

Sound of Freedom is a surprise box office hit. But the Christian thriller is also fueling controversy over conspiracy theories and its depiction of human trafficking.

Protesters scale a wall at the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad Thursday. Protesters angered by the planned burning of a copy of the Quran stormed the Embassy early Thursday, breaking into the compound and lighting a small fire.

Iraq expels Sweden's ambassador over Quran burning, after protests at Swedish Embassy

2:31pm July 20, 2023

by Ruth Sherlock

Iraq expelled Sweden's ambassador and recalled its diplomat from Sweden, hours after protesters attacked the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, setting fire to part of the building.

Mira Sorvino and Tim Ballard attend the premiere of Sound of Freedom on June 28 in Vineyard, Utah. Ballard is a former federal agent who went on to found the controversial anti-human trafficking organization depicted in the film.

QAnon supporters are promoting 'Sound of Freedom.' Here's why

9:37am July 19, 2023

by Shannon Bond

The movie is being criticized as a vehicle for conspiracy theories and misleading depictions of human trafficking — landing it in the middle of the country's politically polarized culture wars.

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Religion

Salem Media Group co-founder with Piedmont ties who transformed Christian radio is dead at 86

5:13pm July 18, 2023

by David Ford

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Loh Siew Hong, in a pink shirt, arrives with her three children at Kuala Lumpur High Court for a hearing on May 11.

In Malaysia, a mom is contesting her kids' conversion to Islam. It's a landmark case

9:58am July 18, 2023

by Emily Feng

The children were converted by their father after the parents divorced. The case has thrown into sharp relief the ethnic and religious identity markers that form the bedrock of Malaysian policy.

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Religion

The former news anchor at the center of the mindfulness movement

9:33am July 17, 2023

by Rachel Martin

As an anchor for ABC News, Dan Harris' career seemed pretty sorted out. Then his book about mindfulness took off.

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